Browse Forums Building A New House Re: Has Anyone Built with HBC in WA Recently? 2Nov 26, 2011 6:06 pm Hi Becca84, There are a few of us on here who are building with them, so if you do a search you will find some info. I am building with them I have mixed views to be honest. They were great in listening to what we wanted and getting a design that really suited us - but after we signed up things went down hill in regards to communication. Had to ring/email several times to get any response and even then the questions weren't always answered. The pre-start girl was really good and offered heaps of assistance. We have just been handed over to the client liasion so hopefully her communication is better. Trying looking at Sdmould, aloha123, meatbags, Sir Snagger and srichz posts as they are all building with HBC and at different stages so that may be helpful to you. Good luck Re: Has Anyone Built with HBC in WA Recently? 3Nov 29, 2011 5:22 am Finished building with them around 2 months ago. I think I had a few minor gripes throughout as everyone does, but overall I am very happy with the product, service and communication. I had an independant inspector throughout who had to pick on some petty things just to get something on his report and a master of all trades step father who has been very impressed with it all (except me flying back to work while he is still painting :d) Re: Has Anyone Built with HBC in WA Recently? 4Nov 29, 2011 8:21 am becca84 Just wondering if anyone has built with Home Buyers Centre in WA recently? If so what are your thoughts so far? Yeah there's a few of us. I'm at lock up stage in Banksia Grove. I'm relatively happy with the build quality. While the internal brickwork was sloppy, a workmate actually told me to expect that, but after the rendering and plastering, the walls really came up great. I think it might be fair to say that, seeing as they generally service first home buyers, they take advantage of their client's enthusiasm somewhat. Some of us feel this way a little, and I don't know too many people who would build with them again. I know I certainly feel like I'm just a number, rather than a valued customer. If you've just started dealing with them, ask for everything, because you might have more options re: being able to go with other builders, than you realise. Think about it this way, you're spending a LOT of money, and you want to be as happy with the end result as you can be. Just out of curiosity, how's your experience with them becca? Re: Has Anyone Built with HBC in WA Recently? 5Nov 29, 2011 2:56 pm Venturai- Were only at the VERY start, we have our finance interview tonight. Ive heard a lot of bad reviews from them but then most builders get bad reviews, im just keeping my fingers crossed that we will get good builders. Re: Has Anyone Built with HBC in WA Recently? 7Nov 29, 2011 3:28 pm becca84 Venturai- Were only at the VERY start, we have our finance interview tonight. Ive heard a lot of bad reviews from them but then most builders get bad reviews, im just keeping my fingers crossed that we will get good builders. My advice is to ask for everything that you want, and don't take no for an answer. Have a look through all of their plans, particularly their Ultimate series. They should give you a booklet on that one, if they haven't already. Many of us have built on the Ultimate St Marks plan, if just because I assume that's what many of their reps are recommending. If you like the look of it but would like to make changes, fight for them. Don't believe any rubbish they might tell you about not being able to do this, or do that. They can do everything you want, but (depending on who your rep may end up being) they may make you work for it. I don't think I'd necessarily give them a bad review, but then, I don't think I'd necessarily give them a good one either. Don't be too eager to sign on the dotted line, because they might try to use that to their advantage. Oh yeah, about the independent inspectors, for a relatively modest size house we worked out the price to be in the neighborhood of $550. Our rep has advised against it, she said it's a waste of money (take that how you will). From what we've seen thus far, the quality of the work has been very good, and a friend of mine at work did not recommend doing it either. You'll get a structural guarantee for 10-20 years anyway, and everything else you should be able to see for yourselves. Re: Has Anyone Built with HBC in WA Recently? 9Nov 29, 2011 6:12 pm Hi Becca84, Are you going through their in-house finance Resolve? I read some really bad things about them - but I can't speak highly enough of the our broker, he was fantastic, took time to really explain everything, answer our many questions, kept us in the loop the hole time and just generally made that part very smooth and easy for us. Re: Has Anyone Built with HBC in WA Recently? 11Nov 30, 2011 7:02 pm I would NEVER build with HBC again or refer anyone to them.. We have experienced nothing but problems since they got our deposit.. 1. Not told the truth about when our land would be titled so when we found out from the developer we switched to an already titled block which was a lot bigger and wanted to increase our house however had to move fast to settle within financial year. 2. Sales Consultant #1 stopped returning phone calls and emails. I called the office and was told he was taking time off and I tried to speak to someone else about larger designs to fit our block and noone would talk to us. I sent countless emails to the manager and other reps and tried to call and noone returned them. 3. After two weeks I finally got through to Sales Consultant #1's voice mail and hey he no longer worked at HBC and noone told us. 4. Two days later finally another Consultant called us to arrange a meeting for the next day. Half an hour before meeting he cancelled and couldn't see us for 4 more days. TICK TOCK. 5. After meeting with SC #2 and resigning Prelim Contract we were told we would have final pricing for things the next day.. Phone calls and emails every day and 2 weeks later we got what we needed. 6. SC #2 tried to charge us THREE times for a dishwasher recess that was already part of the design! Also tried to charge us for a bypass drain (already included) and we were told a rangehood was definitely included, as were door height opening to things such as hallways. 7. Contracts were wrong - wrong name, wrong address, wrong price - more hold ups! 8. Our land settlement was 4 days late because of the contracts issue and we had to pay $500 in fees to land developer. 9. SC #2 left and we got SC #3. 10. We then had pre start and found out the things we were tld were included weren't. 11. Told our land had been surveyed and we were at drafting... Didn't actually happen for 2 more weeks. 12. Pre Start addenda was incorrect. Was resent and then plans were incorrect. Told us they had no record of a variation we had raised even though they had a copy of it and it was reflected in first plans. 13. Got sent someone elses plans. 14. Was told our building license was lodged. Really it was still in drafting! 15. Complained and demanded to speak to sales manager. Finally got taken seriously and he promised to fix things.. He did hurry it up and get us our building license but this was 8 weeks later than SC #2 promised (he said we would have it for settlement so construction could commence ASAP and we would be in our home for Christmas) 16. Sales Manager assures us we will be well and truly at lock up BY Christmas (one month til Christmas and they say they HOPE we can get there) 17. We were requested to sign variations that we were having tiles, not vinyl despite the fact our addenda, pre con contract and building contract all had this in there. 18. Have had sh*t correspondence all the way through - updates have never been on time, very difficult to get anyone to speak to, inconsistencies (CLO said build time is 22 weeks from slab down, then another lady emailed saying it is 22 weeks from plate high..) 19. Build has been incredibly slow - house next door is HBC and has gone from vacant land to plate high in less than a month whereas we are at three months and only just got colorbond on the roof.. This has been the most stressful and horrible time of our lives and I would never build with them again.. With that said, we love our house and the actual construction quality has been very good Good luck! xo My building forum: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=49650&p=756654#p756654 Building the 'Ultimate St Marks' with Home Buyers Centre Re: Has Anyone Built with HBC in WA Recently? 12Nov 30, 2011 8:40 pm sdmould 9. SC #2 left and we got SC #3. Let's be honest, when a company has this high a turnover, it paints a very serious problem going on over there. Our first sales rep left too, and his replacement was a waste of space. In four and a half months he called us only once, and he told my wife that they couldn't submit the plans to the shire until after we'd done prestart. Funny thing is, a week after doing prestart, we received shire approval notification in the mail. So we moved on to our new construction rep who provides us fortnightly updates, and never looked back. Re: Has Anyone Built with HBC in WA Recently? 13Dec 01, 2011 2:14 pm Is anyone with Axiom for their settlement agent? If so, do you know with the fees that are stated in the services agreement document, do they come out of your own pocket or from your home loan? Re: Has Anyone Built with HBC in WA Recently? 14Dec 01, 2011 3:02 pm Settlement fees are added onto the settlement amount so it will be land cost, plus settlement fees, plus lmi, plus fees for the mortgage being drawn up plus water/rates allowances etc and then the bank advises what funds they are providing and your deposit makes up the rest My building forum: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=49650&p=756654#p756654 Building the 'Ultimate St Marks' with Home Buyers Centre Re: Has Anyone Built with HBC in WA Recently? 16Dec 02, 2011 12:47 am You need to sign the contract prior to formal finance approval because the proposed conditional finance is subject to valuation which means examining the house plans and building contract to ensure the sum is valued correctly. My building forum: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=49650&p=756654#p756654 Building the 'Ultimate St Marks' with Home Buyers Centre Re: Has Anyone Built with HBC in WA Recently? 18Dec 02, 2011 12:41 pm Welcome If you need anything else let me know I work in construction as well as having played a very active role in my build to date so I should be able to help with any queries you have My building forum: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=49650&p=756654#p756654 Building the 'Ultimate St Marks' with Home Buyers Centre Hi, Would you please share some photos of your Orlando 20 HBC build? I would like to get some insight on the living and dining area. Thank you 0 1642 Hi All, we are starting to think of building with Masterpiece Builders in Victoria, has anyone had any feedback or experience with them 0 13590 Hi we are looking to talk to people who have built with them recently. We have signed mid range built contract but identified that a lot of things are not included.… 0 721 |