Search discussion before you choose a builder.

Did you eventually go with them Neesha??

Hi Nick, Always difficult to comment on one branch of a franchise builder, as I guess it’s always possible that some are awful and some excellent, or even that the whole franchise has upped its game after criticism. But from the history of this blog the name Platinum raises a lot of red flags. Even at the top I see there’s a mention, and in the past many negative comments. Can’t recall how to do it (maybe someone will remind us), but you create a search box and highlight all mentions. Most franchise builders have nice, friendly people on sales, but sometimes things can change very quickly once you’re committed. I’ve said it many times, first get a copy of their contract, and get someone who knows contracts to vet it, before giving them money you can’t afford to lose if you pull out. If they’re reluctant to hand it over, or to make reasonable changes so it’s not too biased in their favour, then don’t proceed. If things go to custard it may be your only hope. Forget verbal assurances like ‘it may say that, but we never actually use that clause’. If it’s not in writing it doesn’t exist. Nothing wrong in principle with provisional and prime cost sums/items, but make sure you clearly understand the difference, and that the amounts are adequate for what you expect to get.

They were hideous to us. Our 18 month project took four years. There were several instances where they were very directly at fault, but rather than take responsibility and resolve it quickly, they chose to victim blame. I found them to be highly unprofessional and dishonest. Don’t trust the cross around Maree’s neck; it’s a marketing gimmick. She’s not honest at ALL.

Hey, my husband built with Peter Ray around 10 years ago – that house is still in our ownership and still looks fantastic – very good quality and from what I have heard that hasn’t changed – he used to work for them as a painter and always found that they were very customer focussed and eager to do what is right by the customer. We would definitely recommend them.

I did. They were great! No hidden fees and no BS. Told you the truth about costs. Now located in Orewa.

Maybe a bit late. Check the builders’ history on register of Licensed Building Practitioners in case they have a record of misconduct. If a builder belongs to a builders trade association (“Certified” Builders, “Master” Builders) be wary of using the trade association contracts as they are deliberately disadvantageous to the homeowner. If they don’t belong to a builders trade association ask if they have previously and if they are no longer a member of an association ask why not – in case they have breached standards of the association and been expelled.

I couldn’t agree more, there is a litany of clients who have been left with incomplete homes, having paid out millions in advance to Nook Homes Ltd. Now the two owners Jade Stack and Brad Hollier have set up another company Arch Hive as shareholders and are exhibiting this new business venture at the Auckland Home Show this month. Nook and Arch Hive are to be avoided at all costs. Its disappointing that Nook clients are left significantly out of pocket, overcharged, ghosted and threatened and yet there seems to be no support mechanism for customers either legally (as this is both costly and time heavy) or through fair trade/consumer rights avenues. Its a warning sign that Nook have in business since 2018 and yet there are no testimonials, no magazine articles either architecture or interior design that celebrates a finished product and their website is mainly made up of CGI (computer generated images) rather than actual completed projects.

Sorry this may be too late…………Beware !! Wish we never started with them . Eighteen month project turned into nearly 3 years. Staff turnover at the company was terrible so had no consistency with the build and lacked attention to detail. Communication very poor.

DO NOT BUILD WITH NOOK HOMES, LAW SUITS ARE BEING MADE AGAINST FRAUD, RECEIVING MONEY AND NOT BUILDING. I’m talking millions here. DO NOT BUILD WITH THEM

Hello Simon, Did you get any response regarding build with Sentinel in Wellington region? Im considering them too.

They are cheap Chinese imports touched up to look higher quality than what they are.

Whitehouse Builders in Christchurch have changed their name to Energy Efficient Homes. This seems to have removed their previous profiles and all negative reviews associated with these previous company names. It also may have been a way to distance themselves from the Employment Relations Authority ruling and past legal disputes. Same company director and QS. Definitely a case of buyer beware.

Hi Lottie I would strongly suggest that you read the NBR article – you may even be able to contact the author for further information.

Thanks for the reply Chris and clarifying their potential reasoning, that makes alot of sense. Also, I just realised I was a bit contradictory in my post. Prior to seeing this review site, we had been actively looking into new builds with the usual BIG group builders like the GJ Gardners, Navigation etc.. even checking out show homes and lots. Going with a big well known franchise gave us a sense of security (huh!). Then I happened upon this site, and hopes of building our dream home evaporated pretty quickly after reading all the bad experiences people have had with these so called ‘safer option’ established and well known builders. But, as you so rightly pointed out, I still couldn’t resist checking out independent builders, so off I went down that rabbit hole which led me to posting a query here, about one of my findings. As for the contract side of things, we are not ones to sign anything willy-nilly and would never accept verbal assurances, nor sign anything without a lawyer to look over it. Like you said, if it’s not in writing, it don’t mean nothing and that’s the mantra we have always stuck with. We had a big double garage built with a well know garage brand builder years ago. Our initial meeting with the manager went well, he agreed to all the changes we wanted to their spec plans. We get the final drawings to sign off, and find they hadn’t put in enough trusses to account for the high wind zone (he hadn’t realised..wow), and the stud height of where our roller doors were to be installed was not the higher height we asked for. He verbally assured us this would be done, but we refused to sign off until they changed the plans to the specs we agreed to. He got all huffy about it, but we stood firm and we recieved the corrected plans. Then came to the build, and all went smoothly until…you guessed it, their builder built the stud height of the roller doors 5 inches lower. He was so used to putting up these garages, he just went with their usual specs. The manager comes to investigate, and bemoans how much work it would be to re-do and why can’t we just leave as is. Umm, cos that’s not we wanted! We then reminded him of the plans we signed off, their contractual obligations, and we refused to make the next progress payment until it was sorted. He huffed and puffed again but the contract was king! so he had no choice, and in the end, we got exactly what we asked for, a solid and well built garage. We did our due diligence prior and also checked out the building codes for our property, which is how we picked up the truss issue. Anyhoo..sorry to rave on, but this site and everyone’s experiences reminded me of what we dealt with when building a pretty basic double garage 17 years ago, so obviously building a new house is going to throw up a hundred times more potential issues to deal with! After reading all these post with some horrific outcomes for people, it’s a case of having to educate yourself on everything in building construction, don’t sign anything without due diligence and even then there are no guarantees, trust your instincts and be prepared to walk away. Thanks again for the insights and advice I’ve read from you in throughout this forum. Happy holidays!

Hi Lisa, No question is a dumb question, when you’re planning to possibly put your life savings at risk, and almost certainly enter into a year or two of hassle and worry, even if you’re experienced in this kind of thing, and it goes as well as it ever can. I have no specific knowledge of why they would make this kind of change, but on the face of it I would suspect it’s got something to do with distancing themselves and their personal wealth from the business side, in case things go wrong. Which may or may not be a red flag. You kind of started out by implying that you had decided not to get involved in the undoubted risks of a new build, but then found yourself unable to resist the temptation of having a house built to your own requirements. So if you go that way, I’ll repeat something I’ve said before. Before starting anything that involves giving them an amount of money you can’t afford to lose, remember if things ever go wrong your only hope of real protection is ‘exactly’ what it says in the contract. So ask to see the form they use, get it checked by a lawyer (or maybe QS) who knows what to look for, and if the builder says he won’t make any changes your lawyer requires then walk away. Even a wonderful contract can still give problems, but a bad one is worse than useless. And BS verbal reassurances (don’t worry, we would never do that) from a sales person or even the builder themselves is useless, unless they’re prepared to put it in writing as part of the contract.

Hi Thats correct in I was meant to say ‘not well versed’. Its been along time since school

Hi Chris C I appreciate Peter didn’t mean “technically adverse” but like you understood what he was trying to say hence the quotation marks in my response. Being pedantic is just fine and absolutely necessary if in a dispute situation.

Hi JE, See my reply to Peter Quinn. I’m a Civil Engineer, so I’ve used many types of construction/building contract. The principles are all similar. We built 7-8 years ago, using the then current MB contract form. After talking to a few builders, I saw some who used the MB form, and some their own form. Without naming names, some franchise builders tried to suggest forms that were ludicrously biased in their favour. In one case even their so called project manager couldn’t explain how some clauses would work in practice (hence the BS about ‘don’t worry, we never actually impose that requirement’. My reply was, in that case delete the clause. No, the boss won’t let us change anything in the contract. At that point of course you say goodbye.) Although the MB form is not wonderful, it’s by no means the worst. So we went with a builder who agreed to use a modified version. Although there are standard forms out there which are much better. The problem is that because they are so good, few if any builders want to use them. By the way, ‘adverse’ has the meaning ‘harmful or unfavourable’. I think Peter meant to say ‘not well versed’, which means inexperienced or lacking knowledge. Feel free to call me pedantic, lots of people have in the past.

Hi Peter, A bit puzzling. Are you a builder (Quinn Homes?) or a client? I’m surprised a franchisor can be a MB, but their franchisee not be a MB. That would be quite misleading for clients. Our house was finished 7 years ago, but the builder (not a member of a franchise) was a MB. So we used a modified form of the then current MB contract. See my reply to JE. Still no answer on whether anyone has ever got any money out of MB.

Hi Chris C With the MB contract being heavily weighted in the builders favour and the high cost of seeking legal redress, it’s certainly prohibitive for most owners to seek redress and appears to embolden builders to behave the way they do. The new LBP Code of Conduct 2022 which became effective in Oct 2023 appears to attempt to address that issue and is well worth a read for anyone who is having difficulty with their builders conduct. The DT at a max cost of $180 is also a low cost method of recovering up to $30k from your builder under the Consumer Guarantees Act and is a simple process whereby you detail the claim, provide quotes/invoices along with any evidence. I mention this again because so many homeowners are under the illusion they must claim under the Buildings DT which is expensive. I think it would be fair to say, that whilst homeowners may not be “technically adverse” you don’t have to be a meteorologist to understand that it’s raining. Whilst all problems with the build should be notified to MB in accordance with the guarantee conditions, it’s questionable how independent a free service provided and paid for by MB using their own representatives is. Depending on the issues at stake, for the homeowners peace of mind, better for the homeowners to obtain an Independent report.

Hi Thats is why it is important to engage an independant expert to assess and report. Was a Masterbuild Guarantee part of your package? Quinn Homes is a member of The Masterbuilders but my builder is not. If this is the same situation whereby the Franchise that you signed up with to construct your home is a Masterbuilder yet the actual builder that performed the works is not, there is no issues you engaging Fair Way resolutions. There is no cost for this service.

Hi Peter, Understood, although again a client knowing exactly what’s wrong, and even being convinced it’s the builder’s fault, doesn’t help too much if the builder doesn’t agree. And of course if he’s the reasonable kind of builder who admits his own faults, then most likely you don’t have a problem anyway. Interesting, and nice to know, that MB are prepared to help in that way. Is it only if the builder involved is a MB? Do they charge, and if so how much? If they do I guess you could also employ a building surveyor. Another topic I’ve never had an answer to. Has anyone ever got any money out of MB?

From my understanding, the Fairways Resolution engages the Masterbuilders Representative from the area to inspect the issues and a report is compiled. The reps in Christchurch are excellent with strong building knowledge. Regardless if it is legally binding or not , it gives a technical base to work from rather than a homeowners perspective who generally are not technically adverse (no disrespect implied). I dont know what the issues are here but do feel it is a good step forward and why The Masterbuilders offer this free service.

Hi JE, A few comments on what you and Peter Quinn have said. First thanks JE for at least responding. I find it a little frustrating to try to comment on what people ask or say, but very seldom get a useful or substantive response. For example, as far as I know no one has ever made it clear whether a franchisor has ever taken any moral (let alone legal) responsibility for misdeeds by or problems with their franchisees. And if they don’t, then it becomes a bit irrelevant whether they put themselves into liquidation. Why would they do that, if they have no financial penalty, no matter what their franchisees do? For reasons that puzzle me, franchisors often seem to carry on operating for years, despite many complaints about their franchisees in forums like this. Like Peter, I would expect them to ruin their brand by allowing rogue franchisees to operate, but it never seems to happen. Having said that, I’d be happy to be corrected if I’m wrong. Almost by definition any form of ‘mediation’ implies that both parties go into it expecting to give up/concede something. (In my experience most mediators simply hope and expect that both sides will be good guys, and agree to meet in the middle.) So if the builder starts with the idea that he has done nothing wrong, and does not expect to do or pay anything, then mediation must be a waste of time. The only way then is to hope you can force an arbitration, in which an arbitrator skilled in both law and building practice will look at all the facts,, listen to both sides, then dictate a binding decision. But that procedure has a cost, so the amount in dispute has to be enough to make it worthwhile.

The resolution service isn’t legally binding and requires honesty and a genuine commitment in reaching a resolution. If the builders actions so far haven’t alluded to this, it merely draws out an already stressful situation. It would be interesting to hear from anyone that has used this free service as to the outcome.

Hi Have you tried Fairway Disputes being a free service as part of your Materbuild Guarantee If the relationship with your builder deteriorates, you may find yourself in a contractual dispute. While this can be stressful, you have a legal contract with each other that needs to be fulfilled. We offer a free disputes resolution service through an independent provider called Fair Way. They help resolve issues in areas such as communication, quality, payment, and design. Contact Fair Way: Phone: 0800 77 44 02 Email: build-disputes@fairwayresolution.com Online: contact form

We found the franchisors overall response to be ‘wanting’ We reported Landmark to the Commerce Commissioner who investigate organizations if they get sufficient number of complaints. Complaints can also be made to the LBP under the updated LBP Code of Conduct 25th Oct 22 and worthwhile reading when trying to resolve a dispute. The only upside we see of using a Franchise is they are less likely to put themselves into liquidation during a dispute as a stand alone builder as they would lose their brand name.

Claims up to $30k can be made in the regular Disputes Tribunal (as opposed to the buildings disputes tribunal) The DT doesn’t deal with claims under building warranties so the claim should be made under the Consumer Guarantees Act (and breach of contract.) The cost is up to $180 depending on the value of your claim with virtually no right of appeal and no lawyers, hence no counter claim by the other party can be made for legal fees. If you decide to go this route, ensure you have all your evidence, follow the process and don’t be deterred.

Hi Carol, keen to know more, currenly doing a job for them, do you not think we will get paid?

Hi JE, Pleased to hear you finally won a dispute with your builder. But you mention contacting the franchisor regarding a problem with one of their franchisees, and (from what you don’t say) presumably getting very little help. This raises an interesting point, that I’ve commented on before. Most of these large building franchises seem to imply, in their ads etc, that they will somehow be ‘there for you’ if anything goes wrong on your build, or you have any problems with a franchisee. I generally assume, perhaps incorrectly, that in reality their contracts are carefully written to ensure they have no legal liability at all. But of course they could still assume some moral responsibility, or even wish to protect the good name of their franchise. So may try to help out in some way. In particular, recent ads on TV from ‘NZ’s largest home builder’ certainly seem to imply they would do more than just leave you entirely on your own if things go wrong. So I’m writing to see whether anyone has any experience with any franchisor taking any responsibility, or being of any use at all, when things go wrong on one of their franchisees contracts. And if anyone who operates either a franchise, or is a franchisee, would care to comment that would be great. But if none of them do actually comment, I guess we can draw our own conclusions.

Hi JE We are also considering our Legal options for Landmark homes Christchurch for the Lack of transparency through the build Plus all the defects big and small that are still pending 4 months later. Just about every aspect of the build was flawed. For example . Changing the plans after council consent and going to different suppliers behind our backs that weren’t what we sign off on etc.

To keep it blunt.I do NOT recommend Robertson building Christchurch.

Hi Nick – sorry for late reply – had some issues trying to reply whilst abroad. I’m a drafty and have worked with several builders (and built with some of them) over the years – the few that I have personally built with are Greenland Homes and Peter Ray Homes – both excellent and had no problems – I have worked also with DNA Homes and Que Homes and again both reputable builders – Andy and Don at DNA are great guys and very honest, same with Justin at Que. I have also heard good things about Peter Quinn, although haven’t personally had experience. You can of course always do your own plans with a drafty or architectural designer and then get prices from more than one builder – that’s sometimes a good way to go. Anyway I would have no hesitation building with any of the above-mentioned. Good luck!

Mark Holman leading the way in property management with his extensive knowledge of the property and building industry LOL

We are excited to welcome Mark from Pukeko Property Managers as the latest member of NZ Business Connect’s network. With over 14 years of experience in the industry, Pukeko Property Managers, founded by David Pearse, is a leader in professional and bespoke property management services across New Zealand. Mark has recently taken over the Tauranga franchise, bringing a wealth of expertise to existing property owners, new investors, and Iwi/Hapu. Pukeko Property Managers offers a unique owner-operated service. Mark personally manages each property, ensuring high accountability and a personalised touch. This structure of limited properties per franchise allows Mark to offer clients dedicated attention and a professional, tailored experience. Mark’s extensive background in building materials and construction equips him with valuable knowledge for property owners, especially those looking to buy, build, or maintain residential housing. His project management skills add another layer of value for investors interested in property development. Honesty and integrity are at the core of Mark’s approach, as he understands the significance of managing people’s homes and investments, ensuring that both owners and tenants feel secure and well-cared for. As a member of the Residential Property Managers Association (RPMA), Mark is committed to professionalism and ongoing development, staying up to date with industry standards to deliver the best service possible. With support from founder David Pearse, the first franchisee Vicky Harris, and the Pukeko Advisory Council, Mark is well-positioned to offer expert property management services, delivering peace of mind and long-term results for clients across Tauranga. Whether you’re looking for property management, to buy or build, or to explore investment opportunities, Mark from Pukeko Property Managers offers professionalism and bespoke service, making him the ideal partner for managing your assets.

They don’t pay their bills so I would avoid them

Hi Neesha We built with Landmark Canterbury which was one of the worst experiences of our lives. Despite contacting the Franchisor Landmark NZ on several occasions asking for their assistance, we ended up issuing legal proceedings against LMC. After a dispute which had been ongoing for almost 2 years, LMC settled the full amount claimed on the morning of the adjourned hearing.

Hi JT, This sounds a truly tragic tale, and you have my sympathy. It seems you’re not asking for advice, so I won’t try to give any. But I notice your mention of MB, which I assume means the Master Builders Association, and another comment from a Peter Quinn which sounded as though he has some connection with MBA. Your mention of MBA picking up the build, and having to ‘pick up the mess’, seems to imply that they are doing something significant to help you. I think most people (me included) are under the impression that the MBA are (or were, maybe they’ve improved) rather useless, and the amounts they would (reluctantly) pay out minimal, compared to your ‘many millions’. So it would be really helpful if you could tell us exactly what the MBA have been able to do to help out.

Hi That is so sad to read. Hopefully our MB will resolve this for you in a speedy timeframe and pleased you had this in place which is one positive I what appears to be an upsetting process. All the best during this difficult time

Annoying when someone doesn’t reply isn’t it dickhead?

Wow that’s annoying! There are rules around driveway gradients and changes in gradient (i.e. the “summit” where it goes into your garage or “sag”where it hits the street (or vice versa if your house is lower than the street) – in Auckland the gradient of the driveway must be 1 in 4 (20 percent) or less and the “summit” change must be less than 12.5 percent – you can find the information in the E27 Unitary Plan (pages 38 and 39 re the change in gradient and page 37 re driveay gradient) and it shows you in diagrams how the driveway must be formed if the change in gradient is more than 12.5. It says that each vehicle crossing application is checked against E27. I would be contacting the Council to see if you can see that the design of the crossing/driveway shows the gradient and if it was inspected and actually constructed to that design and also ask the designer/builder if they have the design of the driveway showing the gradients etc – if they have built it to the correct standard then in theory your car shouldn’t be scraping the ground (unless you have a substantially lowered car). I guess you’d have to prove that they didn’t build it to the correct E27 design (maybe a surveyor or engineer can help with levels and/or gradient??) and then ask them to correct it.

Hi Asri, Sorry I can’t comment now whether AT have any regulations covering this kind of thing. Have you checked, rather than relying on what the builder says? But anyway clearly you’re right, that a driveway that prevents a car with ‘normal’ ground clearance from entering is not what you might call ‘fit for purpose’. But you seem to distinguish between the builder and other professionals you hired. So I assume this was not a design and build job, by only a builder, in which case he’d be responsible for this kind of mistake. But he may be right, that his job was just to follow the design/consent from your designer. So I assume you need to ask the designer why he/she designed it the way they did. You say ‘should have taken those concerns seriously’, as though they have gone away, and can no longer be held responsible. These people should have professional liability insurance, to cover them in case they get sued for making a mistake in a design. Of course there is also the possibility that the short distance, and large difference in level between house and road, make it impossible to design a driveway that can take your type of car. Perhaps you asked for the house to be close to the road for some reason. I guess the only solution then is to buy a car with more ground clearance.

If you look at their brochure, it was under FAQ’s, they stated that the “dwellings” can not be used as permanent dwellings. They claimed to have a base, even gave an address at the port in Timaru – no one knew anything about them. The adverts featured clearly photo shopped images claiming to be a newly located expandable in Timaru- as a added bonus you could get a home that can levitate itself. The containers have no verification with them that they comply with the NZ Building codes, you will have no third party verification that they will perform as a NZ built home would. Google the main/only share holders name and make your own judgement – do you think all the happy Google reports are genuine?

Under the Ultraspec umbrella they unfortunately couldn’t even get insurance repairs right. Were now fighting with our insurance company to reimburse us for expenses incurred to rectify faulty workmanship and damages.

I see most of the Ruary & Anna’s companies went into liquidation this week and Sentinel dropped them ages ago. fair to say the writing was on the wall for a long time with their poor company mismanagement.

No assets in their names. Limited liability building company. Perfect set up to siphon off deposits with high directors salaries. Use a local builder who only owns the sole trading business and look up their previous business interests online through Company Hub or similar to see if they are serial white collar business owners or actual builders with morals and integrity. It’s a loophole in the world of business in NZ as to how easy these types can setup, siphon and then dissolve companie. It’s legal and seen as entrepreneurial.

https://www.companyhub.nz/companyDetails.cfm?nzbn=9429042460183 Rob Thomas and Mark Holman both career White Collar. They know their way around the complex web that is the business world of directorship and insolvency. It is a particular type of human that seeks out this career path.

https://www.companyhub.nz/dirshrSearch.cfm?name=HOLMAN%2C+Richard+Mark

Landmark homes Christchurch no good.

Hi Samule, I would also steer clear of Kanda homes in Pukekohe (owned by Rich Abbott), they are well known among the local sub trades to be extremely disorganized and reluctant to pay bills – often disputing work much later, months after the job. The disorganization leads to delays and extra costs to pass on. They have done quite a few jobs for their staffs friends and family which provide some good reviews but please do your due diligence if you are a new client. Their sales, marketing and social media posts are very good but make sure you look past that and talk to past customers about their experiences and if you can- talk to tradesmen that have worked for them. The Pukekohe/Paerata town is small and word/reputation spreads around the trades. good luck

Hi, I see that your situation is very similar to mine. I’m currently building a house with BLC (Lee Baillie), and we’ve gone through countless unfulfilled promises. It’s always the same story: something will be ready in two weeks, and then nothing happens. I’m wondering if you did anything that resolved your issue and if you could share your experience. It would be incredibly valuable and might help me get out of this nightmare. I’ve tried everything I can think of to get him to complete my house, but nothing has worked so far. Thanks in advance!

Claro, aquí tienes una versión en inglés: Hi, I see that your situation is very similar to mine. I’m currently building a house with BLC (Lee Baillie), and we’ve gone through countless unfulfilled promises. It’s always the same story: something will be ready in two weeks, and then nothing happens. I’m wondering if you did anything that resolved your issue and if you could share your experience. It would be incredibly valuable and might help me get out of this nightmare. I’ve tried everything I can think of to get him to complete my house, but nothing has worked so far. Thanks in advance!

Hi there, we have a similar situation in 2024 with Lee, can I get your contact to learn about your experience and see how you resolved it? It has been extremely frustating, we have waited 4 years and the house is still not finished.

Probaly not much chance of getting your money back from first build but i know they are going on a few holidays , i gather on other peoples money. Its not the first company he has owned that has gone bankrupt.

Yes, same Ritesh Mani. Neilsons Laywers have a 99% Trustee stake in Eco-Smart with Ritesh @ 1% stake. They know exactly what they’re doing. I can only hope that this review helps someone else for the future, while they’re doing their own due diligence.

Is that the same Ritesh Mani who has been declared bankrupt twice? After some painful lessons, always good to do due diligence on the company and its directors. Here’s a link to the insolvency register: https://app.insolvency.govt.nz/ui/public/estates/display-insolvency/851731

That’s very true of Urban Homes Wellington. Very big mistake.

Cannot recommend Urban Homes Wellington. Look at Google review