Boutique Homes

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We recently signed with Boutique Homes, and we couldn’t be happier with our experience so far, especially with Shaun guiding us through the journey. From the moment we walked into the display home in Aintree, VIC, we were impressed. The home was absolutely beautiful, it honestly felt like stepping into our dream home. Every detail was… Read more ·  1

well thought out, and it helped us clearly picture what our future home could look like.

Shaun has been incredible from day one. He is kind, approachable, and genuinely easy to talk to. What really stood out to us is that he doesn’t use flowery sales talk. He’s straight to the point, transparent, and explains everything clearly. At no point did we feel like we were being “sold” to. Instead, it felt like we had someone on our side, guiding us, reassuring us, and helping us make informed decisions.

He loves a challenge. No matter what ideas or design changes we brought up, even the ones that seemed difficult, he always found a way to explore options and make things work within our budget. From design ideas, imagination, and pricing concerns, he consistently worked with us to find practical solutions.

Building a home can be overwhelming, but Shaun made the process feel smooth and exciting. His professionalism, honesty, and dedication gave us confidence in choosing Boutique Homes.

If you’re looking for someone who will genuinely listen, guide you like family, and help turn your vision into reality, we highly recommend Shaun and Boutique Homes.

We’re excited for the next stage of our build journey! ✨

I purposely waited until my home was fully completed before writing this because a lot of reviews I read online only covered part of the home building journey, specifically the very preliminary stages. I wanted to share my experience from start to finish as a FHB. All in all from when I signed the HIA end of March 2025, it took 11 months until… Read more ·  1

handover. 6 months was roughly Pre - Construction but this varies from person to person.

Overall, I will say my experience with Boutique Homes was really smooth and positive. There were no major issues or disruptions during the build, which honestly made the whole process much less stressful than I expected. You hear a lot of horror stories from home building but I didn’t really experience any of it outside of the normalcy of questioning every decision I made during the process and contemplating later whether it was the right choice. I won't lie, pre-construction would probably feel like the most stressful and overwhelming if you set your expectations too high. You will be drowning in making decisions and signing paperwork; some weeks you'll receive a lot of emails and get updates, then others you won't hear nothing for a while. It will be the longest stage for sure for a good reason to ensure everything is good to go once they handover to the construction team.

The staff at Boutique are really incredible at their jobs. From someone who knew nothing about the home building, each step I took was provided with ample guidance and reassurance from the staffing team and any questions I had were replied, never ignored. I never felt brushed off and always got clear answers. But what really surprised me was the speed of construction. From the time construction started and my slab went down, my single-storey home was completed in about 4.5 months — I was genuinely blown away by how fast everything got put together especially as I thought it would take on average 6-8 months.

Please know, like any volume builder, they use a lot of different contractors for each stage of construction, and naturally skill levels can vary between trades. That’s not a Boutique Homes issue — I’ve learnt that’s how the building industry works. Because of that, I’d recommend getting an independent building inspector at every stage even it’s might be a bit out of budget or specifically, the earlier stages before the plaster is up if its too expensive. I didn't regret it and it’ll save you in the long run from all the headaches post handover, especially if its going to be your PPOR. It will gives you peace of mind and makes the process much more stress free that every stage is being completed to industry standard. It became the norm, that every report I received were pages long with items that needed rectifying. However, Boutique were receptive and cooperative whenever these items were raised, which I appreciated. They welcome the reports and actioned them every time without hesitation. I want to shout out my site supervisor, Michael, he really went above and beyond to address any concerns I had during construction, coordinating all the contractors and keeping me up to date and informed.

Be aware that once you sign off on your selections, they are basically final unless states otherwise. It may become very stressful and costly to change them afterwards and that's another trap I've seen people fall under. So make sure you're extra careful and think about you going to live in the space.

Overall, I’m really happy with how everything turned out and excited to have successfully made it to the end without any problems.

Professional and friendly staff: Some reviews note good communication, helpful consultants, and attentive service throughout the building process. Working through my home was a absolute a pleasure no dust everywhere was a clean and tidy job I’m happy with the end result Show details ·  1

Our KDRB process with Boutique Homes has been quite smooth so far thanks to the thorough and experienced team. Our New Homes Consultant Bill H was easy to deal with and made us feel well looked after. We also had a wonderful experience with interior designer Alicia M who we managed to get in touch with even prior to our Interior Design appointment. Show details ·  1

2nd Follow Up……Fixing & Waterproofing. I continue to give 4 stars, simply because there are ongoing little issues with the build. Overall, the build is going well. Josh is outstanding Site Manager, and the trades have been excellent. Darbecca’s Fixing & Waterproofing Report is 56 pages long ….. most of which is standard form information, but… Read more ·  1

they have identified more than 20 items for attention….. some more concerning than others. I am 100% confidant that these items will be addressed, if possible, but it is clear that the “volume build” process is to get things done, quite quickly, and then fix any identified issues.

We have zero complaints and the house is looking good. My hope is that, at the end of this process, I can give a 5 star rating.

We had an excellent experience during our construction project, and a big part of that is thanks to our amazing Site Supervisor, Nathan Cattenazzi. He has strong values, a great work ethic, and is very professional. Nathan always keeps us updated on what’s happening at the site and communicates clearly and because of him, our construction… Read more ·  1

experience has been stress-free. As he promptly addressed all our questions and concerns.

Nathan didn’t just respond to our queries; if I see something that was not installed from the initial plan he already addressed and resolve the issue ahead of time. His proactive approach gave us peace of mind, and he made sure everything went smoothly by coordinating the team well. He was always available for discussions and truly cared about our needs.

Overall, working with Nathan has been a fantastic experience. His dedication, attention to detail, and problem-solving skills have made a significant impact on the project. We genuinely appreciate his support and highly recommend him as a site supervisor.

The sales consultant is friendly and efficient, and gives us a lot of good ideas when doing the siting plan. There are small mistakes administration wise but that is acceptable. All the team members are easy to approach and open to discussion to all questions. The site manager is also keen to communicate and can get most of the issue solved even… Read more ·  1

though some could not be corrected at last. The quality is overall satisfying except some small defects. The time frame from PWC is approximately two years. I also recommended to keep an eye on every stage of the build with the team. Overall, my experience with Boutique Homes has been pleasant. Looking forward to seeing the warranty team in 12 months time.

Our experience with Boutique Homes has been nothing short of FABULOUS! Shaun has kindly guided us through each and every step so far. He has supported us through all of the questions we have had and the transparency was immaculate from start to finish. We were able to fit in everything that we wanted within our budget and were given guidance in… Read more ·  1

each process involved, making the decision to build with Boutique Homes easy and seamless. We would highly recommend Boutique to family and friends looking to create their dream homes. We will be documenting our journey with Boutique Homes on Instagram! @Our.Seville

Job Number: 501430 **Knockdown and Rebuild Project** We feel incredibly blessed to have Rifa from Boutique Homes' Alamora Display Village supporting us on our knockdown and rebuild journey. From the very beginning, Rifa has gone above and beyond to truly listen to our needs, advocate for us, and ensure we feel heard and supported every step of… Read more ·  1

the way.

Her dedication, patience, and genuine care have made a world of difference. Rifa is not only knowledgeable and professional, but she also brings a warmth and kindness that is rare to find. She has made what could have been a stressful process feel manageable and even exciting.

We are so grateful to have her by our side — she is truly an amazing person, inside and out.

Couldn’t be happier with our Boutique Home. From sales with Tim and Mina, helping whilst Tim was on leave, it was a great experience. Helpful, friendly and professional. The team in our colours appointment were so knowledgeable and gave great advice. Aiden our site manager was an absolute star as well. I love to drive by the build and see what’s… Read more ·  1

happening. Every day the house progressed in such an efficient manner that we were caught off guard with our plans to be ready to move. Aiden called every week with updates and outlined what would happen next and it did happen just as he stated. The build quality is excellent and any minor fixes, Aiden was straight onto it to resolve the issue.

5-Star Review for Our Amazing Site Supervisor – Trudy Williams We had such a fantastic experience building our home, and a huge part of that is thanks to our incredible site supervisor, Trudy Williams. Trudy was professional, reliable, and incredibly well-organized throughout the entire build. The site was always clean and well-managed — a true… Read more ·  1

reflection of how seriously she takes her role. Everything moved quickly and smoothly thanks to her detailed planning and hands-on approach.

What really stood out was her work ethic and attitude. Trudy is hard-working, proactive, and always approachable. She kept us updated every step of the way and made the whole process stress-free and even enjoyable — not something you can always say about building a home!

We’re so grateful to have had Trudy leading our project. If you’re lucky enough to get her as your supervisor, you’re in excellent hands. Thank you, Trudy — you’re a star!

Highly recommend this boutique builder, especially with professionals like Trudy on the team.

We are now living in our newly built boutique homes for 6 months now and I can honestly say that building with them is one of the best decision I've ever made. The construction only took 6 months and our SS, TW, was amazing. She answer all of our questions promptly and she was very patience with us as this is our first home. There were ups and… Read more ·  1

downs during the build but nothing major. I even encourage my friends to build with them cause we really have a great experience. All in all, I highly recommend boutique homes.

Our experience so far has been great. We have signed our PWC and we are in the contract signing and deposit stage. It is a little bit nerve wracking having to go through so much paperwork specially for such a big investment. But in our case our sales representative Shaun Howden did an amazing job in taking us through all the details to make sure… Read more ·  1

we didn't miss anything and have a smooth building process. We definitely felt looked after.

This is not our first build, we've had tough experiences in the past with other builders. I hope building with Boutique Homes this time is different and the quality in their finishes and craftsmanship is as real as they advertise.

Their designs are the best out there, that is for sure.

As first-time builders and a young couple, the entire process of building our home felt both exciting and overwhelming—but meeting Alicia at Boutique Homes made a world of difference. From the moment we sat down to do our interior and exterior selections, she was incredibly kind, patient, and knowledgeable. Alicia took the time to guide us through… Read more ·  1

every detail, explaining our options clearly and offering helpful advice without ever making us feel rushed or overwhelmed. Her warm personality and genuine care made the experience enjoyable and stress-free. We’re so grateful for her support and feel much more confident in the choices we’ve made for our dream home. Thank you, Alicia!

Would I build with Boutique again? No. Would I choose Elements again if I had the option? No. Buyers are encouraged to leave reviews early in the build process, which doesn’t reflect the full experience. For a more realistic picture, check the Facebook groups for Boutique and Homebuyers—there are both positive stories and many issues that don’t… Read more

appear in the reviews as they are all submitted so early when customers are excited about the build.

My site manager was good during construction, but I strongly advise not paying the final invoice until everything is completed to your standard, regardless of the pressure around payment timeframes.

Within days of moving in I discovered multiple issues, including the frame lifting off the slab, leaving a gap between the garage and living space causing a strong draft. There are also cracking cornices, door movement causing plaster cracks, and doors that won’t stay closed or lock. I also found a temporary-labelled water pipe in the garden, and after asking twice I still haven’t been told who is responsible.

Movement can happen in new builds, but what’s disappointing is how dismissive and difficult the office staff are to deal with. During pre-construction I had to repeatedly correct documentation and details. There seems to be a high staff turnover, and the same issues continue now with the warranty team.

Update 02/12/25: After a Google review, the company didn’t reach out—only a generic response asking me to contact them. They can clearly see I’m a client but made no effort to follow up (even up to this day 13/03/2026).

My house continues to have issues. The lifting frame affects the internal garage door, which sometimes can’t be opened or closed. It has been looked at twice and still moves.

Update 13/03/2026: No one from Boutique has contacted me it’s always me reaching out to them to go around in a big circle again. The warranty process is extremely rigid—inspections are scheduled months in advance with a single fixed time, and they won’t offer alternatives or expedited inspections, even when doors can’t close properly. Once inspections happen, trades do attend fairly quickly.

Current issues include: •Internal garage door adjusted three times •Walls bowing •Frame lifting (visible gaps between rooms) •Further crown moulding cracks •Laundry sliding door bowing and expansion joint compression outside

Update – 12 Month Inspection: I’m now at the 12-month warranty stage. It appears you are assigned one warranty manager, and he has been the only person available to inspect my property since handover.

Some issues from handover still haven’t been properly addressed. Any enquiries must go through the office warranty team first, who ask for things like marking the issues on plans—even though these problems have existed since day one and have already been inspected multiple times.

My warranty manager asked me to complete the 12-month check form, which again goes through the office team before coming back to him. This creates unnecessary double or even triple handling, despite him already being familiar with the issues after visiting the property twice.

Booking inspections is equally frustrating. I’m now waiting another two months for my warranty manager to attend again. During previous visits he has taken levels when inspecting damage, as the office never arranges this despite saying they will follow up. Unfortunately, that follow-up never happens.

My next scheduled inspection is 7 May, where I’m hoping another set of levels will finally be taken.

We are now at Pre Completion stage. We are definitely at 4 1/2 stars, and we continue to rate our Site Manager Josh as 5 stars (maybe 6!). Things keep moving forward at great pace....we thought that there would be a shutdown over Xmas, but work… Read more ·  1

was being done right up until Xmas, and then back again on 5 January. Amazing.

The Fixing & Waterproofing Review from Darbecca was 56 pages long ..... lots of stuff to fix / attend to, but we have no realised that Boutique works closely with these reviews to ensure that they provide a better final product. Whereas we had anticipated an adversarial relationship between the Building Inspector we hired and Boutique, it has been quite the opposite ....Boutique uses the reports to get the trades back to fix any issues.

There is so much happening .... external rendering (which looks great!), external electrical, security cameras, internal electrical (a huge 4 days task, undertaken during the 40 plus degree days....with outstanding results), internal painting, all the internal doors, the marble bench tops etc. It is fun to turn all the lights on..... our electrical plan has come to life!

Two items that people might find helpful:

1. Internal insulation. At the advice of a friend, we opted to install additional internal insulation...in every internal cavity. This is not usual, and you have to organise and pay additionally. Our excellent Site Manager had never undertaken it before, and during the installation it was obviously a bit unusual for everyone (the plasterers started plastering over non-insulated cavities until I stopped them!). It cost an extra few thousand dollars, but we think it is worth it....already there is a dramatic difference inside compared to outside in relation to temperature and noise (all our research showed full internal insulation adds another 20% or so sound and temperature insulation). It added 1 1/2 days to the schedule to install.

2. Fencing. We are getting ready for the fences (asap after Completion so that we can move in). We have 4 neighbours (2 at the back and 1 at each each). Both back neighbours engaged cheap fencers without talking to us (both moonlighters who have other jobs during the week). One fence has already partly collapsed after 6 weeks, and the other fence is terribly buckled. There is a lot of competition amongst fencers ..... they achieve cheap pricing by using shallow footings, as little concrete as possible and cheap materials. Be diligent, and insist on understanding what you are getting. Our house is in a windy area. As various people have advised us, once you and your neighbours have moved in, it is a huge problem to try to fix fencing issues. We are now working wth our neighbours both sides on a sturdier fence (about 40% more expensive), but we think it is a worthwhile investment.....which we had never really thought about until now.

One thing that people might find interesting / helpful concerns the Completion stage. As I have mentioned several times, having an independent Building Surveyor is critically important to the success of a build. We have used Darbecca and they have been fantastic. But we have reached something of a “chicken and egg” situation leading into Final Completion. Darbecca’s Waterproofing report was 56 pages long, with lots of defects to be remedied. Prior to Final Completion, they do a Completion Inspection. But the trades refuse to attend to outstanding issues pending their final report…… the trades don’t want to come back twice (this is of course not a problem if the trades did the work 100% correctly in the first place, but that is not always the case). So we have a standoff. We have commissioned the Final Darbecca Report, which we received this afternoon and which is 73 pages long. Plus a comment that they are disappointed that a lot of the previous defects have not been corrected. So now we have to manage the remediation process, and then get Darbecca back to do a Final Reinspection Report to certify that everything has been attended to. I suspect that it will be a balancing act over the next few weeks. My “gut” tells me that if we can get this final stage done correctly then it will save us a lot of hassles down the road. We shall see …….

We still have smiles on our faces, we still visit the site nearly every day, and there is still lots to be finalised. But we remain very happy with the build and all parties involved. Fingers crossed we get to the Finish Line without any major issues.

Great Builder, But One Coordinator Can Ruin Everything We are building with Boutique Homes (Pasadena 45) and while the build itself may turn out fine, our *pre-construction journey after signing the HIA contract* turned out to be stressful and a disappointing experience we had, honestly it could have been excellent but it didn't all because of… Read more

one team member

To start with, we selected the standard Pasadena 45 plan but required several structural upgrades to suit our family’s needs. These included adding a guest bedroom and dining area on the ground floor, adding a workshop in the garage, and changing window dimensions and door heights throughout the home. These were significant changes (around $70k worth) and were clearly discussed and documented during the process. At the PWC stage, we were given sketches, which was understandable. We knew full drawings wouldn’t be ready at that point.

At the HIA stage, we received the first proper set of drawings. Even then, the drawings were not fully conclusive and several requested items were either missing from elevations or only mentioned in wording, not shown visually. Items like plumbing stacks, heating/cooling stacks, hot water service placements, etc. were not clearly represented. We raised these concerns early and they were discussed via email with our coordinators at the time.

Up to this point, the experience was actually positive. Our electrical appointment was smooth and MW was fantastic—quick, clear, and genuinely helpful. Our colour appointment was long due to the number of upgrades, but AM was extremely patient and professional. We felt supported and optimistic.

Unfortunately, everything changed when a new coordinator, [Name Removed], was assigned to our file.

After demolition was completed, we were presented with what was supposed to be the “final drawings.” These drawings included many items appearing for the first time (around 20), and several items that did not match what we had agreed to earlier. Some examples:

* We upgraded all internal and external door heights to 2430mm, yet the external laundry door appeared as 2130mm. * A second hot water service was recommended by the builder, but the location was never clarified. On the “final” plan it was placed exactly where we planned our clothesline. * Heating and cooling stacks suddenly appeared in locations that reduced the very storage and space we had paid extra to create. * Storage areas were incorrectly oriented and did not reflect what we discussed.

In total, there were around 30 issues. About 10 were electrical-related and MW resolved those within hours with only a few emails. The remaining items were raised with [Name Removed]—and this is where the nightmare began.

[Name Removed]’s response was blunt and shocking: **“No changes. This is what you are getting. The drawing is final and for review only.”**

This was completely unacceptable considering the number of discrepancies and the fact that many items were previously discussed and agreed upon. I was forced to escalate the matter and involve our sales consultant. I then had to spend countless hours digging through 8–10 months of emails to provide evidence for every single item, like I was preparing a legal case.

It took nearly **6 weeks** to finally get the plans amended, and only after escalating to higher management. [Name Removed] resisted every step of the way, despite the fact that the issues were legitimate and should have been addressed professionally from the start.

This delay cost us significantly. We incurred approximately **two additional months of land holding costs** because construction could not begin while disputes dragged on unnecessarily.

And then came another ridiculous delay: [Name Removed] insisted that two neighbouring trees needed to be pruned before construction could commence. These trees were protected, and the arborist report (arranged by Boutique Homes themselves) clearly stated they could not be pruned. Despite multiple emails and evidence, [Name Removed] continued insisting and wasted another 2–3 weeks.

Only when a new coordinator, KA, was assigned did things finally move forward. KA reviewed the situation, confirmed pruning was not required, and cleared the issue immediately. That alone showed how unnecessary the delay was.

### **Final Thoughts**

Boutique Homes as a builder may deliver a good product, and we had excellent experiences with some staff members. However, our experience proves that **one unhelpful and obstructive coordinator can completely derail your project**, cost you money, and turn what should be an exciting journey into a stressful, exhausting ordeal.

### **My Advice to Anyone Building With Boutique Homes**

* Keep **everything in writing**. Communicate via email only. * If something is discussed over the phone, follow up immediately with an email confirmation. * Be prepared to defend your own contract items. * And most importantly: **if your coordinator is [Name Removed], request a replacement immediately.**

We went into this build excited and hopeful. Instead, pre-construction became months of frustration, delays, and unnecessary stress and mentionable 8 weeks of extra holding costs of about $16,000. I wouldn’t wish this experience on anyone.

I will be posting further reviews as we progress, If you are considering to build with Boutique Homes please read out my other reviews it may halp you before you make the call

Good site Managers who are stuck supervising poor quality tradies but the rest of the Boutique Homes experience was terrible. Absolutely abysmal customer service combined with poor quality trades mean you shouldn't walk away from Boutique Homes, you should run! Tried to make me spend $11k on a low set retaining wall on a completely flat block… Read more

and after months of back and forward admitted it was not needed. Charged me for extra plumbing works that they advised were compulsory and simply didn't do them. Only when I lodged a complaint with Consumer Affairs Victoria was I refunded the thousands of dollars I paid. Multiple issues with poor quality cabinetry which was fixed during several visits prior to the commencement of the warranty period. They installed a noticeably scratched and damaged sliding door which I pointed out during the build however 8 months later it is still yet to be replaced. Cracked plaster and tiles were reported and I was advised a warranty inspection was required. Next available appointment was 7 weeks away! The day before the appointment I was advised the photos sent 7 weeks earlier were sufficient and an inspection was not required so the warranty person didn't even attend. Not sure why I wasn't told that 7 weeks earlier? You get a different office based person each time, none of whom seem to know what they are doing. Basically poor quality from top to bottom thanks to shoddy tradespeople and Boutiques commitment to using the cheapest possible fixtures and fittings. See the attached photo which shows different sized pieces of tiles as well as different width grout lines. It seems like the only tradies available in regional Victoria are first year apprentices so my advice in this area would be to avoid Boutique Homes at all costs.