Hey anyone use Signature Homes Kumeu, Auckland for their build

Sorry I thought I replied to your comment but it may have gone through as a post. But I suggested you also talk to “The house company”.?

Definitely don’t use GJ Gardner. We just built with them and they definitely have no idea when it comes to design and build. If you are in Kumeu try Maddren Homes, they have a good rep and build in the area.

Hi, which builder did you end up using to build your house in Kumeu? I am also contemplating which builder to choose that is within our budget too. Thank you!

Hi there …the price per sqm thing really does not come into it…. Get your own plans drawn up then present them to the different companies for a costing…remember to find out how much they have allowed for kitchen, carpet and tiles etc…some lower price per sqm companies can also mean low budget kitchen etc…by having your own plans you do not got locked into the deposit with the company…if you get them to draw your plans and then price it and you don’t like the price ….you have to walk away without your deposit and without the plans that you have spent many hours on. You need to know what their PC sums are and ask to see the quotes from which they come up with these figures….PC sum blow outs at the end can cause you a lot of stress when you have budgeted for one amount and then owe them 50K more ….tell them you want all of your decisions that are made after you meet with color consultant electrical and kitchen not to include their 180.00 odd variation fee….ask for their best site supervisor and building team…the wrong supervisor can set you back weeks with late deliveries and unorganized subbies…Remember your building company has screwed down the price rate to the subsidies so they will go in and do just the bare minimum to get the job done…any errors that come up the housing company will be looking who to on charge the extra cost to…if that is not a subbie then it could be you… check everything out…get kitchen and electrical quotes first before signing contract with them…get your contract looked at by a lawyer they are usually geared totally to the building company. Anyway I could go on and on..

Strongly advise against building with Signature Homes. They call their guarantees the best in the business but they stand for nothing. Friends are living a nightmare in a leaky Signature Home in Albany which the company refuses to fix. Also suggest you do an online search for details of franchisees who’ve been ruined by Gavin Hunt and Signature Homes.

We also had a house built to our ideas. That’s maybe why I like it so much 🙂 It’s not from anyone’s plans.

Thanks for that Richard. I shall check it out.. our visit to Signature was better than GJ when it came down to understanding the design and build knowledge but when it came to pricing they went over board and were so vague and quoted $3500-$5000 without even discussing the quality etc.. they did mention how it can be less for an average house would be around that. For us its hard to believe as a volume builder rates compared to an architectural builder should be cheaper. But hey we could be wrong.. will definitely checkout Madden Homes.

Haven’t decided yet Candice. After meeting Signature even though they quoted high and some of the things the design person was mentioning a little off we drove out to Signature out in Hamilton just out of curiosity to see how they dealt with the same queries we had and to understand the build costs etc as the Kumue franchise came across as they ready to rip us off and had reasons pre prepared to make it look legit. So after our visit last weekend to the Signature guys in Hamilton we found the Kumeu guys are indeed bullshitting about the costs and also the quality for the $ figure. It put us off for sure. We even ended up asking the Hamilton franchise if they could build in Auckland but sadly they don’t. We are are still hunting.. someone here suggested Madden Homes, will check them out too. So far GJ and Signature Kumeu are not convincing and coming across very unreliable. Please do let us know if you come across someone decent.

Thanks Karyn, will try finding them. Yeah totally agree.. nothing like having your own design and take on how you want to live. We visited Signature today and we they sound better than GJ guys but still when it came to understanding their price indication they went over the top and suggested between $3500 – $5000/m2. At that rate I would rather go with any private builder.. and no this was us being minimalistic with design and things we wanted to be used were not even discussed. So not sure if its us thinking its expensive or the builders just ready to rip us off. Shopping continues..

If you pay more than $2,000 – $2,500 per sq mtr, for a standard build on a reasonably flat section, you are being ripped off. I am in the process of starting a build and I have done a lot of homework. I’ve have decided to go with GJ Gardner (for reasons of my own) and have not had any problems with them changing and altering designs to meet my requirements. The figure I stated came from a number of private builders, builder clients and building companies. This cost includes site work and a driveway on a relatively flat section, but no landscaping, fencing etc. Obviously there is a lot of other factors involved, like the slope of the section, earth works required, drainage and stormwater, building materials, etc, so choose wisely.

Thanks for the tips! I shall avoid GJ and Signature. Have you tried Universal? I have 2 friends who used them at Long Bay and Huapai. It seems like their experiences were good. I would like to buy their house and land packages but they are out of our budget. Also, the friend in Long Bay said that what universal quoted is what they paid for without variations or other hidden charges. Her only complaint was the after sales service took longer than she expected.

Just finished building with GJ NorthWest (owned by same people as North Shore; Tony Houston) and it was a very drawn out costly process. We have built before (with Nautica Homes – who were amazing). Comparing the experiences this was an absolute shocker! If you build with GJ thinking you can always call the Head Office for support think again. They are not interested in helping. I won’t say to much on this forum as we are considering further action however what I would say is – if you are thinking of building with this GJ franchise then get a good lawyer to push back on clauses in the contract before signing. Also be prepared for your move in date to be changed several times and for you to NOT be communicated with or fobbed off on a regular basis.

Cyrus, may I suggest you make a formal complaint to the Owner/Director of the Signature Homes Franchise in Albany – I know him, his wife and family personally and know he would not like to hear this is going on. You may find he may very well give you an accurate figure for what you are wanting to build. And Kumeu is over priced.

I wish I had gone with my gut and built with Madden homes, currently with Mike greer

Hi there! I’m at the show home today at Maddren Homes until 4pm (248 Main Road, Kumeu) if you still haven’t chosen your builder 🙂 We are design and build so welcome any plans or ideas you have. Nicolle

Have you tried Maddren Homes at all???? I’m talking with them currently and they seem to be okay however a little expensive………

Hi Cyrus, My name is Simon Wilson and I work at Signature Homes West as a new Home Consultant. I have read your feedback with regards to pricing and I was surprised and very disappointed by it. The numbers you have stated (between $3500 – $5000/m2) seem incredibly high and are inaccurate – unless you are building a very, very high specification home. I am sorry if you were given this information and I would love the opportunity to clarify what the true costs are. I’m sorry you were misinformed. I’m not sure who you spoke to and how or why you ended up with this information. It serves us no purpose giving ridiculously high pricing out (98% of those looking to build do not have that kind of budget so it’s self defeating). It would be useful for me to understand how this misinformation has come about and I would also like to clarify the true costs you seek, so please feel free to call me on – 09 4129010 or email simonwilson@signature.co.nz

Hi Mornay, What was the rough cost of your build with GJ? Which franchise were you with? Was it on your own section?

I can understand that. We made the same mistake and even 3 years later still regret it.

Hi Jodie, where did you build with Mike Greer? We’re considering building with them in Millwater and would be very interested in your feedback.

Hi HobPointOwner, we are currently experiencing a similar situation with GJ’s Whangarei franchise. We signed on with them at the end of April 2016 and were told our home would take about 8 months to complete. That was 15 months ago. They blame contractors and anyone else they can for delays. The owner, Peter Butler, is awful to deal with and has sent us emails with comments we feel are unprofessional. I contacted HO a few weeks ago and have found them to be absolutely no support at all – they just keep saying they’ve talked about it and will make changes in their training, which doesn’t help our current situation! We have also found the franchise terrible communicators.