Hi there, We are looking to build with GJ Gardner North Shore Auckland and was...

Hi Chris, We worked with the South Canterbury branch a few years back. We are very happy with the home now, but found it a stressful process. I know each branch/franchise is different, but if I tell you a few of the things that caught us out, I hope it will help. Firstly, double check your plans … maybe triple check. You can say you want something, and the agent can draw it up, but it has to go to the head office to be redrawn by their architect. We found that the dimensions we had for windows and doors changed from our original drawing which caused a lot of distress and anxiety on our part. We had a french doors that were too large and protruded beyond the edge of the house, but that was not obvious in the drawing plus window sizes changed which could have compromised fitting in furniture. Our house had also been moved from where we asked it to be place. Fortunately I picked that up when we were signing the contract. Challenge the subcontractors when they say, “This is what you will be getting.” Make sure it is what you want. I remember having a dreadful time with our cabinetry consultant. She was extremely tall and I am under 5ft. She kept telling me I couldn’t have what I wanted in my kitchen or pantry because it wouldn’t fit. The head office architect had changed the dimensions of the drawing and this was not realised until I took it up with the agent and he rectified the situation. Even then she would change the size of drawers and cupboards. I ended up drawing the plan myself and now have what I wanted in the first place. We were offered the cheapest option and believe me the cheapest does not always wear or work the best. We upgraded most, but I do regret not going for a better bench-top and a built in laundry tub. They are definitely things I want to upgrade soon. Don’t be too quick to sign the dotted line. Don’t be dissuaded from employing a lawyer to look over the contract . Those two are basic I know, but the pressure is put on you to do so. My husband and I had many sleepless nights during our build and sometimes I hated going to look at the house. It seemed every time we went in there was something unexpected. He spoke to the franchise holder a couple of times, who listened intently, but at the time I am not sure he understood the gravity of the situation. I must admit that when the house was near completion, some of the problems were addressed. Had they not, we would have been very unhappy customers. Hope this helps

Hi Polly, A very useful and comprehensive reply. A reminder (if anyone who reads this blog needs it) that having a house built can be a very stressful process, especially for anyone who has no experience of interpreting plans etc. And this was with a franchise who’s TV ads seem to imply that it will all be extremely simple and smooth (along the lines of ‘dream it, and it will be yours’). But anyone who has not built before should be aware it is seldom like that, and you have to be constantly on your toes. The stuff you mention about the head office’s so called ‘architects’ changing things, not just in a way you didn’t want, but in a way that didn’t even work properly, is appalling. They sound more like poorly trained engineering designers to me. Which is probably why they didn’t want you to meet them face to face, and it was all second hand through the ‘agent’ (which I assume means salesman). Relocating the house within the Site is (almost) unbelievable, and requires a serious level of incompetence, unless of course they came back and convinced you why it would work better. Unless I was already contractually or financially locked in, I think I would have pulled out at that stage. Your advice about getting a lawyer to check over the contract is absolutely right and, as I’ve said before several times, this should be one of the first things you do, before committing any money or much time to a builder. In this case did your lawyer ask for any changes to the contract, and was the builder willing to make them? Because it seems some franchise builders have a ‘standard’ contract they are not willing to amend. Which is why they prefer you don’t see it, until you’re financially and emotionally committed to employing them. Anyway, you haven’t complained about cost, so I assume the overall price wasn’t too much more than you were expecting, and you felt it was reasonable for the final product.

Hi Chris, I must admit we did not do everything we should have. I left most of it to my husband and because other family members told us they had a good experience with GJ’s, we did not worry too much….”BIG MISTAKE.” We had the same salesman/agent that they had and so we trusted. My first inkling that there was something not right was when we were being pushed to sign the contract. My husband is usually so cautious, but I really think he got caught up in the moment. I was holding back on signing saying I wanted to look it over, but it felt almost threatening and I was trying to read everything at breakneck speed. It’s hard to explain. We had already bought the land, so yes the window to sign was getting smaller and we were contractually and financially locked in as you described. I thought it all very unprofessional. To be fair, the salesman does not work for them anymore so read into that what you will. I am sure GJ’s are not usually like that. Well I wouldn’t think they are. I have photos of some of their errors here if you are interested, but would rather contact you privately. Is there a way I can do that without putting up my email. As I said, we are now reasonably happy with the house, but it could have gone better. Some of the sub-contractors were a bit…”how-ya-goin,” but as we all know in Christchurch, a good bit of paintwork covers a multitude of sins. Nevertheless the house is pretty, weather tight and the waffle foundation means we will stay on the level. Now that is a real plus in earthquake country.

Hi Polly, Thanks for offering to send photos, but having worked in the construction industry for most of my career (civil, not building) I’ve seen enough mistakes made by contractors to last a lifetime. To be fair, construction is not an easy game. Almost every job and day involves different one-off designs and requirements, carried out by a whole range of tradespeople, some more skilled/experienced than others, in different weather conditions, dealing with clients who can be very vague and indecisive etc. It’s not like a production line, that can be refined until errors are very rare. So mistakes and misunderstandings will inevitably occur. What matters is whether they get picked up, how they are handled, and most importantly who is responsible for paying to put them right. This is why a clear set of drawings, a comprehensive spec, and a clear and fair contract are so important. Relying on the assumption that everyone knows what they’re doing, and will act in what you think is a ‘reasonable’ manner, can sometimes work out OK, but is very risky. So to anyone in the position you seemed to find yourself in, under pressure to immediately sign a contract, which I assume from what you now say you were seeing for the first time, I have only one piece of advice. Tell the builder this is not how it’s supposed to work, and that you need time to take the contract and other documents away, read them properly, and get legal advice. If they don’t like that they’re probably the wrong builder for you. I now understand why you didn’t mention what advice your lawyer gave. You didn’t use one. Anyway I’m pleased to hear you ended up with a house you’re happy with. Many others are not so lucky.

Hi Chris, Yep, we sure dropped the ball when it came to getting legal advice. I actually didn’t realise we would be pressured to sign there and then and was surprised my husband agreed. I was afraid WWIII would erupt if I went against him. I agree there are sometimes misunderstandings, but do watch what the contractors are doing. Fixes are not always perfect when the quality of workmanship is lacking. I am not convinced that some of our contractors were well trained. It can be really frustrating staring at a mistake when the person beside you denies there is a problem. You begin to think you are going mad. It is not till friends come around and say, “Oh My God that is bad,” do you dare broach the subject again with the franchise owner. It was well over a year, maybe two, before the problem was rectified. Fortunately we put all our complaints in writing. We also saw the same problem appeared on other builds after ours. One neighbour was left to fix the problem himself. I am not trying to besmirch GJ’s reputation as I think this is something that could happen with any building company. All I am saying is, be more cautious than we were and when there is a problem, put it in writing and stand your ground.