Browse Forums Building A New House Re: McDonald Jones Homes 22Apr 07, 2009 4:31 pm Hi, I've been utilising the wealth of knowledge available here for the last month or so. Thanks all! Can anyone expand on MJH? We are waiting on a tender from them (have had one, paid $3000 to avoid a price increase, and are now waiting for a new tender with variations.... I think it's taking too long, and holding up finance and therefore land settlement.... and stressing me out! We really like the houses, but what don't we know? Hoping I might get some response, but not sure if anything can be said?help!!!buzz Re: McDonald Jones Homes 23Apr 07, 2009 6:14 pm Ummm... just make sure it's not being built by his brother Ronald McDonald Blog: http://bluemistkids.blogspot.com "Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, and professionals built the Titanic." Re: McDonald Jones Homes 25Apr 07, 2009 7:44 pm Hey Buzz we are in the same position... looking at Mc Jones... I think they are busy at the moment with the enquiry from the first home buyer.... but we have had a couple of quotes..they have done contours and soil test... what has impressed me is their communication... we seem to get an SMS everytime someone sneezes... so its been pretty good up til now... most of the blogs on this site have been good about them... JNR seems to have something in his/her craw about them but he/she seem to be the minority. Trust in the Universe Re: McDonald Jones Homes 28Apr 07, 2009 10:05 pm You really need to choose a builder together with, a design. Your decision should be based on the values that are important to you. If you get that right, you will avoid stress and have a worthwhile life experience. JNR - Once bitten, twice shy. Re: McDonald Jones Homes 29Apr 07, 2009 10:35 pm Im not sure how my wife would feel if I told her to go and choose a builder and not the design. Surely these builders get it right most of the time... it can't be that bad. Having read comments on builders and clients experiences on this site now for a number of months my general opinion is that the building industry is in pretty good shape and providing a improved product to what it was say 5 or 10 yrs ago. I make kitchen cabinets and on occasions we supply to the one off builder doing a couple or so homes a year... so I dont have agreat deal of knowledge of the big boys. But from what I see is that the builders we deal with they just want to get on site and get on with the job... I not sure how they would communicate other than say "the job's finished". I must admit though as we have been currently looking for a new home, the project builders certainly like to chase the business, send sms's when they send a tender or variation ,communicate through emailing etc etc... so we are quite excited at the moment to be just about to make the big decision and move forward. I think communication is probably a 2 way thing and if I want to know something I will go to all ends to find out ..if that means ringing the CEO himself or the site suppervisor... its all pretty straight forward stuff anyway. Having said all that I'm struggling myself with the few builders we are looking at ..I want to install my own kitchen but they say no... they have communicated that pretty straight to me!! Trust in the Universe Re: McDonald Jones Homes 30Apr 07, 2009 10:46 pm Thanks JNR.... that's good advice. We did like the design and builder.... although first impressions don't always last! Will have to see how it all works out. Unfortunately, robbuilding, I have some trust issues with the universe.... just my baggage. Thanks guys, now back to checking out those colour combinations.... ah, colour makes it all better buzz Re: McDonald Jones Homes 31Apr 07, 2009 10:52 pm Thanks Buzz...I think you will enjoy it..you've got a good sense of humour to get you thru... im going into it with a positive mind..almost like going to the dentist Trust in the Universe Re: McDonald Jones Homes 32May 25, 2009 11:10 pm Oh I can actually reply with some knowledge of MJH being in the closing stages of having a house built with them. Like a lot of these style project builders they are all over you until the dotted line is signed. Our experience was that once that occured there was very little communication. Forget the building supervisor he never once answered us direct. We are now wise to their contract practises so beware when signing, go and get your solicitor to go over it with a fine tooth comb. If I had my time again I would have insisted on things like "the owner to clean the site of unused sand and soil from excavation work" be removed from the contract. It is one line at the bottom of a special clauses page that we missed and believe me MJH make use of it. They ran the most untidiest eyesore of a building site on our construction yet their spec homes just down the road, being built at the same time, are not in the same eyesore state. It was pointed out to us at our colour selection that "their painters don't do the best job" so make of that what you will. Of course their display homes are done to a high level of finish just don't expect the same with your own home if they build it. We had to insist the site fencing, that we were charged for in the contract, be erected after it was plainly evident that they were going to try and get away without doing it. Once we made the complaint they installed the fencing as per the OH&S regs. I also note that they have removed this fencing well before our pre-handover inspection and the house is now open to vandalism. Would I use them again, difficult question, I have a friend who used them in Singleton and he had a nightmare of a time with them on his house and he built one of their top of the line homes. They basically used whoever they could get to do the work. I think if you thoroughly go through the contract and weed out the special clauses they put in that get them off the hook for everything then you may have a half way decent chance and getting a house built to spec. But I think you would find that they would reject your job if it took out their "walk away from it, it is your problem" clauses. We have not had handover as yet and things may still go to court if they insist on their current course with us but time will tell. Cheers Mav Re: McDonald Jones Homes 33May 26, 2009 9:54 pm My neighbour is building with them. Their house was started a good two months before mine and it's still not finished yet I am due for handover next week. Nothing appears to have happened to their house in weeks. A mate looking at my house commented that the decorative brick and timber pillars on the front of their house were leaning back at an angle. It was really quite noticable. Since them someone has knocked down one of the pillars and the bricks are ****** next to the house. There are lots of other things not completed like one of the alfresco pillars missing the Moroka finish and other bits and pieces still not painted. They seem to be small things and I can't help wondering why they haven't got stuck in and finished the place off. Re: McDonald Jones Homes 35May 29, 2009 6:53 pm Mav - I have had very similar problems with this company as well such as the soil etc. They definetly did use who ever they could get for the brickies. They didn't bother checking the brickies work out which meant the job was pretty crap and has to be fixed. Yes they have been reasonable when I have a problem. The communication and misinformation from the colour person has been frustrating. I will give them credit for having a majority of good tradies but the problem ****** with the company itself. Pretty bad when someone from MJH rings up and tells you they are from b'chwood homes...I had to laugh. It appears they have a lot of staff from b/wood in their south coast operation. Please remember that your house should be to the same standard as the display home as stated on the NSW Fair Trading website. Re: McDonald Jones Homes 36May 29, 2009 8:12 pm Reg081 Mav - I have had very similar problems with this company as well such as the soil etc. They definetly did use who ever they could get for the brickies. They didn't bother checking the brickies work out which meant the job was pretty crap and has to be fixed. Yes they have been reasonable when I have a problem. The communication and misinformation from the colour person has been frustrating. I will give them credit for having a majority of good tradies but the problem ****** with the company itself. Pretty bad when someone from MJH rings up and tells you they are from b'chwood homes...I had to laugh. It appears they have a lot of staff from b/wood in their south coast operation. Please remember that your house should be to the same standard as the display home as stated on the NSW Fair Trading website. Well we are back on track with MJH, lets call it a misunderstanding that has been sorted. I was not aware that MJH built on the South Coast, too be honest I would not use them away from the Newcastle area as I think it becomes a problem for builders when they do not have their teams available and have to rely on unknown subbies. We had a similar problem when we built a house in Bargara in Qld, the builder was in Toowoomba and rarely came near the house. They would ring around local subbies till they got someone to do the job and hence the build dragged on forever. I will say that MJH have built the house in a reasonably quick period of time, how that relates to the quality of the build is yet to be seen. I have employed a seperate builder to act as my agent and he has been doing a great job for me and is doing the pre-handover inspection this coming Monday. Then it will be the wait for any items to be fixed before handover. Then the next phase of the construction will start. I have a landscape designer drawing up a proposal to my brief at the moment. Cheers Mav Re: McDonald Jones Homes 37Jun 02, 2009 3:57 pm Well the pre-handover inspection has been completed and the verdict by my agent is that MJH have built a house to a good standard of finish. He went on to say that he was actually impressed with the way the pre-handover inspection was conducted and MJH had a painter ready at the inspection to get straight on to any problems that were picked up. So we had a few minor problems in the later stages of the build but overall, having experienced some nightmare builds from other builders in Queensland and in Newcastle, I reckon I would endorse MJH to build for me again in the Newcastle area. I would probably still have some clauses changed in the special clauses page but overall a good experience. There were some minor problems noted at the pre-handover inspection, and I mean minor, but I am confident these will be corrected by handover. I think the best thing we did was to remove ourselves from the inspection stage and use the services of a qualified builder/inspector to do the progress inspections for us and to do the pre-handover inspection. I do believe that this helped us greatly in achieving the end product. Now the landscaping begins.!!!! Cheers Mav Re: McDonald Jones Homes 39Jun 03, 2009 12:04 pm I think the only area in which MJH do need to work on is their communication with their clients. We had no contact from them or the SS except for requests for progress payments. That was how it was right up till we received a message saying the house would be ready for pre-handover inspection shortly. Re: McDonald Jones Homes 40Jun 17, 2009 11:01 pm Damn, 1 day before hand over and some worthless POS vandalised the house. Threw bricks at windows, tore off door and screens and threw bricks inside the house to mark up walls and floors. Full marks to MJH for getting straight onto the repair work. Now it looks like I will be installing roller shutters as my parents who are living across the road from the new house also had a home invasion a week before this occured. They are pretty scared at the moment which is why I have to install the shutters. Hi AKG, We had a base tender of $592 for 31 squares from MC Donald Jones. It looks relatively cheaper than other builders. But I assume there are many hidden things that… 1 16833 Ask for references and speak to them. If they are defensive or try to avoid the request, walk. 1 74700 I would never build with Fowler homes. I built with them in 2021 and till date maintenance issues are pending. All their existing trades and businesses don't work with… 14 105530 |