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This was my first build and under the guidance of Michael at Hotondo Homes, Dubbo, I was able to achieve my dream. Michael was readily available and answered all my questions promptly, with explanations that I easily understood. Michael was patient and understanding throughout the whole process, rectifying any issues that I had along the way. I… Read more · 1
am extremely happy with the quality fixtures, fittings & finishes. I'm happy to recommend Michael & his team to anyone. I had quite a few idea's and modifications pre-build and could not be happier with the final outcome. The final cost matched the quote I was given and I can't thank Michael and his team enough for the house, built specifically for my family.
THE ABSOLUTE WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE. Having a mental breakdown at age 32 was not on my to do list. What should have been one of the most exciting times of our lives — building our dream home — quickly turned into an exhausting, stressful, and deeply frustrating experience, all because of this builder’s complete lack of professionalism,… Read more
communication, and respect for their clients.
We were promised a 48-week build. It took 64 weeks — with no proper explanation, no ownership, and absolutely no urgency. A significant delay was caused by the builder due to a ‘clerical error’ made on our HCBF insurance – this took over 11 weeks to rectify causing an 11 week delay before our build even started but yet all Michael could do is try to return blame to us for not providing adequate access to the site.
Throughout the entire process, communication was beyond poor. We were left in the dark for weeks at a time, constantly chasing for updates and getting nothing but vague, dismissive responses — if any at all. It genuinely felt like once the contract was signed, we were no longer a priority.
Our bathroom tiles were laid in the wrong orientation despite the plans clearly showed the tile orientation. Again, a problem we were told was our fault for not telling the tilers to stop when we noticed the error.
We thought that we were getting to the end of this nightmare, then came the OC dramas. Yet again it was councils fault, then it was our fault. I have an email chain sent from council to Michael clearly stating that we needed to have a steel water tank installed in order to have the OC issued however he neglected to pass the information on. So there we were, on the day the OC was due to be issued having to call around to hope that someone could make and deliver a tank to us yesterday – of course another added expense we hadn’t accounted for, not that Michael cared.
The delays didn’t just push back a move-in date — they caused significant disruption to our lives. We were forced to extend our rental, re-coordinate multiple furniture deliveries, and carry the weight of added financial pressure. But worse than the money was the emotional toll. We spent months feeling stressed, powerless, and ignored, watching our timeline slip away without any sense of responsibility or care from their side. There was no transparency, no consistency, and no genuine effort to make things right. The build felt mismanaged from start to finish, and we were left to pick up the pieces. What should have been a milestone full of excitement ended up feeling like a drawn-out battle we had to fight alone.
If you value your time, money, and sanity — stay far away from this builder. They are disorganized, unresponsive, and showed a complete disregard for the trust we placed in them. We regret ever choosing them.
I honestly do not understand how this company receives 5 star reviews, even their head office confirmed that I was not the only person to make a complaint about Michael.
We were offered 10 weeks compensation - not sure how that figure was calculated however we wanted nothing more than this nightmare to be over and to never have to speak Michael again. Turns out our wish was granted, not only did Michael not attempt to make our handover, we have not heard a word from him since.
Before you do anything with this builder, I urge you to contact me so I can give you a clear and concise recount of our experience.
If I ever recover from the emotional distress this process has caused and decide to build another house, I will be going straight to Brad and the team at Stroud Homes Dubbo!
PS - If you're reading this and have any sort of business or operational management experience - reach out to Michael, he needs it. This business would operate a lot more effectively with the correct systems in place.
Michael and his amazing Hotondo team - Dubbo, NSW – Michael and the Hotondo team in Dubbo have been amazing! Every step of the process was made easy. Everything we asked for was taken care of, nothing was too hard. We had a few last minute changes and Michael was able to ensure everything came together to meet our needs. We are very grateful for the high quality, friendly service and flexible… Read more · 1
nature of the Hotondo team. If you are looking to build, you can’t go past Michael and the local team. We have a beautiful home that we just love. Thank you so much.
great experience – excellent experience. Great communication throughout the building process. Quality of finish and value was superior to other quotes from other major building companies. Home built and settled within a timely manner Show details · 1
Great experience – I’ve had a great experience building with Hotondo Homes Dubbo,Michael just made everything so easy never had any issues I would highly recommend building with Michael at Hotondo Homes Dubbo Show details · 1
Our Home Sweet Home – Just received the keys to our forever home after building with Hotondo Homes Dubbo, and we couldn’t be happier with the quality and workmanship. Michael has been a pleasure to deal with, keeping us up to date throughout the whole process and has provided an outstanding service. Would highly recommend Hotondo Homes Dubbo to anyone looking to build their new home. Show details · 1
Beautiful home! Amazing team! – From the minute we walked into the office Michael has made this whole process super easy. He has gone above and beyond with customer care from helping us find a block of land to helping us fine tune plans without going over budget and always checking in with us and keeping us up to date with every step throughout the process. During the planning… Read more · 1
stage I changed my mind numerous times and added to my list of extras I wanted almost daily and nothing was ever an issue. Michael worked with us and was so passionate about building us a home that we would love. We have been in our home for 8 months and are just so so happy with everything! Anyone who comes to our house always comments on how beautiful it is. Michael and his team have built us the most amazing home! I have recommended Hotondo to all my friends in Dubbo and if we ever build again I wouldn’t hesitate to do it all over again with Michael and his team!
Our Forever Home, Built by Hotondo Homes Dubbo – Words cannot express how truly happy we are with our forever home built by Michael and his team from Hotondo Homes Dubbo. This is our second house we have built and the quality and attention to detail far surpases our first house. Michael and our site manager Richard were there with us every step of the way, nothing was too much for them to… Read more · 1
handle. They were always professional, helpful, yet felt like we were dealing with friends not home builders. Our experience with Michael and his team has been a very positive one and we whole heartedly recommend them to anyone wanting to build, we wouldn't choose anyone else. There has been no hidden costs, any extra's that we wanted to include were at a very fair and reasonable rate. Michael loves what he does and that show's through his work. He employs quality tradesmen that have such an eye for detail, which results in an absolutely beautiful home. We have built a 4 bedroom home plus study, with open plan living/kitchen area's. Loads of storage, cannot be happier. Thanks again Michael and Richard, all of your hard work is very much appreciated, so glad that we chose you to build our forever dream home!
Dream Home Hotondo Dubbo – As first home owners/builders its very daunting in itself.. But the team at Hotondo Homes Dubbo was there every step of the way. We had some issues with the land but Michael at Hotondo was there to help us through it and help guide us down the right path. The house we built is the perfect size for our current family and enough room to expand it.… Read more · 1
The best thing about Hotondo Dubbo was that they were always honest and straight to the point. No hidden costs. We couldn't ask for a better builder to have in our corner when building our first home, We absolutely love our home. The plan of the house is well thought out, which allows for extremely easy living and entertaining. We have to say Michael and their team at Hotondo are professional and approachable throughout the whole planning/building process. If the need arises to contact Michael…its just like talking to a friend. We cannot recommend Hotondo Dubbo highly enough. If you are looking for a quality build home, you will not be disappointed.
OMG how beautiful is my home – In the past week I have had quite a few friends and family come and have a look and all comments were positive - with a lot saying OMG how beautiful my home is and that it is so me and it has my name stamped all over it. Having the opportunity to modify the layout of the house to accomodate all the things I enjoy in life and will see me through… Read more · 1
quite a few years was worth the time and effort. It is everything I have ever wanted in a home - the spacious bedroom and ensuite with a spa is amazing not to mention relaxing. The colour scheme worked very well and modern. I'm so in love with my walkin pantry and the amazing splashback was worth paying the extra for as it brings the kitchen to life. I honestly can not be more happier with my dream home and how it has all come together.
We are in love with our home! – We are very impressed with both the build and process. Michael, dylan and his team were approachable and were always available to answer questions and discuss the property. As for the quality, we cannot fault the home, it is both structurally sound and is the home beautiful, just what we envisioned. Any issue during, and after the build was… Read more · 1
addressed efficiently and without any issues (something other people in dubbo have struggled with, with other building groups in town). As for price, it was exactly what was estimated I hold Michael in high regard, and would recommend him to anyone who wants to build in dubbo or surrounds.
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Hi Larissa, We’re sorry to hear that your… Read more (+1 reply)