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Reviews with attachments
- +7
Our single-story home took a year to build and finished in mid-Nov 2025. All things considered, we’re pretty happy with the completed construction despite some bumps along the journey. I’d like to give a shoutout to Angela Jackson (Site Supervisor) and the MJH Team who brought our new house to life. What I liked: - The administration from… Read more · 2
planning to handover was generally well organised and structured. It was a step-by-step process. - The house is exactly as per plan. No surprises. Quite happy with the finishing build. - Lachlan Tupper was great to work with during the initial engagement and tender presentation. - Ziggi and Danielle were friendly and helpful. - Angela Jackson did a great job for us a kept us updated regularly. I appreciate her transparency when things weren’t going exactly to plan but told us what the next steps were.
What I didn’t like: - The roofing insulation that was left opened for a week during rain. We were told that it'll just dry out. Not sure if they ever replaced it. - The valley finishing of the colorbond roof looks weird, but there hasn’t been leaks during heavy rain, so I guess it’s fine. - The electrical appointment felt like we were rushed, but we’re happy with the result. - The two separate water plumbing leaks that occurred in June and Sept 2025. These were eventually fixed and repair works done, but they were concerning knowing it happened for a new build.
What could be improved: - The internal and external selections to be more transparent with choices and their pricing so that we could plan ahead. Making decisions on the meeting day without a table of choices was rather stressful. It got really confusing as to what items were included as standard and which ones were an upgrade. A spreadsheet with photos would have been so helpful for us to make decisions more efficiently.
We're 3 weeks into post handover. No major issues apart from the downlights occasionally flickering.
Overall happy with MJH, given how unpredictable the construction industry can be. Thank you MJH!
We’ve just had our handover and are ready to share our overall experience — it’s been a solid 5-star journey! Special thanks to our site supervisor Troy, area manager Brian, and project manager Nicole for being absolutely efficient, helpful, and responsive throughout the process. Our build went relatively smoothly, and any issues that came up… Read more · 1
were promptly rectified to a satisfactory level.
We’re very pleased with the quality of the build and the attention to detail. The only downside was our studio selection experience, where we were given some incorrect information that impacted a few aspects of the build. Fortunately, the construction team handled these issues professionally, and everything was resolved in the end.
Now, we have the beautiful home we’ve been dreaming of — thank you MJH, we’re very happy with our choice!
Sara Arnold, our building and design consultant at Mcdonald Jones has been an absolute pleasure to work with. We felt so comfortable with her. She was very helpful throughout the process and made everything easy and straight forward. We highly recommend her! Show details · 1
My experience building house with Macdonald Jones – I'm in the process to build my house from Macdonald Jones and I'm quite happy with the entire process. My site supervisor, Brian is exceptional. He is quite responsive and addresses all our concerns promptly and always easily approachable. I'm impressed with the speed of construction and high quality of materials used. I highly recommend Macdonald to anyone considering building a new home. Show details · 1
Stressfree build experience – I am writing to express my satisfaction with the experience I had with McDonald Jones Homes regarding my newly constructed house. The entire process, from start to finish, was exceptionally smooth. Notably, the construction phase progressed seamlessly; I did not need to chase or follow up on any matters, as all my inquiries were addressed… Read more · 1
promptly. The site Supervision always kept me on loop with what has happened and what to expect in the coming days. I received email weekly on Fridays about the progress.
Construction commenced shortly after the completion of the administrative work and advanced at an impressive pace. Before I knew it, my home was ready for me to move in. The quality of the build appears to be top-notch, even though I am not a construction expert, and I have not identified any faults.
I appreciated that there were minimal surprise costs; the only unexpected expense was the removal of soil, approximately $1,200, which had not been highlighted during the pre-construction phase. Additionally, during the PCI meeting, the representative discussing warranties was not aware of the 25-year structural warranty mentioned to us during our initial consultation.
The finished home is immaculate, reflecting the craftsmanship of the tradespeople and the site supervisor. I have only positive remarks about my experience and have recommended McDonald Jones Homes to several friends. If I were to build again, I would not hesitate to choose McDonald Jones Homes as my builder for life.
I would like to thank 1. Wayne Gordon (Site Supervisor) 2. Courtney Brazel (Sales consultant) 3. Kelleigh Lawler (Project coordinator - pre-construction) 4. Eloise Joseph (Project Delivery Manager) 5. Cassandra Carpenter (Interior design consultant) 6. Ziggi Ceroli (Interior design consultant) 7. Jai Cartwright (project coordinator - construction) 8. I don't know the names of everybody involved, so thank you all.
In-depth reviews
We recently embarked on the daunting journey of a knock-down and rebuild in Lindfield, a process completely new to us. From our very first interactions with Sara Arnold, Sales Associate at McDonald Jones in Sydney, we felt incredibly supported and reassured. Sara has been an absolute standout. Her patience in answering our countless questions, no… Read more · 1
matter how basic they seemed, has been truly remarkable. Her knowledge of the requirements and processes involved in building a new home has been invaluable in these initial stages.
What has particularly impressed us is Sara's exceptional responsiveness. She is incredibly timely in her communication, even going above and beyond by providing answers late into the night – we were astounded by her dedication!
Sara's outstanding service has genuinely surpassed our experiences with other builders. Her commitment and expertise have been a significant factor in our decision to proceed with McDonald Jones. We feel confident and well-informed thanks to her guidance. We wholeheartedly recommend Sara to anyone looking to build a new home in Sydney; her support has made a potentially overwhelming process feel manageable and exciting.
Great experience so far with Vince and Sara at HomeWorld Box Hill! – I have inspected many homes over the last year and talked to a few builders. I decided to go with MJH because two of my friends are building with MJH and they advised that I also do the same. My friend told me to meet the Box Hill team of Vincent Klein and Sara Arnold. Vince and Sara were very professional, transparent and efficient. Vince was… Read more · 1
supposed to go on holiday. I called him on his last working day in the morning. And by afternoon, he had done so much that it was hard to believe that I only interacted with him for less than a day. In half a day, Vince and Sara answered almost all of my questions, clarified many confusions and set me up for the next steps.
Vince's team was very responsive and provided me with all the information I needed. They were honest and upfront about the process and the costs involved. They were very clear about the timelines, inclusions, costs and the variations. My lot will be registered in mid 2026. There is a possibility that it will go beyond the 20-month price hold period. With that in mind, Vince has secured an additional 4 months, so now I've got 24-months price hold guarantee. I've also got the reassurance from Vince and Sara that they would support me throughout the whole process until the day I hold the keys to the home. I am very happy at the moment. I can clearly see why two of my friends are building with MJH.
Vince and Sara are the team young families like us, with a dream of owning a home, needs. At the end of the day, it's the honesty, clarity and the personal bonding that makes the whole journey successful. Vince and Sara have so far done an extraordinary job to ensure that. I wish them all the best.
From Sale to Post Construction Experience – Updated: Changed to 3 Start as they went above and beyond to fix the Maintenace issues I am writing this review more than 1 year the handover to provide a full review of the whole experience. * Sale Stage 0/5 * We were initially very happy in this stage since the sales agent worked with us very well. However, we later found out that almost… Read more
everything that the sale agent told us before paying the deposit about the timeline, costs and the process was inaccurate. Just as an example, the sale team told us construction would finish mid-2022 but they finished in March 2023! Also, a feature that we were told by the sale that is no problem was rejected 1 month after the deposit. * Pre-Construction 0/5 * Unfortunately, things got very bad at this stage. Just to name a few of the issues: Got a Basix cost variation for over 20K (3 times their initial “conservative estimate” at the sale stage). We had to put in a lot of time and energy to force them to come back with a reasonable solution. Then, the plan was rejected by the certifier as they didn`t do a check before the submission which caused more delays. They initially proposed a fix that was very impractical. We had to push them to get one of their experienced construction managers to look and propose a solution. Then more delays because they “didn`t have enough drafting resources” to update the plan. We were also rushed through the design appointments to finish the selections in a short session without proving enough info or proper advice before or through the session. Not only they don`t give you good advice, but they also give you misleading info and they don’t let you bring a friend who can help. We also had problems with the contract and the variations which I will skip the details. * Construction 2/5 * We tried to put everything behind and stay positive for the construction, but it didn’t get better. We paid the initial deposit in May 2021, finalised all plans and contract before registration in Sep. 2021, and all approvals including bank commencement letter were ready in late Dec 2021. From Dec 21 to March 1st 2022 (key handover) is more than 14 months (just construction without flooring, driveway and landscaping)! It was also very hard to get updates on progress (or usually lack of it) as we often didn`t get the promised weekly calls usually because nothing was done. * Warranty 4/5 * The warranty manager was really a nice guy and helpful. He TRIED to fix everything. Paint, glass, window, and 2 leak issues were all fixed. The only one that they couldn`t fix even after multiple visits for over a year was the sliding door in the media room which was built so bad that they couldn`t fix it. * Summary * To be fair, many of the main issues like the delays, communication and inflated variations are not uncommon in the industry. But when we were signing up, they promised to do better than others and provide a pleasant experience with a reasonable timeline which they didn`t. It is hard but if you do a proper search (not just online reviews), you still can find a builder who communicates, offers flexibility, and delivers a quality small home in 9 months or less. This saves you a lot of time and tens of thousands in interest, rent and other costs.
Positive reviews
Thanks so much to Tim & Linda at Box Hill who made the beginning of our home building journey with MJH so FUN and EASY! The communication via email and text message was so prompt and helpful. All our questions were answered throughly and we felt that Tim and Linda were on our side in the process. Show details · 1
WOW I had no idea a home build could run so smoothly and efficiently. Our Construction Manager, James Evans has been nothing short of amazing to work with. He calls us weekly like clockwork to update us and ask if we have any questions. Since they started the build there has barely been a day they are not there working. So happy and so far so… Read more · 1
good. Everytime I drive past I am shocked at how much is getting done on a daily basis. Very happy we chose McDonald Jones and were lucky enough to have James as our Project Manager throughout the build.
It was a pleasure dealing with McDonald Jones Office in Box Hill. Extremely professional and nice, especially Tim Bowman. He was really helpful and always there for us. Made every step easy and smooth and addressed all our adjustments to the home design we plan to build. I also want to thank Linda. I am really grateful your nice persons. Much appreciated Show details · 1
Negative reviews
Beware of their sales process. It has now been almost 2 months since we engaged with the box Hill team. We received a call few weeks after our visit to the office. We were told that we can provide a quote or we have an offer to provide a free tender. Around 4 weeks now and every week our appointment to review tender gets delayed to another week.… Read more
Yesterday after 3 weeks delay, we decided that the free tender scheme is a scam. After providing all the documentation, this builder does not know what to do so we gave up thinking if this is the process before the build. We wonder how it would be while construction. I have built few houses in the past to release something is wrong here.
Hi Sameer, It is disappointing to hear this… Read more (+2 replies)
Unprofessional pre construction work – Ongoing issues with the pre construction phase, after the house design was completed and signed off. MJH now advises that we require an approval from Sydney Water for the main sewer line on the side of the property. Clearly this should have been the first thing MJH to complete? Dealing with MJH project team is highly unprofessional, frustrating… Read more
and never keeps us informed until we chase them. Just today, they went ahead and changed the plan and submitted to Sydney Water without any consultation with the owner. I’m not happy with their service to date.
Hi Dolly, we will organise for the team you… Read more (+3 replies)
Find out how McDonald Jones Homes NSW, Box Hill compares to other Project Home Builders
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Very disappointing – We had issues from the beginning until the end. We still have not moved in. Very poor management and poor work. The paint on the door frames has a gloss finish in some parts and a matt finish in others. The workmanship is very poor and disappointing. We have our own painters repainting to fix MJH mistakes. The paint used is clearly leftover from… Read more
previous jobs and is not the correct Taubmans colour that is stated. We will not be recommending MJH to anyone and we regret paying the last installment as we have paid for something that we did not receive. Shame on you for allowing this to happen
Hi Rana, We'd like to investigate this… Read more
Recent reviews
Throughout the process of creating our new home, our building and design consultant was extremely helpful and made the process very smooth, I strongly recommend McDonald Jones Homes to anyone. Show details · 1
We’re in the early stages of building our home with McDonald Jones, and the experience has been exceptional. A big part of that is thanks to our design consultant, Sara Arnold. Her deep knowledge of design, construction, and aesthetics has guided us every step of the way, making the process smooth and enjoyable. We couldn’t be happier with the support and expertise she’s provided. Kerrie and Ken Show details · 1
(Pre-Construction - Sales) I cannot speak highly enough of Sara and the exceptional level of customer service she provides. From the very beginning, Sara has been incredibly attentive, patient, and genuinely committed to making the entire knockdown-and-rebuild process as smooth and stress-free as possible. She went above and beyond at every… Read more · 1
stage—answering every one of my questions (no matter how small), providing clear and honest explanations, and ensuring I always felt fully informed. Her transparency and professionalism gave me complete confidence, and it’s rare to find someone who cares so deeply about both the process and the people involved.
If you are considering a knockdown rebuild, I highly recommend working with Sara as your building and design consultant. Her knowledge, responsiveness, and dedication truly set her apart. An absolute standout in the industry.
We have had the pleasure of working with Sara Arnold at Box Hill guiding us through our first McDonald Jones build. She has been patient, knowledgeable, organised and willing to listen. We are moving forward with a Knock Down Build and can't wait to see the end result. Show details · 1
We recently dealt with Jade and team at MacDonald Jones and we were incredibly impressed with the whole experience . Jades attention to detail, product knowledge, as well as her easy to relate to nature made the potentially stressful experience stress free. I will recommend MacDonald Jones as well as Jade going forward as we were incredibly impressed with our experience 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 · 1
McDonald Jones won us over thanks to the impressive display homes in Box Hill, the wide range of product offerings, and especially our sales consultant, Tim Bowman. Tim’s efficiency and helpfulness have been truly exceptional. From our very first questions to ongoing queries even after moving to the Project Coordinator, Tim has always been… Read more · 1
readily available and incredibly supportive.
He's excellent at his job, and we'd absolutely recommend him to anyone considering building with a volume builder. We've now completed our selections at MyChoice Studio and are looking forward to seeing our upgrades come to life in our new home, expected by next June.
I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the MJH Group team, especially the Box Hill office, for their outstanding support during the pre-construction phase of my home. A special shoutout to Tim and Blake, who truly went above and beyond. They took the time to deeply understand my requirements and worked collaboratively to develop a design that is… Read more · 1
not only highly functional but also exceptional in terms of value for money. Their patience, attention to detail, and ability to translate ideas into a practical layout made a real difference.
I genuinely appreciated their transparent communication and willingness to offer suggestions that enhanced the overall design without compromising on budget or style.
Tim and Blake’s professionalism and customer-first approach gave me the confidence that I’m in the right hands, and I would happily recommend them—and MJH Group—to anyone planning to build.
Warm regards Vivek
Find out how McDonald Jones Homes NSW, Box Hill compares to other Project Home Builders
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Sarah was a tremendous help to us. She provided the best option within our budget and was incredibly supportive throughout the process. She’s always reliable and never lets you down. Show details · 1
We approached Sara Arnold and her team at McDonald Jones homes to get information on the show home that we were interested in. Firstly our concerns were the cost of building such a home and whether it was going to be affordable for us. Sara made us feel comfortable and proceeded to give us information about different options. We went away with… Read more · 1
information and brochures to study and returned to continue the process. All questions were answered then or answered within a short space of time. Communication by email was attended to promptly and the steps of the build process explained. We had several follow up meetings where questions were answered and knew ones raised. We then signed up with McDonald Jones feeling they would be able to build the type of home we wanted. We have not yet started to build but this will happen as we decide on getting started.
My home is now at lock up stage and looks amazing. I am very impressed with the attention to detail and the quality of workmanship throughout all stages so far. The systems that MJH have in place are robust, as at every stage, they quality check the trades before they move on to the next trade which in my view minimises the room for error. A big… Read more · 1
THANK you to my site supervisor James as he has a great eye for attention to detail, always polite , and very knowledgeable.
Excellent – It was a pleasure to work with Vincent at MJH’s Box Hill office. I have built multiple homes with some of the other high end builders but the experience of working with Vincent was beyond my expectations. So different from the mannequin like consultants in some of the other builder’s offices. Extremely polite, respectful, highly knowledgeable and… Read more · 1
keen to listen and trying everything possible to even accommodate my difficult to implement ideas. Most of all the efficiency in communication to make sure that everything is done as per our requirements involving the whole MJH team and other stakeholders. I would have given a seven star if it were possible :).
Above and beyond expectations! – Working with Vincent Klein and Sara Arnold was an exceptional experience from start to finish. They guided us through every step of the process, ensuring we considered all important factors and took the time to make us feel completely comfortable along the way. Their dedication and professionalism truly stood out, and we couldn’t be happier with their support. I highly recommend working with them. Show details · 1
Great experience so far!!!! – We have just recently started our process with McDonald Jones Box Hill and could not be happier with the process so far. This is our second build in 5 years our previous build being with another company. So far it has been such a smooth easy process with Sara and Vincent. Sara is always very responsive to our emails and a pleasure to deal with. We… Read more · 1
made changes to our layout which was such a simple easy process for Sara. We look forward to moving forward with our build process with McDonald Jones.
Smooth sailing with MJH Box Hill team – I'm currently in the pre-construction phase of my project, and I'm thrilled with my experience with MJH so far. Working alongside Vince and Sara (HomeWorld Box Hill) has been an absolute pleasure, as their prompt and effective communication has made the process smooth. Vince's team has provided invaluable expert guidance on regulations and… Read more · 1
customised floor plans to meet my requirements. It's reassuring to know that they're committed to being with me throughout the entire journey, ensuring my vision transforms into reality.
MJH's display homes have remarkable designs that maximise space to create elegant and functional living environments. Their structural warranty and studio access enhance value and confidence in their service. Based on my experience, I will recommend MJH to friends seeking a dependable, skilled, and customer-oriented team for their home-building journey.
Starting our McDonald Jones journey – From the moment we entered McDonald Jones display home in Box Hill we felt extremely welcomed and acknowledged - which is something we did not feel from anywhere else. Sarah was there on our first visit and she did not hesitate to answer all of our questions. This hospitality continued when meeting with Vince who also was extremely welcoming and… Read more · 1
helpful with going through the details of our home. They both were happy to adjust our floor plans several times, which in our past experiences we have found builders to be hesitant in doing so. They have also been available at all times for us to ask questions or clarify things, which they made sure to tell us that it is no bother for them and they are happy to do so.
Hermitage Grande Pre Construction – Vince Klein and Sara Arnold have been instrumental in helping my husband and I design our dream home. Both Vince and Sara have been incredibly responsive to our every request and have made the initial experience as stress free as possible. Show details · 1
Great Experience – Tim Bowman is an exceptional professional consultant, his knowledge of the building/drawing plans is great and he has always been happy to help us over and beyond throughout the entire journey. Tim has been extremely diligent, responsive and very patient with answering all our queries, he has played an important role in our decision to go ahead… Read more · 1
and build with McDonald Homes as he has helped us fit/ incorporate reasonably everything that we wished to have in our new home. Dealing with Tim has been a stress-free experience, and we definitely recommend him. Happy Customer
A customer's experience – The experience with Tim and staff has been very professional,, enjoyable and they went out of their way to accommodate the requested changes we asked for. Looking forward to the build. Show details · 1
Prompt and efficient – I am very happy with the service I received so far. I found Vince and Sara very prompt and helpful throughout the process. Any variation I asked for was accommodated in the design in no time. All my questions were answered properly with explanation. I am happy to recommend them to anyone. Show details · 1
Fantastic – Extremely happy with progress of our new home, San Marino Classic. Our SS has been excellent and construction is moving along very quickly! SS has been in regular contact with us and very approachable and willing to answer any questions we have Show details · 1
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Hi Farid, We are disappointing to read… Read more