Discussion topic

Builder discussion about workmanship

Read homeowner discussion connected to workmanship. Use these comments to spot questions worth asking before you sign, vary a contract, or accept a builder response.

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Historical comments are preserved for context with original wording where possible. They are not independently verified unless labelled, and may not reflect current circumstances. Use them alongside public records, third-party review sources, contract checks, and a direct response from the builder.

What to check when reading about workmanship

Workmanship discussion should be read carefully because defects, finish quality, and remedial work often need context from contract scope, inspection reports, photos, and the builder's response.

  • Ask what inspection points apply before handover.
  • Document defects with dates, photos, and written responses.
  • Separate cosmetic finish concerns from compliance or weather-tightness issues.

Nick Scott

Platinum Homes – Hawke’s Bay We are considering building with Platinum Homes in Hawke’s Bay. Does anyone have any experience building with them or another franchise across the country? Henry has been great to deal with to date. I am especially interested in: – Quality of the final product – Adherence to budget and timelines – Communication throughout the project Thanks.
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Source detailsComment #121293Source link
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Sally

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.
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Source detailsComment #121284Reply to #121283Thread #121283Source link

Liz Levick

I’d like to say a huge thank-you to OWL Construction on Auckland’s North Shore. They worked with my architect Mark Jolly to create three homes on a development site. These houses are built to last the test of time, look great and truly stand out from the usual boxes which we nows see being thrown up in the suburbs. The building crew worked closely with us, kept on track, and finished the houses perfectly. They are easy to deal with, attentive to detail and understood what we wanted and value in terms of quality. Thanks guys, you’ve restored my faith in the trade!
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Source detailsComment #121252Source link

JT

Well if you’re looking for shoddy workmanship, a mismanaged project, total lack of ownership, significant delays, cost overruns and a build eventually having to be picked up by MB then look no further than John Ross Architectural Builders (Christchurch)! The word “Architectural” Builders is an illusional step too far and is more aligned with the Tui’s advert – Yeah Right! To say the stress of the past 3 years has been significant is an understatement and we’re not finished yet as with all the issues that need to be rectified via MB we will need to vacate the house whilst the repairs are carried out (Still waiting on final quote for repairs but have been advised it’s many hundreds of thousands $$$). My husband has been recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and the move into the house at the end of last year, (even though it wasn’t finished but we were desperate) caused him unbelievable anxiety and stress so to have to move again is heartbreaking, but appreciate we need to to get the house to an acceptable standard and get code compliance. You’d think by paying many millions $ to this builder (Jack/John Kelleher) and MB having to pick up the mess that JRB would go quietly into hibernation but alas, to add insult to significant injury, we received another invoice from JRB for $15K plus interest a couple of weeks ago and now he’s submitted a claim through the Disputes Tribunal since we refuse to pay him another cent. Just want this nightmare to end!
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Freddy

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.
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Source detailsComment #120011Reply to #114225Thread #114225Source link

Lisa Chriswell

Hi, Can anyone recommend an affordable quality transportable house building company. We have a section in Thames. At this stage, we are looking at Kiwi Designed Homes ( KDH) has anyone had any experience with them? Also, is it cheaper to go with one of these companies when you have to add on the transportation fees then if you went for a local Builder to build on site? I’d appreciate any honest replies, thank you.
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Helen S'Ville

Another negative review for Eco-Smart Homes and Ritesh Mani. If you come across these names, run for the hills. There are 2x developments in Helensville that have not been fully completed through to CCC final stage. Blatent lies and hollow promises, no communication from Eco-Smart or their lawyers, Neilsons, either. Their project manager Spiro Kovac resigned end of 2023 and there are still empty homes without final inspection or any progress. Every home has issues, from major things like no water meters installed, water pumps failing, no master builder guarantee as per contract (Google Eco-Smart vs Jenhash), to less major things like no fences or landscaping, painting incomplete, no physical keys provided for door locks, no house alarm or security lights, shoddy workmanship and plenty of poor finishing. Plenty of unpaid bills and contractual breaches. CCC applications missing tens of producer statements, some being held hostage for lack of payment which is technically illegal – but it isn’t hard to empathise with the unpaid contractor in their scenario. We’re unfortunately all in the same sinking ship when it comes to Eco-Smart. Somehow, despite the challenges completing their paying customers homes, Eco-Smart have managed to fully finish their own lot builds which are now tenanted rentals. It’s not personal, just business – funny that. Take a walk down Kawariki Rd, Taupata Lane or Rongomai St in Helensville. You’ll meet a fantastic community of neighbours who are frustrated at brunting the cost of Eco-Smart’s slimy operations. You might even bump into an owner checking up on the lack of progress before they can move in or tenant their incomplete home. They are friendly, kind and trusting people – taken advantage of and left in the dark with unconsented and incomplete homes. Beware of Eco-Smart. Beware of Ritesh Mani.
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Sophia

I am looking at kitset homes – at the moment, Supremehomes seem to have what I want – taking into account time to build, transports costs, finishes etc. Does anyone have any experience with this company?
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Alice Hill

Hi! I wanted to inquire if you’re currently accepting new accounts/clients? For commercial/janitorial clients, we’ve developed an exclusive automated system that can get you 6-9 High-Quality Appointments every month, with no monthly retainer or paid ads. Can I send additional info?
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Paul

All I can say is the Akl South one went broke not too long ago and was run by a total con who allegedly used clients funds for his own build among other less than above board behaviour. Leaving several clients with half (or less) finished homes. What this tells me is that their head office in Aus don’t have high standards with who they let own franchises here. Definitely look into how long the current franchise owners have had it, and if less than 10 years I’d avoid like the plague if it were me. Not worth the risk of a half finished home.
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Source detailsComment #119613Reply to #119612Thread #119612Source link

Lottie

We’re looking at building a guest cottage on our property and have been looking at Nook Homes. In my research I’ve found an article in the National Business Review that doesn’t sound good but it’s hidden behind a paywall so I can’t actually read it! I’m wondering if anyone has experience of this company and their build quality. Thanks so much 🙂
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Sally

Green Homes (greenhomes.co.nz) .are building for us currently, and so far so good. A professional approach. We’re half way through the build and making great progress. The team’s approach to attention to detail and planing has been awesome. It is important we can trust that things are moving ahead and that quality is good. Happy on all fronts right now. Can’t wait for the finished product.
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Chris C

Hi Sanjay, Of course they might not be willing to show you the actual document, but I see no reason why you cannot ask the franchisor head office in general terms how do they vet their franchisees (building experience and history of principals etc), and what responsibility they take for the financial soundness and competence of franchisee, and what they do in the event the franchisee has unacceptable performance of goes into liquidation. As I said before, I suspect they will either be unwilling to answer, or if they do it will be in very non-committal terms. Then you make up your mind what you’re getting in return for the well-known name on the letterhead. But at least forewarned is forearmed. If reasonable due diligence alienates a builder, then I would suggest he’s not potentially (or actually) acceptable anyway. I’ve said before, the building market could easily be entering a phase where, unlike it may have been before, builders need clients more than clients need builders. So if they push back against reasonable demands and questions find another one. Or maybe avoid the undoubted hassles of any build, and try to find a finished house you like.
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Source detailsComment #118706Reply to #118705Thread #118698Source link
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Chris C

Hi Yvonne, Haven’t built with them, but I assume it’s not GJs or Signature who are actually building, but the franchisees for them in your area. So you need to find out who that is, and get feedback on them, history of owner(s), track record, references from other customers etc. I suspect that the franchisee will in effect be ‘independent’ of the main company. So it might be useful to check the contractual relationship between the franchisor and franchisee, and more important between the franchisor and you (probably none). So what vetting does the franchisor do of its franchisees, and what help can you expect if things go wrong, and the franchisee does things wrong, or fails to finish the build? If the answer is none, then what are you getting for the fee (obviously passed on to you, one way or another) the franchisee has paid the franchisor. Other than a famous name and some TV ads, with feel good statements like biggest, most trusted, most reliable etc etc. Good luck with your build.
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Chris C

Hi Sophia, Perhaps I should have added to my reply yesterday (for you and anyone else planning to build), do you really think it’s a good idea at the moment? Surely with finished house prices coming down, but build costs still it seems going up, it might be better to consider trying to get a bargain on a finished house. My guess is there will soon be spec builders who will be eager to sell, and get money in the bank. At least you know exactly what you’re getting, and with a lot less risk (of course it’s never zero risk with buying property), and hassle than I mentioned in my previous reply.
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Source detailsComment #118141Reply to #118131Thread #118131Source link
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danielle

We have had the same sort of problems with ecosmart homes as this out in glenbrook. two years and still no home ready. all the homes around the area are going up sooo fast and countless have been finished since we started in 2020. they told us the same thing “we got a good price” “those houses costed more” “youve made money” it actually blows my mind how common companies are treating their clients like this! its disgusting. Im sorry that you are going through this! so hard to know what to do. we are now looking at seeing if our lawyer can get us out of the final instalment and ccc and we take over the build completely because there is no end in site!
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Mark

Hi Veronica, yes these are just the facts I posted and have already been removed from Podular website and I have been blocked: Podular can you tell me what is going on? Our contract was for a unit to be delivered complete on our section within 13 weeks of starting, which means the unit should have been completed in September last year. The unit was delivered incomplete and with substantial defects on 11 January 2022, 4 months late. It has now been more than a year since the unit should have been completed, and we have not heard back from you since June, despite our lawyers also reaching out. You subcontracted our builder to fix the issues with the unit after it was delivered, but he tells us that you have not paid him for any of the work he has done since before 1 June this year. Our builder tells us he has contacted the other engineers you subcontracted, who say they are also waiting for their invoices to be paid. Rotorua-Lakes Council has also confirmed that it is waiting for payment before it will issue Code Compliance Certification. Per our contract, you should have obtained Code Compliance more than a year ago. We are unable to obtain Code Compliance from Rotorua-Lakes and Auckland Councils. Auckland is waiting on Rotorua- Lakes to issue Code Compliance before it will even consider an application. We are becoming incredibly frustrated at the lack of progress, and lack of communication with us. The main stumbling block appears to be your failure to pay invoices as they fall due. As you have been ignoring our emails, and our lawyers, we are publicly reaching out to see what is happening with our unit. Are you going to complete it, or are we going to have to finish your job ourselves?
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MJ

Hi Alice, If this is your first time building I strongly suggest you see a lawyer that specialises in construction contracts so he can go over the RMB contract with you and he may well have a contract that’s more balanced that you could use. You might not want to spend the money doing this but this blog is full to the brim of people who didn’t spend the money doing due diligence and it ended up costing them tens of thousands of dollars, and in some cases hundreds, and a lifetime of stress with a poor quality product as a result. If the builder then does not want to take on board any changes your lawyer suggests then walk away. Housing franchises have very good sales people so best not listen to them until you have the contract sorted.
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Chris C

Hi BH, Regarding your point about another builder (Abode) completing houses faster than A1, from the fact you mention Abode is building 4-5 houses in the same street I wonder whether they are just ‘spec’ builds, to be put on the market after completion, rather than individual designs for a particular clients, like yours. Generally ‘spec’ builds go much faster, as the builder has probably built the same or similar designs before, can pre-order materials etc, has already gone through a learning curve, if he’s building more than one at the same time can get subbies to quickly move from one to the next, and has no hassle with clients changing the design. I know of builders who will only do ‘spec’ builds, for exactly the last reason. I’m surprised more don’t do it. Maybe none of this applies in your case, and of course it’s no reason for some of the problems you seem to be having with A1. Anyway, I hope yours is finished now.
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Chris C

Hi Jeanie, I would be very interested to hear how this goes, and whether you ever get any money from the MBA. Many people seem to suggest you won’t, but it seems difficult (but not impossible) to believe that if they never, ever pay out in any circumstances people would keep buying the Guarantees. Triumph of hope over reality? I’ve asked before on this blog whether anyone ever got paid, but received no response. Perhaps MBA itself can enlighten us, or you can ask them in general terms how many claims for a total of how much they paid out in, say, the last 5 years. Surely it can’t be zero. But regarding my actual experience, I can say our MBA builder went into liquidation when our house was almost complete. Initially the Liquidators treated all the unfinished builds as ‘assets’, and tried to in effect to sell them on to a new MBA builder, so they could make any remaining profit by finishing the jobs. At first that looked good, because the new builders I spoke to said they would take on our job exactly as though they were the original builder. But I was told the Liquidators got greedy, and asked for too much for the transfers. Finally I was given permission by MBA to find my own builder. Because I wanted to use a non-MBA builder, the MBA agreed (based on photos) to maintain the Guarantee for the work done up to the Liquidation. Luckily for us the house really was fully closed in and very close to completion (just about inhabitable), so I could get insurance, and we had not overpaid the builder, so had our remaining funds left to finish off without being much out of pocket. But where it gets more complicated (and everything about this kind of situation can get very complicated), I had to scurry round and try to contact all the subbies with part finished work, to persuade them to finish off. Not easy if some if them haven’t been paid by the builder for the work done up to then. But necessary I felt, because how do you persuade an electrician or plumber etc to give you the Producer Statements etc you need to get the CCC, if they haven’t done 100% of the work? And I assume no one else can give you Statements for work they haven’t done. Long story short, make sure you know who all your subbies are, how to contact them, and keep on good terms with them. Because you may need their help if the builder falls over.
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Source detailsComment #117740Reply to #117739Thread #117739Source link

Jeanie

Is there anyone who may have been in the same situation as we have just found ourselves in. We have a claim sitting with master builders and have just found out the builder has put his company in liquidation. Our claim is being handled by MBS lawyers and the builder had unti the end of next week to remedy the defects. Where to from here for us now? Does MBA have to step up and fix the defects or pay us out? This whole thing has been extremely stressful and expensive for us over the last 5 years.
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Chris C

Hi Simon, Apologies that I don’t have time to go through the RMB 2018 form to compare it in detail with the 2011 form that my builder used. So these comments are in general terms, based on the clauses I found enough of a problem to get changed. (Given the chance I would have tried to change several more, or even the whole thing, but at some point I guess you have to compromise, or the builder might get fed up and walk away.) There may be other problems with the 2018 form I’m not aware of, or I suppose by some miracle some clauses may have been improved. Contract refers to ‘the Works’, but was a bit vague on what that included, so I set it out in detail. In case of differences, you need to decide whether plans or Specification take precedence. I changed it to Spec, as it seems in most NZ contracts this is what details what you’re actually going to get. I specified RMB responsible for setting out, and correcting errors at his own cost. I’ve heard of builders asking the client (Owner) to pay. Make clear that if utilities etc have been damaged by builder’s negligence or omission he’s responsible for cost of remedial work. 2011 implies client is responsible, even if he has told builder where they are (crazy). Make clear who’s responsible for obtaining CCC. To my mind logically it should be the builder. Make clear that the builder is responsible for all work by sub-contractors, as though its the builder’s own work, and subbies should not further sub-let. Client should not have to indemnify the builder against damage due to subsidence/earth slip etc, if the subsidence was due to the builder’s own negligence or omission. Eg failing to provide drains or covers during heavy rain. I also put in a time for Practical Completion (noting there’s a clause for extensions of time), with Liquidated Damages to be paid for failure to complete on time. Most builders hate this, but it’s standard practice in large construction contracts. Because in my view if you don’t have it the contract can become endless. I put in a clause to limit cost fluctuations. I think it’s now normal for the defects liability period to now be at least 12 months. A reminder to check out the requirements in: https://www.building.govt.nz/projects-and-consents/why-contracts-are-valuable/contracts-for-your-building-project/ Good luck
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Chris C

Hi Simon, No pressure from MJ then. But to you and also him (again assuming he’s male), it’s true I’ve put a bit of time into commenting on some previous queries, but to be honest in some cases have not even received an acknowledgement back. I’m happy to put a bit more time into some comments on yours, but they would be based on my experience with a build around 2015/16, using RMB RBC1-2011, which it appears from your comment about the Mortgage clause numbers may be different to the 2018 form. Which, by the way, if similar to the 2011 form I would most definitely like to see removed. Especially as it can be initiated just over a failure to pay on a ‘due date’, when you might justifiably be withholding payment because work is unsatisfactory/unfinished. Even worse, it seems simply by signing the contract you are giving the RMB power of attorney to initiate action. By all means ask a lawyer, but I think that would border on crazy. You have to trust the builder not to screw you, and he has to trust you to pay. But anyway there are other ways to ensure he gets his money if it’s reasonably due. Our RMB agreed to delete it, but times were perhaps different in 2015. But before going further, I’d be grateful if you can let me know whether you think my comments would be relevant to your situation.
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Source detailsComment #117727Reply to #117726Thread #117724Source link

Eduard

We used Maddren Homes for our build in Milldale, Auckland. They were a bit more expensive that the other building companies we contacted but the quality of the work is excellent. The whole process was really good and we are very happy with our new house (we moved in about six months ago). They have good trades people and they accepted all our changes with no problems. We would recommend Maddren Homes for your new build in Auckland north/west.
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Polly

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.
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Source detailsComment #117685Reply to #117684Thread #117679Source link
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Chris C

Hi Marie, With respect, why don’t you just try Googling ‘Builtin Insurance’, then call or email them? Although I’m surprised you didn’t do that within days of paying for the insurance. I have no connection with them, and cannot vouch for them in any way. I’d be interested to know whether Mark knows anything about them. But it seems they’re based in Tauranga, and offer various kinds of insurance. Some aimed at builders themselves (vehicles, tools, 3rd party etc), and some for Clients who are planning to build (defects, failure to complete etc). For the latter kind the website implies they will only insure a project if they have checked out and ‘accredited’ the builder in some way. This is exactly the kind of thing I’ve always felt was needed. Because if an insurance company really pays out when things go wrong, they have a strong financial incentive to minimise their risk, by only insuring builders they believe will do a good job, and stay in business. And of course it also implies Clients should steer clear of builders they will not insure. From a very quick scan of the website it seems it might be worth looking into if you’re planning to build.
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Marie

I have tried with MP’s but it’s a non starter, they are just not interested – not even our local MP who is not only that but supposed to be the spokesperson for seniors. What’s the point of having an MP when they don’t do anything constructive for their constituents ? We are seniors and have a dire problem with a builder (Campbell Grant Senior/Thermawise/BPM Contracts Ltd) who was supposed to build us a home suitable for wheel chair use – the upmost part of the design using BRANZ guidelines. This means no carpeting and concrete floors that were to be exposed (therefore nor unsightly) but what we got were unfinished floors. The L/K/D which was a separate cost borne by ourselves as agreed but the other floors were failed by the house inspection. The interior doors were set high for carpets too. What is the point of a contract with all the guidelines written down for the builder if they are ignored ?
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Chris C

Hi Sally, In that case it will be interesting to see whether, first, MB agree to let the Client employ you. Maybe they will have no objection, if you are also a MB. But if you’re not the Client may need to try to get MB to at least agree that their Guarantee (for whatever it’s worth) covers those parts of the build already completed. In our case the house itself was more or less finished, and we did not continue the build with a MB, so based on lots of record photos the MB organisation agreed to cover it. The second issue will be whether the Liquidators want money from you to allow you to take over the job. Which I guess will depend on whether they think there’s money in the job for you, ie still a profit to be made from the outstanding work. Also possibly money still owed by the Client for work completed. Although builders who know they’re about to go under usually try to get all that in, plus more if they can, so they go under ‘owing’ rather than ‘owed’. Since you’re in the business I’m sure you know all that. But other ‘Clients’ reading this may get the message that, during a build, you need to keep you’re ear to the ground for any whispers that subbies or suppliers are being kept waiting for payment too long. In which case you need to be extra careful you’re not paying the builder for more than the completed work to date is worth (ie the builder needs to rob Peter to pay Paul).
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Chris C

Hi Sally, Thanks for the information. On this topic of builders ‘going under’, as you put it, I assume you mean going into liquidation. Which I believe means Liquidators will be brought in to wind up the company, and sell off the assets etc, to try to pay off any creditors (but themselves first of course!). Part of those ‘assets’ are jobs which are progress, which in theory another builder can take over to make money on. We had the same experience a few years ago, and as our builder was a Master Builder I suppose they were theoretically liable for paying out on the MB Guarantee. Which means they had an interest in trying to get another builder in to finish the jobs. So it appears the Liquidators let MB have first crack at finding new builders. I had some discussions with both the proposed new builders, and what they were offering me initially sounded quite reasonable. But in the end neither of them took over, apparently because the Liquidators wanted too much money from them for the privilege of taking the jobs! In the end I was ‘permitted’ by MB to find my own builder to finish the job. Which turned out fine in the end, albeit with a few months delayed completion. But here’s the interesting part, and the caution. A few months later one of the builders offered up by MB himself went out of business. If he’d taken over our job we’d have been in a very complicated mess. So even though a builder is proposed (recommended?) by MB, you should still check him out and do due diligence. It seems in the NZ building business there are very few you can fully trust to do a proper job.
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Source detailsComment #117638Reply to #117637Thread #117399Source link
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iCowboy

Chris, I concur. Rarity they are. Brilliant craftsman builders. Unfortunately, I have only come across “builders,” with the exception of a brilliant craftsman carpenter who’s interior finishings on boats were immaculate. Sadly he passed from an industry related illness due to poor health and safety regulations he believed he contracted as a young apprentice expected to “get it done” and unknown to him, removed contaminated material with suspected asbestos without any form of PPE. And yes. I am referring to the group building companies for the most part. What many on this forum have to take into account is NZ a nation of managers and project managers who subcontract work to builders. All the responsibility and liability now falls on builders and tradies. Inspectors responsible for signing off on restricted building work has had their concerns as well signing off on restricted building they shouldn’t. If you are planning to build, you may want to research the employee turnover rate of a group building company or building contractor on trademe, seek, or some other job hire platform. It will give you an indication of how overstretched they are. When contractors outside of Auckland and Wellington start to offer $40 plus an hour, they are desperate for staff and have overextended their resources. I suggest not to go with them, especially if they are advertising now. Contractors and recruitment agencies throw in individuals who have never worked together. Projects and your home build will suffer. You want to find a construction crew that has worked together for at least 4 to 5 home builds.
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Source detailsComment #117615Reply to #117614Thread #117613Source link

Antonia

MH Builders Waikato So today I learnt that the wardrobe frame built by MD Builders almost 2 years ago is not square by 11 millimeters!! My doors will not close flush. The whole project with them was micky mouse. They lined the walls before their electrician came to wire, used the wrong trim and now I find this. I am so glad I chose not to go with them for our big reno. I highly recommend NOT USING MH Builders. However JCC uD did do our reno and they were amazing.If you want a good job done by quality cleaver builders go with them !!
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Source detailsComment #117612Source link

Derek

G J Gardner homes. Much is being advertised as the most trusted home builder. However, we bought a 2013 G J Gardner built home two years ago and have been finding numerous workmanship faults AND design faults. Rats and mice had gotten into the roof space over the years, and although the previous owner had set traps there was quite a lot of chewed up air conditioning ducting. After trapping mice myself, I finally found that the chimney surround had not been sealed off at the bottom. Easy climb for any rodent. Once sealed off, no more mice. The cabinet around the fridge space with a cupboard over the top had ONE SCREW holding it in. One slinding closet door was extremely difficult to adjust because of a hump in the foundation. The walk up to the front door was too steep and friends with walking problems found it very difficult to step up through the front door. Even my fit flexible self wa in trouble from the foot angle on the entry way to skid forward, so the current solution is a very big, slid resistant matt. The driveway entrance to the main road was unnecessarily steep such that most standard cars scrape their noses. Trucks have a hard time draggin their back ends. The slope could easily have been less with proper thought to the extensive driveway area above the entrance. There aren’t any outlets in the bathrooms (bad advice to the owner). The door from the garage to the inside of the house is very poorly oriented and a constant irritant trying negotiate. Bathroom light fixtures had to be changed as poor design and nearly impossible to service. All in all a very poor job.
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Reply in discussion thread #117554View thread

Jeannie

Hi David, we are in the North Island. When we were not getting anywhere with Master Builders I sent an email to MB CEO David Kelly explaining we were not getting anywhere he referred our email to Ms Kirsty Forman who we dealt with for many months. Still not getting very far. Our complaint was then sent to Fairways for mediation. The builder pulled out of all negotiations. As a last resort and great expense we engaged a lawyer which helped us through this stressful time. To date the builder has not completed the defects required by MB legal team. We have now been told by MB the builders membership has ceased. Where to from here for us is anyone’s guess?
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MJ

Hi Jeannie, We have had issues with a builder who did have a current and valid Master Build membership at the time and we found Masterbuild absolutely useless in helping us to arrange remedial work for huge defects with our build that were not only built to the plans but we’re structurally dangerous too. The council failed his work on almost every inspection and it failed epically on the COC yet Masterbuild not only ignored our build and our very obvious concerns and actually backed the builder 100% when it came to litigation! Citing faulty products, transit damage and even that we had intentionally damaged our own build to discredit the builder! I hate to say it but these days if a builder is aligned with Masterbuild, most people would walk the other way. Masterbuild is a subscription service paid for by the builder. Masterbuild therefore works for the builder and not you. If you go through this blog you will find hundreds of posts with stories very similar to mine and my advice to you is save yourself the stress, don’t try and use Masterbuild for any help or advice at all and go straight to a building and construction lawyer while your defects are still new and obvious. It’ll be harder for the builder to argue anything the quicker all your issues are documented, and a good building and construction lawyer will have their own team of experts to assess what remedial work needs doing. Sorry to be so brutal but the sooner Masterbuild goes the way of the Dodo, the sooner innocents folks such as yourselves will stop being fed the lies that Masterbuild is there for your security and peace of mind. It may have been an upstanding institution once, but not anymore and I really can’t see it trading on it’s good name for too much longer either. The best builders we’ve used since most definitely do not subscribe to MB and that says a lot.
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Reply in discussion thread #117141View thread

Sally

Hi LG, I’m an architectural designer working for a building company so I know a fair few in Christchurch – companies I would recommend (and meet the criteria you mentioned) are: Greenland Homes, DNA Structures Ltd, Paul McStay Homes, Que Homes (Justin McDonald), Peter Ray Homes. Most of these I myself have either built with or have close friends that have – all have great reputations and excellent build quality. Personally I had a hideous experience with Golden Homes in Chch (Peak Construction) and would never recommend building with them – I know there are a couple of other reviews similar on here too. Hope you have a good building experience! 🙂
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Reply in discussion thread #117010View thread

Chris C

Hi Nigel, Thanks for your thanks. I totally agree with everything you say up to about the middle of your first paragraph. But after you said ‘I have yet to build … ‘ you said some stuff that concerned me, as in my view it’s a bit misleading for those not experienced in the building business, and kind of contradictory. In your last paragraph you seem to doubt other peoples’ words that builders can do a poor job without actually being fraudulent. This of course is not true. I assume fraud is a crime, and you could get the police involved. But I doubt if many cases of poor workmanship, failure to complete on time etc, would fall into that category. Having said trying to amend contracts to make them more ‘neutral’ is just too hard, or even impossible, in your last sentence you point out that many ‘technical issues’ (by which I assume you mean things like poor workmanship, arbitrary changes to design/materials, extra costs for variations etc) happen because the contract either does not prevent them, or does not give the client enough power to demand that the builder put things right. So you have given a very good reason why anyone going into a build cannot afford to accept it, when a builder says an unfair or biased contract cannot be changed. If they say that then in my view they are the wrong builder for you. I’ve spent much of my career writing and supervising major construction contracts, and I agree that many NZ building contracts can be understood by most reasonably intelligent people. But the problem is that many of those people ‘don’t know what they don’t know’ as the saying goes. Understanding it is one thing. Knowing what’s not in it that should be, and knowing what may lead to trouble later, is something else. I’ve written about this in this blog before. You should look at the builder’s contract before you pay them any money for anything, and if they’re not open to making changes (of things you or your lawyer think are unfair, or have been omitted) then walk away. I believe there are standard minimum requirements for a NZ building contract over $30K, but it’s worth looking at NZS3902:2004 (Standard Building Contract) for an example of the kind of thing you should be looking for, although I know there are other standard forms that some people recommend.
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Source detailsComment #117023Reply to #117021Thread #117010Source link

Ellen

HI there Has anyone here built with Golden Homes in Tauranga? How did you find the process? Were there any unexpected costs? How were they to work with? Quality and did the build get completed in time? What was your given timeframe? Thanks
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Alice

You are absolutely right about the board, Kelly. The Board is a self-licking ice cream! Something I asked them at the hearing was to consider, after seeing the defects, if they would employ this builder on their house or their mother’s house. Because by presenting them as ‘licensed’ they are personly endorsing them as being competent – when in our case they clearly were not!
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Alice

I found their investigator a little biased, eg they must have put the weatherboards on incorrectly because of issues matching imperial/metric – this was COMPLETELY untrue, but was an excuse repeatedly stated by all who inspected. I would strongly recommend getting your own full technical report, don’t rely just on the Board one. The hearing is a joke, there is no ‘prosecutor’ like any other professional board – YOU the complainant are expected to provide the opening and closing statements. You are told it is optional for you to attend. The board places much more weight on anything the builder and their own technical advisor says. They claim to not address contractual issues, but when builder suddenly claims they were not allowed to correct the defects (yes all the negligent work they refused to accept responsibility for), the board is suddenly all sympathy. No way is the process consistent with ‘natural justice’ or due process. Remember these guys gave them their license in the first place!
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Reply in discussion thread #115076View thread

Nicole

Where are you at with things currently? I am a client also without a finished house
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Reply in discussion thread #115595View thread

Mark Stainton

I had my house in Redcliffs built by JD home’s which finished mid last year. I could not warn you enough not to use this building company.
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Reply in discussion thread #113658View thread

Sean

Thanks for that Chris, sounds great! I’ve started seeing their project signs on a few sites now,but always good to hear first hand feedback. They’re in my top 3 along with Greenland & Pringle Homes. Just need to get my A into G and finish/sell my current place to get the ball rolling on the new build.
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Reply in discussion thread #115463View thread

MJ

Hi Chris, the plans were a simple 2bdrm 80sqm house with all the usual details like foundations, frame, trusses, cladding, fixings, guttering etc all done by a lady draughtsman here in Morrinsville. The drainage plans were done free of charge from a local plumber who also quoted the job and got the job, same goes for the sparky but being self regulating not a a huge amount of detail was needed from him but we keep everything a local as we can. The joinery details were supplied by Rylock in Hamilton (who we absolutely recommend) also free of charge as they in the end got our business and the scoping/land report was done by CKL for $1800 All submitted to Matamata-Piako District Council in a very easy to read set of plans and all accepted (sorry I may have missed something out but you get the guts of it) Council fees and inspections were surprisingly cheap, much cheaper than in Hamilton (where we built twice last year) they set us back under $4k But the MPDC are known for being very reasonable but they’re just as vigilant and were great to deal with and gave us great advice from the start so whole house from start to finish was $250k (not including the land as we already owned it). If you’re not afraid to ask for help, more importantly free help (especially if they want the gig) then there is no limit to what you can achieve on a tight budget, worst case scenario they tell you to piss off so you move on. Our builds are a collaborative effort, I have no shame in saying “I don’t know How to do this so who is the best person to ask?” With the web and social media making due diligence that much easier and great forums like this it’s quite easily achieved.
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Chris

Hi MJ, I was interested to read your reply to someone who confessed to being an older lady who has no experience, and very little knowledge, of house building. I have read many entries on this blog of other people who seem to perhaps be younger, but otherwise in a similar situation. I’m not sure how many of them realise that the common system in NZ (and I think to some extent in Australia) of buying a piece of land, and then employing a builder you have never met before, to build you a unique home (because even their ‘standard’ designs will end up as unique, due to variations in the site and your choices of fittings etc) is extremely unusual from a world point of view. And due to the nature of the building industry here, with poor control of builders and materials by Government and Councils, poor legal safeguards if builders rip people off or go bankrupt, and in fact many builders who are relatively inexperienced, and have poor project and cash flow management skills, because they don’t actually build many houses, it is extremely risky. Which is why so many people find it goes wrong. Even the nice, honest builders can get caught out with cash flow problems. In other countries normal houses are usually built by large builders, who obtain large blocks of land, then get one architect and one engineer to design and get Council approval for a variety of different size houses of similar style. So they can employ experienced project managers and large scale construction, which makes it easier to maintain quality, while keeping costs down. So I think your advice to this lady that it is probably cheaper, and certainly safer, to buy a house already built, is good. But if she ignores your good advice, and goes ahead with getting a draughts-person (I’m being PC) to prepare some plans, I’d like to ask what you got for $5K? I assume that was just for some basic concept drawings, perhaps with just layout plans and elevations. Because in my experience people should budget for something closer to 10% of the construction cost, more like $50K, to get full construction drawings that can be submitted to Council, including all the engineering design and detail drawings, and Council fees etc. Plus of course other paperwork and inspections required during and at the end of construction, to get code compliance.
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MJ of Morrinsville

Have you considered getting some plans drawn up and tendering it to various builders? I know it may seem like the safest and easiest option to go with a building company but if you use their plans you’ll be using their products too and some of them aren’t great. Cheap perhaps but not durable or maybe even suitable for what you want and you’ll be using their tradies on their schedule and you will literally have lost control of the biggest asset you’ll Ever have. We went to a Draughtsman (not an architect) who drew us up something simple and moderate in size and it cost us $5k. While they were doing this they went over various different materials we could use, the pros and cons for each and we could trust their advice because they were not making any money from us on building materials but even though they may be good at what they do you have to always remember that they do not physically work with the stuff and this is where a good balance of advice and some research on your part will save you $$$ and stress. We then found a couple of local builders, showed them the plans and discussed various options and amendments but most importantly we asked them for names & phone numbers of recent builds they’ve completed and that was a game changer. In the end we went with a young local lad, Mitchell Williams, who lives just out of Morrinsville and we’ve never been more thankful that we did! We were initially concerned that he was only a one man team but we needn’t have worried at all, If the builder in question has the right tools and is knowledgeable about their trade there are a million ways to do a specific job that doesn’t always involve brute strength and not only was he a smart cookie and hard working but above all he was honest. We didn’t see huge mark ups on the materials and our build didn’t take much longer than perhaps a team of four could have done It in but you’re only paying for a quarter of the labour and we saved thousands in the end for a few months of extra waiting and it was a bloody good trade off. Mitchell didn’t push us into using expensive, top range stuff either and the result is a beautiful, well built house that we know will still be standing long after we’re not. As an example, we were looking at various different types of cladding for our house (Laminated stuff, fiber board type stuff, the options are endless) Until Mitchell pointed out that there is nothing wrong with using wood, there is a reason it’s been in use for hundreds of years and just because something new and “improved” comes along doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better. He also has a very good network of other tradies (sparky, plasterer etc) who, like him, are also good at what they do and we used them all with no regrets. It saved us so much time and he communicated with them all so in effect he actually project managed our build. I helped somewhat but really he has to take much of the credit for our house (and the three rentals he renovated for us too) It is a myth that a building franchise company will make everything easier. Building a house is a very time consuming and emotional thing to do and if you do not actively involve yourself In it you leave yourself wide open to excessive over charging and poor workmanship with very little recourse for you if it all goes horribly wrong. If building seems like something you can’t or don’t want to get overly involved in it may be easier to buy an already built house and get a builders report done on it. Mitchell does those too by the way! Hope this helps, if even a little.
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Reply in discussion thread #115507View thread

abigale

cheers, thanks for that, certainly appreciate your response. We are confident that they will build a quality home from what we have seen, my concern is that with all their builds going on that the service delivery (project management) and dealing with post-construction issues might not be up to standard…
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M&M Jenkins in Morrinsville

Hi Abigale, I personally have not used Urban at all but I have noticed a house they are currently building on my mum and dads road which is Horahora Rd in Putaruru (or Tirau depending on which end of the Rd you’re on) and it looks about 50% finished but if I can remember correctly, it seems to have been plodding along for a while now. Might I suggest you go for a leisurely drive this weekend and perhaps check it out? You can’t miss it as it’s well signposted as being a Urban Homes construction and it is at the end of Horahora Rd that is closest to Cambridge or the Tauranga turn off (not the end that takes you to Arapuni) Good luck, I hope I’ve helped a little?
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Reply in discussion thread #115566View thread

A Smith

Hi Alice. As an ex employee of a group housing franchise, I can attest to the underhanded bully boy tactics, massive hush payments made for shoddy workmanship (yes, that builder is still working for them) & non-disclosure to home owners of sub standard materials used for engineered components that would result in instant withdrawal of PS1 certification if the engineer knew. Ethics & moral obligation are dirty words to these people & they will bend the truth or fabricate outright lies to benefit their case. Head office is there to protect & safeguard the franchise name at all costs, they are not there to protect the home owners interests in any way, shape or form.
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Reply in discussion thread #115182View thread

Alice

Well certainly agree. They need to lift licensing standards, our Cowboy was sponsored by a non-LBP landscaper. Our impending LBP Board hearing is his second this year. They have continued to renew his license regardless. The complainants have never been included as witnesses (they Board then accepts the Cowboy’s excuses like the client told me to do it that way). The best we can hope for is a small fine. The proposed insurance provisions essentially push quality regulation onto insurance companies. Cowboys won’t be able to get insurance after a while. Homeowners are already being let down by insurers, just look at Chch. It is all a mess.
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Transparent to the Max

You are correct in your statement as there are very few good ones out there of the franchised group housing coys. They buy into these companies solely on financial ability to fund being a franchisee for the franchisor. Not their ability to conduct a quality build, understand the build process, use quality products, price with integrity and complete the process with good communication and financial stability. It speaks volumes that Refresh Renovations are marketing on fb that they want business owners stating they do not want builders. I would have thought renovation work carries huge build competency requirements but apparently this company wants sales and marketing background people to run these ventures. Not many people realise that Oncore, Refresh and one other have same directors operating these businesses overselling areas to franchisees. Joe public are paying for these franchise fees same as group housing companies. This is the major issue with our industry currently and it has been happening for some time now. We are in disarray and the home owner is being conned by bullshit, hollow promises and fake news as to a build promise and understanding of expectation. For good companies and contractors it is a mine field of endeavouring to communicate to joe public that cheap means exactly that. Quality and longevity comes down the list rather than first on the list in selection for a builder. If NZers want to build sustainable long-standing issue free homes to enjoy and live in then look to partner with genuine providers who are there to deliver your expectations and dreams, not just take your money for personal gain. A great partnership is a win win for all not just frisk the builder or homeowner. For those out there asking for 3 or more quotes from builders you have not done your due diligence and your focus is price, not the complete picture. We as a renovation coy and new home builder work with stunning customers who come to us and we are the only price provider due to our quality of workmanship and our referral network. I so want to see independent quality NZ Builders step up to take back the residential construction market for the benefit of all parties.
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Reply in discussion thread #115370View thread

M

Hi Any one has any reviews about Quality Homes, Upper Hutt, Wellington. We are looking for land & home package with them in Upper Hutt. Any information will be appreciated. Thanks so much !
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Reply in discussion thread #115284View thread

Raj

I am looking at them too – and yes sounds a bit genuine (and sales man types) but the cost is considerably lower than some others. I would like to know the quality of workmanship, ability to stick to budget and not go under from anyone who have used them before?
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Source detailsComment #115481Reply to #115284Thread #115284Source link
Reply in discussion thread #115298View thread

Chris

Hi Brenda, I’ve written on the subject of Prime Cost (PC) and Provisional Sums/Quantities before, so I’ll try to keep this brief. There is nothing wrong or dishonest in principle about the use of PC sums, if they’re used in the correct sense. In fact in theory they should be to the benefit of the client, because they should be used for things like kitchens, carpets, electrical appliances etc. So a sum is allowed for a ‘reasonable’ or average standard or quality, but the client can choose to pay more (or less) for something of a higher or lower standard or quality. So you have flexibility, rather than being forced to take only the one chosen by the builder. But of course this means you must do your homework, and find out before signing the Contract what you’re going to get for the amount allowed. The point is, it should be the client who gets to choose whether to pay more. Where these can be used to take advantage of naive clients is if the client lets the builder put in a PC sum for example for something like electrical work, and the client takes the builder’s word that this is adequate. Then later the client realises it’s only enough for say one light and one power outlet in each room. Enough in theory, but of course not what the client was expecting! But I think you may be referring to Provisional Sums (often mistakenly referred to by people in the building trade as PC sums, because they’re builders, not experts in contract law). These should only be used for things like earthworks and foundations, where the quantity (and therefore cost) cannot be exactly predicted until the work starts, and the engineer/Council have assessed the situation. Of course if you sign the final contract before the detailed design has been finalised, and Building Consent obtained etc, then the number of things that genuinely fall into the category of unknown, and therefore difficult to accurately cost, may be much higher. At the end of the day, the more accurately and completely the soil conditions are investigated (a truism in construction, money spent on site investigation is never wasted), and the building designed, and the more questions the client asks, the more likely you are to complete within your expected budget. Having said all that, even major government projects, designed and supervised by professional engineers, (with specifications and drawings 50mm thick) often have a 10% contingency allowance for unforeseen costs. So in my opinion any client who starts a build without having at least 110% of the contract price available is taking a great risk.
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Anon

I am interested in getting in touch with anyone who is caught up in the Platinum mess currently and is dealing with insurance trying to get homes completed. Also has anyone been able to get Platinum to step up and do any work to get houses finished?
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Brenda Boehlke

My husband just finished getting his Nelson, NZ retirement home built. (I’m from USA) He used Signature Homes and learned a very expensive lesson. Signature Homes lured him away from Jennian Homes with lower prices and comments about Jennian being way over-priced. Turns out, Jennian was probably the honest builder, whereas Signature Homes took us for a wild ride. At first we thought they were just making lots of costly mistakes in judgement, but, in the end, we realize how they used the PC Sum trap to deliberately underquote the build. Some of their “costs” were 164% higher than their quotes! In all, we lost $58,000 due to their overages. We changed NOTHING in our plans. We are starting the process of a formal complaint. Has anyone here ever had any luck with getting these builders to honor their contracts or “price guarantee?”
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Reply in discussion thread #115238View thread

Mark

Shaun Riley ripped into us because we complained too much. All the way through the build with Mass Construction we were in constant talks with the head office as it was a shambles from start to finish. If we hadn’t complained that much (and we had every reason to complain) we wouldn’t be where we are today. Shaun Riley knew that Jason Strange was cutting corners, not paying his tradies and quite frankly doing an horrible job, making our life a hell, but he just turned a blind eye and let him do his thing, not giving a damn about the customers. Jason Strange and Mass Construction goes under and conveniently Shaun Riley has left, what a weak piece of #$%@
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Source detailsComment #115296Reply to #115238Thread #115238Source link

Peter

Hi, Has anyone used Latitude Homes Wellington Alix & Zach (a typical sales man). They look cheap but to start with they are giving estimated build price only with some allowances, I am concerned once signed they might raise the costs or find a way to raise costs. Zach says they are cheap but when I said the other builder doesn’t change so much for x work he then says if they are cheap whatever you will get will be cheap quality as well. He doesn’t know that will apply to Latitude homes as well LOL. Regards, Peter
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Source detailsComment #115284Source link
Reply in discussion thread #114629View thread

Karen Clunie

We have had a studio built by Nest Homes – absolute top quality products and work. Jock and Jackie, and their sons are lovely people. To illustrate the high quality building standard they work to – we travelled with the studio on a trailer from Cambridge to Wellington in howling wind and pouring rain without any leaks. They went over and above to accommodate what we wanted. They take obvious pride in their work. Highly recommend.
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Reply in discussion thread #115182View thread

Goodperson

correction – will take your money and will NOT fix a known defect.
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Source detailsComment #115266Reply to #115263Thread #115182Source link
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Goodperson

I agree with you. There are a lot of shoddy builders out there who will take you money and will fix a known defect. They are ruining a lot of peoples lives and it is not right! The shoddy builders are giving the industry a bad name and there are going to be a lot of issues in the future. Time to make a stand and make them pay for the damage they have done!
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Reply in discussion thread #115107View thread

Howard

I worked for Allan Moore at the Signature East Auckland franchise for 2 years. He has proven to me that he lacks integrity and cannot be trusted. He still owes me over $25,000 in commissions on houses I sold for him. In my opinion his builds take much too long. None of the last 6 houses I sold were finished 18 months after contract was signed. To me his business looks like just a ‘project manager’, subcontracting the trade work, with the client paying 20-25?% extra on top of the real build price … with someone who in my experience cannot be trusted.
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Transparent to the Max

Their review is putting apprentices back into the class where they learn nothing. The initiatives will burn the industry as 1) builders will have to be part of either master builders who are a joke and do not protect the home owner, be part of certified builders (applies to both of these organisations) who have group housing coys as members who do not have one qualified builder on their books contracting lbps to them and still paying cheap rates. And the reason for this is access to a guarantee held after a 2 year period or a client of Builtin Insurance or one other insurance provider. This is horse bolting thereafter material. Also an lbp will have to be on every site meaning a shortage of builders increasing build cost hugely. The real need is for extensively qualified proven builders to have a premium status over every other builder who refuses to be licenced as they don’t want to take ownership for their build quality. Speaks volumes eh. Good builders like us are pooled with the every other idiot out there with a licence who is behaving badly and it’s not right. This govtmt needs to put real initiatives in play to circle the good from the bad and their initiatives going forward are not going to do that.
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Source detailsComment #115210Reply to #115186Thread #115182Source link

Transparent to the Max

Being in construction all my life I having sold multiple products in the industry and dealt with many building companies throughout. I am disgusted with the amount of shoddy building work that is being performed in our industry and the attitudes towards customers. It is crippling our industry and reflecting badly on the good ones striving for best business practice. It is a minefield of stress and worry for most people building and/or renovating and getting the right fit as a provider is paramount plus its nearly always the biggest amount of monetary investment made in most peoples lives. The public need to do their due diligence and I mean do their due diligence. Point 1 – we have just completed a build addition and renovation and the two other providers were nearly $400K above us (yes, $400K) and we didn’t cut corners and have made good coin and thats because we have good process, a great team and we pick the right sustainable jobs to build our business. Building does have a right price point but cheap is not always the way to go. Cheap comes with a low quality finish. You need to tick off all the boxes for supply, communication, follow through, personalities and robust business ethics. Contract contract contract limiting the likes of variations or where there are to be variations a set margin added. Point 2 – People think they can manage a build. Some might but some are just plain kidding themselves, want to supply items but don’t realise the ramifications on delays, wrong product and then expect builders to sit and wait whilst not charging for time. This is unethical and not good business practice and any builder who is prepared to do this will not be in business in future and as such you have no warranty comeback. Point 3 – selecting an lbp does not get you the right supply partner. An lbp can be anyone that is a builder but hasn’t done roofing, hasn’t installed windows, hasn’t laid flooring, hasn’t done foundations, has never built a complete residential dwelling from ground up. And people are selecting a builder just because they are an lbp not knowing this. Did you know that most group home builders use contract builders in their businesses and those same contract builders hold the lbp licence for future issues, not the group home builder. Most of these group home builders pay low rates to their contractors and that is why we have so many shonky workmanship comments on this site. Point 4 – there are companies out there marketing renovation franchises specifically detailing they don’t want builders in the business. This is a major issue for NZ going forward and the overheads for any franchise company are huge with franchise fees you pay for a build starting around the 5% mark upwards and all that goes into head office coffers. All I can say is that our industry is amok with disreputable and greedy companies who are not there for a win/win but just to take your hard earned cash and ce la vie so this brings me to my final comment. Do your due diligence, ask them what builds they are currently doing (minimum of 5) ask for referrals you can physically visit and demand to go to the ones of your choosing. Do not take their offered selections. Go to some of their suppliers and ask them what the business is like to deal with and if they are current in trading terms. This will give you a good indication of who you are signing up with and give you some perspective on what they are like. Sales people from most build companies don’t know anything but basics in building and will promise you the earth to get you to sign up and make that deposit. Then you are a captured customer and on the path of no return when the build cost climbs and the variations kick in. Diligence is paramount people PARAMOUNT !!!
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Source detailsComment #115209Source link

Donna

It has taken me a long time to get up and write this as I try to move forward with building my home, managing the project with my Husband and watch as he works all hours to figure out how to fix all the problems that Gavin, one of the worst builders created. We probably have one of the worst building experiences on this website. We Hired Gavin and Peter Stewart but can’t presently give you full names or company names yet for legal reasons. They are both still in business though. I have learnt to cope with living in a very unfinished house for 5 years now as we save money, fix issues, learn new skills and build our own business to pay for it all. I simply just cope from day to day, month to month and winter is hard. Please anyone who is going to take on the challenge of renovating or building their new home don’t hire Gavin from Albany or Peter Stewart. I want to take them to court and I have consulted Lawyers but getting my house built has been the priority, and even writing this is hard because it forces me to remember everything and think about what has happened because I hired those two builders. We spent $330k with Gavin and Peter before firing them, leaving us financially hit hard. Our house was 90% new build. I can list all the things that were built badly and that list is long so you would need some time to read it all. Two of the major issues is that my entire house cladding was done really badly, the cladding was at all angles, the sizes of the weatherboards were all different and some of the cladding wasn’t even nailed onto the wood underneath so it was held up by the building paper, which was also done badly. The other huge problem was that all the walls, floors and ceilings were not plumb, not level, some on a stupid angle. My entrance way was a parallelogram when it was supposed to be a rectangle. The floor was so bad that most doors would have not opened/closed properly inside unless fixed, and figuring out how to fix all of this has cost my family about $200k. Most of the prenailed frames were way out of plumb, out of square, in fact I don’t think the builder ever used a level? The steel beams had to be re-done because they were so badly installed, the engineer failed them at first inspection. We had to recladd the whole house, ripping out the brand new cladding as it was installed so badly. Face sizing all wrong, out of level, boxed corners not meeting around corners. Even our foundations have needed extra repairs as the poles were done badly. Even when Gavin was on site he was fixing his own mess, but badly and at our expence. Our replacement building firm had a huge task fixing this, costing us another $200k, then they went into receivership so we are trying to manage this ourselves. No building firm is willing to fix this mess, most won’t even return a call.
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Source detailsComment #115182Source link
Reply in discussion thread #115076View thread

Spongebob

We signed up in 2016 and have never been given a finish date. Just constant lies & verbal abuse. Our house is still not finished.
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Source detailsComment #115131Reply to #115127Thread #115076Source link
Reply in discussion thread #114874View thread

D

Hi Regan, I know the franchises are owned by different people BUT there appears to be a culture of grabbing money and not giving a damn at Platinum Homes that I would be very wary of. I entered into a contract with Platinum Homes it the Central North Island to build a home 31 months ago and it is still thwart with problems from shoddy building practices. It took 18 months to actually get possession of the home. I was initially told that he would have the home up in 6 months. My wife had metastatic breast cancer and the house was to be her sanctuary for the cancer battle. Our battle was less with cancer and more with the builder who allegedly took on 25 builds in the year ( fine if he had the trades to do so but he didn’t so he would just do a little work here; a little work there and not care about the deadlines and experiences of his clients). He allegedly was late for many of his clients. My wife became despondent …..with the build, with our hope, with cancer and then with life. She killed herself in May of last year; the house was ” finished” in July. Too late for her and nightmare for me. The builder was well aware of her illness when he took the build on. He promised me that he would pull out all stops to get it finished ASAP. He would even “put on his own tool belt”. They are the most despicable, disrespectful people. I wrote to their head office and received NOTHING back. Not a thing. If you have another builder option where you live I would recommend you take your business there. In my experience, this group of builders have no respect for their clients. I am going to provide media with the story as I think people need to know what they may be getting into with these builders. People need to know what to look for in their contracts; the warning signs of builder deceit. More importantly, we need to help fellow kiwi’s weed out the cowboys from this problematic trade. Good luck
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Source detailsComment #114993Reply to #114874Thread #114874Source link
Reply in discussion thread #114818View thread

Alice

Disputes Tribunal will be increased to $30k soon. Probably the best way forward for all of us left with building defects.
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Source detailsComment #114895Reply to #114893Thread #114818Source link
Reply in discussion thread #114680View thread

Gerard

Hi Hutton Contracting done a fabulous job on my two dwellings out at beach rd browns bay. they are high quality builders that have built nice houses in the past. you can find him online huttoncontracting.co.nz.
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Source detailsComment #114886Reply to #114680Thread #114680Source link

Alice

We are the victims of a cowboy builder in Wellington. $50K of defects and associated costs so far. Our situation aside, was disgusted that he was already the subject of a LBP Board investigation for negligence while he was busy constructing our extension not to plans, consent or building code. Further inquiry reveals that to be an LBP you only need a carpentry qualification, two referees and a telephone interview. No character referees, drug tests, or even a police check. Investigations take months and months, with no restrictions or supervision of the builder (unlike other professions where they are either stood down or work under supervision). No wonder we still have leaky buildings. Of course if it goes wrong, the LBP can quickly shut down their company to avoid all claims. Good to see the government has announced a review of the construction industry: https://www.mbie.govt.nz/have-your-say/building-system-legislative-reform-programme-public-consultation?fbclid=IwAR0R3iEJk1jX86m5bJMjyxmnvvws1sGrV3M1uY2dhUOz3kwpqa4zfwrnC0U Hope other affected homeowners submit their experiences! If you are entering a construction contract, I suggest you add a clause for drug testing and police checks seeing as the licensing board doesn’t bother. Odd that a hammer hand or forklift operator may have to pass these basic requirements, but an LBP director can do what they like.
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Source detailsComment #114862Source link
Reply in discussion thread #114774View thread

Chris

Hi Brie, All good advice. In connection with builders putting in ‘standard’ provisions (or alternatively PC or Provisional Sums) which are unlikely to give you what you want in the finished build, please see my post yesterday on PC and Prov. Sums. But regarding my other comment, about how many people in NZ seem to get involved in building a house, when they have limited or no experience of building or building contracts, I have to ask, ‘Who on earth would employ a builder to design and build a house on their land, without first checking themselves to see whether there are any covenants, and making sure the builder is aware of them and has complied with them in the design, or priced to comply with them during construction?’.
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Source detailsComment #114833Reply to #114829Thread #114774Source link

Janine and martin green

We recently had a terrible experience with latitude homes hawkes bay. Please don’t use them! Debbie the owner is unprofessional and worse customer service ever. They don’t seem to understand the variation process. We thought we had been very thorough in our specs and drawings and every turn they added money or delivered anything but what we had specified with excuses at every turn. We went over time and budget and still didn’t get what we wanted. The final product was rubbish. We went to lawyers but latitude homes didn’t seem to care and didn’t comply. We have now found two other couples in our small neighbourhood who have the same problems recently. We’ve had issues with costs for site works and foundations. Windows and doors arriving too large so the builder hacked away at the framing to get them to fit then made the holes too large and used extensive amounts of expanding foam to just fill gaps. They installed sliding doors that weren’t the ones we asked for then made us pay for new ones. We still have a double bed sitting in our hallway as they made the hallway unusually narrow and used narrow doors. We now cant fit a standard bed in to a 4mt by 5mt room! to be honest we didn’t think to even check. Terrible paint finish we still have holes in our walls where the electrician has moved plug sockets even though we moved in in October last year. Trying to get anything remedied has been a nightmare. Weve sent lawyers letters but they just don’t listen. We are not sure what else to do. We have concrete patios that are uneven and rough and multiple colors. The list goes on. The head office seems to have no control over the other franchises so these sorts of companies are terrible to work with. One piece of advice would be don’t go with a group type builder. In this case it seems latitude homes is just a logo that any ‘builder’ can buy and head office have no control over quality or if things going wrong. The business owner is unprofessional and extremely defensive as the builder is her son. Her son was often rude to us and had terrible time management often showing up to site in the late afternoon and then rushing to get things done leaving a un satisfactory result. In our opinion he was too young and inexperienced and if we had met him prior we would of cut our losses. We’ve built before and know the process and the two companies couldn’t have been any more different. Debbie at latitude homes is terrible to deal with and seems to have no process for anything. On our final inspection she showed up with no paper work and kept denying being able to see any issues. She took a scrap paper out of her handbag to write things on. It’s ridiculous. They kept using different contractors as they burn bridges and contractors don’t want to work with them. Then when work isn’t to standard we just get left with the mess or an additional bill. If you want to speak to us please contact me or reply to this message. Small claims court looks like our only other option.
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Source detailsComment #114818Source link
Reply in discussion thread #114609View thread

Kelvin Pekin

Sam is new to Tauranga have had dealings with him and so far seems like a genuine quality tradesman!
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Source detailsComment #114633Reply to #114609Thread #114609Source link

David

Spoiler Alert: If you believe a Master Builder is actually giving you a “fixed price contract”, you are probably wrong. We have spent the last 2 months “dating” A1 Homes. We found a plan that could work, with a few revisions, and agreed specs down to the taps and window latches. We have built before, so know exactly what we want, and they provided a fixed price estimate (crucially, not a quote) to our specs. It seemed like a fair price so we were keen to continue. They then said we would need to spend $3,000 on drawings and colour consultants before they could give us an actual fixed price quote. That is a lot of money – we have previously had quotes done on concept drawings that cost us $1,500 and $1,955 respectively. Eventually we came round to the idea, but we asked to see the contract they intended to use before we forked over $3,000. That’s when it got hairy. A1 presented us with a “standard” Registered Master Builders Association contract. The problem is that Clause 46 of the contract (2018 edition) specifically allows the builder to charge us more if ANY aspect of the build turns out to be pricier than the fixed price quote. i.e. it directly contradicts the claim of a fixed price quote. Further, Clause 101 of the contract (which has grown by about 60 clauses since we last built, practically all of them skewed toward the builder), specifically allows for a situation where A1 is building for Mrs Smith down the road and if that gets delayed, they can delay your start and end date. And with Clause 46 locking in their ability to on-charge any costs that might arise because prices rose since they gave you a not-fixed fixed price quote, they’ve ensured whatever their project management skills, you will pick up the tab. Oh and by the way, they have your deposit of 5% while they retain the right to delay indefinitely while they finish Mrs Smith’s project. We queried these 2 clauses and a couple of others. A1’s response was simply that they don’t ever change clauses. They had no answer for my question of how they could claim they offered a fixed price contract when it wasn’t. They said they hadn’t charged more than the fixed price on the 2 years they had used the contract, which frankly didn’t give me enough peace of mind to hand them $500K on the back of a contract that still says they can crank up the price at any time. I spoke to a Director of Master Build Services who confirmed there was nothing stopping them deleting irrelevant clauses in the contract; A1 was simply choosing not to. In the end, we were not willing to risk our money on a “no surprises guarantee” that isn’t any guarantee at all and could potentially hold a very nasty surprise. We suggest you give this a lot of thought and question whoever you build with if they have the same wide-open clauses in the contract.
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Source detailsComment #114567Source link
Reply in discussion thread #114139View thread

Peter Quinn

Hi Donna I didnt relise you were in Christchurch Dont get fooled by our website, we do all levels of pricing and against the housing companies we are much more competitive as we dont have any overheads and why we are doing so well. I would love the opoortunity to work with you on your project. We offer a fixed price contract where others dont so once you sign the master build contracts, there are no suprises through construction which you will get with others. Our quality and finish is outstanding and you will see from our feedback. We also take control of our quality as we will only use one team of subtrades so there are no variations in our quality Cheers Peter
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Source detailsComment #114142Reply to #114141Thread #114139Source link
Reply in discussion thread #113927View thread

Mark Graham

Wellington Builder is on Twitter and he offers very good insights and observations. I can’t specifically vouch for his work, but he seems smart and committed to quality. cheers
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Source detailsComment #113941Reply to #113932Thread #113927Source link
Reply in discussion thread #113619View thread

Shaun

Don’t go near GJ in Queenstown, from my experience you will be promised everything by the sales guys and they deliver on nothing come time to get it in writing(and I haven’t even started building yet!). They offer an attractive price but it’s because they scrimp on quality. Generally poor to no communication once the sales rep got his commission.
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Source detailsComment #113864Reply to #113619Thread #113619Source link

tingtong

I’m just wondering if anyone has had any experiences with a company called Quality NZ Homes based in Wellington. thanks
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Source detailsComment #113742Source link
Reply in discussion thread #113572View thread

Sam Mukhtar

We had a bad experience with Signature Homes 20 years ago when they built a house for us in Whitford. Ended up in mediation and some money was awarded to us. However we still live with the defects the shoddy work to date.
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Source detailsComment #113605Reply to #113578Thread #113572Source link
Reply in discussion thread #113572View thread

Pollu

Try Quinn Homes. Though we did not build them, I met Peter Quinn and he seems a man of integrity and is very particular about finishings.
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Source detailsComment #113579Reply to #113572Thread #113572Source link
Reply in discussion thread #70561View thread

HobPointOwner

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.
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Source detailsComment #70645Reply to #70604Thread #70561Source link
Reply in discussion thread #70561View thread

Cyrus

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.
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Source detailsComment #70572Reply to #70567Thread #70561Source link
Reply in discussion thread #70232View thread

Rachel

Hi Amanda, have you tried Cranston Homes? I learned about them from this site and visited their show homes. They even gave us a house tour and show us some amazing houses they designed and built in Orewa, Red Beach, Northshore and Auckland areas. Man, we are so glad we checked out this site for advice. Our house is not finished yet but we are very happy so far!!
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Source detailsComment #70412Reply to #70245Thread #70232Source link
Reply in discussion thread #70377View thread

SallyN

Hi Marie, I did build on a lifestyle block with Golden Homes Rodney in about 2001, but I suspect it was a different owner/building company then. If it was in Chch I’d say don’t touch them with a bargepole but Rodney might be different (it was more about the people than the actual build you see). Some observations about Golden Homes though that you may want to take note of. When building on a lifestyle block you will find their PC sums in relation to electricity connections woefully inadequate. I have found all building companies only seem to include pC sums that would be for connections on a suburban section. We built in Kumeu and ended up paying about $3000 extra for the extra trenching and cable laying it required from the electrical point. The other thing with Golden Homes is that their “building guarantee” is not an independent one like Master Builders. It is provided by a company owned by the people who own the head franchise and doesn’t cover for a lot of the things a Master Builders would cover (e.g. bad workmanship/materials and loss of some moneys) it only really covers structure. On the good side I would thoroughly recommend the building with the Zog steel. The small house I had built with them has had none of the usual popping of nails, cracking of paint etc etc that you get with wooden frame. Just make sure you keep an eye on any build as it takes place as mistakes are pretty much always made and its good to nip it in the bud early. Hope some of these comments help – but hopefully someone else has built more recently with Rodney GH and can give more of an insight. 🙂
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Source detailsComment #70383Reply to #70377Thread #70377Source link
Reply in discussion thread #70330View thread

steve

Hi Sarah, Watch everything. Generations only consideration is to complete the build in 14 weeks, regardless of what they hand you over at the end, then come back and finish the house properly under the guise of maintenance. Your with Hamilton, we were with Waipa so hopefully your build goes well, but we moved into our “dream” home and then spent the next 12 months having nearly every tradie back to fix up poor work which Generation missed (because they never looked) and we had to point out to them, and I mean two to three tradies a day at times. The maintenance in our case basically consisted of us finding a fault, reporting it to Generation whose only involvement from there was to pass on our contact details to the tradie involved. I see recently they have removed the review capability from their facebook page too , I wonder why. Anyway proceed with great caution, and like I said hopefully they have picked up their game or the Hamilton lot are better than Waipa.
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Source detailsComment #70337Reply to #70330Thread #70330Source link
Reply in discussion thread #69072View thread

Mike Powell

That seems odd. Just finished a build with GJ. We had a very good sales person, knew her stuff, some useful suggestions and a great sounding board. The contract signing saw the sales person back out and the slab PM take over. At this point estimations of total build plan are provided, but it is a completion date , not a sharing of the plan. A mistake push them for this. Secondly make sure you gave independent advice around drainage and rain water collection design. We had a near miss here. Once the slab is down, there will be a change in PM to the build completion. Insist on weekly meetings , insist on the ability to inspect before accepting stage payment claims. If it doesn’t look right, sound right don’t be frightened to ask questions. We are pleased with the finished result. They are an honest supplier but you owe it to yourself to manage progress closely.
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Source detailsComment #70292Reply to #70287Thread #69072Source link
Reply in discussion thread #70142View thread

Skilled Builder

Same as us. Do not engage with Stonewood Tauranga. Similar story poor poor poor quality from a sub that ended up walking after stuffing up framing to the degree its now not fixable. Stonewoods QA is non existent and although coming to an agreement with their GM the branch owner has reneged on that deal which leaves us in the position of them thinking they will get all of their final payment and walk away scot free. Unfortunately, they have struck the wrong people to battle.
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Source detailsComment #70262Reply to #70259Thread #70142Source link
Reply in discussion thread #70142View thread

jacksonp

Don’t go near Stonewood Homes in Christchurch. I went there and have rued that decision for the last 3 years. The quality of workmanship is appalling, the customer service non existent, the build time took twice as long as my previous build leaving me out of pocket many $$$$’s. Fixing the problems with the build will take years and if not fixed during Stonewood’s warranty period will have to get done under the Master Build Guarantee . I see they are restructuring and have brought in some heavy hitters but that will not change anything. They got greedy, took on too much work, employed below par sub contractors and instead of protecting a reputation with good customer service and a quality product ended up alienating a lot of people and lost a lot of potential clients.
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Source detailsComment #70259Reply to #70142Thread #70142Source link
Reply in discussion thread #70224View thread

Lauren

Your build sounds like how our build went with GJs Rodney – The sales man was excellent and very approachable. Then the build started off really fast (with some weather delays which were out of our control but what you’d expect building in Winter). They managed to complete almost everything and get us in before Christmas with the promise that they’d fix the remainder and sort out CCC after everyone was back at work – we believed them, paid all the outstanding money and now are still waiting for them to come back and complete work that was in the contract… They’ve been replying to our emails and stuff so I hope they’ll be back soon to complete everything but it’s a very frustrating position to be in… BUT we love our house, the finish is excellent and more than we hoped for. The design we picked suited us perfectly after a few modifications and everyone there is more than willing to help you. We would definitely build with GJs again but we would make sure the house is just the way we want it with everything completed before paying the last of the money and moving in
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Source detailsComment #70231Reply to #70225Thread #70224Source link
Reply in discussion thread #70142View thread

James

Hello JJ – One option to reduce the cash outlay is to do some of the work yourself. Especially valid if you are not pressed for time. There are specialist jobs that require meeting standards, but a lot of finishing work can be done yourself with some simple tools. there are a few websites to get these off too – intex.co.nz, buildonline.nz to name some
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Source detailsComment #70186Reply to #70162Thread #70142Source link
Reply in discussion thread #70142View thread

Dilemma

Hi, just a point about Stonewoods – maybe an interaction with them should been viewed through rose coloured glasses. Asking them wether they have enough money to pay their subbies to finish the job would be a good placd to start! Then the house buyer wouldnt be disappointed & the subbies would be able yo pay their staff.
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Source detailsComment #70157Reply to #70154Thread #70142Source link
Reply in discussion thread #70109View thread

steve

Built with them in Cambridge so not a direct comparison, but I would recommend daily site visits if you can and keep an eye on everything they do, they are a time driven rather than quality driven company and will do what ever it takes to achieve their 14 week build time often at the expense of doing a proper job. We have taken a year of call backs and reworks to get our Generation home even close to where it should have been when we moved in. Like I said not Chch so hope they are better than the Cambridge lot and your hope your build goes well.
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Source detailsComment #70119Reply to #70109Thread #70109Source link
Reply in discussion thread #70084View thread

Thierry

Hi Faith, we have just taken possession of our house from Platinum in Cambridge. The level of finish was beyond our expectations and they did a marvelous job. More important was the quality of communication btween us that allowed a quality build. let me know if you want more details or a phone call. regarea Thierry
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Source detailsComment #70099Reply to #70084Thread #70084Source link

Stu

Having built a couple of homes in Nelson and knowing a number of people who have also built I wanted to share my knowledge. We chose Milestone Homes as we liked their approach with the showhome being standard and we knew exactly what we were getting. This isn’t common and friends have been caught out by misleading reps / companies. We dealt with Adam who we had a great connection with and was very helpful. They were upfront with time frames and had the house finished within 17 weeks from wo to go. Orange were quick to put everyone down but have a reputation for poor quality and going over budget. Friends built with Signature and had a lot of extra’s through the process and as I’ve read on here there are a lot of unhappy GJ Gardner customers. Jennian have a strong reputation for quality & service and haven’t heard any negative comments. Hope this helps potential builders.
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Source detailsComment #69967Source link

Mandy

Bloggers, why waste our time making comments on this type of blog!! GUYS WHO ARE WE? Mere homemakers, some first home builders and ignorant at building!! What good does it do to make less than favourable comments on a blog site like this – don’t bother!!! We need the government to sort these dishonest group building companies out. Yes whatever it is that your company does, no matter how you do it, you make a promise to each and every customer that darkens your virtual door. You enter into a contract, even if the terms aren’t explicitly stated. The consumer pays you something, and you promise to provide a product or a service. There are pledges of quality and quickness. Customer service involves living up to your word on these matters, but it really gets to shine when something goes wrong – correct? Here’s the thing. Mistakes are opportunities — golden ones. Here’s why. Studies show that a satisfied customer will tell 2-3 people about his experience with your company. A dissatisfied consumer will share their lament with 8-10 people and some will push that number to twenty and those twenty people will tell 100 people and so on. Is this bog site going to that many unassuming new home building families? But here’s the opportunity. An unhappy customer will become a loyal consumer if you fix his complaint and do it quickly. Eighty percent (80%) of these folks will come back to you if you’ve treated them fairly. That percentage rises to the upper 90s if you respond immediately. Every day you have the chance to transform your mistakes into returning customers — the kind who will tell other people good things about you. Imagine that. It is not so much the trades & suppliers who work for these group housing companies, (who, by the way are screwed down for the cheapest rate and then have to wait a month in Sundays to get paid), it is the actual group housing franchisees, who are making a killing in more ways than one, abusing us along the way. What is happening to the 1128 comments on this site, are the housing companies even bought to task about some of the horrendous dishonest behaviour and shoddy customer service when something goes wrong? We say get together and petition the government. We have taken this to our MP and lawyer, maybe you should do the same, and then maybe we can get some traction on this site. Otherwise post this site to your FB page and make an even bigger fuss.
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Source detailsComment #69943Source link

Jane

Hi there, is it possible for new home owners to move into a completed house prior to Code of Compliance being issued? Our new home will sit finished & empty for approx. 1 month prior to Code of Compliance so we’d love to move in ahead of schedule. Is this the norm? Guess I’m just wondering whether we’ll be covered by our insurance company etc and whether we’d hinder the Code of Compliance process?
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Source detailsComment #69919Source link
Reply in discussion thread #69764View thread

Quantity Surveyor

Here is some further clarification regarding m2 pricing. As Mark said, $2,000 is a rough guide only. The industry standard figures fluctuate quite a bit for each major city but the QV Costbuilder and Robinson rates (industry standard rates based on statistics and inc GST) are as follows: “House 100-250m2 with Concrete Slab, kitchen, bathroom, WC, ensuite, Coloursteel Roof, Medium quality fittings, Linea Weatherboard; Auckland $2,041-2,271; Wellington & Waikato $1,926-2,156; Christchurch $2,099-2,329; Dunedin $1,869-2,099; Palmerston North $1,984-2,214. Quantifying and Estimating. Generally speaking, the smaller the house the higher the m2 rate as economy of scale comes into play. There are certain fixed costs in every build you cannot avoid and these get “diluted” or spread out in larger builds. If you half those figures you get a rough idea for a kitset which still includes kitchen, plumbing fittings and supply & install of roof, spouting and floor coverings. Should also point out that margin calculations are <10% and our turn around is about 40 houses per year.
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Source detailsComment #69884Reply to #69767Thread #69764Source link
Reply in discussion thread #69764View thread

annette

Wow ..love those comments. You are right about being a bully first.. We have just moved into a Keith Hay Home. The builder they contracted was awesome but he was pretty much beholden to their building schedule .We just had to keep at them and at them.. they delayed and delayed and delayed and delayed … took us 16 months from start to finish to get into our house which was a 115 sqm basic house . The price per sqm was well over the 2000 and that was before we paid for the balustrade and septics. The interior is pretty cheap to be fair but that is keith hay. Good on you for your comments.. keeping at them and being a pain in the arse is the best way to go.#
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Source detailsComment #69874Reply to #69872Thread #69764Source link

Skilled builder

So…building with Stonewood Tauranga. I am a builder and project manager with no time to build my own home. Do i regret that decision now! 6 months before getting on site. A shift 3 times of end dates and still missing time frames. Very very poor quality build. Frames that werent aligned correctly and pinned down. Im talking anywhere from 9mm to 45mm due to not string lining bottom plates. I still have walls out 20mm and a bulkhead out 40mm. Holes in the roofing underlay. Frames not nailed off. Cladding not on but batts installed. Missing blocking for valley boards. They missed pre piping the gas! Ive had half the gutter on for a month with no sign of the rest. Changing plans without notice or confirmation or acceptance. No communication (until invoicing time then we get calls once a day). Poor poor poor company to deal with. A very unhappy process for my poor wife to have her dream home treated in such a way. We are still in the process and it will almost be 12 months by the time they finish. Ive taken some trades off them and managed them myself with no problems so they havent even had to manage the entire build and still cannot get it right. Kevin Norris….you run a very bad company trading in shoddy workmanship and i have had enough.Time to speak out and warn others off your company.
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Source detailsComment #69866Source link
Reply in discussion thread #69764View thread

Skilled builder

$2k a square is a hell of a price for a house. I would expect level 5 stopped walls, grade 3-4 carpets and top quality hardware and tall stud. To answer your query about the $2k into the garage…yes it purtains. The reason is the square metre is a fairly accurate way to work out the average cost against the build. $1400-1600 per square will get you a very nice house these days. $2k should be top of the line but its not just the house. $2k should get you the best experience with your builder money can buy. And i say should loosely.
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Reply in discussion thread #69432View thread

Art

Don’t go with them I have heard terrible things about there lack of quality and unfinished work
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