Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Jul 05, 2011 11:01 pm Is anyone building with Dennis Family Homes? In Victoria or elsewhere? We are considering one of the plans and the more I look at it the more I like it. I know there is more to a good build than layout and inclusions so it would be nice to hear from others who are with this builder. Re: Dennis Family Homes 2Jul 05, 2011 11:12 pm I have not built before. Is this your first home? If not, can you advice how to complain in regards to exorbitant site costs. Re: Dennis Family Homes 3Jul 05, 2011 11:29 pm Going through DFH. Short points. - House layouts and inclusions seems above average. - Admin ain't their strong points (double, triple check their contract price and variations) they don't do it on purpose but they seem mistake prone when it comes down to paperwork - do your homework before you go to the color selections (once again admin side is somewhat lacking) - the build seems to be above average - the SS or at least mine seems to be flexible so you can save a little by doing electrical directly with the sparky the only other tip i would give if you do go with DFH before you decide on the deposit, think of everything you could possibly want .... and i mean everything .... do it like money is no object ..... some things will surprise you some things will blow your mind .... either way it's alot easier to remove then to add. So far i've been happy with the build and overall process. While it's still early, so far so good. Good luck! My Baby Hartley initial deposit 7th Aug'10 Signed contract 4th Dec'10 site start as per contract 25th May'11 slab pour 22nd Jun'11 Re: Dennis Family Homes 4Jul 06, 2011 12:17 am Jayzee, not my 1st home and I can't suggest anything. That was part of our issue too and why we started looking again. S-Loke, thanks for that. I had a quick look at your thread and see that you went your own way with kitchen appliances. I've had a look at the technica that's included and I'm not too impressed. Did they credit you for supplying your own, is that how it was done? Thanks for the tip on asking for everything. There is a structural change I'd like priced but my husband says it would be too expensive - adding an extra meter to a room. I might just ask for it and see what happens. Re: Dennis Family Homes 5Jul 06, 2011 7:44 am We paid just over $6000 to add an extra 600mm to garage, lounge and B1 and a bit more to add same to B3 & 4 and games room. We are more than happy with DFH. This is the 4th house we have built and probably the one with the least problems. The admin side was long winded but the build was really good. Any other prices you want to know just ask and I'll have a look at our variation list. Just realise the price will be a rough guide as I wont give the actual cost. What house are you considering? Check my thread. A balanced diet is chocolate in both hands. Melbourne West Our build viewtopic.php?f=31&t=34169 Landscaping viewtopic.php?f=19&t=51147 Re: Dennis Family Homes 6Jul 06, 2011 1:08 pm It would be the Brookedale. We are building outer Melbourne where it is nice and cold, so heating is something we need to watch. I'm interested in any changes to appliances and floor coverings you did. I'd prefer a 900mm cooktop to the 680mm they supply, possibly as a 900mm freestanding cooker. Adding cavity sliding doors and light fittings. We'd love to build a home in Hebel. The house we are in is solid concrete blocks and it keeps an even temp really well. The other builder we were looking at was going to be Hebel but we started queerying some of the costs and then I found this floor plan and I think it is much better. So it's looking like it might be a choice between the two. A few other things I'd like to do are to delete the 2nd basin in the ensuite and add draws to the cabinet, or add a wall cabinet if this isn't possible. I'd like a different bath, one with a bit more shape to it. Not sure if we should increase the ceiling height or not as it can muck with the star rating. Cheers Re: Dennis Family Homes 7Jul 06, 2011 11:50 pm yup .. i got a credit back and used it to buy my own .. as a rough guide, they credit me back $1600 for the oven, range-hood and cook-top. Cavity doors were $700 drawers instead of just a cupboard $160 2580mm ceilings $3100 obviously that was the prices i got in Nov'10 so things might/most likely have changed. I cannot stress how important it is to get what you want priced .... some stuff will make you cry at the price.. while others you will be shocked at how cheap it is. Not sure what you want to do but an extra 1m in my wife's WIR was $1.2k while the garage extended by 1m which needs a retaining wall ended up at $3.6k My Baby Hartley initial deposit 7th Aug'10 Signed contract 4th Dec'10 site start as per contract 25th May'11 slab pour 22nd Jun'11 Re: Dennis Family Homes 8Jul 07, 2011 2:32 pm S_Loke - House layouts and inclusions seems above average. - Admin ain't their strong points (double, triple check their contract price and variations) they don't do it on purpose but they seem mistake prone when it comes down to paperwork - do your homework before you go to the color selections (once again admin side is somewhat lacking) - the build seems to be above average - the SS or at least mine seems to be flexible so you can save a little by doing electrical directly with the sparky This info is so on the money!! We just did our Colour Selection and they aren't very good at helping find the colours you want, apart from putting one sample up against another and saying "do you want this?" Plus our Colour Schedule we just got back is full of mistakes. Do they charge you if you go back in and re-do the colours? Because I'm looking at our selection now that I have the Schedule in my hands and realised it is TERRIBLE. I want to do it again =[[ Re: Dennis Family Homes 9Jul 07, 2011 7:27 pm doubleDizz This info is so on the money!! We just did our Colour Selection and they aren't very good at helping find the colours you want, apart from putting one sample up against another and saying "do you want this?" Plus our Colour Schedule we just got back is full of mistakes. Do they charge you if you go back in and re-do the colours? Because I'm looking at our selection now that I have the Schedule in my hands and realised it is TERRIBLE. I want to do it again =[[ I must admit they won't be very pleased that you want to redo your colors but we did end up taking up 2 session ourselves. we were woefully under-prepared for the first session but after visiting all their suppliers we were much more prepared the 2nd time round. I would strongly suggest going to the M3tric0n site and play with their house colors.. they don't do use the same range but it does help visualize the schemes. Also keep in mind tiles are to come from 1 supplier only...we chose Beaumont tiles which had a really good showroom near DFH head office in oakleigh good luck with the process so far i've been happy with their build My Baby Hartley initial deposit 7th Aug'10 Signed contract 4th Dec'10 site start as per contract 25th May'11 slab pour 22nd Jun'11 Re: Dennis Family Homes 10Jul 09, 2011 10:13 pm I too am about to build with DFH well when the land titles which won't be for another couple of months Building The Harvard 271 With Dennis Family Homes My Blog http://www.ourhouseinwallan.blogspot.com My Thread viewtopic.php?f=31&t=51625&p=789135#p7891353 Re: Dennis Family Homes 11Jul 10, 2011 6:19 pm Well we are building basically similar plan to one of DFH plans Murchison but things changed and flipped. We have gone with a small quality builder in bendigo. We got a quote off DFH without any of these changes for $265,000 and that didnt cover carpet which was going to be another $12000. The price of it with the builder is $314,000 and that includes downlights shelves as well as 2 hanging rails in our ensuite. The only additional extras we got was upgraded carpet, extra 1500 for glass splashback of course $7000 for the shed slab. The 900mm freestanding oven and canopy rangehood was an extra 100. A couple of niches about $200. Contract signed - March 7,2011 Site Cut - May 6, 2011 Pre slab plumbing - 19th May, 2011 Slab - 10th June, 2011 Our thread viewtopic.php?f=31&t=45044 Re: Dennis Family Homes 12Jul 10, 2011 8:07 pm mmm i love open floor plans it just makes everything seem so much bigger we too loved what was in our display in terms of colours so its easy enough to say same same for the cabinets, tile and carpet we have kept layout same except for where the window is in the meal are we have now changed it to a door and we are adding in bi fold doors to there and the alfresco area, the plan is to add decking in later that will wrap around from one door to the other, we love entertaining and adding overhead cupboards in the kitchen on either side of the rangehood below is our floor plan, we are going for the province facade, when the land titles i too will start my own building thread instead of hijacking everyone else's LOL http://www.dennisfamily.com.au/dfh/ourh ... o=Overview Building The Harvard 271 With Dennis Family Homes My Blog http://www.ourhouseinwallan.blogspot.com My Thread viewtopic.php?f=31&t=51625&p=789135#p7891353 Re: Dennis Family Homes 13Jul 11, 2011 9:37 pm Shellebell. You're not hijacking. Perhaps we can leave this here as a general DFH thread. It was actually the photo of the Brookedale kitchen in the DFH book that first caught my eye. We haven't been to the Brookedale display home yet, but the colours used seemed to be well done. The diplay homes to me seem to be more realistic and less tarted up than other display homes. We've now withdraw from our first builder. We had paid a 3 or 5% deposit but had not signed contracts so we will have to follow that up. Still going through the new plan room by room and I'm now stuck on the bathroom. I want to fit in some storage rather than the standard cupboard under vanity. This is for things that the kids will need to access like toothbrushed and hairbrushes so I don't want to add a wall cabinet. The bathroom is 3 x 1.8m and my husband has also requested a larger shower so that the base can be tiled. The shower then acts as a defacto floor waste so if we have an overflow the water will just run down the shower drain and not into the carpeted hall. I don't think the larger shower and extra width in the vanity to fit draws will both fit. Re: Dennis Family Homes 14Jul 16, 2011 10:34 pm Hi, We built with Dennis last year and have had issue after issue with them. 7 months after handover our home is still not finished. The internal plastering was a mess, several walls and ceilings have just been re plastered again (3rd time lucky) One of our our upgraded feature front doors was damaged at installation. The door was replaced, the glazing didn't match the existing door and Dennis have just ordered replacement glass again. This door has not been varnished since handover We have lots of other little niggling issues, I would recommend that you get an Independent Inspector at every stage of your build, to ensure that you get the house you've paid for. Neil and Rachel Finally completed the Hartley 361 with Dennis Family Homes in Mernda Villages..... Now for the Landscaping Hi everyone, Newbie renovator here, after some advice for combining our family room in the picture and the alfresco and make a larger family room. There is a flush sill… 0 4891 Ask for references and speak to them. If they are defensive or try to avoid the request, walk. 1 74701 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 105553 |