McDonald Jones Homes

I recommend being very careful when signing documents and, if possible, seeking independent advice from an experienced builder or building professional before making final selections. This was my first time building a house, and I chose MJH because I understood them to be one of the more established building companies in New South Wales. I… Read more

expected the building process to be straightforward and believed that the selections and requirements I discussed with their staff would be properly recorded and delivered.

Before signing the contract, I clearly communicated my expectations and discussed several specific requirements with their team. Some requests could not be accommodated, which I understood, while other requirements were discussed, agreed to and paid for.

Unfortunately, after construction began, and particularly after handover, I encountered several issues.

Bathroom basin

The basin installed in the bathroom was not the basin I understood I had selected at the design appointment. I was told that I had signed off on the item and therefore had to accept it.

When I reviewed the contract, I found that the brand and model specified were different from the item I remembered selecting. I also asked about the staff member who assisted me at the design appointment and was told she was no longer working with the company.

Bathroom handles

I selected gold fixtures for the bathroom, but silver cabinet handles were installed. They did not match the other fixtures.

I raised the issue with MJH and was told that the handles were my selection. I ultimately purchased replacement handles myself and had them changed.

Damaged basin

One of the basins was also installed with significant damage, including a large hole. I raised the issue but was not satisfied with the response regarding its replacement.

This contributed to significant delays, and the handover was delayed by more than six months.

I have now been living in the house for approximately 18 months, and some of the defects and issues I raised remain unresolved.

Office wall panels

Another issue was the installation of wall panels in my office. I had not ordered these panels and clearly told MJH that I had never requested them.

Despite this, I was told that the work had been carried out and that I was required to pay for it. I was unhappy that I was being charged for something I had specifically said I had not ordered.

Coffered ceiling

The most significant issue for me concerns the coffered ceiling.

Before construction, I clearly explained to several MJH staff members what I wanted. I showed them photographs and explained that the purpose of the coffered ceiling was to accommodate LED lighting.

I was told that MJH could provide what I had requested, and I paid approximately an additional $10,000 for the work. I was also told that the necessary preparation and wiring would be provided and that I would arrange for my own electrician to install the LED lights.

After handover, I engaged electricians to install the lighting. They advised me that, in their opinion, the coffered ceiling had not been constructed in a way that would allow the lighting installation I had intended, but that the wiring was ready for the installation of LED lights.

I contacted MJH and initially understood that they would look into the issue. After several months, however, a manager told me that the coffered ceiling provided was the only type of coffered ceiling MJH offered.

I then provided emails showing my discussions with MJH staff about my requirements and the additional amount I paid. I remain dissatisfied with the way this matter has been handled.

One of the difficulties I have experienced is that some of the requirements discussed during the design process are difficult to verify simply by looking at the final building contract. In my experience, this made it very important to keep copies of emails, selections, photographs and other records.

Current situation

I raised my concerns with the relevant building authority or commission, but I was advised that they could not resolve the matter and that I should consider seeking legal advice.

I have not engaged a solicitor because I understand it could be costly. I am concerned about the financial burden of pursuing the matter further, and I believe most builders know that customers are unlikely to take matters to a solicitor because of the cost involved.

I am sharing this review because this has been my personal experience during and after building my home with MJH. My main advice to anyone considering building with any company is to carefully check every selection, specification and variation before signing; keep copies of all emails and documents; and consider getting independent advice before agreeing to significant variations or additional costs.

I hope my experience helps other first-time home builders understand the importance of keeping detailed records and ensuring every requirement is clearly documented.

Thanks Kim at MyChoice Design Studio :) We recently completed our selection appointments for our McDonald Jones home, and we are over the moon with the outcome, thanks to Kim. We already had a good idea of what we wanted for our external palette, which is very bold and moody, but we were really worried about how that would flow into the… Read more ·  1

internal spaces. Our vision for the interior was an organic and calm palette, and Kim was very helpful and experienced in bridging that gap.

Kim is polite, patient, and really knowledgeable when it comes to bringing it all together.

We highly recommend Kim to anyone getting ready for their studio appointments—she is amazing at what she does!

Sharon and Charlie

We had such a wonderful experience with Jodee Shepherd at the Internal Selection Studio. She was incredibly patient, friendly and helpful throughout the whole process. Jodee listened to our ideas, gave us great suggestions and made choosing everything for our new home so much easier and enjoyable. We truly appreciated her patience, guidance and… Read more ·  1

attention to detail. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience and would happily recommend Jodee to anyone building their new home!

Great experience – We have owner built four homes in the past 15 years and for the first time, have decided our next project will be managed by McDonald Jones Homes. Our decision was largely influenced by the great service offered by Tim, Linda and Rob at the Box Hill… Read more

display. If the rest of the process is as smooth as what we’ve experienced to date, we are in good hands! Can’t wait.

Positive pre-construction – Pre-construction has been a positive experience, Kathleen and Lyndle from Port Macquarie have been extremely helpful, as was the team at the my choice studio.Hoping the construction phase will be just as positive. Show details ·  1

We have been looking at The Hermitage for nearly 2 years. Everytime we have gone to Box Hill , Tim Bowman has always been polite , welcoming and very professional. Always accomodating. Thanks Tim. Show details ·  2

We have finally walked away with a smile of relief after completing our internal selections with our wonderful MyChoice consultant Chloe. We had a lot of complex decisions to work through, and at times it was difficult to navigate what was included, what was an upgrade even what was available or worthwhile having - Chloe went above and beyond with… Read more ·  1

patience and professionalism. Nothing ever felt too hard. She worked collaboratively with her team to get prompt answers to our queries and needs. Her advice was genuine and she quickly became very intuitive to our style, so I really trusted her taste and judgement. Products on offer were lovely quality so I feel it'll be hard to go wrong even if at times it felt like this was extra, that was extra etc.

Extra time was granted to review and Chloe helped us bring the overall price to a very worthwhile compromise - keeping the upgrades that were my true “happy splurges”.

Everyone at the Norwest studio are just delightful. You feel like you are visiting friends, always making sure we are fed, topped up with water and caffeine just when the going gets tough. The design team really do care. Our external consultant Elecia never forgot us from months ago and kept ducking in to say hi. We absolutely loved working with Chloe and the MyChoice team. Hoping the build process is just as good.

We are currently building our new home with McDonald Jones Homes and, while we are still in the early stages of the journey, our experience so far has been extremely positive. In particular, Tim Bowman has been fantastic to deal with from the outset. Building a new home involves a lot of decisions, questions and changes along the way, and Tim has… Read more ·  1

consistently been responsive, patient and genuinely invested in helping us get the right outcome.

We have appreciated his knowledge of the McDonald Jones product, his willingness to work through different options with us, and the fact that he has always made himself available when we have needed advice or clarification. Nothing has felt like too much trouble, and we have always felt that Tim has been focused on helping us build the home we want rather than simply making a sale.

The broader McDonald Jones team has also been professional and helpful as we have progressed through the planning and pre-construction stages.

There is obviously still a way to go before we have a completed home, but based on our experience to date, Yvette and I have been very happy with our decision to build with McDonald Jones and particularly pleased to have Tim supporting us through the journey.

Thanks Tim. We really appreciate everything you have done for us so far and look forward to seeing our new home come to life!

We have now had the pleasure of being assisted by Teayre on two occasions throughout our home selections journey — firstly for our walkthrough and external selections, and more recently for our internal selections. After our first appointment, we had quite a few follow-up questions as we continued reviewing our selections, pricing and overall… Read more ·  1

budget. Teayre was always patient and helpful in responding to our questions and providing pricing estimates where possible. This really helped us plan ahead, visualise our design choices and prepare for the next stages of our selections. Our second appointment for the internal selections was another great experience. There is a lot to work through and many decisions to make within a relatively short period, but Teayre took the time to guide us through the options, answer our questions and help us work towards the best outcome for our home while also being mindful of our budget. We particularly appreciate that her assistance does not simply end when the appointment finishes. She has continued to be approachable and helpful with our follow-up questions, which has made the whole process much easier for us. Thank you so much, Teayre, for your patience, time and continued assistance. We would happily recommend her any day and would be more than happy to work with her again.

Extremely disappointing experience – almost two years and still no OC I am writing this review based on my experience with McDonald Jones, particularly the way an ongoing compliance issue with my home has been handled. I took possession of my home in September 2024. Unfortunately, almost two years later, the final Occupation Certificate (OC)… Read more

issue is still unresolved, not even an Interim OC has been issued to me.

The problem relates to the construction details around the subfloor level and the requirements raised by the certifier. I understand that construction issues can sometimes occur, and I have been patient while the builder, engineer and certifier have been discussing possible solutions.

What has been extremely disappointing, however, is the length of time this has taken and, more importantly, the lack of communication from the builder.

I have sent multiple emails and made repeated phone calls requesting an update. On a number of occasions, I have either received no response or have been told to wait to be called back but they never did.

I have now been living in a home for almost two years without the final OC being resolved. This is not something a homeowner should have to accept indefinitely. It creates ongoing uncertainty and concern about compliance, insurance and the future of the property.

My biggest frustration is not that a construction problem occurred. Problems can happen during building. My concern is the lack of urgency, accountability and communication in resolving the problem once it was identified.

I would have much more understanding if the builder were communicating regularly, explaining exactly what remains outstanding, what solution is being pursued and providing realistic timeframes. Instead, I have had to repeatedly chase the builder for information.

I sincerely hope the builder eventually takes ownership of this matter and resolves it properly. However, based on my experience so far, I cannot recommend the way this issue has been handled.

I am posting this review so that other prospective homeowners can consider not only the building process itself, but also how the builder responds when a significant issue arises after handover.

The all the initial communication was extremely positive, and the choices selection meetings went well. Unfortunately once the process of building began any positives went out the window. The constructions supervisor and his level of communication was poor, including blatant lies about air conditioner placement, the hot water system, access for… Read more

people to visit site for building the driveway, measuring windows for security etc. Additionally getting defects rectified has taken almost a year, including some which had been promised to be fixed within the week from assessment and still never done. Defects include cracked tiles, poor tiling in the bathrooms, kitchen splash back, major cracks in the bulkheads, extremely poor pain work, window frames not being secured correctly, grouting breaking and leaving major gaps, floor boards that look like they were cut up by a child, cupboards that cant close, grouting over all the tiles, grouting missing from tiles, large cracks in the walls.

The only thing that has been fixed was the piping for the water tank that was smashed up under ground that lead to much higher water usage while waiting for it to be fixed.

At this point in time there has been 3 people sent out to assess the defects 2 form MJH and one Contractor. And when they finally decided to send someone to start on rectifying defects they decide to make no formal communication nor agreement of time and just yeet people to your door.

10/10 don't recommend

Rob and Emily were fantastic helping us through the 1st stage of our build. They are 2 of the nicest people and madr it feel more personal to deal with them Show details ·  1

Emily was great from the very start. Very understanding and helpful through the selections. She was so lovely to deal with and made no mistakes. She is very good at her job and understood our style and palet. Show details ·  1

Danni was fantastic. She was very thorough in her explanations and provided great advice when she noticed we weren't sure of what direction to head in. She took the time to listen, and followed up on any queries we had promptly. It was a great experience overall and we appreciated the attention to all the small details, including the coffee service (the young woman who helped us even remembered the milk substitute!) Show details ·  1

As first time builders, my husband and I were extremely blessed to have an amazing site supervisor, Troy McCartney, who is extremely responsive, professional and attentive during the whole building journey. Troy answered all our questions and is very knowledgeable and delivered our home earlier than expected. Know that you will be in good hands if you get Troy as your supervisor! Show details ·  1

Friendly, convincing, professional, excellent , helpful, understanding , I found almost everything what I was expecting from a good Building and Design Consultant… love your service much more appreciated. Happy to have you in my building journey. Thanks Show details ·  1

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 10/10 Experience with Jodee!Huge shout-out to Jodee at the McDonald Jones Homes Oak Flats office! Our interior design and styling appointment was completely seamless, super efficient, and genuinely fun. Jodee's amazing eye for detail and design insight helped us bring our ideas to life perfectly while staying on track with our budget. Thank… Read more ·  1

you, Jodee, for making this milestone such a happy and memorable experience, also our kids love the time over there. Also there was a huge support and welcoming from the manager of the studio

Tracey and Jack were extremely helpful and knowledgeable throughout the process of building with McDonald Jones. Nothing was too much trouble or effort for Tracey. Her experience and recommendations throughout made it seamless and enjoyable Show details ·  1