Testimonials

2014 HIA award for this home; $650,000 – $800,000 best custom built

Dear Lance

Just a short note to let you know how delighted we are with our new Queenslander and to thank you and all the staff at Garth Chapman Queenslanders for a job well done!! 

On arriving in Australia we drove straight to our plot to see the House for the first time! To be honest we weren’t expecting much as we knew it was still under construction, but it just blew us away!! As we drove around the corner not knowing what to expect we got our first real glimpse of our new home. We stopped the car in the middle of the road and both just said WOW!! It totally exceeded our expectations.

Since moving into our home we love it even more and wouldn’t change a thing. The quality of the finish and craftsmanship of the builder are exceptional. It has become somewhat of a tourist attraction in our area, in fact I do not think a day goes by that we don’t have cars stopping outside to take photographs, or just to congratulate us on our amazing home.

I would absolutely recommend Garth Chapman Queenslanders to anybody wishing to build a new home.  Thank you once again.

Yours faithfully

Jon and I wanted to write to you and your team to say thank you very much for not only building us a beautiful house, but for also making the process of building as simple and pain-free as such a project can be. We found the whole process easy and stress-free from the initial design with Rob and right through the build process with Steve.

We had been concerned about building a house due to many horror stories about builders that circulate; however, we found your team to be professional, honest, helpful and also very tidy! From the initial design process to the finished product, we have received extremely good service, prompt responses to our questions and patient explanations when we have not understood something. On the two occasions where things did not go quite according to plan, you were very quick to provide a resolution and we felt that we could trust you make decisions on our behalf when needed.

A very special thanks goes to Steve for the advice and support throughout the process. You were extremely responsive when called upon for information or for following up members of the team and are clearly passionate about delivering a fine quality finish. We have both had a busy time with work this year and it was very important that we had a strong sense of trust that you would do the right thing by us during the build and endeavour to keep us informed at every step of the way. It really added to our experience seeing your sense of pride with the completed house!

Towards the end of our build, we were competing with another house in the street to see who would finish first. When we met the owners recently, the first question they asked us was, “Did you have a nightmare with your builder too?” and we were pleased to be able to say that, not only was the process a pleasure, but that we will soon be asking them to come back and build us a garage!

We have been in our new home for a few months now and since completing the build, we have had many comments from friends and visitors as to the quality of the finishes and the workmanship for every aspect, from the electrical work to the carpentry and the interior design to the tiling. On the few occasions that we turned up to the house while the contractors were working, they were always really welcoming, friendly and helpful and were clearly focused on delivering a high quality product for us. So please pass on our thanks to your team also.

We have already recommended Traditional Queenslanders to friends and will certainly be asking you to come back and build our garage within the next 6-12 months. It is very telling when other people in the street request quotes from you based upon the work you have done for us, so well done on an extremely well finished, professional job. Thanks once again.

Yours sincerely,

Trish and Jon Anderson

For many years we had admired the quality and workmanship of the Garth Chapman Queenslanders but it wasn’t until 2014 that we were ready to build a new home on our multi-generational rural property. The fact that the company had weathered the GFC and was still producing quality houses was an encouraging sign.

From the moment that we sat down with the designer we had a very good feeling that this was the right company for us.Given that we had been contemplating building our new family home for some time, we had some reasonably solid ideas around the type of home we wanted to build and what was important to us. We wanted to combine the traditional elegance of a Queenslander with a practical modern layout and take advantage of the scenic rural setting, but we were not fixated on a specific design or floorplan. It was through conversations with the designer about our family and lifestyle plus a site visit to fully appreciate the landscape and vistas that the final design quickly evolved. That process was remarkably smooth and efficient.

We encountered some delay in commencing construction mainly due to the backlog of homes being built by the company. It was a little frustrating at the time but in hindsight it was worth waiting for the right team to be assembled. We intentionally use the word “team” because that is how they operated but also because we felt we were very much part of that team. Excellent communication was maintained throughout construction which helped facilitate decision making and minimised any potential delays. We cannot stress enough the importance of good communications in both the design and construction phases. It directly influences the quality of the final product as well as the experience in building it.

Construction was completed on time and to a level of standard that exceeded our expectations. The defect list was minimal which is a testament to the outstanding build quality. The list was dealt with in a timely and professional manner, as was the handover process. We have lived in the home for over a year now and have not encountered any significant issues.

We have had prior experience in building houses and off-the-plan apartments but this was by far our best experience to date. Looking back there is little if anything that we would change in the design of the home. We are thrilled with how our new home has turned out as well as the journey we took to get there.

Clint and Rachel Ramsay

We feel our Traditional Queenslander is a unique home, emanating a tranquil although radiant ambience. The breezes are cooling through the red cedar French doors, even in the hottest of climates. The ceilings are high and compliment the authentic fretwork which altogether create a décor which is both modern and yet antique.

Our timber furnishings tone and blend with the hardwood mixed-timber flooring. Finally with a little touch of mini corrugate, the classical Queenslander is not yet complete without verandahs. These subtly extend the home into a garden that endorses the whole affect with palms, jacarandas, poi Siannas and hibiscus, blending into a mass of green with sprigs of colour. It is no wonder that ‘Oh! What a lovely home’ is often exclaimed on entering.

Christina and Andrew Wardle

I love my house. It’s really that simple.

have come to realise when talking to other friends and acquaintances who have built, this is not always the case. Often you’ll hear about their plans and hopes and dreams, and then the inevitable what went wrong. What they would change. And if they had to do it over again… well, they wouldn’t. My experience has been completely different and for that I thank Stephen Havas at Garth Chapman Homes. I love my house. I love the class and sophistication inherent in a Garth Chapman home. I love the quality timber floors, I love the sweeping gables and internal cornices. I love the perfect layout, the stunning finishes, the quality fixtures, and the seamless and elegant details uniquely incorporated, just for us.

I love that the build process was practically stress free and that I was able to enjoy it. I love that my biggest stressor was which sconce lighting fixture to select, and I love that I could then ring Garth Chapmans Interior Designer, Alexandra Griffin for an answer and even have that sorted out. I love that the tradies completing the work actually listened, and then executed exactly what was discussed. At the end of the day, you should be able to sit back in your brand new home and absolutely irrevocably love it. And I can. Garth Chapman Traditional Queenslanders isn’t stressful and chaotic. It isn’t poor quality, cut corners and unfulfilled promises. Garth Chapman Homes deliver 100% seamless style, exude sophistication and tailor their services around the one thing that matters most. You! So Thank you Steve, Rod and Alex. Thank you for building my dream, just as I dreamt it.

Colette Montgomery

Just a note to let you know how very happy we are with the final result of the house. Thank you both for your help and consideration with every aspect of the job. We cannot praise you highly enough for your professionalism and thoughtfulness, a rare quality amid the busy schedule of a high demand industry.

Thanks Again,

David & Lesley White

Before we wrote this testimonial we wanted to live in our house for 6 months so that we could provide a “lived in” opinion of our Garth Chapman house. We find our house to be:

  • functional – we don’t feel that we have to build 3 times before getting it right,
  • elegant yet homely – proved by how many people want to come and visit us on a regular basis,
  • cool in summer – without air conditioning, and
  • warm in winter – with a little help from the gas fire place which we love!

Like most, we too were apprehensive about undertaking a new build however right from meeting our builder, Simon Gross, he gave us confidence and assurance that the exciting part of the building process was about to start. Simon and Nathan guided us skillfully through the build giving us honest opinions when required. They were dependable, communicated well with us and nothing was too much trouble.

In addition to this we felt that most of subcontractors Simon used were also reliable and respectful. We felt that Simon chose them carefully which resulted in us being calm during the build process and the ultimate outcome was a quality build.

Since living here we feel like we have had an open house without having an open house as many people (both those that we know well and those who are only acquaintances/strangers) have wanted to see inside our beautiful home. Some comments are: “It is a stand out in your street” (our street has approximately 50 houses on it) and that was before it was landscaped! Many others have said how nice it is to have the character of the Toowong area restored.

We would like to therefore take the opportunity to thank Simon and Nathan for their hard work. We would build with you both again in the future if the opportunity arose which we believe is the ultimate compliment.

Thank you.

David and Vivienne.

I owe a lot to Garth Chapman Queenslanders, with their professional support and vast range of home designs to choose from. They were very flexible in
accommodating our ideas for the house. Without their support, we would not have our own Queenslander today. We are very happy in our home.
Thank you Garth Chapman Queenslanders.

Following the completion of our new home, we felt it was necessary to drop you a line to express our thanks for the opportunity to share the wonderful experience of owning a true blue Queenslander.

Our home, a recent winner in the Queensland Master Builders Awards (Best Heritage Home – Central Queensland) is indeed a most comfortable residence with today’s mod cons wrapped up in yesterday’s charm and character. With wide wrap round verandahs, the house is cool in summer and warm in winter.

We know the true character of the Queenslander has been captured when strangers come in from the street and ask, “How old is the house?”

A special thanks to our authorised builder, Bruce Ross of Yeppoon. Right from the first meeting Bruce was enthusiastic, professional, and timely in all his dealings.

And last but not least, a big thank you to Lance Clark for his great support during the planning and design stage.

Be assured that we have no hesitation in recommending Garth Chapman’s Traditional Queenslanders to anyone considering building and looking for something special.

Kind Regards,
J & E Lindsay

We are writing in thanks of our new home, which was very well built and finished by your authorised builder Rod and his team, far beyond our expectations.

We are pleased to say that everything went smoothly during the process. We believe we couldn’t have found a better team of people to build our beautiful new home, of which we are very proud and happy to own, so thank you again to Garth Chapman himself, Stephen Havas, Rob Esdaile and in particular Rod and his lovely wife.

Nick & Kellie Robin

We recently moved into our new Garth Chapman home. We absolutely loved the design done by Kevin Hincksman, it was just what we needed.

Building started in June and we moved in early November. Our lease was up and was not going to be renewed so the timing was perfect.

The process was so efficient, we could hardly believe how quickly the house went up. If there were any problems they were handled quickly and without fuss. We are thrilled with the end result. The quality is beautiful. The team was fantastic to work with and made our job of building for the first time, very worthwhile.

We would certainly build with your company again if the opportunity arose.

To anyone considering building, After wasting valuable time and effort with other companies Garth Chapman and his team were like a breath of fresh air. Garth really does have the total package – a superior product, outstanding designs, great managers who turn problems into solutions and hand-picked builders who faithfully respect the ethos of the Company.

Our special thanks to Robert Esdaile who listened to our ideas and turned them into a practical design that really works. The home is a beautiful example of the Traditional architecture. The design of our Queenslander provides the perfect solution to the harsh extremes of our climate, completely satisfied all our environmental concerns, yet is so practical and comfortable to live in! His input into the long drawn out process of having a B&B approved in the Gold Coast shire was also invaluable.

To the building team, Damonde & Judy and their reliable team of tradespeople, you did a sterling job. The attention to detail, old fashioned carpentry skills, and the satisfaction you obviously all gain from building these homes is a credit to you all.

Our magnificent Queenslander is now 3 years old and we are still thrilled to receive the constant stream of favourable comments from our guests and visitors.

The Bed & Breakfast accommodation is a magnet for our overseas and local guests, who seek a real Australian experience so typical of a more gracious era.

We are delighted we chose the Garth Chapman team to design and organise the construction of our dream and to be able to reflect back and to realise it was a most enjoyable experience.

Bryan Robins

I owe a lot to Garth Chapman. In a complex building environment, they came to my aid when I had difficulties getting my home built. With their constant encouragement and professional support we successfully and proudly owner-built our home. They made it easy for us by having a vast range of kit home designs to choose from and were flexible in accommodating our ideas for the house. They co-ordinated all the engineering, plans and building materials supply for the house which allowed us to meet crucial timelines.

Without the support from Lance and the company, we would not have our own Queenslander today. We are very happy in our house.

Thank you Garth Chapman Queenslanders.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Garth Chapman’s Traditional Queenslanders for our beautiful home.

Our building experience with Garth Chapman’s Traditional Queenslanders was far beyond all our expectations. It was an absolute pleasure to deal with both yourself and Michael Dunn, our authorised builder.

We feel with your conceptual design expertise, we have a one of a kind home that is practical, functional and attractive. So much so that during the construction phase the real estate agents in the area commented on numerous occasions how our home was “the one everybody was talking about”. We may be a bit biased but we are still to see a home with the livability and appeal of our home.

Having built a few homes in the past we expected some issues with our builder. However to our relief we found the authorised builder to be professional, honest, approachable and his workmanship on our home was beyond reproach. For this we hold Michael in the highest regard. Michael made our building experience a pleasure and is a great representative for your company.

All said and done we are extremely happy with our home and would highly recommend Garth Chapman’s Traditional Queenslanders to anyone considering building a Queenslander. Thank you again.

We were after a home that was distinct and took advantage of the North Queensland climate. Our land is elevated and has a substantial slope. The house we wanted to build would need to present well to the street, make the most of the sea views and above all else, be a good family home. After working with several potential builders we were pleased to choose Garth Chapman Queenslanders. They were able to incorporate our design ideas with their particular style of Queenslander and the result speaks for itself.

Just a short note to let you know how delighted we are with our new Queenslander & to thank you & all the staff at Garth Chapman Queenslanders for a job well done!

On arriving in Australia we drove straight to our plot to see the House for the first time! To be honest we weren’t expecting much as we knew it was still under construction, but it just blew us away!! As we drove around the corner not knowing what to expect we got our first real glimpse of our new home. We stopped the car in the middle of the road and both just said WOW! It totally exceeded our expectations.

Since moving into our home we love it even more and wouldn’t change a thing. The quality of the finish & craftsmanship of the builder are exceptional. It has become somewhat of a tourist attraction in our area, in fact I do not think a day goes by that we don’t have cars stopping outside to take photographs, or just to congratulate us on our amazing home. I would absolutely recommend Garth Chapman Queenslanders to anybody wishing to build a new home.

Thank you once again.
John & Joanne Wootten