Beechwood Homes NSW

In October 2023, I entered into an agreement with Beechwood for the construction of my home. As part of this arrangement, I paid a deposit of $11,000 with the understanding that work would commence promptly and progress would be steady. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. Beechwood's salesman at their Box Hill office was commendable, offering reasonable pricing and flexibility in design amendments. However, the planning and design team have proven to be extremely slow and inefficient. Over the past two and a half years, we've had to consistently push them for every minor detail, as they seem unable to handle simultaneous activities or take a proactive approach. Responses to our questions, clarifications, or requests for small design changes can take anywhere from four to five weeks, even with our frequent follow-ups. Without our persistence, these matters would likely be ignored indefinitely. The salesperson, who initially promised control over the process, appears to have no influence. Despite their promising words, actions from their staff are lacking. Moreover, the frequent changes in staff have required us to repeatedly explain our project from the beginning, leading to numerous errors and lost data, including colour and appliance selections. This has been a frustrating and exhausting experience, leading me to consider terminating the project multiple times over the past two and a half years. However, I've refrained from doing so after taking some time to reconsider. The remaining journey with Beechwood seems too long, and I find myself lacking the energy and time to continue. The planning process has been delayed by over two and a half years, and the estimated costs have increased several times. It feels as though Beechwood relies more on customers' deposits than on building houses, as we rarely see reviews from customers who have received completed houses. In summary I have wasted my money and two and a half years of time with Beechwood for no outcome.

My recent interaction with the Beechwood Head Office Building Department has prompted me to write this review.  I was not happy to be told that my information is no longer available and they could not tell me who installed my shower screen.   When I built my house, I dealt with the Shoalhaven office and I found everyone there friendly, professional and helpful and I felt that Beechwood chose their staff very carefully.   The Shoalhaven building department has now been closed and enquiries are redirected to head office. (I wonder why they would be downsizing)?? I redesigned one of their plans to create a separate area for Air BnB accommodation so there were a lot of changes.  I never waited longer than 2 weeks to get a quote for a change.  I did not receive a price increase during the tender period and the pricing was consistent (if I wanted more of the same thing it was priced at the same rate).  I felt they were honest.  In around 12 months the house was through council and under construction.  I felt the price was good because it included lots of things e.g. floor coverings, burglar alarm, window fly screens, really nice stainless steel floor grates to name a few.  AND IT  WAS A  SOLID CONCRETE SLAB NOT A WAFFLE POD.  My brother had heaps of problems with his Allworth waffle pod slab cracking and displacing tiles. I'm glad I waited 6 years to write this review because most of the problems have surfaced over time and now I'm a bit sick of sucking it up and fixing problems myself.  Poor quality Chinese products have certainly reared their ugly heads.  Issues needing attention: I made one room a bit bigger and ended up with a light switch almost in the middle of a wall??? Front Door The front door was not finished to show home standard or to the sample shown to me at colour selection .  The varnish is uneven in colour and the frame around the glass inserts was not sanded before being varnished so looks and feels rough on both sides of the door. There are some varnish runs on the inside of the door.  The paint bleed where the varnished door jamb meets the white internal door frame was never fixed.  My front door looks like cheap crap.  Its a big job that should have been done right the first time!!  The only improvement made was to paint over the numerous areas where varnish had splashed onto the painted walls but they didn't remove the varnish slopped on the floor...  I did that!    Kitchen Explosion/Flood A short time after moving in I decided to start using the fairly ineffective water filter.  There was an explosion so loud that I couldn't work out where it had come from.  After checking inside I went outside to see if the gas water heater had exploded and noticed water running outside from under my garage door.  I then found that the water filter under the kitchen had failed and my kitchen, media room and garage were all flooded.  I still had boxes in the garage waiting to be unpacked.  Among them were blankets, linen and my mothers embroidery, crochet, wedding dress, school books and other things of sentimental value, all wet!!  I had fans drying the carpet for 4 days, the kickboards in the kitchen had to be replaced along with the media room door.  The media room door was replaced with a door that had an orange peel texture, a sparkly appearance which doesn't match the door jamb or the other doors.  I was not compensated for damage to personal items, inconvenience or the cost of running 3 drying fans for 4 days.  It was found that the VORTEX PLUMBING incorrectly installed the O ring.   The shelf covering the void behind the cupboard above the fridge fell down because it was held in with silicon. Ensuite and Bathroom When I first moved in, I noticed that the ensuite shower was not sealed between the bottom of the shower frame and the floor leaving the edges of the tiles exposed on two glass walls.  They put an ugly white strip of silicon on the brown floor tiles that also had brown grout.  A few months later the door jamb to the ensuite went discoloured and so soft you could leave a mark with your fingernail.   They came out and replaced it.  A couple of months later the same thing happened again but this time they filled the bottom of the door jamb with silicon and cosmetically fixed it.  At no time did they investigate where the damp was coming from.  I wanted it to dry out properly and prevent a mould problem so I didn't use that shower for 14 months  ...  Thank goodness because the white strip on the floor didn't meet the underside of the shower screen or seal the open edges of the tiles on both glass walls.  I had to get my brother to seal it properly by filling it with silicon and fitting a metal strip to cover the 10mm gap and make it look professional. VORTEX PLUMBING wanted to charge me $500 for a back-flow valve to a bidet shower.  The shower head already had one so I refused and he capped off the hot and cold water and it is now behind the wall.   Recently, I had a bad smell in the bathroom.   In the process of looking for the source, it was discovered that this shower screen was installed with the same care as the one in the ensuite.  The area under the shower door had no silicon sealing the edges of the tiles, in fact, there was a hole at one end  so big I could insert a biro pen.  I contacted the Home Building Advisory Service and they told me that a 7 year warranty is not really 7 years.  Its 6 years on the important stuff like the frame, leaks etc and 7 years on the things that don't matter.  Who'dve thought!!  They advised me to contact Fair Trading because my 6 years finished in a month.  I told Beechwood I had spoken to Fair Trading and they sent someone to fix it.  The smell has gone now so I wonder what muck is festering behind there. Both shower screen door knobs have degraded to such a state that they look unsightly, have come apart and have sharp edges.  I realise that the knobs are no longer covered by warranty and I wanted to know who installed the shower screen so I could find out the hole size (apparently they can vary) and get new knobs or have them come and fix it.  I asked ISABELLA  MULTIPLE times over a SIX WEEK period  ...  nothing.  I went into the local show home and asked Brett to chase it.  He got back to me 2 weeks later and said they can't find anything.  Surely, the Tax office requires them to keep records of what they pay contractors for 6 years.  It should be easy to get the accounts department to check who their supplier/installer was at that time.  NOT BEING GIVEN THIS INFORMATION WAS THE LAST STRAW FOR ME AND THE CATALYST FOR ME TO SPEND HOURS WRITING THIS REVIEW.  THANK YOU ISABELLA !!!  I spent nearly $250,000 and I don't appreciate being ignored even though it was 6 years ago.  The exhaust fan in the bathroom was totally ineffective because the shower cubicle is in the corner of the room and has 3 ceiling height walls.  The fan is located in the centre of the bathroom and was not powerful enough to draw the steam around the corner and into the fan.  It was replaced with a much stronger fan and it does the job perfectly but cost nearly $500 plus installation.  The wall at the end of the bath should be a glass panel that finishes short of the ceiling.  That would allow good air circulation and light into the dark cubicle. The vanities are not like the ones in the show homes as I expected. I was disappointed because they are the type with a very narrow bench and the sink bulges out at the front.  The storage is limited because the shelves are only 22 cm deep and the plumbing takes up most of the cupboard space.  The draws only open 14cm - very inconvenient.  The bathroom could take a full size vanity with no changes and the ensuite could have been rearranged to fit one in.  If this had been pointed out to me I would have upgraded.  Instead I have useless vanities. Both showers have a crappy plastic splash guard on the bottom of the door which discolours and looks dirty even if its clean.  Its a PIA to replace and clean.  Go to Bunnings, buy the piece of plastic, measure and cut twice because a piece needs to go on each side of the hinge on the bottom of the door and then try and get it on to the door.  Even with a hairdryer to soften the plastic its a PIA to get on. The steel around the vanity sink hole in the ensuite has corroded and the pin that sits in the cradle of the sink grate is rusted so I expect it won't be long before that fails and the sink won't hold water. The $400 Caroma shower rail in the ensuite broke the 4th time I used it.  There was no point in replacing it because it was junk plastic painted silver.  The Caroma soap dish on the shower rail in the bathroom also broke after about a year.  When I went to replace it, the cost was $50  for a bit of plastic which will not perform any better than the original one so I didn't bother replacing that either. I have built houses before and never had to replace fittings/hardware so early in the life of the house. Kitchen Exhaust Fan Quite by accident, I noticed that there was no air coming out of the vent in the eave when the kitchen exhaust fan was on.  I investigated and found that the tubing in the roof was poked under the insulation.  Its an offence to vent unfiltered kitchen air into a roof cavity because the grease builds up and becomes a fire hazard. They  came out within a couple of days and "fixed" it ha ha!!   About 3 years later I decided to replace the noisy, junk Omega exhaust fan with something quieter.  While installing the new fan it was discovered that the tubing was still not connected to the vent and had been ducted into the void above the kitchen cupboards.  It became obvious that it was impossible to vent outside because a roof beam was stopping the tubing from getting past.  A chunk had to be cut out of the beam.  I wonder how many other Beechwood homes have the same design oversight.  I paid $1,000 to have the kitchen exhaust fan vented outside and ended up having to do it myself to make sure it was done properly!! Outdoor Showers I have 2 outdoor showers and the plumbing was supposed to be hidden behind the wall.  When I asked the supervisor why VORTEX PLUMBING did not do this  he said the plumber didn't have a long enough spout.  (That would be correct).  That's no excuse, especially because you have to pass Bunnings to get here!   Beechwood did supply 2 stainless steel covers which I was quite happy with until I realised that they have to be cleaned regularly because chlorinated water leaves the same milky stains as it does on a glass shower screen.  Not maintenance free as planned!! Paint The painter did not use a drop sheet in some areas and paint spray was particularly noticeable in the bathrooms on the cisterns, toilet lids and seats, light switches, power points and vanity handles.  It was difficult to remove. Outside painting of the plastic pipes was sloppy and hit and miss.  No primer undercoat was used so the paint hasn't stuck very well to the plastic downpipes and is easily damaged. Brickwork Fairly mediocre but really poor in some corners especially the one you notice right near the crappy front door.  The brick cleaning was a very poor job. Internal Doors Some of the internal doors became loose and the screws had to be replaced with longer ones. Lots of the corners of the doors were damaged and had to be touched up with paint and a couple were replaced. Roof Tiles I thought it was my imagination that one of the roof tiles looked a bit crooked until my neighbour mentioned it.  He went up and had a look and found that the tile was broken but there was no obvious sign that it had been impacted by something i.e. no branches or debris and no large trees nearby.  He replaced the tile for me because it was due to rain again.  When I checked inside the roof space you could see where it had been rained on before. Floor Tiling The tile laying was a good job.  There's the odd high tile that makes it a bit difficult to move furniture but I've never tripped on any of the high tiles.  The floor tiles in the hallway, kitchen/family room, laundry and 2 bedrooms chip easily, just by dropping a knife or pot lid.   My friend dropped her laptop and it was ok but the floor has 2 big holes in it now.  Where I sit at the dining table the colour has worn off the tiles just by the action of a light timber chair moving on it.  These chairs are cheap and nasty and very light.   The bathrooms are also a good job and I have never chipped one of these tiles.  I have a decorative strip of tiles in both shower cubicles that holds water and grows mould from within the tile, not the grout.  I have recently let it dry out and applied a sealant.  I am waiting to see how effective it is. Water Tank I had a lot of trouble with the pump waking me up at night, turning itself on and off when nothing was being used.  It was like pulling teeth to get a service person from KINGSPAN to come.   Eventually they did a service call and didn't fix it!!  This was another thing I just sucked up.   I turned it off before bed and on when I needed to use it the next day.  After about 6 months it magically fixed itself.  It needs to be flushed and cleaned every year depending on how often it rains.  It automatically tops up from the mains so I wonder how much water it really harvests from the roof.  $12,800 for something that only collects water when it rains and doesn't achieve anything in a drought.  It also uses electricity every time a toilet is flushed, the laundry is used or the garden is watered.  I wonder how that's environmentally friendly.  I noticed recently that the bottom of the tank where it is bonded to the side walls which sit on the slab have developed bubbles.  I expect to have problems with this soon. Building Certifier In my opinion, its a conflict of interest that the tradesman who does the work also certifies his own work.  That means he is not working for you.    Vortex Plumbing certified their own work and clearly it was not a good job. The company that did my electrical work also certified  their own work and ticked off the oven and cooktop as being installed but they were not.  I supplied my own appliances and I had to get my own electrician.  They did installed the kitchen exhaust fan but didn't bother to vent it!    My advice would be to employ your own building certifier (person who inspects the work at critical stages to make sure it meets building legislation requirements)  and get a building inspector to inspect the house on completion to pick up poor workmanship and things that may have been missed or broken during construction.  I really wish I had done a building inspection on completion. I had thermal glass in all the doors and windows.  I love it.  In summer I hardly ever use the air con.  I open the doors at night and cool air fills the house and I close the windows and blinds during the day and it mostly stays cool.  In winter I do the opposite.    Lastly, if you make changes to the plan or delete something, check the final account.  I saved a couple of thousand dollars in changes that didn't go ahead but weren't credited to my account.  I hope this has been helpful

We did not proceed with building with Beechwood however, our experience was still great. Tracey at Beechwood Warnervale assisted us with answering all of our questions and helping us with the tender. We highly recommend having a look at the houses there and having Tracey assist with your build!

For over 8+ months I tried to get a contract with Beechwood Homes (NSW) - Wetherill Park. All the time, they kept delaying me. Their MD even said they cant give me an indication of when they will build. I think this is the sign of a builder going broke, so please heed my advice and look elsewhere. All the time, they will blame: 1. lack of trades in build area (why even offer a tender then????) 2. dealing with authorities - e.g. iCare for Home Owners Warranty Insurance when they didnt even apply for the HOWI policy 3. Lies and excuses 4. dont provide a contract as they wait for prices to go up, who knows why they treat customers this way Honestly, AVOID AVOID AVOID!!

Mandy was most helpful and very efficient with our change to the plans and organising costing. We have built with Beechwood several times and they always deliver a good product. We highly recommend them to family & friends.

I recently have decided to build my home with Beechwood Homes and Brett Pollard was assigned to my build. Brett has been more than helpful through every step of the process. He is always available and answers any questions I have, this does not change whether he is at work or on a day off. He has always picked up the phone and helped with my enquiries. I could not recommend Beechwood Homes or Brett enough and I am excited to move on to the next stage of construction with this amazing team!

I have been in and out of display homes for a number of months. I found that Brett Pollard in the South Nowra display home to be friendly, professional and found he generally cared and listened to our needs. Nothing seemed hard and he was always engaged. In my opinion with the way Brett held himself, I would have thought that he was a manager or even an owner of his own business. Highly recommend Brett Pollard to help with the needs of building a new home with Beechwood.

Brett Pollard at the Nowra office has been my sales rep in my Beechwood building process. He has been extremely helpful, always polite and friendly on the phone and quick to respond to my millions of emails. Building a house can be stressful and sometimes I think we forget the people on the other side are trying to help us. I certainly have appreciated the calm and efficient way my sometimes stressed requests have been dealt with by Brett. So far I am happy with my Beechwood experience and hope the building process is supported just as well.