Porter Davis Homes

I'll keep this succinct and objective. My wife and I have been very patient throughout the entire build process, and given Porter Davis plenty of time to perform their work as they are the "experts". However, the frustration of this build has got to a point where I think I need to warn others.

Summary:
Look else where for a business who puts their clients first and doesn't "disrespect the dream".

The bad:
- The worst communication of any company I've ever dealt with.. seriously. We would email them asking for an update, wouldn't get a response for a week, so I'll email again, nothing. We'd call, they never answer so we have to leave messages which don't get returned. It's a viscous cycle. You'd think after spending $500,000 they would at least answer an email or phone call once a month.

- Contractually they are supposed to supply a practical completion date, but they don't (see bad comms above). Since the build is running way behind, we're now in a situation of potentially being homeless as our rental lease is finishing soon.

- Without our attention detail and advising our site manager of mistakes during the build, we wouldn't be close to the house we had designed and paid for. I think we have saved Porter Davis a lot of $$ by letting them know early in the process of mistakes they had made.

- There is another couple of large outstanding items that are going to cost Porter Davis a lot of money to resolve regarding the fitment of incorrect external doors. It's too bad they have already painted/rendered the outside, as that will all have to be pulled out and redone. I guess if they had communicated more regularly with us it wouldn't of occurred.

- Roof tiles have literally fallen off the roof, which is a concern as we've had a bit of rain. Can't wait to see what water damage has been done internally.

- Overall lack of attention to detail and poor communication very worrying and I feel very nervous about handover, whenever that might happen.

With our Site start happening this week everything is getting very exciting. So far our experience has been positive and we cannot be happier with the wonderful service and expertise we have received. From our Building Coordinator to the Tender appointment and Contract signing we have experience friendly and knowledgeable staff members. Thank you to everyone! We can only hope the rest of our experience with PD is the same.
Permit Number: 15181/2019/000394/0
Building Coordinator: [name removed]
Site Supervisors Name: [name removed]
Contract No: PE126762

So far we have had a great experience with porter davis
They have communicated well and the affordability to build our forever home was surprising. Alot of extras at reasonable prices to achieve a beautiful home we can be proud to own. We are at frame stage and its been all systems go. Looking forward to getting it finished and enjoying the process So far

From the beginning to the end - what I had was dealing with lots of dodgy things. After contract signed, there was a change of facade due to the sales Admin didn’t check the developer guides. And I must pay extra $2800, then when the colour was picked, there was extra eaves return to pay as low as 70 dollar just to get extra eaves return and couples of bricks for $2000. The building coordinator was the worse, shes saying she didn’t know about building which means locked your mouth “don’t ask me, I don’t know”. She also didn’t check my package has included the render of facade for free so she contacted me to get approval for extra charges. She’s just trying to keep charging me anything.

I just feel better to cancel, but after I cancelled the deposit wasn’t returned due to payment of sales commission of $4500.

Total of $10,500 deposit was returned only $2200. I didn’t ask the whole deposit but why would I pay sales commission when the build is canceled? Ridiculous! At least amount of $6700 out of $10,500 should have been returned. Spoke to the building manager, his name is [name removed], he’s so adamant. He didn’t return calls on time and delaying from days to weeks. It feels like I’d better take what they offered or get nothing.

We are very much happy with the progress of our building so far.
Right from the start, there was a good communication.
We were always updated on time about the progress of the building.
Our site supervisor and the building coordinator were always available to answer our questions.
we were always informed about what works are going on and how it was progressing.

BC Name: Morgan
Supervisor: Blair

We are so happy with our first PD house, as well as they have a great range of houses to choose from according to our needs. So we decided to go with PD for our second house too.
[name removed] our building coordinator has been very professional, friendly and reachable at anytime.
We were allowed to visit world of style show room as many times as we wanted and received professional help in selecting materials. Great range of products to choose from. We already had great inclusions included, so that we didn't need to upgrade many things.
[name removed] our onsite supervisor has been keeping us updated about every progress. We were invited for a site visit and shown around with very detailed explanation about progress until now.
So far everything has been happening very quick and on time. With framing stage completed, brick layering has commenced now. We are very excited and eagerly waiting to see the end product.
Very big thank you to all the PD team for a smooth journey so far and hoping for a smooth journey till the end.

The 2nd time i've built with Porter Davis and once again they have come up trumps.
My building coordinator Kathryn was very professional and easy to deal with in the process. Any questions or queries were answered promptly and made the contract process very easy.
Blair was my onsite supervisor and was excellent at his job. He gave me constant feedback weekly as to what was happening with the build. Blair was exceptional in organising of getting things done on time. Any minor issues were quickly sorted out without stress. I'd recommend anyone to build with Porter Davis. And i wouldn't hesitate myself if i was to build again.
Love my new home!
Thanks Porter Davis.

Communication during build was poor with more than 6 weeks passing at some points with absolute no communication with site manager and not much progress on build in this time.

The first phone call i had with site manager was him swearing over phone about how pd office were wrong in telling me they could raise portico to allow for higher ceiling height that was in our contract.

Site manager promised that the excess bricks left over would be left for me but soon after this they disappeared with him claiming they were taken to be recycled.

My building coordinator must have changed about 6 times over the build. Each time they were new to company and soon left pd which is not a good sign. This meant that each time I had to explain what had happened before.

Brickie made massive hole 6ft by 6ft in plaster wall. I insisted that this wall should be replaced with a new plaster sheet, however, Porter Davis refused to do this and insisted they could just patch it up.

They will also fight over technicalities in contract. One of many examples of this is where our contract said decorative cornice in public spaces. Porter Davis argued the corridor down middle of house is not a public space and refused to install decorative cornice.

Many points on my independent inspection report were simply ignored.

Installed wrong colour splashback but refused to believe that it was mistake

Only one water tap installed near laundry door when contract says Porter Davis will install two taps. They say that as existing water tap in front yard they do not need to. Not happy with this as means no way I can water half of garden.

They also fought over damage to footpath that had obviously been caused after they started build.

This list goes on. I'm sure no build is without problems and I cannot compare porter Davis to other builders as this is first time I have gone through building a house. In any case i would not choose them again if I ever do it again.

Very poorly managed build. Apparently, according to the building coordinator, there was paperwork mix up between PD & Barwon Water which resulted in a delay in construction by ~3- 4 months. Another delay lasting a month occurred immediately after slab stage.
As for the workmanship, it leaves a lot to be desired;
1) The bricklayer was just messy with the bricklaying & his work space was just deplorable too.
2) After we moved in, we noticed the garage roof was leaking & ceiling probably damaged.
3)Cracked roof tiles were noted
4)Water coming into the garage from under the door
5)No door seals
6)Excessive noise from footsteps on first floor experienced when on ground floor( This could suggest absence or insufficient sound proofing /poor laying of floor boards)
7)Broken stairway rail
8)Foul smell coming from shower drain
The list is endless
Dealing with Porter Davis has been a very frustrating experience for me and my wife from contract signing stage to post handover. At the moment i do not have a building coordinator to address a pending issue with SRO

Building my house with Porter Davis was a nightmare.

I found a few defects after I moved into my house in November 2018.

1. Kitchen and Laundry sinks are leaking.
2. A number of downlights are not installed properly and the cover plate is not attached to the ceiling.

On 22nd Nov, I have emailed my construction supervisor, [Name Removed] and told him about these defects. On the same day, he replied and told me he that he will arrange plumber and electrician to rectify these issues urgently.

I waited almost one month and still hasn’t hear anything from anyone. On 17th Dec, I have sent my construction supervisor a text message and asked for the status and didn’t get a reply.

On 30th December, I sent another email to him and his manager replied me and told me that he was on leave and will contact me on 7th Jan.

I didn’t get any email from him on the 7th.

I received an email from him on the 8th and he told me that I should contact RACV Emergency Assist to resolve the matter myself.

I’m furious as he didn’t tell me that I should use the RACV service in the first place. He didn’t even explain this service to me during the handover.

I made a complaint about this and a customer service manager, [Name Removed] replied my email.

She told me that [Name Removed], the plumber and she has made several attempts to contact me to resolve the issues. But I didn’t hear anything from anyone until 8th Jan.

I told her I’m currently in overseas and won’t be able to allow plumber come to my house to fix the issues now.

She told me that Porter Davis will not be responsible if there are any consequences as a result of this issue not being addressed in a timely manner.

My concern is that I have given my construction supervisor more than enough time to arrange someone come to my house and rectify the issues.

Between 22nd Nov to 8th Jan, no one from Porter Davis has contact me.

If my issues have been handled in a timely manner in the first place then I won’t have to make repeated attempts to contact Porter Davis just to fix these outstanding issues.

I’m simply not happy of how they handle customer after built completed.

We are half way through our build and we have been happy with how Porter Davis handle the building from the beginning through to this stage.

We signed up our build with [name removed] and she was fantastic. We asked a lot of questions before we signed the contract and [name removed] always go above and beyond to find out the answer for us.

Our building supervisor was always onto her role and kept us updated about the progress and expected wait time. Although there was a bit of delay on the council approval but that definitely wasn't the builder's fault. They have worked very hard on getting that sorted for us. She communicated very well and still keep in contact with us every now and then although we have been transferred to the building team for a while now.

I am glad that were allowed to go in to visit the World of Style showroom multiple times prior to the color appointment. The showroom is open on weekend so it is a convenience for someone like us who has to work five days week. We were taken through very diligently through the color appointment day. Almost everyone we met in the showroom has strong designer background which makes our decision making a lot easier. I just wished that we were allowed two days instead of having to rush everything in one day as it gets too much at the end of the day and were confused the next day as to what we have chosen through the day. Good thing is, the PD will come back to you and remind you to decide on things that you put on hold/pending decision in the next few days.

Once we settled our land the PD team has acted quickly on getting a building permit for us. From memory we got our permit approved by the council and transferred to the building team within 8-10 weeks of the settlement of our land. We are about 15 weeks into the build now and we are now already on lock up stage. I can't thank our site supervisor enough for always keeping us updated regardless of whether we ask for them. By far everyone in the team the we have dealt with has always communicated very efficiently. We made request to bring our contractor in to quote for the driveway and fencing and PD was also happy to accommodate the requests.

Although building with PD wasn't our first choice and was in fact more costly as compared to the options we had on hand at the time, I am glad that we took a sharp turn. Everyone in the team has been very professional and knowledgeable. Thank you!

We would like to congratulate the Porter Davis team, [name removed] (Sales Consultant), [name removed], [name removed] (Building Coordinator) & [name removed] (Site Supervisor) on providing us with an unforgettable experience in building our first home.
Being first home buyers, we were extremely unsure of what to expect from this journey however, the team was extremely knowledgeable and helpful in guiding us in the right direction.
[name removed] had an excellent understanding of what we wanted in our first home and provided us with professional opinions/options, leading us in making the right decisions in terms of floors plans etc.
[name removed] and [name removed] were extremely professionally in completing all the behind the scenes work and their communication was spot on. They were both able to clarify any uncertainties we had with regards to our build in ways that was extremely easy to comprehend, especially as first home buyers.
Finally, [name removed] and I couldn't have asked for a better site supervisor. [name removed] was constantly keeping us upto date with everything in regards to our build. Even the simplest text message was appreciated as it made us feel more involved. She was extremely flexible in meeting us onsite and taking us through the different stages, whilst advising us on what to expect.

Overall, we are over the moon with the amount of professionalism displayed by this particular team. They treated us fairly and with respect and we couldn’t have asked for more. So once again thank you [name removed], [name removed], [name removed] and [name removed] for making our first home a reality!

Contract NO: AX123851

I wish to thank the entire Porter Davis team who have helped us through this journey. A qualified team of professionals assisted us on various aspects at different stages of the building works. Also, it was amazing to have access to interior designer showroom through PD as it had literally everything we needed to choose in one place. I would like to thank our PD building co-ordinator for her support and advice too. She carefully studied our requirements and spotted things that we missed to include in the contract (in relation to plumbing and electricals) Our site supervisor communicated clearly on the status throughout the build period. He made sure that the house handover took place prior to the proposed completion date for which we are pleased. The quality of the build is great and some minor fixes were addressed after the handover. PD build is definitely the best!!! Keep up the good work PD team!!!

Our first home is 1 month from being completed and we could not be happier with our choice of home and builder. Porter Davis have been amazing from our initial sales quote all the way to our home build. Being first home buyers, we didn't have great knowledge of the process/ building and any dealings that we had with Porter Davis team members was very easy and they were always helpful with answering any questions we had or providing us with information. I have often heard that building can be stressful, but this has been stress-free and such an exciting journey. Our Building co-ordinator has been amazing along the way, as well as our site supervisor. We are grateful that we chose to build with Porter Davis.

Building a new home is always a journey from start to end. The journey is often daunting and overwhelming, but choosing a good builder makes it easier and Porter Davis is a wonderful home builder. With Porter Davis, the process is laid out from start to end, so you have an idea of the steps and the timeline of the build. You move from picking and customising your floor plan, to choosing your house's interior and exterior look and feel, to construction and inspection at each milestone stage, and then to completion and handover. So the plan is set clear by Porter Davis.
Helping us through the build process was our building coordinator and site supervisor, as problems arise or if we had any questions we contacted them. Having a good building coordinator and site supervisor made the build much smoother as any issues were resolve capably and promptly. Though our build did run over time, to which Porter Davis compensated us for it, we preferred our build be done right then to hurried and finished on time.
In the end, we cannot be more pleased with the home. Porter Davis' build quality is fantastic, with some minor fixes need after handover, which were done promptly. Its been a worth wild journey, made easier with Porter Davis.

I wish to compliment the great quality work, design, workmanship and professionalism by Porter Davis. This is the first house I've built with Porter Davis and they have been supportive, knowledgeable and understand what I wanted for my first home. I was happy to receive the regular updates by their project team and handled every queries and concerns that I raised to them like a true professional. Well done and thank you Porter Davis!

From the first time my wife and I walked into the Porter Davis display home, we were very impressed. First with the layouts, designs and décor of the homes, then with the amazing customer service of the sales team. [name removed] in particular was excellent in his service, knowledge, kindness and in particular his genuine care to want to help us build our dream home. The World of Style appointment was fantastic with every department being very knowledgeable in their field and helping us make some great choices for our home. Our home was part of the Lifestyle range and came with many great inclusions so only minimal upgrades were required.

Porter Davis were able to identify an issue with our building envelope early on which needed to be amended after titling of land. They were able to work with us and thanks to the promotion where our build price was locked in for many months, we weren’t out of pocket because of the delay. Once our envelope issue was finalized in July 2018 and we were ready to kick off the build, there were a few moments where communication was lacking and we went through a few frustrating days waiting for an update on the progress of our build. The time between titling and commencement could have been shorter in our opinion. However, our Building Coordinator [name removed] was able to get us back on track and provide the information we required and everything fell into place in September 2018 when our dream home began construction.

Once Porter Davis established on our site, the progress they have been able to make over 2 months has been amazing. [name removed] has been an excellent Site Supervisor as he is always contactable and providing updates weekly. From what we have seen so far, the build has been of great quality and any issues we have identified have been fixed promptly and without question.
We are currently at the fixing stage of our home hoping for a completion date in February 2019. We cannot wait to see our house finally completed after many years of planning and waiting.

Thank you for a smooth ride Porter Davis and Respecting the Dream so far!

My house is one month from being completed And everything has gone according to plan Porter Davis was very helpful through the course of my house being built
I'm so happy with everything this is the second time I have built with Porter Davis.
Porterdavis has not only a extraordinary team but amazing customer service.
Thank you again
[nam removed] and [nam removed]

From the first contact with a representative of Porter Davis, the process has been smooth and stress free.
The knowledge held by the sales representative about the townhouse and its inclusions as well as the build process made the first conversation one I left empowered to make a decision on whether to buy. I knew the costs, what I was getting and a pretty accurate time frame.
Once construction commenced, communication was regular and accurate.
It was heartening to visit the site each weekend and see an army of workers pushing the build ahead.
Most pleasing was the PCI; I arrived armed with a checklist of things to check only to discover the site supervisor had proactively identified items to be rectified (admittedly these were relatively minor defects compared to what I had experienced during my previous 2 house builds).
To sum up, the whole experience has been one with no surprises, no hidden costs, and excellent communication.
Well done Porter Davis!

The build was managed very good by build supervisor and thanks to his quick updates I’m very satisfied, also the build quality was of high workmanship and great team work.
There was no issues through out the construction just went as planned!
The final price became a little above budget however it was totally worth it when we selected some uprgrades thanks to the help of our building directors.
Me and my family would love to thank Porter Davis and the team that worked truely hard to build our house, Thank You!