Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Sep 27, 2012 9:54 pm Hey. We are considering building a house. We saw one that looked really nice from Ausbuild, but everytime I google some builder it makes me really scared hearing all the bad reviews. Also, even though the display home was super nice, it had every single upgrade in the book, so it is really hard to tell how it will ACTUALLY look like. And that is not even counting the quality issues and other problems people are complaining about. We want a house with a smallish foot print (ie due to expensive land costs) but which is nice and spacious So definitely two floors. Price is obviously an issue, so lets say $300k total absolutely max (not including land). Preferably a little cheaper. That is including any upgrades etc that we might have to do. We would much prefer to get a fixed price from the start (or as close to as possible) and not get an approximate price which keeps rising as they find issues that are out of our control. It will be stressful enough as it is. So does anyone have any recommendations on builders and/or houses for us to investigate? This is the one we have been looking at, seems to start at around $260k. Haven't fully grilled them on what is included, but think it was pretty much all inclusive. We though that before we get too fixated with a specific house, we should at least research other houses/builders to make sure we get the best that we can. Also note that besides having all kinds of upgrades, the house in the picture on the front page has extra rooms built etc. Look under the "facade" tab for how the house would actually look like from the outside. The price above is for the least expensive facade, ie Leisure. http://ausbuild.com.au/designs/santa_claire I know this topic has probably been done to death, but any help is much appreciated! Re: Builder in Brisbane - recommendations please! 2Sep 28, 2012 9:48 am We are going with Plantat!on. I think you'll find every builder has negative reviews, it's not easy building a house, but in saying that, there is definitely a difference between the volume builders and the smaller ones. I'm still confused about some of the builders I've researched and met with even after choosing one. I got a really good impression of Adenbro0k at the start - their inclusions are minimal though so be prepared to add a lot to the base price - but as time went on they started becoming extremely pushy and seemingly desperate for my business. I really liked Cor@l, but again, be prepared to pay a lot for the upgrades. They were just out of our budget. With Plantat!on, you get a lot of inclusions, and that's what attracted us. I don't know much about their double story range because we're getting a single story, but the things I love about them is that their ceiling height of 2590mm (single story) or 2550 (I think, for double story) is standard in every house with them. They are also reasonably professional, and I haven't had any major issues with them so far. Time will tell. I also researched and met with Dix0n and Hal1mark, and while Dix0n has a lot of inclusions and requires minimal upgrades, their house designs are very simple, and they have no display homes (at least not in QLD). Hal1mark were very good, easy to deal with, precise with their quotes and overall I really liked them, but we simply went with Plantat!on because we liked this particular house design better. I was interested in Metr!con and Ausbu!ld too, but they never returned my inquiries, so I took that as a sign. *lol* I really like the look of the Santa Claire one, and the Leisure façade isn't bad. I can't really comment any further because I'm not very familiar with Ausbu!ld nor with two story houses, so I'm no help at all! Best of luck! Settlement: 10.02.13 Slab: 06.03.13 Frame: 08.03.13 Lock-up: 05.04.13 Handover: 03.06.13 Build thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59555 Brisbane Photography Re: Builder in Brisbane - recommendations please! 3Sep 28, 2012 5:49 pm We are currently looking for a highset as well and also on a tight budget although a little bit more than yours....so far I am down to 2 builder, Chelbrooke and Indigo homes. I liked both there display homes at Rochedale and have not found any negative feedback about either. They both seem to be upfront with inclusions and there specs. They both have houses for just under $300k as that is my price point plus I then add mods and extras. Re: Builder in Brisbane - recommendations please! 4Sep 28, 2012 7:55 pm Hi, Check out the “builders review” website. Most importantly, check out the BSA License history of the builder on the BSA website (it is free). It tells you how many houses have been built by the builder, any bankruptcies and if any infringement notices have been issued. Don’t pay too much attention to the display homes as they’re finished to a high standard and won’t reflect what you’ll end up with. Look at the frame stage and further stages of the house the builder is building for a client before it is covered up with plaster board. I caught out a builder I was considering; painting the timber frames with green paint instead of using the correct impregnated termite treated timber (coloured green). Cheers PS Re: Builder in Brisbane - recommendations please! 5Oct 15, 2012 8:37 am We are currently building with McCarthy homes in Coopers Plains. They have been brilliant and have a very good reputation. They have 2 story homes for under 300k. I would have a look at their website @ the Blueprint series. Re: Builder in Brisbane - recommendations please! 6Oct 15, 2012 9:39 am tompab This is the one we have been looking at, seems to start at around $260k. Haven't fully grilled them on what is included, but think it was pretty much all inclusive. Just ask lots of questions on prices and what's included (tip, it won't be anywhere near the display homes which can add an extra $100k-$200k to the price advertised). There will be plenty of extra costs involved, and even then when you get a fixed price contract there still be extra variations for stuff you forget not to mention extra's like landscaping. $300k is a tight budget for a 2 story- doable for sure but it will be fairly basic inclusions. To give you an idea have a look at my thread as I'm building a split level in Brisbane, total cost will be around $350k, not including window dressings or landscaping which will be another $30k or so. Costs also depend a lot on your land, flatter the cheaper- retaining walls, hitting rock etc can add quite a lot to costs. Build Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=57639 Hello, we can help you please get in contact 0421019219 thank you 3 31838 i did click it, still couldnt make it out rofl. in any case, doesnt look like too extreme a slope, you may be in luck. Just shoot out some emails to volume builders in… 3 18562 Hi We have finally decided to complete a KDR on our corner plot in NE Melbourne suburbs. Given its a corner plot approx. 400 sqm just a standard design may not fit the… 0 8563 |