Jock
My advise to anyone looking to build a new home is stay well clear of any housing franchises & in particular… stay clear of A1 Homes Northland.
If you want your foundations built with sub-standard materials i.e. a lower grade of steel to what is on engineers documents put into your slab (55 Tuturu View, Ruakaka) then be sure to pay these guys a visit.
If you want $30k worth of (hush money) knocked off your bill due to the walls in your house being so far out of plumb & square that your kitchen installer takes 10 times longer than expected to scribe the joinery to the shape of the walls (69 Royden Drive Kokopu)… this is the place to see (yes, that builder is STILL building houses for them).
If you’re having troubles with your spouse during the build process… the general manager is now married to an ex-client that he developed relations with during the build process (4 Sea Dune Place, Ruakaka).
The sales people have extremely limited product knowledge… they give a great sales pitch but anyone who knows their products will be shocked at what they hear.
60% of staff there are very busy with their own spec. builds being done through the company… you will not necessarily be priority number one, although they will of course tell you as much.
The project managers are more concerned with having a good time cruising around in the same vehicle chatting rather than each individually doing their best to make things happen for you.
You have a big decision to make with potentially the biggest purchase you are ever going to make, read the fine print, ask questions – get answers & above all run with a company that has & values integrity over profit… it is possible to run a successful business with both.
Happy home builder hunting & good luck with your new build.
J