Escape Homes

Add your review

Reviews (2)

• Billy T

  Oneflare review

  28 Jan 2022

  I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH!!!! DO NOT USE THEM. CURRENTLY IN THE MIDST OF A SHITSTORM. UPDATE 28/01/2022: JESUS CHRIST!!!! went past the house on Tuesday night. First thing we noticed they RENDERED the whole front of the house. When it's stating in the contract that there will be brickwork on one side, it's interesting because our neighbour said he requested that but was denied by the developers. Today they told us it was "approved" by the developers, not sure how true that actually is? I haven't seen anything in writing and to put it simply I don't trust their word. Meeting with them today was pointless as selling ice to a Eskimo. They tell us it nothing can be done. My thought is how can you let it be done in the first place. Clearly reading and listening is not a essential skill of being a builder. The last time we met with the MD and site supervisor (if you can call him that), this so called supervisor advised us he would like to be there to oversee any work done as quality control. GOOD JOB on the quality control mate. Today the MD didn't bother turning up, must be attending to other shitshows. So we get the construction manager who says he needs to see what kind of compensation they can offer but suggested maybe a black garage door....mate I can paint a door black, I don't need your builders painting it something they think is black. So the construction manager says he'll go back to the office and see what they can offer. Mate I just want you to fix your stuff ups. Simple!!! UPDATE 9/11 - It took them almost two months to tell me the correct windows are 3 weeks away. Not sure why they couldn't tell us this every other time we asked. All we've got is delays after delays. Every stage there are defects that need to be rectified. Our latest inspection returned a 70 page report, long list of defects in the brickwork and framing, as well as outstanding defects yet to be rectified. We had a re-inspection done when the plumbing and wiring was done, ONLY FOR THE PERSON THAT WAS SUPPOSE TO FIX IT TO CALL ME AND ASK HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE!!!! MATE YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT TO DO. After more delays and zero movement, we had to escalate the matter for a more senior person sent on site to oversee the work. Let me tell you about the WINDOWS!!!! We signed the contract stating to have double glazed windows fitted. The windows arrived after the slab was laid and well before the frame was set to go up. So the windows sat on site for some time. After the frame went up, the windows were fitted promptly. We went on site to check the progress of the build and noticed the windows that were fitted WEREN'T DOUBLE GLAZED. We didn't mention anything for a couple days before emailing asking them they don't look like double glazed windows, which they confirmed it wasn't and said the right ones were ordered but the wrong ones were sent. SERIOUSLY?! Your building supervisor didn't bother checking them before fitting them? The building supervisor is that incompetent that he didn't bother checking the correct windows were delivered before fitting them. Bear in mind the windows were sitting in the building site for over a week before they were fitted. ALSO, WE'RE THE ONES THAT HAD TO TELL THEM THE WRONG WINDOWS WE'RE INSTALLED. HAD WE NOT SAID ANYTHING ESCAPE HOMES WOULD'VE JUST LEFT THE WINDOWS IN THERE AND TAKEN THE MONEY AND SAID NOTHING. This is the same building supervisor that took it upon himself to decide whether it was necessary to have termite protection on your home regardless if you paid for it or not. WHICH WE DID!!!!!! Now that the wrong windows are fitted, they keep telling us the supplier can't give an ETA on when the right ones will be delivered. All we get is "we will let you know when we know". This was brought to their attention on the 17/9. Anyone want a list of the poor work feel free to get in contact with me.
• Zoe

  Oneflare review

  28 Dec 2016

  I have built my first home through Escape Homes. I am a first home buyer, young and built this home by myself on one income. I mention this because it was one of the main reasons I chose Escape Homes, a fixed price package which included everything – landscaping front and back, driveways, blind etc all the things I would not have had a spare 10k to put in after I had moved in. I also was going to be renting out 3 bedrooms as soon as I moved in to help me with the repayment. As I didn’t have a budget that could blow out, I was very strict on how much I could spend and be loaned from the bank, so fixed price was essential to me. Originally I signed up and paid a deposit with Porter Davis, this was a complete nightmare and I refused to sign the “fixed price” contract that was $35,000 more at my contract appointment and after a few weeks of complaints I got my non refundable deposit back. Anyway.. I have built a 4 bedroom, 2 living area, 2 bathroom home. Overall I LOVE my home, I love the included extras that are SO expensive with other builders, I love that when I moved in everything was done and I love the options I had to chose from to create the exact home I new I wanted. Its easier to do a list of positive and negatives and neutral to describe my experience I feel. Positives When they say fixed price, they mean it. Not once did I EVER get hit up for an additional cost, unless I asked for something extra, and even then the price they gave me for an added extra like the double basins, double shower and 3 stacker door were really well priced. Site costs are included in your price, no matter what they find. I had Dean Holder as my initial sales assistant contact. He was excellent, I would constantly email him saying “how much extra for if I do this” “can I make this room bigger” “can I add this” “what about this and that” and usually on the same day he would reply, if not the next day. Everything he priced for me was the exact price that it cost and everything he told me was included, was actually included. Although the selections on offer at the color appointment may be slightly smaller than your large scale builders, I felt the choices available were what would have been an “upgrade” with other builders. I new how I wanted my house to look and the colors and choices available were all on offer. I upgraded my kitchen splashback tiles to a marble tile look – it looks amazing and cost $80 extra. I liased with Joanne at the Escape Homes office, she was great and happy to answer your questions and get back to you with information from the builders. The finishes in the home are good, what you would expect for a volume builder, I only have a few small cracks in some bulk heads which will be fixed during my maintenance inspection. I have had no other issues with anything in the house so far. The downlights this company use are amazing, they are flush with the ceiling, bigger than your standard downlight and offer great lighting, all included in the price, nothing extra. Stone bench top looks great and kitchen is a great design. The slightly higher ceiling than your standard do make a nice difference. PRICE! The price you pay for a ready to move in house is actually exceptional. Yes there are some fallbacks with this company, but at the end of the day you come away with a beautiful, well made and nice looking home, which would cost you 40 – 50k more with other builders (if not more) and believe me I did the maths. Neutral: I was told a home of my size would take around 16 weeks to build, it ended up taking 25 weeks, but that is pretty standard really. Sometimes there would be no work done at the home for a few weeks at a time, no idea why, and no communication to advise you of this unless you ring and keep asking. Negatives: Escape Homes is very competitive up and coming builder, they are a smaller scale builder and are becoming very popular, because of this they do have limited staff members and are very busy trying to keep up with increasing demand. Unlike most builders, you do not usually meet or have the contact details of your site supervisor. You do not get weekly or fortnightly updates on the progress of the house, you need to ring the office and ask for updates. Although my landscaping was nice, I had chosen a drought tolerant package and was given a list of plant types to chose from, I choose plants that suited the style of my home. On installation of the landscaping I noticed the plant types I had chosen were not the ones installed, I was told they plants they put in are seasonal and what was submitted on the signed plans wouldn’t be installed. Slightly annoying but ill change it myself when I get around to it. Sometimes the communication is lacking between the builders, the office and the contractors. Not everyone is on the same page with what is going on and sometimes mistakes are made or information gets lost. On a positive, once an issue is flagged it does get rectified.