Harvey Norman Design & Renovations

Terrible Home Renovation Experience with Domayne Bathroom & Kitchen Design – Our recent experience with Harvey Norman at Domayne Alexandria for home renovations has been deeply disappointing. Initially, their reputation seemed reliable, based on positive experiences many years ago. However, this time was drastically different. Our initial consultation with the Head of Design was promising. He appeared enthusiastic and… Read more

proactive, eager to help us realize our dream kitchen and bathroom. We were assured that the renovations would be completed in 6-8 weeks and were promised detailed CAD 3D sketches akin to our previous dealings with the company. Unfortunately, what we received was a hand-drawn sketch of subpar quality.

The selection process for appliances and fixtures felt rushed and disorganized, leading to hasty decisions. Despite our repeated requests for assurances and clarity, we were left feeling uneasy after signing the agreement. Moreover, we were not provided with a clear schedule or payment plan, which turned out to be heavily skewed in their favor.

The renovation process began a month later with the demolition of our old kitchen and bathroom. After the initial swift demolition, the site was left unattended for 3-4 weeks, causing an unpleasant smell. We were then informed that the work would be carried out by a third-party contractor, In Home Solution Pty Ltd, also referred to as the Project Manager/Head Builder for the renovation.

The Head of Design quickly distanced himself from the project, directing all our queries to the subcontractor Project Manager. The delays and mismanagement led to major variations and unexpected additional costs of $10,000-$15,000. The kitchen cabinetry, when it finally arrived, was installed with significant damage. The panels were poorly repaired, leading to a lengthy resolution process directly with the cabinetry company.

The behavior of the Project Manager’s third-party subcontracting team was unprofessional. We discovered that yet another subcontractor, QBW Building Pty Ltd, was involved. The head builder was demanding additional payments upfront before completion of work, and the electrical work did not meet our expectations despite the high cost.

The work environment was messy, littered with rubbish and cigarettes. Promises of professional cleaning were not fulfilled without us paying extra. Eventually, a cleaner was sent, but the quality of the work was unsatisfactory. We had to hire additional workers to fix the numerous defects and damages they left behind.

The entire ordeal, which was supposed to take 6-8 weeks, dragged on for five months. Future clients should be aware that home insurance is not provided by Harvey Norman at Domayne Alexandria but by the contractor In-Home Solution Pty Ltd, making it extremely difficult to resolve ongoing issues. Furthermore, In Home Solutions Pty. Ltd. is trading under the name Domayne Bathroom & Kitchen Design using Harvey Norman-based and Domayne email addresses.

In conclusion, our experience with Harvey Norman at Domayne Alexandria was extremely disappointing. The mismanagement, poor communication, and unprofessional behavior resulted in a stressful, prolonged, and costly renovation process.

The Worst – In my 56 years on this planet this is by far the worst overall experience I've ever had purchasing anything. Total cost $100k. Firstly the sales estimator put a wedge between my wife and I we knew what we wanted prior to visiting. He succeeded in ridiculing my every choice. I knew what he was up to trying to push us into a corner where we… Read more

purchase the stuff they wanted to have which was bulk ordered discounted product which they would make the most profit on.

After he brain washed the wife into choosing drab industrial looking colours. He spun us verbally a whole lot of lies about what they were going to do. He obviously worked on a commission basis to.

* No foreman on site during works * tradesman full access to the house * No protective sheeting put down during demolition. * Damaged driveway with adhesives and cements. *chipped tiled entry walkway. * Told they would replace under kitchen damaged yellow tongue as a matter of course. Lied and said it wasn't mentioned. I had to just about threaten violence to get it done. * Put up vanity shaving cabinets to wrong sides. * Had shower fixing nails through the wall and protruding out into the hall way. (And left that way!) * Did not follow orginal plans of design. The laundry bench top was installed incorrectly and the laundry rear door would not open after not following basic designs. * Bathroom ensuite grout started to fall out after 2 years. * External wall vent promised and suggested by them never fitted. * Outside onsite portable toilet bathroom that was to be paid by HN we had to foot t he bill after being lied to. (We move out before for duration) *Told it was a 4 week job, and there were no delays yet it took 6 weeks. * Lied about just about every facet of the job, the sales man/estimator was a the worse lying cheat I've ever encountered. Anything verbally mentioned was nonsense.

Footnote. It has taken me over two years to write this such is the anger I have endured over this. I'm very glad to hear they've gone belly up. Many other injustices I've probably forgotten. Big mistake for [name removed] to associate his name with this mob. I will never purchase anything with his name attached to it. All creditability has gone.

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Happy with Harvey Norman: Love my reno! – I met with Emily, Harvey Norman Designer seven times for duration's of up to three hours. She was endless patient with my questions and nervousness about embarking on such a large renovation. I relied heavily on her design advice regarding the new kitchen and bathroom. The results were inspiring beautiful regarding colour, surfaces, space,… Read more

shelf location, mirrors, fixtures, fittings etc.

Harvey Norman was chosen because:- a) good business reputation; b) been in business a long time; c) offer warranties of 10yrs -15yrs on their work; d) comprehensive insurances; e) check measurements thorough; f) fixed contract with variations. Emily was patient when we worked through the details of all of this...

I knew I was paying a premium - but I was getting a Site Supervisor (Pierre) to oversea the quality control of the trades. Pierre - it was a "problem -solution" relationship from start to finish. Any problems raised e.g any accidents with the trades, or plumbing work problems were resolved in a reasonable and fair manner. I trusted the ethics and good-will of all Harvey Norman personnel.The detailed work schedule ran like clock-work.

At the end , I had a "finishing off list." All issues large and small were attended too by Pierre. I signed-off on the renovation happy. The renovation stayed within budget.

The Best Kitchen in My Apartment Complex – I wholeheartedly recommend the team at Harvey Norman kitchen renovations From the initial appointment with Emily, the kitchen designer, to the installation of the new kitchen and the final finishing touches, I was very impressed with the whole team, who were a delight to have around, and who worked extremely hard, taking pride in their work. … Read more

Without exception, all of these employees, from those who demolished the old kitchen, to the plumber, electrician, installer and especially Mark, the site supervisor, went the extra mile to make the renovation as stressfree as possible. They phoned or texted to let me know when they were coming, and arrived on time. Such polite and friendly workmen, whom, without exception, I would be pleased to know. They offered to do little extra things to help me, like carrying my old gas heater down to the garage, as it was too heavy for me.

When my new fridge was delivered, and the old one taken away, neither fridge would fit through the new fire doors. Mark took the doors off both, and put them back again on the new fridge. He also dismantled some of the kitchen fittings, which also would not fit through the door.

The delightful designer Emily ordered all the items I wanted for my kitchen, after letting me choose fridge, oven, flooring, cupboards, splash back and appliances at the Harvey Norman Auburn store. She even drove me to my bank to purchase a bank cheque for payment. The kitchen Emily designed is exactly what I wanted, and I am absolutely delighted with it.

I would not hesitate to recommend Harvey Norman Kitchen Renovations to anyone. They should be very proud of their wonderful work.

Lovely new bathroom – I had a very fifties bathroom totally renovated. Bath was ripped out, yellow toilet replaced, hand basin removed and replaced. Tiling was redone from floor to ceiling, floor retiled and door reswung from left to right. Shower is now the size of the original bath which makes it easy to enter and exit. A great job that is easy to use, easy to clean and such an improvement on the old bathroom.

Well Done! – The choice of Harvey Norman for our Bathroom Renovations was a forgone conclusion. The consultative process was informative and concise. Items were discussed and chosen. Staff members were always respectful. Contractors and workmen employed by them were helpful, skilled and obliging and took pride in the work that they did. Thank you for a work well done! Sr. M. Lergessner

Will never use Harvey Norman for renovations again – After spending a full morning with the salesgirl [name removed], and spending a large amount of money on a full complete bathroom fitout and numerous other items, we went away happy with our decisions. Until the chosen products arrived many weeks later despite being promised many time prior, all mismatched, the wrong colour, and after a further… Read more

month of communication, we were still left with products that were missing in the box and the overall communication was absolutely condescending and unhelpful, and every time a phone call was made, you get a different salesperson who doesn’t want to help as they were not the person who receives the commission.. I was left having to purchase the same items by another large bathroom company and my out of pocket expenses were uncalculatable, with the cancelling of trades and services to complete the renovation. I will never use Harvey Norman again for anything as the incompetence of the staff is atrocious.

Over promise, under delivered – The initial meetings were great and collaborative with a can do attitude. They promised to have it done by our specific deadline which is why we choose them. They were 4months post that deadline. There is no one that manages your renovation, no one that accepts responsibility. They tell you there is, but in the end when you’re stuck without a… Read more

working kitchen there is no one that will talk to you.

We spent $70k on this Reno and couldn’t be more disappointed, frustrated and completely stressed at the incompetent nature of how they run their business. Buyer beware!!

Never use Harvey Norman – After meeting with the the designer all appeared excellent. However, after the delay in starting, every aspect of this job became a disaster. The initial demolition team had no plans, the cabinets were incorrect, tiling poor and unfinished, showers wrong etc etc. More of an issue is that no one at Harvey Norman accepted responsibility, calls not… Read more

returned emails not replied too. We had to continually contact the office to see why nothing was happening. Both bathrooms due to be finished November and as of early January still not complete and no contact with the office. The house was also left in a filthy mess that we have had to clean up. We were even informed when a progress payment was due after tiling complete, when the grouting had not been finished, that grouting is not part of tiling. I have done a lot of building over the years and have to say that Harvey Norman renovation is unquestionably the worst company I have ever dealt with, and truly believe they should not have a licence to operate. I strongly recommend not using them fort any renovation works.

Amazing Experience – A great experience from browsing products, getting quotes from the bathroom renovation centre, to purchasing products for 2 bathrooms and a laundry. The bathroom centre almost became our second home for over 8 months while we made our decisions and renovated. We are particularly grateful for the assistance of Sales Consultant Sina. He helped us… Read more

all the way through. He was such a pleasure to deal with. His professionalism and service was exceptional. We had minor issues with product defects and us changing our minds with products, but he assisted us the whole way through, nothing was ever a problem. Thank you Sina!

Great products - great job – We have just renovated 2 bathrooms with top products, great prices and excellent service from Harvey Norman Auburn. The process was very smooth with fast delivery. Highly recommended Thank you

Luxury bathrooms in our house – After consultation we had 3 quotes for our bathroom reno, we chose Kellyville Kitchens and Luxurious Bathrooms. We were very happy every step of the way, from design , trades and finish .This have given us lovely function and look in our home. A couple of issues arose but very quickly and professionally taken care of. Show details

Great service with a smile – Fantastic staff with excellent product knowledge. Wide choice of products. Made the buying process quick and easy, reducing our already high level of stress. Highly recommend this store for future bathroom renovations.

Great Renovation – My bathroom renovation is 5 star. Everything was completed in 4 weeks and the contractors were great. A big thankyou to everyone from Harvey Norman Design and Renovations.

Don’t use – The people that work here are good but that’s where it stops. Our brand new kitchen got delivered straight onto our floor with no protection. Polyurethane doors all scratched and damaged in total 22. This was a 40k kitchen with NO care whatsoever Our dream damaged And the manager said it was the worst he knew about but did not even pay us… Read more

a visit to have a look.

There response was we will rub back and re spray which I said no and wanted new doors.

Now 3 weeks wait with an unfinished kitchen.

Some so called new doors came out and they were scratched as well 2nd time.

The rest are due but I have no confidence in Harvey Norman to supply a good product.

I would not use HN kitchens again or recommend them to anyone.

August 28th 2018 Update: Still not complete

Well its been 6 weeks and our kitchen is still unfinished. They cannot give us a completion date. Do not use this company whatsoever

Hopeless communication and cannot deliver what they say.

Go somewhere else.

The worst renovations company – Since we signed contract until now it’s been over 1 and half year still not finished yet. Hopeless. Not a team work. No communication between designer,trademan& office stuff. And also very bad customer service. Waste money,waste time. Bad quality.

Waste of money. Awful customer service – Absolutely no accountability. Still waiting for work to be complete even 3 months after taking final payment. There is no communication or coordination between designer, manager and contractors.

Stay Away – I am so disappointed with my experience renovating my bathroom. It took 6 months to complete. Multiple errors were made. The finish is not good and certainly not what you would expect of a small bathroom reno costing $30,000. I have tried to list my concerns and contact the franchisee a number of times but am ignored. I will never again use… Read more

them.

It seems if they get everything right the first time then things are smooth. (spoken words from one of the contractors himself) When there are hiccups they are unable to complete jobs properly with multiple delays and too many people involved.

Excellent Service – Attracted by the 4 day Bathroom Sale and due to outfit an ensuite, we hit the jackpot when approached by Michelle Biner offering assistance. Over the next 2 hrs a very patient and knowledgeable Michelle guided us through the whole process. Every item chosen ( some We’d forgotten about.) Then while we lunched in the on site cafe Michelle prepared… Read more

the invoice. I cannot thank Michelle enough for making it an enjoyable experience. Spent over $3,000.... saved $1500 and got my tiles for free.

Poor Value for money, nothing but frustrations and incompetence – We went with a $60K double bathroom renovation. What you are dealing with here is someone who has a franchise to use the HN brand. He in turn employs a sub-contractor to handle the actual project, and then that sub-contractor sub contracts out to the final tradesperson to come to your home and do the work. Often, the person on the ground at your… Read more

home doesn't even know it's a HN job at all. Too many middlemen - and you're paying all the way.

The HN "designer" will come to your home and be very professional. However, check the design carefully. I had to suggest elementary changes to the design and I am not experienced in these matters. Even now, after completion, I can see things that an experienced designer should have picked up on but I (the customer) didn't until it was too late. Waste of money.

There is no "float" in all this. If you read your payment schedule carefully, you'll see that you are paying for EVERYTHING UP FRONT. Don't accept this. Make sure you sign up for paying half up front for any milestone and half when you're happy with the work done. The last payment, of a couple of hundred dollars, is what they're willing to walk away from at the end if you're not happy. Plus, there are no breakdown of costs. You don't know what you are paying for PC items or individual work. Poor accountability.

Next you will be dealing with someone who is supposed to prepare drawings. Acceptance of these drawings signifies the official start of the job. Our drawings went back and forwards so many times that the draftsperson threatened to delay the start of the job if we didn't accept her latest revision. She didn't know the guys were already a couple of weeks into it. The drawings were never correct even by the end. Waste of money.

Next you will encounter the person who arranges and schedules the work. She started off rather badly in our case with people not coming when they were supposed to, but to be honest, things picked up towards the end (by this time we were way past the expected completion date of course) and given the pressure this person was under, she was probably the only one who I felt we got value from.

As for the actual work, well, we must have struck the C team. Everything was dreadful and had to be redone after I complained so much. Don't be tempted by "move out and let us come in and do it". You have to be there every step of the way and watching what is going on. Defects in structural work can be easily papered over which nice tiles, but will eventually come to light. I think it took us four weeks before we were happy with the preparatory work. On the positive side, the franchisee could see we were not happy and replaced the C team with the B team and things picked up markedly. Even so, mistakes were made and not appreciated until too late to do anything about them.

The "demolition" team certainly deserved their title. They not only demolished out bathrooms, but also introduce large cracks in surrounding plaster and brickword which the HN franchisee disclaimed all responsibility for. When, at the end, I asked for their plasterer to come and fix all the damage, I got quoted something like $3000. I said no thanks, and contacted the same plasterer separately and got quoted $1500. Gives you an idea of the HN markup.

The tiler they organised was terrific - and I continue to admire the job long after completion. The plumber (the 2nd one) was also good. The electrician was good.

My main disappointment is that the HN system is not "worry free". There were many problems, many frustrations, unwanted damage to other parts of the home, and now that we've had our bathrooms for a while, I can honestly rate the job at about 7/10. Not what you expect for top dollar. I still worry about the asbestos sheeting that the demo team were cracking up out in the front yard in the tray of their truck and the wind blowing dust all over the place (yes I took a picture of this appalling work practice).

Would I go with HN again - Sorry - No. Good concept, but could be greatly improved. Not worth the extra you're paying out.

Love our new kitchen thankyou Harvey Norman – We would like to applaud and thank the Harvey Norman renovations designer, office staff and tradesman for the wonderful job that was done on our kitchen renovation. The job was well managed everything ran pretty much to schedule and the end result is our beautiful kitchen that i am so happy with. Thank you Harvey Norman we will definitely use you again if we ever need to renovate in the future.

We're very happy with our new bathroom – Very happy with the work - it was expensive and there were a few hiccups, but that's to be expected and the HN team kept us in the loop and were timely and efficient. The final bathroom looks fantastic.

Everything was delivered as promised on time on budget – I contacted harvey norman in late 2016 to renovate my bathroom... I was super impressed by the guys that do the design, and in this respect they surpassed any expectation that I had... the job started in January 2017 and was finished in 4 weeks as promised ... so happy with the service and a big thanks to the project management team... got more than I expected.. could not recommend enough  Show reply

Very disappointed – We had our bathroom renovated in 2004 by Harvey Norman's Auburn store, at the cost of $35,000. Beautiful, Italian tiles and looked amazing. Was very happy. Last year I noticed brown marks appearing on my $20,000 timber floor, in an adjoining bedroom and hall, surrounding the shower area. To my horror, getting inspected, the shower is leaking,… Read more

and has been for some time. Showing wet areas under the house, on the timber bearings, and ruining many of my timber floor panels. And just only after 12 years ???

Now, how do I find the matching tiles to redo the shower??? Or god forbid looks like the whole bathroom !!! Again !!!

Not happy Mr Harvey!!!

Appalling! A void at all costs – We had issues from day 1. The job took much longer to finish than scheduled and almost 2 years on there are issues that have still not been resolved despite repeated promises. Avoid them at all costs.

We are thrilled with our new bathroom – We have recently updated our bathroom with the help of Harvey Norman Renovations. Such a good experience & thrilled with the end design. Loved that it was such an easy process & the staff at HN & tradespersons were professional, friendly & did a great job. I have no hesitation in recommending this company & was initially referred by a happy work colleague.

Great Service – Our kitchen is just what we want. The stone benches look fantastic. The wall behind the cooker are a beautiful feature and everyone comments on how good it looks. The cooker was recommended to us and we are vey happy with it. If you want a kitchen or bathroom, go and see HN.

Love my new Harvey Norman kitchen and bathroom – Our kitchen and bathroom renovation from Harvey Norman has totally transformed our house. Such helpful and professional staff. The staff was able to design both our kitchen and bathroom with ideas that we would never have been able to imagine possible. The installation for both went to plan and in the time frame promised. I have no hesitation in recommending Harvey Norman to anyone for a kitchen or bathroom renovation. Very happy customer.

New kitchen success! – Our new kitchen is exactly what we wanted. The workmanship is very good and the whole kitchen looks fantastic! We love the drawers and the great finish on the doors and drawers. The installation went very smoothly and all the tradesmen involved were very professional. We loved the design centre at Auburn and got some great ideas from the display… Read more

kitchens . We were also impressed with the display bathrooms and will shortly be approaching the centre at Auburn about a bathroom update.

Ripped off – Here I go again, still waiting for the finished product we signed on for. Pooling in the shower, normal according to their standards? No pooling before the Reno. Communication is zip with these people when you question anything you think is not right. Designer, gung ho when you accept his "amazing quote" - all have to be purchased from… Read more

Harvey Norman. You don't get a breakup. How could I be so stupid! Trust the name? Think not. They obviously outsource bathroom renos to other company's, too many middlemen. They promise the earth, you sure do not get that, they've got your money, end of story. A simple, very small bathroom Reno now in it's 4th month! A joke. The right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing with these people! Stay away & get the job done properly.

Professional, Courteous, Competent Craftmanship – We have a very large home in the Southern Highlands and all our bathrooms over the past five years have been through Harvey Norman Design and Renovations. Each of the four bathrooms was quite different and challenging and the last one was an addition not a renovation and was completed recently. It necessitated complex building compliance with… Read more

fireproof wall and ceiling construction; double brick wall opening for a window; outside rendering to match existing 1950 finish. We had a deadline for Christmas and it was met with a week to spare. It was an excellent job and appears as if it were the original intention of Aaron Bolot, the architect. Customers need to know the thorough process this firm utilises. First a design meeting at their Sydney office; selection of PC items and tiles; quotes provided; upon acceptance and signing of contract' measuring on site; a meeting with a qualified builder to go through the design on site and the making of any necessary amendments for compliance requirements. The benefit of this firm is that they provide all the different tradespeople and provide a packaged deal, including builders, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, tilers, plasterers, installers, etc. I was present during the construction process and observed the professionalism and complementary team effort. As a businessperson I have over the years had several homes built and feel somewhat experienced to assess excellence in the building industry. We appreciate and respect mercantile excellence and are impressed and totally satisfied with their work and finished product. Consequently, we have just signed up for a further bathroom, our fifth, for our mother's house in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. If you want assurance that renovations need to be competently undertaken by qualified tradespeople, with all necessary certificates, insurance policy and a ten year guarantee, we feel it incumbent upon us to recommend to the public this proven and trusted firm for your next renovation.

WE LOVE OUR NEW HARVEY NORMAN KITCHEN – We have been thoroughly delighted with all the service we have received from Harvey Norman. Our new kitchen looks superb and every tradesman who came into our home was competent, capable and did a wonderful job. The products were all received in perfect order and the end result speaks for itself - we will now have to upgrade the rest of the house! We would definitely recommend Harvey Norman Design and Renovations to friends and family.

Don't renovate bathroom with Harvey Norman – My elderley mother has had very poor service and substandard work done with renovation of her bathroom. Many errors from wrong feature tiles and still after 5 months waiting on a replacement for a cracked mirror on bathroom cabinet. Have sent many emails complaints to franchisee owner but it appears that customer service is unimportant with Harvey Norman from reading other reviews

Harvey Norman Renovations is a dishonest & unprofessional company that has ruined our dream of a new – We live on the Northern Beaches of Sydney & our project was for a completely new kitchen/laundry renovation. After investigating many companies, we decided on Harvey Norman Renovations due to their supposed ability to complete everything that we required to be done. Our mistake was thinking that Harvey Norman Renovations would be professional &… Read more

trustworthy. We signed an initial contract in June 2014 and they didn’t proceed with the actual renovation until 15th June 2015.

Our troubles started soon after signing the contract & paying the initial deposit. We experienced major delays due to their incompetence to complete documentation that delivered on the initial promised design.

Our issues started soon after signing the contract in that we could not get anyone to return our calls as we had a lot of questions about the proposed design. It seems that once you have paid your initial deposit the care factor exits. We have had to lodge 3 separate complaints (escalated to senior management) to try & get traction on the project and even then, there were constant issues of dealing with different individuals & those people not doing what they said they would do.

The final blow for us came when they charged us excess fees in a variation letter for inclusions that were already promised within the original contract. Even though we had documented the discussions around the original contract, the company is still refusing our testimony of these discussions and what was agreed at the time.

Our negative experience with using Harvey Norman Renovations has included:

1. Being lied to by the designer about what is and what isn’t included in the scope of works

2. Extensive delays whereby we have had to chase up Harvey Norman Renovations staff to get them to resume work.

3. No project management. You receive a schedule of works but when it is wrong you are forced to follow up trades people and schedules yourself.

4. Unprofessional behaviour - such as not returning calls or responding to emails. Harvey Norman Renovation employees shouting & arguing with you at your home.

5. Sub-standard workmanship – damaged property, incorrectly installed components.

6. Sub contracted 3rd party trades people. If they can’t make their work integrate with others or they don’t know how to complete they just leave it unfinished.

As of today, 10th August 2015, they have not completed scheduled works & we do not have a usable kitchen. We are currently up to schedule revision #5 due to poor management of the project.

Buyer Beware! Harvey Norman Renovations has been a nightmare to deal with and is not customer focused in any way. I strongly urge anyone looking to renovate their kitchens to use other companies that demonstrate & understand what proper customer service should be.

Size of our project was approx. $100K