Browse Forums Building A New House Re: If I could I would build with.... 21Aug 20, 2009 11:39 am Hi Caz, We went for the Fiore-1 design. but dont go by what you see on the internet as we have modified the internal strucutre (especially the living areas) like there was no tomorrow - very well accepted by the builder as well as he put in a few suggestions. Goes to show how encouraging they are. However, there is aflip side to this with all builders - all extras cost money ! I dare say though that NAVA did not charge out of this world for extras - to put this into perspective, someone had mentioned in a different post that thier builder wanted $400 for shower niches built into their shower wall - it cost us $150 for both and they are of expcetional quality - how do I knwo this ? B'coz I am monitoring every step of the way. We have tried to build our house to the standard they built them 25 years ago - trust me whan I say " They dont build them now like they used to" Best of luck ! Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them. Re: If I could I would build with.... 22Aug 20, 2009 1:35 pm xanthrope Hi Caz, We went for the Fiore-1 design. but dont go by what you see on the internet as we have modified the internal strucutre (especially the living areas) like there was no tomorrow - very well accepted by the builder as well as he put in a few suggestions. Goes to show how encouraging they are. However, there is aflip side to this with all builders - all extras cost money ! I dare say though that NAVA did not charge out of this world for extras - to put this into perspective, someone had mentioned in a different post that thier builder wanted $400 for shower niches built into their shower wall - it cost us $150 for both and they are of expcetional quality - how do I knwo this ? B'coz I am monitoring every step of the way. We have tried to build our house to the standard they built them 25 years ago - trust me whan I say " They dont build them now like they used to" Best of luck ! Thanks xanthrope, can I ask how much you are paying for your Fiore? PM me if you would prefer Caz & Co ALL MOVED IN!! Now comes all the hard work-decorating.... [b]Blog: http://cazoraz.blogspot.com/ Settling in Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=36993 Re: If I could I would build with.... 23Aug 20, 2009 3:59 pm jcjuice I chose other - and let me explain. If i COULD I would build with - 1. A builder who doesn't hide costs 2. A builder who has excellent inspections as a part of their process 3. A builder who is fantastic at client communication 4. A builder who cares about their customers as much as they care about getting their progress payments 5. A builder who can KEEP their promises, on delivery times and quality. 6. A builder who has tradies that respect your premises while they are onsite. 7. A builder who is prepared to admit their mistakes and doesn't continually make excuses for poor performance. 8. A builder who charges 'real world prices' for things like downlights 9. A builder who continues their customer care AFTER they've recieved the final cheque - afterall, a lot of people end up with more than one house! 10. A builder who builds my home as if THEY were going to live in it. Obviously, this builder doesn't exist. We're currently building with Henley, and the process has been terrible. We do not get updates, we get phone calls about why we need to pay more for things that we did not agree to, the site inspections are horrendous (they miss a LOT of things), they have overcharged us for things that I fortunately picked up. I am very much hoping that the end result is a beautiful home, but I would NOT recommend Henley from a customer care or value perspective. Really sorry about your experience. Hope the end product is worth the pain. Your list is spot on. If I ever start my own building company... I might poach #10 as my company catch-cry !!! We are building (actually renovating) with a small builder ... so far so good. I can talk to anyone in the company at any time and they know who I am ... interior designer, building supervisor, carpenter, building manager, sales manager, architect etc... I think the consensus is that smaller builders generally have the customer fore-most in mind ... as opposed to the larger companies who pop out one home after another. Of course you still need to choose your smaller builder with some caution and research... - check out their display homes (if they have any) - ask for previous/recent build site locations (and don't be afraid to door knock them) - maybe even talk to some of the more experienced tradies (hopefully they have some) about their impressions of quality and workmanship etc.. Re: If I could I would build with.... 24Aug 20, 2009 4:50 pm So we meet again cazoraz!! As you already know, if I were to build again i would go through Dennis Family again. They have been fantastic. From the sales team, CSC right through to our SS, they have been absolutley wonderful. There is nothing i could complain about with them. A lot of people have been saying they're having trouble with communication, updates, prices, etc with other builders, but I really couldn't be happier. If we build again, it will be through them. Hope you find a house soon!! I know how frustrating it is trying to find that perfect home! Built with Dennis Family Homes Cascades on Clyde All moved in now!!!! Re: If I could I would build with.... 25Aug 21, 2009 9:05 pm Kylie.Paul So we meet again cazoraz!! As you already know, if I were to build again i would go through Dennis Family again. They have been fantastic. From the sales team, CSC right through to our SS, they have been absolutley wonderful. There is nothing i could complain about with them. A lot of people have been saying they're having trouble with communication, updates, prices, etc with other builders, but I really couldn't be happier. If we build again, it will be through them. Hope you find a house soon!! I know how frustrating it is trying to find that perfect home! fancy meeting you here! i do like the look of the harvard 27 and am wanting to check out a display but the closest i can find is the hartley 3300 in lyndhurst - think its just a more upmarket model?? Caz & Co ALL MOVED IN!! Now comes all the hard work-decorating.... [b]Blog: http://cazoraz.blogspot.com/ Settling in Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=36993 Re: If I could, I would build with.... 26Aug 21, 2009 11:37 pm The Harvard is pretty much just a modified version of the Hartley. We saw the Harltey and based our decision on that and I am so happy with it. I've actually just come home from the house after being there all afternoon and night because my brother is doing our electrical work so I've been helping him out (of course not touching anything I'm not qualified to do, but I'm good at getting dinner! ) It is looking soooooooo good!! I know that sounds a bit modest of me, but I really am so happy we went with this house. My suggestion is to walk through the hartley and take the harvard floor plans with you and just compare them as you go through. There really isn't that many differences. I found the main differences were that the Hartley had a lot of walk in storage (a bit too much in my opinion), a study and the theatre room. Apart from that, it is exactly the same. Happy hunting!! Built with Dennis Family Homes Cascades on Clyde All moved in now!!!! Re: If I could, I would build with.... 27Aug 31, 2009 1:16 pm ooh i should have added in National Builder's Group - would anyone choose them? They have so many designs, and a good deal on now!! Too bad none of them suit my block Caz & Co ALL MOVED IN!! Now comes all the hard work-decorating.... [b]Blog: http://cazoraz.blogspot.com/ Settling in Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=36993 Re: If I could, I would build with.... 28Aug 31, 2009 1:44 pm We built the Carrington 280E through NBG and had a great experience. They sub contracted a small builder who did a great job The build may have taken a bit longer than some (5 and a half months) but we are happy. If the sky was the limit I am not sure who I would go with, it would definitely depend on plans and reputation of the builder Interesting thread by the way. Re: If I could, I would build with.... 29Jun 16, 2013 1:49 pm OK None of those builders appeal so I would have to say "OTHER". We have built 5 Homes to live in and many investment properties. We also have friends that have built with varying companies. The big boys tend to pump the work out like a sausage machine and you find you're just another number. The small builders provide fairly good service (sometimes) however they don't seem to be worried about their reputation so much. The concern with all builders is that they can close up shop over night. There is nothing worse than a builder going broke in the middle of your build. Big or Small, it can happen to even the big builders as they often have huge overheads and very exciting incentives/promotions that can affect profits. My reccomendation is to go for an international builder such as Sekisui House (Japanese builder) who are one of the worlds largest building companies. They are financially stable with builds in many countries around the world and have a reputation for being the best in both service, flexibility and quality. You do pay a little more however not all that much in the scheme of things but let's face it, this is your home and possibly your biggest investment. Bought in Nov 21 at the height of the market (classic). Good area, atrocious floor plan. BUT has land out to the left-hand side that we can extend out on (see second… 0 8728 Thanks mate. Yeah good points! Leaning towards Option 3 to get a bit extra space in the cabinets but not going too crazy high (and expensive). Would require a mini… 13 39446 |