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Sarah Homes
FaceMetropolitan Adelaide, SA
- 3 reviews
- 4 likes
- Verified customer
Last minute contract variation without any notification, discussion or clarification provided
We have been through an exhaustive process or looking at designs, committing to a build and getting a loan from the bank. We started in September 2020 and signed the contract early December. There were a number of variations before we could submit a bank pack for the loan. We finally get the loan approved, notification that we have 2 of the 3 council approvals and prepare to commence the build when out of the blue another contract variation comes in for additional costs and no explanation. After my husband made two phone calls which went to...
Read more voicemail to clarify why we suddenly had a contract variation with no warning and no details, I requested clarification via email on exactly what the variation now included to explain the additional costs which had not been factored in. Five days later, we are still waiting for someone to get back to us. There seems to be a lack of accountability and coordination with different people involved during different parts of the process and everyone operating in silos with no one taking responsibility. Very disappointing and losing confidence quickly.4 comments
Hi Jaye, I have been trying to get a response from head office ie. Mile End. That appears to be the problem! No-one is able to help or take any responsibility to follow-up or provide clarification. ...
Read more The contact person doesn't respond and no-one else is either willing or able to help. There is no point in referring people to the very area that has the silo and lack of follow-up.Jaye S.Sarah Homes
Hi 'Face', I'd really like to assist you and help you get a clarification on the contract variation however your user name on this website doesn't give me any information to identify you. Please conta...
Read morect our head office and ask to speak with me so that we can find a solution for you. Kind regards, Jaye- Verified customer
Outside Warranty Time Frame Update
Part 2. Thank you Sarah Homes for rectifying my concern. Now fully Compliant and functioning well.
It is unfortunate though, to get a result I had to resort to writing a review...Please in the future follow-up concerns and treat them with proactive rather than a reactive response. I am sure future positive reviews will follow...Kind Regards. Gregg
Other Home Builders
Unhappy JanSouthern and Hills, SA
- Verified customer
Poor quality very disappointing
Had issues from the start with contractors they used for soil testing, 3 visits to site before they got it right.
Had a couple of different building supervisors who were both very ordinary were told at handover we were being to fussy about paint chips in windows and sliding doors which sat in site for 6 months in the paddock and were moved several times by the builders.
They neglected to tell us we needed to order a linen cupboard, we had the cuddly but no cupboard. In the end they would only go halves in one and I had to fit it.
Fast forward f...
1 comment
Jaye S.Sarah Homes
We are concerned to hear that you are having these issues. Please contact our head office so that we can find a resolution for your concerns. Kind regards, Jaye
Find out how Sarah Homes compares to other Home Builders
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- Verified customer
Not worth the money
I was willing to accept a subpar selections process, hoping the build would be better. Whilst initially it went OK, towards the end, the cracks literally began to show. 8 months on and now we’ve had to lodge a complaint with business and consumer affairs. We were handed over a house that was not compliant - it took them 3 attempts to get it right and luckily the council had our back on this work. We were lied to by the sit supervisor and building manager. We still have defects such as cabinetry coming off of the walls, skirting boards coming of...
Read moref, the floor is dropping away in one of the rooms. All requests for maintenance have been ignored. I have contacted multiple people from the company - All have ignored us. I wish I had listened to the bad google reviews. Whilst the floor plan is functional, I would never choose Sarah Homes again. All new builds will have issues but the least a consumer expects is communication and being ignored once payment has been made is really disappointing.2 comments
Jaye S.Sarah Homes
Hi Clare, we are sorry that you dont feel we are responding to your concerns. Our Construction Manager has attempted to contact you several times this week, could you please return his call or contact...
Read more our office on 8301 8333 so that we can discuss your concerns? Kind regards, JayeFYI for those reading this review. We had a building manager come out and promised rectification. We still don’t have resolution. It’s something that could be fixed with a few trades and be done with ...
Read morein a day. I’ll be engaging legal support now as I’ve lost any faith I had left that Sarah Homes would complete their work. Happy to answer questions for potential buyers/builders and explain our experience. The house plans are good but that’s as far as it goes.- Verified customer
Great Build! Very happy with the outcome.
We were overall very satisfied with the planning and build process with Sarah homes. The initial consultations with Carmen Wright were excellent with her thorough processing and eye for detail. The planning and documentation stage lagged somewhat with at times frustration with Head office not getting back on details and queries emailed with sometimes long delays and the need for direct meetings at the office. However, the build itself went well, with great liaison with the site supervisor Richard Jones. His helpfulness and ability to solve conc...
Read moreerns was great. Further, the speed of construction was right on schedule with the quality of workmanship generally good. We were pleased with the finishes and the final result was wonderful, topped by the build occurring within budget and on time.1 comment
Jaye S.Sarah Homes
Dear Hans & Fiona,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience of building with Sarah Homes. We are very glad that you love your new home and enjoyed the process with Carmen and Richard. We...
IJZMetropolitan Adelaide, SA
- Verified customer
Run, just run
We had all of the site management problems that other 1 star reviewers have mentioned, however, it has now been just under 18 months since we got the keys and...
- We have had to go to Tribunal to have significant structural issues fixed (Sarah would not return phone calls or emails). After Tribunal found in our favour, the problems were fixed.
- We are now going through the first round of "regular maintenance" and every (I do mean "every") maintenance person is finding significant problems; airconditioning vents not connected in the ceiling sp...
1 comment
Jaye S.Sarah Homes
Dear IJZ, we welcome all constructive feedback on our process and the homes we build. However, we cannot link your claims as stated to any client or job handed over in March 2019. Nor are we familiar ...
Read morewith any Tribunal process as declared in your review. Please contact us on 8301 8333 to discuss your concerns as the claims made in your review are very concerning to us. Regarding your suggestion of fake or misleading reviews, whilst our staff regularly choose to build with Sarah Homes we do not request or accept reviews from them as we believe this would be a conflict of interest. Reviews included on this site, are unbiased and unincentivized reviews from Sarah Home clients. Regards, Jaye- Verified customer
Beach House Build
Our initial meetings with our New Homes Consultant were extremely positive. My husband and I were "new" to the building process and Mark Taylor was well-informed, efficient, very helpful and personable. The workmanship and build quality was excellent. If we had any issues, they were resolved in a timely manner. Our final cost was a little over our estimated cost, but was not anything the builders would have forseen at the commencement of the build. Thank you Sarah Homes.
1 comment
Jaye S.Sarah Homes
Hi Irene,
Thank you for taking the time to review Sarah Homes. We are so glad to hear that you have enjoyed the the process of building with us. We will ensure that your feedback is passed on to Mark....
Kaye W.Southern and Hills, SA
- Verified customer
The absolute best process from beginning to completion.
My build was managed in a professional friendly efficient way, on a strong base of two way communication.
The workmanship throughout the process was of a very high standard. The complete build ran on time and in some cases early and I have had no issues since completion. My build stayed on budget and the team at Sarah Homes were extremely enabling and supportive throughout. Mark Taylor was my first contact and working with Mark set up the entire home layout. Liz Thamn guided me through the selections process, the standard range of fittings and ...
1 comment
Jaye S.Sarah Homes
Hi Kaye,
Thank you for taking the time to write a review for us. We are so glad that you are happy in your new home and that you found the process efficient and professional.
All the best, the Sarah Homes team.
Other Home Builders
Colin Rowsell
- 2 reviews
- 3 likes
- Verified customer
Best Consultant Ever
After a devastating house fire left me without my home of 30 years, Melissa Stanton made the process stress free and as seamless as possible. From the design process to selections. We designed a spectacular home while taking into account practicality as well as resale and value for money. She gave me some good tips and assisted me in sourcing my own flooring at a competitive price. Kirby in selections was a real sweetheart and very patient. My site supervisor Jake was a professional, approachable guy. He was always available when I had a query ...
Read moreand amended any issues immediately without hesitation and found solutions to a electrical issue I had. I am really delighted I chose Sarah to build my home. Being in my 70s, I didn't want to stress and fuss over my home. They delivered a well built, quality home for amazing value at lightening speed! Thank you to the whole team!1 comment
Jaye S.Sarah Homes
Hi Colin,
We are so glad that you are enjoying your new home and all the special touches that Melissa put into the design. We are glad we were able to build this home so quickly for you and get you re...
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Game BailyMetropolitan Adelaide, SA
- Verified customer
Absolutely wonderful people!
Everything from contacting the New Homes consultant to the way she handled contracts, build deals, and any statements that we may need more elaborate information on were spot on! Our New Home Consultant was and is extremely helpful in every way we could possibly imagine! My partner and I are very happy to have her as our New Home Consultant! If I may drop a name, her name is Melissa Rowsell. Just an amazing woman to get the job done!
1 comment
Jaye S.Sarah Homes
Dear Game,
Thank you for taking the time to review Sarah Homes. We are so happy that you & Chris are pleased with the process of building your home with us. We look forward to getting started on site ...
BrettSouthern and Hills, SA
- Verified customer
Easy to deal with
We have built with another large volume builder and had many problems .We were very pleasantly surprised when we started building with Sarah homes every aspect was dealt with professionally and effectively. This was a investment property and when we went to sell was sold on the first day listed for sale the purchasers loved the quality
1 comment
Jaye S.Sarah Homes
Hi Brett,
We are so glad that you are happy with your decision to build with Sarah Homes. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and we hope that your end purchasers are also happy wit...
ianMetropolitan Adelaide, SA
- Verified customer
Better than we Thought!!!!
From our first contact with paula of Sarah Homes in victor harbour she guided us through the process and listened to our needs for our new home and came up with ideas and plans that suited our needs an excellent representative for sarah homes would recommend her to anyone.Then onto the build our supervisor (Jeremy) was excellent the finished product was exactly as we envisaged and maybe a little better than we expected he listened to our issues and acted on them accordingly as did we to him, he went above and beyond with his help for our solar ...
Read moreneeds recommending an excellent local company. We are currently in our 90 day any issues period and there are no major ones to report so far, as for costs they are what we planned for so all in all i would recommend the team from sarah homes we had to anyone .1 comment
Jaye S.Sarah Homes
Hi Ian,
Thank you for taking the time to review Sarah Homes. We are so glad that you and Diane are enjoying your new home. It looks beautiful and we are sure you will enjoy the quality of it for years to come.
Best wishes, the Sarah Homes team.
Kevin cMetropolitan Adelaide, SA
- 2 reviews
- 1 like
- Verified customer
Great to build with
The whole experience was great, from the time we spoke to mark at the display home to the end product, we could not have asked for better, no problems at all and no cost blow outs, thank you Mark Taylor for your tips that have made our home perfect and Jake the supervisor for keeping everything running smoothly, you employ top tradies
1 comment
Jaye S.Sarah Homes
Hi Kevin & Elaine,
We are so glad that you are happy with your new home and that you enjoyed the experience of building with Sarah Homes. We wish you many happy years in your new home.
All the best, from the Sarah Homes team.
Tess JohnMetropolitan Adelaide, SA
- Verified customer
Our perfect experience with Sarah Homes
Alex Stender was so thorough with the planning process helping us to turn our minds to things such as the window structure, benchtop top size and lay-out. As we were building a beach-house he also helped us get the best sea views by designing the balcony with the best angles. He thought of everything & made the whole process enjoyable without any hidden surprises. The price was exactly what we were quoted. He is trustworthy, honest & reliable always keeping us informed every step of the way. The building & construction phase was seamless. We were given our building supervisor Jake who kept the project on time & to a high standard. The building was completed in the timeframe suggested. We could not be happier with the finished product.
1 comment
Jaye S.Sarah Homes
Hi John & Tess,
Thank you for taking the time to write this review and give us your feedback. We are so glad that you are happy with your new holiday home, it looks beautiful. We hope your family enjo...
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- Verified customer
Very happy with our new house
After getting mucked around by another builder, we came to Sarah homes to get our dream home built. The build was completed in record time and we are very happy to be in our new home. Leigh was very helpful and made sure we understood each part of the contract and inclusions before we signed it.
1 comment
Jaye S.Sarah Homes
Hi A & E,
We are so glad that you are happy with your new home and enjoyed the process of building with Sarah Homes. We wish your family many happy years in your home and thank you for taking the time...
Find out how Sarah Homes compares to other Home Builders
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Joanne H.Metropolitan Adelaide, SA
- Verified customer
They promised and they delivered
From start to finish the team at Sarah Homes worked really hard with me to help our dream beach house be created.
When we were first deciding on the block of land Lauren sat with me for over an hour going through design ideas to ensure we could build something we’d be happy with on the block. She even drove past the block and contacted the council to get some preliminary checks done. This gave me the confidence to enter into the contract to buy the land.
There were 4 owners of the property which was tricky to handle with the design but Lauren p...
- Verified customer
Poor customer service, worst build experience I have experienced in my building history.
Poor management of build.
Workmanship sub par.
Many hand over issues which were never fully resolved.
Hand over was delayed multiple times meaning loss in rent for months.
The company doesn’t want to know about you once they have received all their payments.
GeoffMetropolitan Adelaide, SA
- 4 reviews
- 2 likes
Poor quality work and customer service
The main problem was that the site supervisor by his own admission, seldom attended the build. So the quality was very bad because there was no-one supervising it. Eventually we had to go down to the property every week, find the defective work and email the site supervisor who would seldom respond. So many of these problems were still there at hand over time when they were not eager to fix them. One of the worst was that the roofing iron was not attached to the roof joists in one area and it had also not been cut to size. So iron was just flap...
Read moreping in the wind. When I raised it with the site supervisor at one of the hand over inspections he asked how I found it. I told him that I had climbed a ladder. He stated "I don't do ladders". I need to mention the painting. Very poor quality paint used and very poor quality painters. I had to repaint the entire interior of the house. The other big issue was the upstairs floor. We contracted with an Adelaide based company to install a wooden floor over the structa floor in the upstairs area. Fortunately, the business owner came down to check out the structa floor on the same day as our last hand over inspection. He found that the floor dropped by 10mm in the last metre before the window out to the deck, and therefore he could not install the floor in that area. So we pointed that out to the site supervisor who stated that he saw no problem with that and that the floor installer should just turn his floor around and run it parallel to the window. We and the floor installer almost laughed because it was so absurd. We reported the issue to the construction manager of Sarah Homes who stated that the issue was "within tolerance" and therefore we would have to pay to have it corrected. More threats of legal action and finally they agreed to pay for a tiler to level the floor. I have never understood how a floor can drop away like that and not be picked up by a site supervisor. Eventually, they told us it was finished. It wasn't. We hired a building consultant who found a lot of incomplete or sub standard work. We gave Sarah Homes his list plus those items that we had found. They told us that they had addressed all of those issues and that we could commence the hand over inspection. Eventually,we had three hand over inspections because they would lie to us and tell us that they had fixed everything, only for us to find when we arrived that they had barely addressed any of the problems. We finally resolved that by telling them that we would be deducting the cost of our wasted time from the remaining amount that we owed them, and did so. The salesman told us that the build time would be around 20 weeks. The contract stated a maximum of 36 weeks. When we queried this we were told that the 36 weeks was only stated in case of unforeseen problems such as weather, acts of god etc. Fair enough. Once the actual build time approached 36 weeks without any unforeseen problems occurring and the house was nowhere near finished, we tried to communicate our concerns. Numerous emails and phone calls went unanswered. They even withdrew from the site for 6 consecutive weeks without any notice or explanation. Finally, we threatened legal action for breach of contract and that got some response. In the end the build time was around 39 weeks plus the abovementioned wasted hand over inspections.Nick SMetropolitan Adelaide, SA
- Verified customer
Good value for money!
Sarah homes did a good job on my first ever home. They helped me throughout the process of securing my property and the build itself. The sales consultant did a wonderful job creating and modifying the Drysdale 3E design to my personal specifications. The only fault I could find with Sarah homes was the communication at the head office. There was only one time where I though the communication wasn’t the best. But after a while of hassling I got answers which explained the communication drop. Overall the communication with the builder and the si...
Read morete manger was awesome! The builder was an absolute weapon completing tasks quickly and building to a high standard. My site manger was excellent with keeping me updated and also following up on jobs that needed to be done in a quickly manner. At handover I was over the moon with how good my house looked and was pleased that it all came together well. Also the enjoyed the wine. Sarah homes is a great builder for first home buyers keeping designs at affordable prices and not keeping you in the dark with extra costs. I actually got a refund at the end of my build of approx. $2500 because provisional sums came in under budget. So I was happy they didn’t pocket this themselves. I would recommend Sarah Homes to anyone who is on a tight budget or just a first home buyer.- Verified customer
Our Beautiful Farm Home
Our entire experience with Sarah homes was excellent. From the initial design and modifications, their assistance with council variations through to the finished product. Site supervisor was excellent and any problems were quickly addressed and fixed. We were quoted a 20 week build and it was achieved in 17. Some of the things we love about the house is open plan, skillion roof, large family lounge, dining kitchen and independant kids area. We feel we have achieved an architecturally designed home from a spec builder. We now have the home we always wanted which utilises the views across the hills and blends in with the surrounding environment. Its like being on holidays everyday.
Questions & Answers
Andrewasked
How much difference is there typically from listed price and what people select? Is it possible to reduce the cost further from listed price? Interested in comments.
1 answer
Hi Andrew.
There listed price is just a guide. Increase your final price buy 25% and you'll be close to your final costing. Council energy requirements and there listed prices for a very basic low speck home.
Sarah28asked
What was the difference between quote price and actual contract price?
2 answers
In the subdivision that I purchased my block of land, the Local Council would only allow Sarah Homes to built onsite,
also they wanted me to install another window, before approving the plans for my home.
Therefore, I incurred extra costs of $2,400.00 to build onsite and $450.00 for a window to be installed, due to Local Council regulations.
I received two quotes for my home to be built, one without concrete piers, and one with bored concrete foundation piers, subject to the soil report.
With my soil report showing that I had to build my home with bored concrete foundation piers.
The difference between quote price, and actual contract price was $000.00.
The only difference in costing was what we asked for to be changed, however these were even out as we received a refund from the foundation cost.
Pat Burgeasked
How much did the final price at completion vary from the price when the contract was signed?
2 answers
Pat, Sarah Homes were on target with the final price. There were a few post-contract variations of our own choosing that we added ourselves.
F Harris
Sarah Homes quoted me a price to build a home without concrete piers, and with concrete piers (subject to the soil report).
But my block of land, had to have concrete piers installed, and Sarah Homes final price was exactly what they had quoted me.
Every owner deciding to build a new home, has to have their block cleared, and leveled, and these costs can vary. I was very fortunate that my block of land was very level, and I only had to have the vegitation (Weeds, etc.) removed prior to the concrete piers being installed, and the building work commencing.
The only extra costs depend on your LOCAL COUNCIL PLANNING APPROVALS, and REGULATIONS, as I had decided to purchase a Transportable Sarah Home, but my Local Council would only allow dwellings to be built onsite, which added $2,500.00 to my final price,
and The Local Council also wanted me to put in another window, which was a post-contract variation costing me another $350.00.
Amanda
Details
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Jaye S.Sarah Homes
Hi,
I'm sorry you are having problems with getting a response to your query. Could you please get in touch with us via our head office on 8301 8333 so that I can follow this up? Kind regards, Jaye