Courage Homes

I Cannot Recommend This Builder! – I built with Courage Homes in 2009/10, and the experience was miserable. Over the whole time I was treated with an unbelievable arrogance - as if they were doing me a favour - instead of actually work for me. Since completion (which was delayed by 5 months), the whole team (general manager, site supervisor, office people etc.) was replaced, so… Read more

that today none of the existing staff members knows my home and its history, but the arrogant attitude is just the same. And the owner doesn't care either.

2.5 years after completion there are still plenty of defects unaddressed (like water coming in through windows and sliding doors, cracks in retaining walls and ceilings, paint peeling off, wrong power wiring, just to name a few). And where they have actually done some repair works, the result is worse than before.

They also seem to have changed most of their subcontractors and tradies since completion, and you can imagine how much interest the new ones have to come over here and fix their predecessors botcheries. One painter that did actually come to do some patching up, was shocked by the quality of the whole paint job - but needless to say that applying a bit of patch-up work didn't make it any better.

During the planning process they forgot to plan for service ducts (i.e. for pipe work, aircon ducts etc), which led to them using the build-in robes, cabinets and walk-in-robe, in all of which the usable space is greatly reduced. During the construction process, there were plenty of attempts to squeeze more money out of me, or suggestions to omit things we had in the specifications, but they hadn't planned for or couldn't deliver.

I could go on, but I assume the interested reader is getting the picture.

If you want a smooth, friendly, reliable and competent service, build with someone else. If you expect continuity and responsibility beyond hand-over don't use Courage.

I am very happy to share my experience in more detail. Do yourself a favour and send me a PM before you consider signing a contract with Courage Homes. The way they treated me BEFORE I signed the contract..... The way they treated me AFTER I signed the contract....

Excellent – If we were to build again we would certainly consider Courage Homes. They would be hard to beat. We have always had builder friends build and renovate houses for us in NSW and we think we were spoiled by the quality of workmanship. Courage Homes standards were up to our high expectations. The general manager has visited us twice to ensure we… Read more

were satisfied with the work. This was much appreciated. The building supervisor was most professional at all times with very prompt attention to any concerns, and a range of suggestions on how we could improve on certain design features.

Office staff were always helpful. Nothing was ever forgotten and they delivered on all matters.

Well done Courage!

All-in-all a most enjoyable experience and a beautiful house to live in. Service from the start was excellent. Courage sales representative was knowledgeable, courteous, prompt and professional. Time was taken to ascertain exactly what we wanted in a new house with sets of plans developed and refined until we achieved what we wanted within the constraints of the block, BCC requirements, and budget. The planning process was enjoyable.

The building phase went with hardly a hitch. Concerns along the way were dealt with promptly and always to our satisfaction. This does not mean we always got our way but when situations were explained we could accept the logic of decisions. This is tough one because there was so little we disliked. We should have spent more time and been more diligent during the pre-contract phase because one or two things we thought we had agreed on were not reflected in the contract. This was more our problem than Courage Homes however.

Excellent – It is a great operation that have obviously been doing this for years and run a very professional and quality business. We were very happy with the work carried out on our extension, they use quality products and ensure that all work is completed to the client's requirements and within the client's budget and timeframe. What more could you ask… Read more

for! We used Courage Homes to design and build our extension and they were second to none. They were always professional used the best quality products and always gave you great service. Nothing was too much trouble and the project was completed within the timeframe discussed at the beginning of the project. We are very happy with the workmanship of Courage Homes and would highly recommend them to anyone requiring design or building needs. I don't have any dislikes about the company.

Honest, Reliable and a competitive price – We had a design drawn up by an architect and had sought quotes from 3 different companies. All three quotes were based on exactly the same specification.The third quote was the highest and we ruled that out from the beginning because we believed it was too expansive. We Initially went with the lowest quote and when we met that builder we paid a… Read more

$5000 fee for a contract quote to be priced. They said the original quote was only an estimate and when they submitted the contract price it had jumped $150,000 to a similar figure that Courage Homes had quoted. We now longer trusted that other company and we went back to Courage Homes. They were brilliant, so we stayed with them.Another reason we were so pleased with Courage Homes was the way the supervisor handled the building project. He was really great. Like most clients, we had a few small things that we wanted to change and he was very quick to do those for us. If we ever had any queries he would deal with them promptly. Overall a very good experience and a great home. We have a lot of confidence in Courage Homes.Honest, reliable and a good price.

I look forward to building my next Courage Home – We would build with Courage Homes again in a heart beat. I had always loved Courage Display homes and when we had the chance to build a house they were our first choice without a doubt. We did look at others but they didn't compare especially when it came to the quality and finishing we were looking for. They were professional, helpful, ran… Read more

on time, to budget and to my individual specifications. Whilst we worked with 2 building supervisors the hand over between them was great and we didn't have to worry about anything. We even requested a couple of changes throughout the building process and Courage was more than able to cater to our needs. Items other builders had told us they would not even consider as a request if we had made it up-front.

We found the colour consultant great to work with, they sourced a specific product that I was after that I has seen in one of their displays and 'had to have' and were even patient with me when I couldn't make up my mind on a few items, even my partner was getting frustrated with me. Courage allowed me the time to compare products and be happy with the choices I had made.

The Courage Managing Director even did our final inspection and picked up things that we had not picked up and these were fixed within 2 weeks of us moving in. I must say that even up to a year after we moved in Courage were still helpful in answering little questions we had about things, products that were used in the building etc and provided advice that was very helpful.

Be prepared for Courage to build you a Home not just a house, something you can really feel comfortable and confident living in. Courage were reliable, went out of their way to help us stick to our budget, provided great service and advice and did so in a timely manner. Courage may not be the cheapest in the market but they provide a fabulous quality product and great service. Any cons we experienced with building were related to me stressing over final choices nothing to do with the service from Courage or the home we ended up with.

We would have no hesitation in recommending Courage Homes to anyone building a new home – With a one year old and another on one the way I was quite emotional about the whole building process. Fortunately I had support from the Courage Homes staff every step of the way. My husband was working long hours so most of the decisions were left up to me. Normally I would have been capable of anything but in my condition I felt a bit unsure. I need not have worried as I was given helpful advice at every turn.

Positive Experience – We were introduced to Courage Homes by friends who had been to their display home. We were welcomed into the display home and from there we have had an enjoyable experience from first contact with the salesman through to design stage and then to construction. We have heard some horror stories but we have had plain sailing. Everyone at Courage… Read more

has been pleasant and helpful and very patient with our many changes which caused a lot of correspondence and several variations which added more time to the contract but the end product was worth waiting for.

Since commencing with Courage Homes we have met other people who know them and everyone has been positive about their long standing reputation. Wendy Mathers.

a great experience – my husband and i would highly recommend courage homes. They were absolutely amazing from the very start, there dedication to designing and constructing our dream home at an extremely difficult time in our lives was more than we could have expected. We were extremely grateful for there understanding and communication to achieve our dream result! My… Read more

husband is a qualified plumber and there allowance to work hand in hand with him was exceptional and an absolute relief. We are very grateful for the time and effort they gave to us.

Breath of Fresh Air – I wouldnt hesitate in recommending Courage Homes to anyone wanting a stress free building experience. From start to finish they were so helpful and impressed me with their knowledge of the industry. They were very willing to here our suggestions which was fantastic as it made all our dreams of our family home become a reality. I wouldnt have… Read more

anyone else create and build our home because at the end you know you have a solid future asset to be enjoyed for years to come.Peace of mind is a very reassuring thing.

Thankyou Courage Homes reliable, friendly and professional

Courage were great with our special design – We wanted a specific design for our home. We had an unusual building site that would not suit a regular house so Courage worked with us to come up with a special design. No doubt we benefited from their design service especially because the house was more difficult due to the restrictions on our block of land. We have a beautiful home, in… Read more

fact it is very much a show piece and something we are proud to show off and is admired. We have a quality home and had no issues when building with Courage. Their service was great and their staff always helpful. I would have no issue recommending Courage knowing their quality and the 'livability' our the house.

We have enjoyed every second of living in our house. Thanks to all at Courage Homes. Their fantastic design service and the easy livability of our house On final inspection we noticed some door furniture did not match exactly however this was fixed within 2 weeks once we notified Courage.

Great Service – We are so pleased we built with Courage Homes. From the initial design stage through to completion we had absolutely no problems. Their design office went to great lengths to ensure that every thing we wanted was in the spec. There were quite a few changes we made, even after we started building, but this was no trouble to them and their… Read more

supervisor was great.

In all they finished in the specified time frame( allowing for variations we wanted) and we are very happy with the result.

In all a good outcome Reliable, and they did what they said !! pretty much nothing.

Extremely Professional – I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and those in your organisation for the extremely professional manner in which our house was organised and constructed. The manner in which the whole process was handled can only be summed up as one word - professional. I would definitely recommend these guys to anyone looking to build. Professional service and very reliable

Outstanding Customer Service – Customer service is very uncommon these days, but Courage Homes are an exception to this and I am pleased to say that our experience with this company has been one where we have experienced a very high level of service coupled with quality of workmanship. The home that your company has built for us was our first major construction experience… Read more

and we entered into the project with very little knowledge of the process and industry jargon. The entire team that worked with us during the design and construction process were fantastic and great to deal with.

As with building any new home there are always a few unforeseen issues, but these issues were always quickly sorted out and they were regularly in communication with us if anything needed our input. We were informed that the spa bath that we had chosen was not going to be available in time for installing so they offered us a better model for no extra cost.

When the house was completed we were able to see the quality of workmanship and attention to detail that had gone into building our new home especially with the cutting of the bathroom and kitchen tiles and also the paint work throughout the house. As a perfectionist, I like everything to be right and I must say that I was very pleased with the final result.

The overall experience has been great and the result is something that we are very proud of and I know that we will enjoy our home for many years to come. Great customer service

If you can contact me before signing a contract, do it – I'll happily share my Courage Homes experience with anybody as a community service. From day 1 of construction we were badly treated by this company. Yes we had heard all the horror stories and they were all here. Unexpected variations, poor communication. The house was left filthy at handover and there were plenty of things that should have been… Read more

replaced that were damaged but by then they had worn us down, we just wanted the whole experience over. Over 12 months later and we are still trying to have our floors refinished for a problem that was acknowledged at handover. We thought building with a small company would deliver a higher level of service, definitely not, the owner of the business wants absolutely nothing to do with you.

Poor communication, refuse to admit mistakes, no interest in their customers

Like the previous poster, I cannot believe Courage are still in business – While the initial contact and design phase were positive, from the moment the contract was signed, it went pear shaped. In total, we went through 5 supervisors, and each one struggled with trying to follow where things were up to. First sign of problems was the slab was wrong. We put it down to the fact that the concretor did not have the latest… Read more

plan. Then the plumber was in the same position, with drainage in the wrong place. Next was the frame. The installers took a day, to work out why the frame did not quite fit, and had to adjust it with an angle grinder to remove some 20 mm of the frames width where it sat along side a rise. Next, wrong window openings were identified, and the steel frame was adjusted with timber, and other window openings moved. Then a team of bricklayers arived. Never having worked for Courage before,(yet Courage claim all their trades are long termers)and were annoyed that the supervisor did not turn up, and every thing they needed for a start was not there. Gang leader annoyed, having to pat a half days wages to 8 blokes for nothing. Next the bagging had to be redone. When we hit the 12 month mark, in what was a 9 month contract, we were starting to get pixxed. The contract only has a $40 odd dollar a day penalty, so no real conasequence to Courage. I could go on. Eventually settlement, and first night it rains the roof leaks, and years later we now have to go to BSA to get it fixed. Worst experience I have ever had with a builder, and what makes it worse, they dont care. They just go on.

I recommend that you do NOT build with Courage – I too can't believe they are still in business and that people have had a good experience. Like the previous review, at the first sign of rain after we had moved in (one week), there was trouble and now nearly 5 weeks later, we are still waiting for the problem to be fixed. We have a beautiful new bathroom that we can't use, again because of… Read more

water issues and there is no urgency on their part to rectify the problem and whilst on the subject of water, we also have a leaking pool and again, no urgency to rectify the problem in fact, its nearly impossible to even get them to acknowledge there is a problem. We also charged them the penalty for finishing weeks late which they weren't happy about because they are only interested in the money and ensuring the invoices are sent out even before the work is completed. They promise to deliver a quality home but deliver a substandard service done as cheaply as possible. In our opinion, they have no right to charge what they do to provide the worst possible service. This has been the worst experience of my life and has caused numerous problems in our family. I would not recommend Courage to anybody. Believe it or not, I do love my house The whole experience from start to finish. Their inability to accept blame when anything (or nearly everything) goes wrong, they always point the finger, even at the client.