Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Oct 28, 2008 10:26 pm Hi all,
I am new on this forum but I have found it a great read and have found lots of info through your posts, thanks. I would like to ask for your help. My husband and I just bought a block of land in the Hornsby Council area (our first home!) and have been trying to decide wether to go with Wisdom or EBH... the choice is hard but if we base it on base/package price EBH comes ahead by at least $10K. We are looking at building a small home (around $22-25 squares) so I guess it's quite a bit smaller than what most of you are building, but I hope the basic principles are still the same. The base price of the Wisdom homes seems higher but I don't know if then EBH will charge more for variations, upgrades etc. but then again, looking at Wisdom they charge heaps extra for upgrades, extra items i.e. kitchen overhead cupboards (at either side of rangehood) they are around $400-$500 with EBH and about $1,000 with Wisdom... Can anyone shed any light or share their experiences? sorry, I am going crazy here and I know time is running out as if we want to sign a contract before Xmas we better hurry up and more since Hornsby Council can be quite tough with DA approvals and we could end up waiting for 5 months for DA... so could be looking at continue paying rent and mortgage for quite a while longer. I'll appreciate any comments, suggestions, views, etc. Thanks Re: Eden Brae Homes vs Wisdom Homes - Help please! 2Oct 29, 2008 1:47 am being new to this myself I can only offer a little advice...
IGNORE the base price.... Decide on what you want in the house, ie if you want ducted aircon, caesar kitchen, alfresco area etc etc, then make sure you have accurate pricing from both builders to make it how you like it, ie compare apples to apples. Then when you add the cost of those items, compare the total building cost, rather than the base price. The reason is for example EB may have lower base, but higher upgrades, and an out of area charge for your area, whereas Wisdom has higher base, cheap facade cost, and no out of area fees....total cost is very important! Re: Eden Brae Homes vs Wisdom Homes - Help please! 3Oct 29, 2008 6:11 am Hi, I believe Wisdom is more flexible & easier to deal with.
EB charges very high prices for variations ie anything not included in their packages like ducted vacuuming AND you dont' get the full credit back if you cancel something ( like most pfoject builders):roll: . I would talk to Wisdom about these sorts of things. Re: Eden Brae Homes vs Wisdom Homes - Help please! 4Oct 29, 2008 7:47 am I agree - it's difficult to tell based on the package price - best to get them to price up all the extras you want.
For example - Wisdom were having a great kitchen special $2k for caesarstone benchtop, glass splashback, poly cupboards - which at EB would have been a lot more expensive. After 4 years - we're in! Re: Eden Brae Homes vs Wisdom Homes - Help please! 5Oct 29, 2008 8:50 am We were in the same situation. We had absolutely no doubt in our minds that we would build with Eden Brae and then along came Wisdom.
Definitely think about what you actually want in a house. Visit The Ponds display village and take a look at both Eden Brae and Wisdom and you'll immediately notice that All of the Wisdom rooms are functional whereas Eden Brae still maintain the old formal lounge/dining areas. Both of the companies are very similar with theif finishing. We found that after taking into account variations and what's included as standard / what needs to be added extra, both companies are quite similar in pricing. I know there aren't any Wisdom blogs to completion right now but it might also be a good idea to read the building blog section for Eden Brae, there seem to be a lot of horror stories (especially the one that ended up with a settlement). Personally, I love the Providence 24mkII from Wisdom Homes. That is the display at The Ponds it will 98% be the house I build in a few months time. Last time I was in there I was given a great indication of all of the extra costs involved with either increasing house space or increasing garage space. They'll also have a good look at any changes you would like to make and tell you whether they will work or not because Wisdom have an architect at the Ponds display (not sure if I'm allowed to name people) and he won't allow anything that will affect the flow and feel of their houses. Stonecutter is right, not only do wisdom have the usual kind of inclusions package (~$22k for $2k) but they also have the kitchen package right now which gives you 20mm caesarstone benchtop, blanco dishwasher, and the rest of the stuff that was mentioned. Supposed to be $12k worth for about $2k. Stevep79 & Principessa Finished building Wisdom Homes Impression 33mkII in The Ponds, Sydney http://lilypadintheponds.blogspot.com Re: Eden Brae Homes vs Wisdom Homes - Help please! 6Oct 29, 2008 9:46 am We had a similar dilema when we moved from Clarendon to Wisdom.. it's difficult to compare directly as all builders offer different package/price combinations. Do as stonecutter says, get them to price up the key things you want in your house.
One thing I can say is go with the company you think you'll get the best build experience with first and foremost as it's a stressful enough time building a house. And remeber, delays in building can cost you FAR more than the bit extra you might pay to one builder over another (rent, mortgage payments, land tax, council fees etc etc). I can't really comment on EB, as no experience with them other than a pre sales consultation at which they were great. We're building with Wisdom and so far have been very pleased with everyone there and everything has happened sooo much quicker than when we were trying to build with Clarendon. C&G -------------------------------- A new building chapter begins.. Re: Eden Brae Homes vs Wisdom Homes - Help please! 7Oct 29, 2008 12:05 pm I had tenders done by both companies. I found Wisdom to be better value than E BH although we still went with EBH cause we simply liked the floor plan better.
A lot depends also weather you actually like all these extras wisdom give you. For instance if you don't like those square basins they give you no doubt they won't give you the full credit etc. All the builders are the same for that kind of thing. I can't comment on the build quality because i haven't started, i can say though up to this point (in council next week) EB have been very good, their process from one stage to another runs well. Just watch out for the upgrades, the term charge like bulls applies here!!! I tried to include most of the upgrades in the tender and then negotiated on price prior to accepting, saved about 5k doing this. Re: Eden Brae Homes vs Wisdom Homes - Help please! 8Oct 29, 2008 12:22 pm I have checked both EB and W and find that they both compete well. There are differences though and W seem to have a really good inclusions list. As I wanted to compare apple for apple, I asked both of them to quote me on extras such as ducted ac, stencilled driveway, caesarstone upgrade, etc etc. I found that EB was slightely more pricier than W
Though I haven't submitted tenders for both but have done extensive homework on the two, In my opinion, I was happy with Wisdom. However, at the moment I am very much contemplating between Casaview and Wisdom. Good luck! ZZZ (I am Still to purchase land!) Re: Eden Brae Homes vs Wisdom Homes - Help please! 9Oct 29, 2008 4:10 pm I had the same issue as you not long ago. So what we did was go for a walk through of both houses with the different builders. We asked for all the extras we wanted from both builder and then we compared the total price of both houses.
Also keep in mind that with walkthroughs, you wouldnt know the price of your site, or site preperation like temp fencing and termite protection. Some companies will pay for certain things while others will make you pay for it. So just be mindful of things like that also when you are doing your comparasion. Idiots are fun, that's why there is one in every village! - Dr. House - Re: Eden Brae Homes vs Wisdom Homes - Help please! 10Oct 29, 2008 4:16 pm ok180 Just watch out for the upgrades, the term charge like bulls applies here!!! I tried to include most of the upgrades in the tender and then negotiated on price prior to accepting, saved about 5k doing this. How on earth did you get away with this ?? They flatly refused to come to the party on anything at tender stage ! Re: Eden Brae Homes vs Wisdom Homes - Help please! 11Oct 29, 2008 4:36 pm Southies ok180 Just watch out for the upgrades, the term charge like bulls applies here!!! I tried to include most of the upgrades in the tender and then negotiated on price prior to accepting, saved about 5k doing this. How on earth did you get away with this ?? They flatly refused to come to the party on anything at tender stage ! Probably because they were having a bad month, this was a few weeks before the RBA started cutting rates. I had heard from everyone their policy was "non negotiation". Re: Eden Brae Homes vs Wisdom Homes - Help please! 12Oct 29, 2008 4:42 pm ok180 Southies ok180 Just watch out for the upgrades, the term charge like bulls applies here!!! I tried to include most of the upgrades in the tender and then negotiated on price prior to accepting, saved about 5k doing this. How on earth did you get away with this ?? They flatly refused to come to the party on anything at tender stage ! Probably because they were having a bad month, this was a few weeks before the RBA started cutting rates. I had heard from everyone their policy was "non negotiation". bugger Re: Eden Brae Homes vs Wisdom Homes - Help please! 13Oct 29, 2008 4:45 pm Southies ok180 Southies ok180 Just watch out for the upgrades, the term charge like bulls applies here!!! I tried to include most of the upgrades in the tender and then negotiated on price prior to accepting, saved about 5k doing this. How on earth did you get away with this ?? They flatly refused to come to the party on anything at tender stage ! Probably because they were having a bad month, this was a few weeks before the RBA started cutting rates. I had heard from everyone their policy was "non negotiation". bugger BUT I signed the contract 4 weeks before Lord Rudd upped the FHOG by another 14k for new homes, so i missed out there Swings and round abouts etc etc Re: Eden Brae Homes vs Wisdom Homes - Help please! 15Oct 29, 2008 9:00 pm Hi all,
Thanks heaps for your replies! I am truly overwhelmed by your help. I guess a feel a bit better to find out that many of you were in the same boat. I think our main issue is that the house plan that we have nearly narrowed it down to for both builders isn't one of the houses they have on display! (Memphis 22 for EB adding 2sq for $2000 promotion & Prosperity 23 with Wisdom) so it's very hard to compare as we are unable to get the feeling you get when walking through the display home. We've driven all over Sydney to see all the different display homes for both EB and Wisdom including central coast, St Marys Mt Annah, Minto... But because of the shape and orientation of our block we keep going back to designs that are not on display. Has any of you built a home that wasn't on display? does it work out ok? Yeah, I know what you mean stevep79, we have also met with MV at the Ponds and he is an architect so I guess he knows his stuff, maybe we should go back this w/e and discuss it further with him. Unfortunately being up in Hornsby both builders will charge us extra for being out of their area EB $3,000 and Wisdom $5,000. I read that EB aren't really open to negotiation on prices, but are Wisdom more open to it? I guess you've all signed up with Wisdom a while ago as now their kitchen upgrade package is $3,800 and their prices just went up $2,000 on all the houses. Are Wisdom more generous than EB (from your experience) when giving you credit for things you don't want done in the house? We are considering putting down timber floorboards instead of tiles in the living areas but we probably won't be able to afford it if we don't get a generous credit/refund for the tiles. My husband suggested doing what you did ok180 and get a tender done with both of them and compare apples with apples then, so I guess is not such a crazy idea. Is any of you in an advance building stage with Wisdom? You are spot on stevep79, I have struggled with the fact that there aren't any Wisdom blogs to completion, I will definitely have a read at the EB one ( if I can find it, as I am still new at this and don't know my way around all that well). Re: Eden Brae Homes vs Wisdom Homes - Help please! 16Oct 30, 2008 7:29 am Jochicho Has any of you built a home that wasn't on display? does it work out ok? ... I guess you've all signed up with Wisdom a while ago as now their kitchen upgrade package is $3,800 and their prices just went up $2,000 on all the houses. We chose the Impression 38 Mk II before it was built - but we used My Virtual Home to construct a 3d image of the house and put in the sorts of furniture we were after to see if it was the right house for us. I'd ask Wisdom about seeing if you could visit some Providences that are under construction or recently finished - they may be nice enough to ask the owners if you could look around. As for the prices - I think the Wisdom Home prices have gone up all of about $4000 in 2 yrs - which is fairly reasonable. We read about these poor people building with PD where the price has gone up 5% every 6-12 months! That kitchen upgrade package is still excellent - we were looking at spending $5k on the stone benchtops and glass splashback alone (when our original quote was done before the kitchen packages existed) After 4 years - we're in! Re: Eden Brae Homes vs Wisdom Homes - Help please! 17Oct 30, 2008 12:03 pm Just while Wisdom prices are being mentioned, MV told me on the weekend that yes, the prices have gone up by $2k since July but it is actually park of a $5k overall increase on all homes. The next $2k will be either end of November or end of December, with the last $1k to follow.
I think I did notice the kitchen package go up to $3.8k, I've got so many copies of all the paperwork I forget what has changed and what hasn't. Facades will go up by $500-$1000 each soon as well. Stevep79 & Principessa Finished building Wisdom Homes Impression 33mkII in The Ponds, Sydney http://lilypadintheponds.blogspot.com Re: Eden Brae Homes vs Wisdom Homes - Help please! 18Oct 30, 2008 2:25 pm Jochicho Hi all, Thanks heaps for your replies! I am truly overwhelmed by your help. I guess a feel a bit better to find out that many of you were in the same boat. I think our main issue is that the house plan that we have nearly narrowed it down to for both builders isn't one of the houses they have on display! (Memphis 22 for EB adding 2sq for $2000 promotion & Prosperity 23 with Wisdom) so it's very hard to compare as we are unable to get the feeling you get when walking through the display home. We've driven all over Sydney to see all the different display homes for both EB and Wisdom including central coast, St Marys Mt Annah, Minto... But because of the shape and orientation of our block we keep going back to designs that are not on display. Has any of you built a home that wasn't on display? does it work out ok? I read that EB aren't really open to negotiation on prices, but are Wisdom more open to it? I Hey, I was interested in the memphis 22 as well until i actually saw one that was built. The floor plan looked nice on paper but when i walked through it i changed my mind. If you want to see one you have to be ** drive around the new estates until you find one and just go through while the subbies are working lol, just tell them your the owner if they say anything. The builder was there when i went for a sticky beak, i told him i was interested in building it, he had no problem with me looking. I was also interested in the properity from wisdom but as you say none were built at the time. To answer your question about credits... Wisdom nor EB gave back fair credits i felt. Re: Eden Brae Homes vs Wisdom Homes - Help please! 19Oct 30, 2008 9:07 pm Thanks for the tip on My Virtual Home stonecutter! I am about to download it and can't wait to play with it, I think I might get adicted to it haha, looks like a great tool!
We asked MV today if they had any of the Prosperity 23 building right now but they currently only have one down in Mt Annah and apparently we wouldn't be able to walk through it until end of Nov because the site is not safe at the moment... Ideally if we decide to go with Wisdom we would like to go in for tender before then so we don't get caught with the next $2,000 price increase. Yeah, MV mentioned the price rise a few weeks ago. Didn't know that the facades will go up too so thanks for the tip Steve. Ok180 - do you mind if I ask you which house are you building with EBH? it's only that it sounds like we were looking at the same size/style of houses and I am curious to know which one you ended up getting. We'll try the trick of driving around and seeing if we can sneak into a Memphis 22 too to get a feel. Thanks all and keep those tips coming! Ciao I built with EB back on 2009. Check out this thread on this forum. viewtopic.php?f=31&t=12911&p=154061#p154061 I can't speak for recent expericience however, we had no… 1 23247 Can someone please offer some advice? Im DESPERATE. Because I'm completely and utterly exhausted. How long are variations taking with other companies at the moment? We… 0 18466 In fairness nobody gave a crap about the ACCC and the gag clauses continued in the pro forma templates of a few other builders after the ACCC took on Wisdom, and more… 19 73474 |