Hi there, be interested to hear from anyone else who may have built with...

Hi Hugo, Sorry to hear about your problems. It never ceases to amaze how builders can try to get away with this kind of thing. No matter how well you write your Contract, most people would not think to actually spell out that door handles or taps should match each other. But I suppose, if you don’t, the builder can argue that as long as they function then he has met the requirements. Maybe not much help to you now. But on this blog before I seem to recall that someone suggested that, during the Contract preparation stage, it is a good idea to include photos or model details of pretty much everything that comes to mind, especially electrical and plumbing items, or maybe you can refer directly to items in a show house. All substitutions to be approved by the Client. Of course you then have to be reasonable, because sometimes things go out of production, or you may be offered something nicer. But it reduces the chance for silly games. On the Sentinel website it gives the names of the nice looking couple that operate Sentinel Waikato. They say ‘When looking for a builder in…the wider Waikato region, you want peace of mind that you’ve got plenty of experience and proven results. And that’s exactly what … , owners of Sentinel Homes Waikato offer to every customer. … we help anyone looking to build their dream home in the Waikato make it happen.’ Surely people who build ‘dream homes’ could find a way to help you. Also, have you tried approaching Sentinel Homes HQ to see whether they can help. Surely it cannot possibly be a case where the franchise holder takes a cut of your money, for fancy ads and an illusion of a large reputable organisation, but does nothing in return?

Hi Hugo we thinking of going to Sentinel for our build in Waikato. Did you get problems sorted.