Arden Homes

This is our second build and the contrast with Arden and the first company we built our first home with is unmatched; a far better experience - from the very beginning the team at Arden Homes, from every representative we’ve come across has been absolutely amazing! From P from Botanical display homes being such a breeze to work with and so… Read more ·  1

genuinely caring with all our requests and my unlimited questions; he explained everything so clearly and was so patient and understanding with my concerns and answering every single one of my questions thoroughly through email or sometimes even calling if I needed further explanation. Then to the girls at Tender, Colours and electrical being so genuinely helpful. We truly feel that Arden Homes genuinely care for their customers and we aren’t just another number to them. I even had a couple of late requests and the girls were so amazing at chasing up what I wanted and getting it done; I’m so grateful and glad we went with Arden Homes with this build. We are currently waiting on our building permits and am hopeful that our construction will be just as good as Arden haven’t come up short for us in all stages thus far - will definitely update here after our build.

I'm grateful to AL (my Arden Geelong site supervisor) and KT (my Arden Geelong site administrator) for their hard work on my stunning, double-storey, 5 bedroom home. Whilst my build wasn't perfect, they perfectly handled and resolved issues that arose, ensuring the successful completion of my home without any major defects. I understand that Arden… Read more ·  1

brought them in 2 years ago to tidy up and lead the Geelong team.

I'm grateful to Andrew and Kirsten for their care and attention towards my home. Darbecca privately inspected my build at all stages and did not find major structural defects. When issues arose, Andrew and Kirsten promptly addressed and managed these problems. For example, the drafting team misaligned the upper and lower front facade windows on my double-storey build. Andrew and Kirsten arranged to adjust my lower front window, so that my facade windows look fine.

Another example alludes to the upgraded, open-tread stairs in the centre of my home. From the start, I wanted a silver or light grey stair stain, but Arden only offered clear, yellow, red, or black stains. I reluctantly settled for the clear stain but Andrew and Kirsten were aware it wasn't my preference. They went out of their way to source a silver stain, and my stairs look amazing, exactly as I had imagined.

Again, I'm grateful to Andrew and Kirsten for their hard work on my new home. They were pleasant to work with, kept me updated on progress, and promptly resolved issues. Additionally, Andrew kindly picked me up from the train station and met my additional site requests, such as the placement of my kitchen wall tiles. On top of that, Kirsten worked tirelessly to deliver on my silver-stained stairs and balcony balustrades; and whenever I had a query, promptly reached out to the relevant team or supplier. I have highly recommended Andrew and Kirsten to family, friends, and potential clients. If you're building in the Greater Geelong area, make sure to request them and you'll be in safe hands.

Amazing. Assuring. Informative – UPDATE ___Post-Construction________________________________ Journey complete (settling 4 months ahead of schedule), new home aquired. We had an amazing experience throughout our build. AB was our site supervisor he was honest, reliable and straighforward which we really appreciated. He was super accomodating with our preferences and answered all… Read more ·  1

our questions without us feeling like a bother, he even helped us find a reliable fencer.

KT was our construction administrator and handled things in a very timely and professional manner, also assisting in clarifying things that weren't within her role which we greatly appreciated.

AB and KT went above and beyond for us, both in their roles and outside. The icing on the cake? they work so well together and coordinate things so efficiently that even with Christmas, Easter and other breaks in-between we titled 4 MONTHS ahead of schedule. AMAZING ... Thanks so much team.

___Pre-Construction_________________________________________________________________________________________

So far our journey with the Arden team has been absolutely amazing. Our admin contact MR & her manager JG went above and beyond to ensure we were well informed throughout the entire process. They both reassured us on unfamiliar things, explained things more than twice without making us feel like a burden and we’re so prompt with their responses, at times either we’re off we where provided ample notice and our point of contact while they were on leave, which we greatly appreciated.

Being first home buyers the journey is often confusing and with many hands involved in the process, take one less stress away for yourself and pick Arden, you will not regret it.

Thanks MR & JG we’ve thouroughly enjoyed working with you both & look forward to maintaining that relationship with our construction admin team.

House of my dreams! – Today we got the keys to our new home and I can’t express how over the moon we are. Arden Homes have built us our dream house. We were so blessed to have had an amazing SS (JR) what an amazing guy and a pleasure to deal with. He was a gentleman and very knowledgable and strived for excellence which we believe he achieved. Thank you to LG and all the team at Arden for a job well done. Show details ·  1

So far, so GOOD :) – Our journey with Arden homes thus far has been wonderful. We have moved from inner city Melbourne out to Mount Duneed, Geelong to build our forever family home. Over a period of a few months, we looked at a lot of different display homes with various builders and fell in love with Ardens Pavilion display in Mount Duneed. The floor plan was quite… Read more ·  1

different to a lot of the other display homes we had seen, with 2 internal courtyards separating the front of the home with the rear, it allows so much natural light into the living area its gorgeous :) Pete & Ebony were so helpful with the pre sales/design process, we had multiple appointments and their assistance with fine tuning the design and budget was invaluable. From there we had a colours appointment and a tender appointment. These were both fantastic professional experiences with wonderful staff, Laura & Medina. We really felt like they were working with us to get the home of our dreams. Our Pre site administrator Sam was also a pleasure to deal with, always accommodating and helpful. Now we are moving on to the next stage, construction. If this first part of the process is any indication of the next, then we will be moving into our dream home next year and singing the praises of Arden once again.

We had Arden Homes "Arden Care" come and inspect our build, 3 months post handover, (which was only 2 weeks after we moved in). Prior to this inspection, we had provided them with a list of defects / issues, to which we received no response. One of the issues is the external render. When it is very cold and damp, every single joint and… Read more

screw-hole in the hebel becomes visible. This issue was not even brought up, until we questioned it. They even brought their Dulux contact, to justify what is happening. We are being told that everything is normal and that the render is correctly applied and and the reason(s) this is happening is because we chose a dark colour and we did not choose to pay thousands extra to have Dulux Acrashield applied over the Acratex render. So the question is, what is at fault here, the product or the poor application of the product ? Arden's Dulux rep, is also suggesting that we need to reapply the render, every 5 years, if we do not apply Acrashield, at a cost of approximately $20,000 each time. Needless, to say, Arden is doing nothing and has walked away from this issue.

Great sales team, shocking from there on. Build finished over 6 months late of the completion date. 7 months after moving in, i am currently going down the path of VCAT due to warranty issues not being resolved. We have a vibration in our roof, that sounds like a rattle gun as soon as it is windy. This has caused many sleepless nights with our… Read more

2 year old too scared to sleep because of the monster in the roof.

You would think this would be something they would get sorted fairly quickly. Instead I am listening to this noise, 7 months later while writing this review and filling out a VCAT application.

I would not recommend building through Arden.

We recently purchased a home in Truganina 3029 built by Arden Homes approximately two to three years ago and have been trying to have several warranty issues addressed. Unfortunately, our experience with the warranty department has been extremely disappointing. Over the past month, we have been corresponding with warranty department regarding a… Read more

number of issues, including a leak in a double-glazed window, water leakage in our walk-in robe during heavy rain, overflowing gutters, and poorly completed caulking on the front façade that appears to be causing water ingress. Having only recently moved into the property, discovering these issues has been very distressing. It feels like a nightmare when you invest your hard-earned money into what should be your dream home and are instead left worrying about defects and potential damage.

The water leakage issue is particularly concerning, as it has the potential to cause significant damage if not addressed promptly. We have provided photos and videos as requested and have cooperated with every request for information. Initially, we were advised by [Name Removed] that a plumber had been arranged and would contact us.

However, instead of progressing the matter, we have continued to receive requests for additional information. Most recently, we were advised that the plumber was reluctant to attend the property and that we would need to provide a map identifying the exact location of the issue. As a homeowner with no technical knowledge of building plans, I explained that I did not understand the maps and was unable to provide the information requested. Rather than offering assistance or arranging an inspection, I was told that because I was "refusing" to provide the information, no one would be sent to investigate the problem.

I find this response extremely disappointing. When a homeowner reports a water leak and provides video evidence, I would expect the builder to arrange an inspection to identify the cause of the issue, rather than place the burden on the homeowner to interpret technical building plans. The purpose of a warranty service should be to investigate and resolve defects, not create unnecessary barriers that delay action.

I sincerely hope Arden Homes reviews how warranty claims are handled and improves the level of support provided to homeowners facing genuine defects and maintenance concerns. At present, the experience has left us feeling frustrated, unsupported, and concerned about the condition of our home.

As additional issues are identified and the matter progresses, I will continue to share updates, photographs, and videos to document our experience and the outcome of our warranty requests.

1st update : Rainhead installed is non compliant and not serving its purpose. Instead damaged the property. Reduced Number of Rainheads around the roof. Arden Homes didn't installed them according to the plans submitted. Therefore the reduced downpipes are not accommodating the flow of rainfall and water gushes out of gutters and in dwelling causing damage in structural integrity of the elements used in the construction.

This review is for the next step for our Knockdown and Rebuild (KDR) with Arden Homes. After our wonderful experience with their sales process, and then with Pre-Site Customer Service Administrator; and the stress of accomplishing all of the things I had to complete before handover of the block of land; we finally signed our contract. We were… Read more

then, handed over to Arden Homes Construction.

There is so much information that I feel I need to share with the world, in order to warn those who might be considering their KDR with Arden Homes.

WARNING TO ALL - RECONSIDER your Knockdown and Rebuild with Arden Homes, as what they promise and what they actually build are worlds apart. Everything until signing of the contract was amazing.

Then… the Construction Team took over and the dilapidation and disfigurement began. It was as though there were two different companies - one that brings you to the signing of the contract; and one that builds the house.

The construction of our house is at 17 months as at 3rd of January 2026. Much of what has already been produced is absolute lowest quality workmanship. This is a real concern to me!

For instance, we paid thousands of dollars to underpin our foundations with 39 concrete piers. Within one month of the Hebel and Foam with render being installed, cracks commenced. When we requested that Arden Homes look at fixing these cracks, they mostly filled them up with silicone. They didn’t even bother to render some of the silicone.

The building wrap that is meant to protect the frame from moisture and air infiltration, was so damaged and left as it was for months on end. Then, when we requested that Arden Homes fix the building wrap prior to insulation being installed, they patched it up with some tape.

Who knows how much was left torn prior to installing the wall insulation?

We also paid additional dollars to have the entire house - Colorbond roof covered with Anticon.

The second floor Anticon was torn to shreds and hanging loose for months. This too was taped together, only after we sent numerous emails with photos attached, and then had to beg to have it repaired. On the ground floor, Arden Homes failed to install the Anticon and instead, installed foil wrap and argued with us that it was Anticon. When we proved to them that it was definitely not Anticon, they offered us the compromise of leaving the foil wrap and installing thicker insulation, which we had already requested and paid for in addition to the Anticon. Therefore, not a solution at all. Unfortunately, their solution is what was completed and this is absolutely a breach of the contract.

Next, let me inform you of all the door frames and window frames. They all had large gaps between the frame and the plaster. There were also large gaps between the installed plaster and the skirting boards throughout the house. There were also large gaps between the actual plaster walls, for instance around the staircase.

When we brought this to their attention, these gaps too, were filled with silicone. In my humble opinion… the entire house is held together with silicone. Very concerning! Because, how long will this silicone hold the house together?

Again, we have paid thousands of dollars for stone benchtops and almost every one of these were damaged with scratches. The scratches have been fixed, although the fix itself has left large stains behind. It has been polished twice now and the stains are getting larger each time. We have been informed that these stains will come-off with our cleaning. An unbelievable response yet again from Arden Homes Construction Manager. All I can do is to keep asking for Arden Homes to fix the damaged Caesarstone bench-top problem.

Next, let me speak of the the walk-in wardrobe handles.

We had requested that each of the walk-in wardrobes have a set of drawers installed. We had chosen handles to match the rest of the house from Arden Homes Hafele collection.

However, Arden Homes installed generic handles without reading the entirety of the contract (colour selection document) and said that they do not offer Hafele handles for wardrobe drawers. And yet, they were listed within the colour selection document of the contract.

When we pointed out what was in the colour selection document of the contract, the Site Supervisor and the Construction Manager requested, that we purchase handles from Bunnings to match the exact size of the current incorrectly installed handles, and then they ‘out of the kindness of their hearts’ will install them free of charge for us. Again, this is a breach of contract.

We did find a likeness of the Hafele handles and insisted that they purchase these, and install them and I had to point out to them that, it is ‘I who am making another concession’, because of the mistakes that they are making when interpreting the contract.

Then there was the debacle of the interior colour of the appliance garage that we paid thousands of dollars to have installed.

Arden Homes again failed to read the colour selection document, and installed the interior of the appliance garage in white and the exterior in black wenge. When I insisted that the colour selection document within the contract states that interior is to be black wenge as well, they kept informing me that I was wrong and I am being confrontational.

After five months of Arden Homes pushing back on complying to the contract’s colour selection document, they have finally, installed three shelves in black wenge and left the sides, back and top, in blossom white. This is not what I had requested and I’m extremely dissatisfied with this outcome. In order to force me to accept what they have produced, the Construction Manager informed me that Arden Homes ‘do not install anything other than blossom white within the interior of cabinetry’. Again, I’ve had to make a very large compromise with my interior design and in my opinion, this too is a breach of contract.

Yet another compromise that I’ve had to make involves, the bathroom and en-suite - vanity drawers. Although the drawers were clearly listed as being upgrades within the colour selection document (which again, they have failed to read); cabinets were installed instead.

When this mistake was brought to their attention, the Construction Manager insisted that we had not paid for these drawers. When I pointed out that it is clearly listed within the colour selection document and if the monetary value is missing from the contract (which both parties have signed), then the onus is on Arden Homes for not including this pricing.

Next, he attempted to convince me of the folly of having drawers under basins as this removes much of the storage space. When he couldn’t convince me of the benefit of staying with the mistakenly installed cabinets, he then insisted that Arden Homes ‘do not install drawers under sinks’ and as such, he will ‘at no cost to us’ and as ‘a favour to us’, install drawers in-between the two cabinets in the en-suite, and replace one cabinet with two drawers in the bathroom.

Unfortunately, no matter how much I pleaded with him to install what is in the contract, he insisted that this is all he can do, and if we decided not to go ahead with this offer, then the next step is mediation, which he knew we cannot afford to wait for, as we really need to move from our current rental property. Although we have had to sign-off on a variation; I’m extremely unhappy with this situation as I believe that this is maximum bullying by the Contract Manager and it has to be addressed by Arden Homes - senior management… as it is again, a breach of contract. Again I say… I want the DRAWERS that were signed-off by both parties originally, listed within the Contract.

Next, let me speak of the colour of paint on the ceiling.

I had requested the entire interior of the house be colour drenched - using Dulux - Beige Intent.

Everything except the ceiling colour is what I had requested and intended. However, the ceiling paint, a builder’s grade ceiling paint filled with chalk is a completely different colour to the rest of the interior of the house. When I requested that this be repainted to match the walls and trim, they insisted on brining their Dulux contact to inform us that the ceilings were painted correctly. We then consulted with a paint speciality, who informed us that we should not attempt to repaint the ceilings with anything other than their builder’s grade ceiling paint, as this will show so many defects on the ceiling construction, that it will look so much worse than what it currently is.

In my opinion, this is something the construction team should have informed us before painting, as we could have chosen to paint the ceiling another colour. What a disappointment yet again!

Speaking of the painting the house. The painters have not cleaned any of the surfaces prior to painting as you can actually see and feel the dirt and dust on almost every surface. The front door actually has large chunks of dirt attached underneath the paint.

Although the flooring is good, the quads attached to the flooring is a mismatch of colour, as though much of it has been brought into our build as off-cuts from other builds.

Another issue is their complete lack of cleanliness throughout the construction process. We have also been informed that Arden Homes do not conduct cleaning prior to handover and as such, we will need to do a proper clean before moving in to the house. Their builders clean involves a quick sweep of the floors and that is about it!

In addition, a major issue for us has been the complete lack of communication from Arden Homes Construction Supervisor. There has been and still are no updates. There is not a single communication about fixes being done to rectify their mistakes. I was informed that he has been instructed not to communicate via email, or text messages - essentially, no written communications allowed. Only verbal communications, which do not happen - essentially, we’ve been ghosted by our Builder for months now - unless they want us to walk though to see the building before sending us an invoice. Then they will engage. We have not been able to visit the house unless they intend it, for their benefit!

There were so many mistakes made during construction that had to be repaired or replaced; and then apply fixes to the fixed items - that in fact, I’ve lost count how many. The house that has been built by Arden Homes is so far removed from the actual house that I requested and designed before signing the Contract.

I’m unsure if I even wish to take ownership of this disaster!

It has been a really difficult engagement since Arden Homes’ Construction Team took over the project. Almost on a weekly basis, I’ve been sending emails and text messages to motivate this Team to build to a higher standard and build to the Quality level of standard Arden Homes advertise that they offer. The reality is incredibly different and I just do not recognise what is being offered as our new home. It is filthy, it is held together with so much silicone that I don’t think I can ever clean the silicone off of the surfaces.

Quite simply Arden Homes is the true representation of all that ‘should not be’ within the residential homes construction industry. I know this seems harsh. However, I cannot recommend this company to anyone unless they are really looking to build something that is really CHEAP AND NASTY. Having said that, we are spending over $600,000.00 with Arden Homes and the total cost with before and after Arden Homes build, will be in access of $900,000.00.

In conclusion, I am extremely displeased with: 1. The build quality; 2. Lack of communication throughout the build process; 3. Lack of the opportunity to escalate issues without encountering the Construction Manager and his subterfuge and bullying; 4. Lack of care when converting the contract to the physical build of the property; 5.Complete lack of care for the end product that Arden Homes is attempting to handover to us; 6. Breach of contract that is dismissed so very nonchalantly; 7. The disrespect shown to us - their Customer is appalling; and 8. The filthy and dirty house that is being presented to us as ‘ready to move in to’ is an absolute disgrace.

Note: We were sent the last invoice almost three-months ago without having completed the build to what is listed within the Contract. This too is a breach of Contract!

What is my purpose for writing this review?

I wish Arden Homes to deliver what they say they build. As previously requested time and time again, please exceed my expectation and deliver a quality build to what is listed within the original contract and build to a standard that I can be proud of, for the rest of my remaining years.

https://www.productreview.com.au/reviews/2280e824-2b7f-5848-b4f3-b09970b75fc7 Details: Handover: 30Oct2024 (coming up to nearly 1 year since handover with no resolution to items raised at handover & 3 monthly inspection. We are at our wits end in having to deal with the many items that require rectification at Arden Homes. Since the handover we… Read more

have had numerous issues that requires rectification and some of these are still pending to be fixed. Here is a list of the items we are still chasing as we are fed up with the lack of communication from Arden and their team. We have sent emails consistently to remind them of what needs to be done but it seems that this keeps falling on deaf ears. We are told that we need to email the warranty team and they never reply back via email to confirm that anything is being looked at or even to confirm that someone has read the email. Here are some of the issues we are chasing:

1. Arden uses a company called Kitchen Innovations to install their cabinetry. You can see from the picture in this review that the rubbish from this company is still in our house from the installation that took place back in Jun 2025. We have notified Arden on multiple occasions and have been told the company tried to call us but nobody answered. Arden then instructed us that we should answer any phone call that comes through and should not avoid numbers that come up as telemarketer or potential scam which is simply ludicrous. The company they use (kitchen innovations) also does not leave voice mails, does not text and does not send emails. When we explained to the Warranty team that it was not fair on us that we have to deal with this and live in this mess, we were told that its not fair on them that their trades aren't doing what they instructed them to. We were informed that someone would call on Friday 3 Oct 2025 which never took place. What is even better is that the new cabinetry that was installed was defective. I informed the trade who was installing this at the time and his response was to go through Arden to get it sorted. This tradie then had the nerve to complain that I was cleaning the cabinets as he finished of sections so I can inspect and confirm I was happy with the installation.

2. We have had issues with our flooring that was installed by Perfect Timber Floors. From the image attached you can see gaps that are forming. We were initially informed that our warranty on the floor has been made void as Arden Homes installed our barn doors on tracks that are screwed directly onto the floor boards. This tune then changed when Arden and their supplier decided to get together and blame us for fixing study furniture to the walls in our study. Arden claimed that since the tracks that the doors sit on are not screwed into the concrete, the floor can move as intended, however as our study furniture is fixed to the wall, the weight of said furniture is "to heavy" for a floating floor. Furthermore apparently (and you will not be informed of this as a customer) you cannot install anything onto a floating floor whether this is fixed directly onto the floor itself or fixed to the wall as this doesn't allow the floors to move as intended. You will be told that it is up to you as a consumer to know that this is how this type of flooring works and better yet, Arden will tell you that we should call the flooring company and ask them "what can I do/cannot do with my floor". You will not be provided any warranty document from the flooring company so you are simply at their mercy if they want to take the blame or if they can shift the blame to Arden.

These are just some of the items we are waiting to be fixed. This is company that will not take accountability for anything that occurs which is an ongoing problem as you would see from our previous product review (link at top of review). It will always be someone else's fault, it will always be that they are changing systems so emails are being lost. This is a company who simply does not care about anyone other than themselves. Prevent the headache and build with someone else!!!