Stannard Family Homes

Two years to build from time of laying slab. Finishes were very poor across the house, including painting, rendering, tiling. Five months later, not one single defect fixed. Poor communication, lousy responses, they suck honestly. How they are still in business is staggering. Show details

The experience with this build has been deeply disheartening. From the beginning, communication has been lacking, and the prolonged silence—despite our repeated requests for updates—has left us feeling isolated and emotionally drained. It’s incredibly difficult to feel heard when no one responds, and the absence of transparency has only added to… Read more

our distress. There were long stretches where no progress was made on site, and when we raised our concerns about delays, they were dismissed without genuine consideration. We are now beyond the agreed contract timeframe, living out of Airbnbs with our two young children, trying to maintain some sense of normalcy amidst the uncertainty. This process has left us feeling completely deflated. What should have been an exciting journey has instead become a source of ongoing stress and disappointment. We had hoped for a collaborative and respectful experience, but sadly, that has not been our reality and we are still awaiting feedback after messaging and emailing.

Absolutely terrible experience. I went to Stannards looking to design a custom home. They outlined their "process" around an initial meeting to discuss ideas followed by concept plans and then a couple of meetings to iron out the details. Plus they offered to take us few a couple of "similar" homes to help us visualise room sizes. It sounded like… Read more

exactly what we wanted. So, we handed over $3,000 and then it all went quiet. Not a single meeting, no kick off meeting to discuss what we wanted,... nothing. In the meantime I put together my own plan to try and describe some of what we wanted. We got a few emails back with minor (usually silly) changes to my plans. On two of the three occasions these plans had rooms that had no way of getting in to them! These revisions came with no explanation other than about 5 words in a email and were hand drawn in highlighter. After 5 months they send me back my initial plans with a contract and basically said "sign it or leave". I had not put too much thought into my plans as they were meant to be something to talk around and they had gross errors - including a window in the WIR plus a whole bunch of other superfluous windows I had included to remind me to ask about what would make sense when I had a meeting with Stannards (which obviously never happened). After a bit of an argument where I pointed out about 25 errors in the plans they sent me new plans - with lots of windows removed but interestingly this do not change the price they quoted. At the very beginning we had spoken about the staircase we wanted and we were assured that was no issue as "every house has a non-standard staircase now". On our quote the staircase was not included and we were told this would happen at the next stage and "shouldn't cost more than $40k!" (noting this it was a semi-cantiliever staircase that Metricon offers as a standard upgrade at $14k). So, if you don't want to hand over $3000 for a design process that never happens then avoid Stannards. Perhaps they used to be good because they have some good reviews but basically the whole thing was one giant misrepresentation and we feel like we were conned out of our money. I have made many attempt to try to talk to the owner but our sales guy refuses to allow this to happen so perhaps he is lying to the owner as well, who knows? Also, be aware that their "fixed price contract" is not actually fixed price - it has an estimate for timber and steel so it is using a definition of "fixed" that is not consistent with what most people might expect.

Initially I was impressed dealing with [Name Removed] who was always answering my calls and providing answers to all my concerns. I thought I had chosen the right company to build my new family home. Little did I know it was all too good to be true. Once I signed that contract and handed over the first payment it all changes. The whole building… Read more

process, overall lack of build oversight, some sub-standard tradesmanship and poor & unfinished work. When being charged premium prices you expect an excellent finish, sadly this was not the case. When the tradies were onsite I would chat to them about why it was taking so long for them to do the job, and they would all said the same thing, Stannard homes are not organised, the materials are not always delivered to the job sites, they don’t pay the tradies when they should so the tradies stop work until they get payments. They then refuse to come back and finish the jobs. I had seen and spoken to 3 different companies who put up the exterior walls, 2 different electrical companies cause the first one walked out was tired of his name being tarnished. When quoting a fixed price, they committed to building my house in 7 months, this to me sounded amazing. As a single mum every cent counts right! Wrong I ended up having to sign 3yr lease, incur several rent increases, break the lease and pay more cost while paying for a mortgage. Almost sent me overboard. So, you tell me where’s the saving when signing a Fixed price contract…. There isn’t one. They will continue to use the excuse, lack of building materials, tradies, ect. But that’s not true. Houses were being built all around me by other companies. Tradies just don’t want to work for them. [Name Removed] built had his brand-new office building instead of worrying about his clients. The Queen Elizabeth hospital was built quicker than my little house. Post handover it has been an absolute battle to get them to come and fix the issues I have. They have a building report and continue to ignore my calls, emails, messages. I had an electrical plan, and their electrician wouldn’t even follow it. He looked very young and new to the trade, I’m not confident he even knew what he was doing. I’m still waiting for a PowerPoint and lights to be fixed/installed 1 year after being in my house. When doing the foundation, they had to pull down my neighbour’s fence as I was building on the boundary, they had pulled down more than what they needed too. I can see my neighbours come and go, and I can’t open my blinds in my bedroom unless you want everyone to see. It has taken 1 year to get 2 fence sheets put up. Cracked ceiling in the bathroom 2.5mtrs long, huge gaps above the door frames. The list goes on. Throughout the process communication was severely lacking, including via their online platform builder trend. Which if you use it, make sure you print everything and keep a close eye on your account. I had found several discrepancies over the time and had to point it out to them. I had also spoken to 3 different families who were building with Stannard homes at the same time as I was and they were all having the same issues. They are still having the same problem trying to get the builders to return to fix issues. I CANNOT recommend Stannard Family homes, they destroy your dreams. They will say anything to get you to sign a contract. All [Name Removed] cares about is making videos on the Internet warning you to stay away from other builders, when in fact all the red flags point to his company.

Very happy customers – We looked at bigger builders but got put off by bad post-handover service and the fact that site managers had around 60 homes to look after. A solar installer recommended Stannards so we had a look and were very impressed by their build quality and build time. They showed us through homes they were building and we met one of the owners who was… Read more

ecstatic about the timeliness and service. We signed up and now we have a beautiful home. Excellent quality from every trade and we had just a handful of tiny touch-ups at handover. A minor mis-communication due to change of site manager late in the build meant a few things weren't as chosen, but those rectifiable were fixed promptly and we let a couple go (downlights instead of batten light in entrance hallway and squared ceilings in some rooms instead of cornices). All our meetings were friendly and they were very helpful throughout the process. Zero conflict. We've been in the home 5 weeks and remain very impressed. Costs were as quoted and no surprises. Very happy to recommend this company.

Great experience, quality built home for a good price! – After starting the building design process with a mass project builder in Adelaide (Rivergum - which was a disaster, loaded with nothing but lip service and [Name Removed]) we signed on with Stannard Family Homes after meeting with the Custom Homes Specialist who impressed us with his enthusiasm, 'can do' attitude and transparency. We soon… Read more

realised the custom building process definitely suited us much better than the mass builder.

The house we built is a single story home of 280 square metres. The build was achieved in 4 months, during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was impressive in itself.

We were closely involved throughout the construction process. There were many regular opportunities to walk through the build with the site supervisor during construction and to adjust specifications/make changes. This meant that there were no 'surprises' at the end handover walk through, and any issues we could raise before it was too late to rectify (there were not many). We found SFH to be generally very flexible.

There were some instances where the site supervisor went out of their way to ensure the home was to a very high standard and seemed to care genuinely about finer details. He also picked up on some issues which we may not have been able to, and fixed them accordingly.

Communication was quite good, the staff were easy to deal with and we were able to contact the site supervisor freely and regularly. The CoConstruct app was useful, and helped the client see how far along the process the build was. The app has the potential to be even better if fully utilised.

There were some issues with clarity/version control of the documentation/specification and we suggest being very thorough when looking over these. However, after raising these concerns, senior management did advise us that their processes have been improved in this regard which is great to see that they take customer feedback seriously.

Overall, the build quality is excellent and the speed of the build we were very happy with. Coming up to the 3 month maintenance check and there are only really minor issues to raise with SFH.

The price was surprisingly competitive compared to what we thought it could be with a custom builder vs a project builder. At the end of the day, we are confident the value we have got from this build is far superior than what we would have achieved using the project builder.

Overall, we would recommend Stannard Family Homes if you are looking to build a home to a high standard and want to avoid some of the common pitfalls of building with a company who has thousands of builds on the go at once. The process with Stannards is more personalised and it felt like the staff were invested in the build and client satisfaction was really important to them.

Sub Division – We decided to subdivide our block and build two double storey homes, we knew this was going to be a challenge to engage the right builder for the job. Upon meeting Ryan and Phil from design to selections the builds were stressless. We had lots of communication and hands on knowledge which help make the builds stream lined. We didn't think the time… Read more

line would be met but to our surprise it was, no compromise was made in the builds. Terry was helpful fixing up a few issues but we are more than happy, we will definitely build our forever home with this builder. We loved Ryan's passion, Phil's enthusiasm, Terry's knowledge and the Warranty walk through with Anthony and Terry was professionally handled. We recommend Stannards for the personnel touch. Thanks Guys job Well Done . Steve and Sue Semaphore Park

Exceptional home and customer experience ....recommend to anyone wanting to build – The whole process with Stannards was nothing short of exceptional! Transparent throughout and communication and response times were second to none! Changes made throughout the build were minimal however anything that did require to be done was managed brilliantly. We shopped around before landing on Stannards as we felt partnering with a family… Read more

and boutique builder was the right fit for us and we nailed it! Time frames were amazing and if it hadn’t been for issues with the council it would have been even quicker, that said we are amazed that our dream home was built in the timeframe promised. A true partnership and genuine desire to build the home we hoped for, and the selections are genuinely deluxe resulting in a minimal spend for selections and yet a beautiful home. Thanks to Phil who partnered with us throughout the process, to Ryan who had amazing ideas and ensured everything was as it needed to be to the level of professionalism they pride themselves on, and to Terry who worked tirelessly to ensure everything was completed to perfection!

Fantastic Customer Service, Fantastic Communicators - Fantastic Home Builder – After building our first house with a mainstream builder and experiencing lots of tears and stress, we were almost put off from building again. Though after meeting Phil and going through the process with Stannards our experience with them has been nothing but amazing! From our very first meeting with Phil we got a strong impression that Phil… Read more

really wanted to work with us on building our second home. After outlining our vision of the family home we wanted to create and providing a house layout on a Word document, Stannards transformed our handwritten plans into a reality and created our dream home!

Phil, Ryan and Terry were all very accommodating along the way to ensure that received a good quality home. All the staff at Stannards are extremely flexible with multiple changes and choices that we inevitably encountered along the way and they double checked our selections along the way to ensure they were correct. If any particular style or accessory was not available then Phil was more than happy to find it for us.

Stannards are very professional and excellent communicators which was exactly what we were looking for in our builder. Having a one person contact throughout the whole process made a massive difference along with keeping up to date with the progress of the build. The care and attentiveness that Phil, Terry and the staff showed towards our house far exceeded our expectations and went way above good customer service.

I would strongly recommend anyone to build with Stannards to have a stress free and enjoyable building experience and we have already recommended Stannards to family and friends who are looking to build.

If we are ever in a position to build again then I would have no hesitation in using Stannard Family Homes. again.

Excellent Builder & Would Build Again With Them – We are extremely happy with our new home! When we first started looking for a builder, we didn't think to look at a custom home builder. The house we were looking at building wasn't huge and our budget wasn't high, so we thought why use a custom builder? After doing some research, we decided to have a chat with them. We were surprised to find… Read more

that our budget was more than enough and we were going to get a lot more than we first thought. Compared to the bigger builders, Stannard's was by far the best option.

What also worried us, was the stories you hear & read about where people are having to pay more money after the contract has been signed. We were pleased to find that Stannard's price was it and the only differences we would get, would be at the selection stage if any! Everything was included in the price given to us from day dot and we didn't pay anything more after that. All the staff were very helpful and nothing was ever too hard for them. They were always keeping in contact with us throughout the build and answering any questions we had. The Build time was very quick and the finished product was excellent.

We are so glad we decided to build with Stannard Family Homes and we would defiantly recommend them to anyone who is looking to building.

Excellent family home – Our home was designed to our requirements and we are very happy with the layout. Project management by Phil was well organised and excellent through out with regular updates and our queries quickly answered. Communication and contact with all staff at Stannard and trades people was friendly, open and helpful. A few minor issues have been… Read more

corrected or are in hand to be fixed. Quality of work is of a very high standard. House was built on budget and time. Time frame for the build was well with our expectations.

Exceptional customer service – I began discussions with Stannard Family Homes well over a year ago and my build is now in the process of construction. The service I have received from Phil during every step of the process, from part demolition of my current home, subdivision, pre-construction and now mid-construction has been and continues to be nothing short of exceptional. … Read more

He has gone over and above what I could have expected. Having had some preliminary discussions with other builders before selecting Stannard Family Homes, I am SO happy that I chose to go with Stannards. Nothing is too much trouble for Phil and he is always quick to respond to any questions I might have and offer suggestions. I am now looking forward to the build process going forward in the New Year.

Custom family home – My wife and I built through Stannard family homes and have been very happy with all services. They went out of their way to assist with all aspects of the build even when it wasn’t their responsibility. Would highly recommend as the quality is amazing and customer service was great. Thanks for a pleasant experience! Show details

Compact block with excellent practical house design – Using an existing house plan from other similar Stannard Family Homes we worked in consultation with the team and created a slightly modified design better suited to our requirements. Throughout the initial design drafts, interior selections, build process and subsequent build completion, we were kept fully updated. We would definitely consider… Read more

building with Stannard Family Homes and would recommend them to people contemplating building with them. It has been a great experience and we love our home. Thank-you.

Our Dream Home – Finding a builder that was willing to build our unique design within our budget was a challenge for us but the team at Stannard Family Homes were more than accommodating to our needs. Throughout the whole process, their excellent communication and availability to discuss any queries that arose gave us confidence and assurance. They are an… Read more

efficient, highly organised and approachable team who made our dream home in to a reality. They delivered a quality home and met our expected build time. We greatly appreciate the work that Ryan, Phil, Terry and all of their trades did for us and highly recommend Stannard Family Homes.

Excellent builder who was flexible and efficient – Ryan Stannard helped me choose a triangular block to build my special house. The land was purchased in October 2015, Council approval was gained before Christmas, the build started in February 2016 and I moved in late June. I chose to get the concreting and fencing done by others so I lived on a 'building site' for a few more months but the… Read more

Stannard team was very helpful in attending to the few tasks that arose in the next few months. The quality of the build was excellent and I would particularly like to praise the bricklayer and tiler, who each did superb work. Some of the admin team changed from my first meeting but I would like to thank Phil for all his friendly help.

Sadly I unexpectedly retired from work late 2017 and have moved back to Sydney but thanks to Stannard's my home sold easily because of its flexible design and high quality.

Our Dream Home Built by Stannard Family Homes – Wow what an experience the last 18 months has been, looking at multiple builders to build our dream home but as soon as we met with the team at Stannard we knew we had found our builder. the entire journey was full of communication and advise to help ensure we had all the information to complete our home. Once the design was over and the build… Read more

started wow it went so smooth and quick, the level of professionalism was above what i thought i could get out of a builder, the quality is amazing and the finish incredible. The team managed the build so well and everything just went like clock work, as they say it just making sure everything is scheduled and planned and boy was it, everything happened when it was planned to. The level of customer service and support in providing options and being open to what we wanted was great, we spoke so often and emailed the team felt like part of my family. i have so much respect and envy for what the team at Stannards do and how they do it. A massive thankyou to everyone involved and Yes i'm more than happy to recommend Stannard Family Homes

Love Our Home - Great Service – The whole building process with Stannard was fantastic. After meeting with lots of different builders Stannard stood out with there professionalism, great communication and nothing was to hard, and any phone calls or emails were answered without a problem. Our friends and family could not believe how quickly our house was built it was… Read more

perfectly timed with every trade.

The team were great to deal with from our first meeting with Phil who was very friendly and a great communicator. Wayne for bringing our vision to life with our design and Terry our Site Supervisor was fantastic and his trades.

We are very proud to have supported a local family business and couldn't have been happier.

Thank you Guys great work.

I would highly recommend Stannard Family Homes.

My Dream Home – I love everything about my house built by Stannard Family Homes. The whole process was exciting, watching it get built. Wayne helped me design my home to fit on my block and its perfect. We managed to get everything I wanted in it. The build is amazing and the detail and workmanship is impeccable. Thanks to Phil, Ryan and Terry for all your help, you guys are fantastic  Show details

We're really happy with our house and the service from Stannard Family Homes – We asked Stannards to build a home that my wife and I designed. Our design included many custom features which was always going to be tricky to convey and execute. Phil and Terry from Stannards worked extremely hard to ensure our home looked and felt the way we envisioned it. It just so happened that we had 2 groups of friends building at the same… Read more

time. We found ourselves sharing stories about our building experience during the construction. I'm very confident we chose the right builder as we have definitely had a more pleasant experience then our friends. One of the main differences being that Stannards are willing to listen and work with their clients. We had the supervisors number and he was willing to help us achieve our dream. A massive thankyou to everyone involved and Yes i'm more than happy to recommend Stannard Family Homes.

What an awesome company!! – I have thoroughly enjoyed building with StAnnard family homes. The whole process from planning to handover has been positive. Every staff member works hard and displays above average service. Nothing is too hard and they are very responsive to any communication. The quality of work from all their trades is high. Phil made sure timelines were on… Read more

track and details were accurate. When doing selections all companies were helpful and had a great range to choose from. They were quick to rectify any errors.

We did spend a lot of time researching which company would build our new home.

I am glad we chose StAnnard

They are an amazing team and I would not hesitate to recommend them to family and friends. With out a doubt I would build our next hone with them.

Thank you guys for making our experience a pleasant one.

Lovely Home – The build and quality of the home was excellent and although we had an enormous problem with a neighbor and a "tree " most obstacles were overcome by Stannards. The effort put in by Phil was above and beyond normal and in the latter stages by Paul. I felt that we were a little rushed at the end but it all came together rather well. We were a… Read more

little disappointed with the quality of the roller door and the inefficient air conditioner for the area. Neither of these items took away the quality of the build. Overall a good experience, would recommend.

Awesome home! Absolutely love it! – We have had an awesome experience building with Stannard Family Homes. Phil & Wayne and the team have provided great service pre-build and throughout to completion, the communication was great, they had a "nothing is too hard" attitude to any of our requests. Our home was built on time and on budget - Not 1 day over schedule, not $1 over budget!… Read more

very impressive! Even despite it being a custom home on an interesting block of land which provided many challenges along the way. Wayne's design works perfectly for our block of land, and meets our requirements perfectly for family living, so many people have said they've never seen a layout quite like it but it works so well!

It was very well priced for a custom quality home. They worked hard to help us meet our budget without compromising on quality or the features/upgrades we wanted. The build quality and quality of finish are very high, we are just blown away. Thank you Stannard for building our dream home so well! We love everything about it!

Not Adelaide's Best Boutique Builder Yet – Stannard Family Homes have a good product but not a great product. The rush to complete the job results in a poor finish and attention to detail, and at handover the home should be fully completed and sparkle. For example we could not have moved in on the day of handover as painters were still at work, the house was filthy, the site foreman was… Read more

lying on the back deck staining the outer boards etc. It took over a week after handover to have the stairs running off the back deck completed-in the meantime we had a 1.2 metre drop to the rocks below. The paint finish was appalling-the painters had painted at night (they advised 2am) and small black bugs were imbedded in the enamel finish around the window frames. Hopefully Stannards will use constructive comments from people who have built with them to take their product to the next level.