Name: Hans Ellehuus Builders Ltd
Telephone: 021760661
Rating: 91

Ratings

100%

"Our refurbishment project was significant is size and cost. It involved many trades and therefore coordination.
Hans and his team were very well organised, supportive, consultitative and effective communicators. Hans was also very accessible and offered useful advice as to methods and alternative ways to achive outcomes.
I would have no hesitation in engaging them again for future work."
Rating by: MARK | Rating posted: 26th May | Contact: Hans Ellehuus builders | Job date: Apr, 2021
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 100%
MARK•26th May•More details…
100%

"Our renovation (kitchen extension / bathroom / deck / roof) lasted 3 ½ months; Aug – Dec 20. We found Hans to be experienced, honest and transparent with invoicing. He and his builders accommodated our wishes i.e. we did not want large trucks brought down the driveway/no thoroughfare through the renovated front of the house/protection on existing native floors etc. Even though we were under the second lockdown for a short time everything went smoothly. The builders (two or three depending… on the amount of work) were very knowledgeable and we had one or two briefings on a daily basis, to update us on progress and to make the many decisions needed. Hans himself was in contact with his builders daily. Hans went the extra mile when sourcing our hard to find native, matai, extra wide floor- boards. He spent a lot of time looking for the best flooring option at the most reasonable price. The floor looks amazing.

We are extremely happy with the project, it is beyond our expectations, with family and friends impressed with the quality of work and the transformation, all the while keeping within the character of the 1910 villa. We would definitely use them again and have already recommended them to family and friends."
Rating by: Karen | Rating posted: 10th Jan | Contact: Karen Osborne / Elias Pavlides | Job date: Jan, 2021
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 100%
Karen•10th Jan•More details…
100%

"This job was initially due to start in April but because of COVID Level 4 was delayed. Wendy was fantastic at contacting us as soon as she could to be organised to start replacing our deck. Her communication was excellent during some very trying and uncertain times which no-one had ever had to encounter before. We are very happy return customers of Hans Ellehuus Builders. We are very happy the finished product."
Rating by: Sarah | Rating posted: 6th Jan | Contact: Hans & Wendy | Job date: May, 2020
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 100%
Sarah•6th Jan•More details…
95%

"This is our fifth renovation with Hans Ellehuus Builders and we've recommended them to friends as well. We have been really impressed this time round with the dedication of the building team to achieve our goals in the time frame. They have worked extra hard, added more staff, stayed on longer to get the job done without taking shortcuts on the quality of the work. Everyone has been approachable, considerate and keen to see the project go smoothly. Zane has planned ahead, anticipated… difficulties to overcome and made sure all subcontractors were organised as well as council inspections. It's been a busy time but made so much easier with a great building team."
Rating by: Natalie | Rating posted: 23rd Dec, 2020 | Contact: Zane Andrews | Job date: Dec, 2020
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 80%
Natalie•23rd Dec, 2020•More details…
5%

"Whilst COVID lockdown caused some delay, a month long job has taken over a year with repeated issues around communication, standard of finish, and cost estimates. This made for a very frustrating, prolonged job. Sub trades were mostly good when I communicated directly with them. Unsure what the point and margin of a main contractor was. "
Wendy Mackereth or Hans Ellehuus responded:
"After 28 years of renovating old homes in Auckland, we are very disappointed to see Justin's review. Covid level 4 lockdown was an unprecedented period of worry and uncertainty for everyone. Our team had 8 projects underway at the time, so we understand the frustrations Justin has had with his project being interrupted for 5 weeks. 1. He was unhappy at the length of time it took. Although he contacted us in August 2018, his project started on 18th February 202 and completed on 29th May. It took 9-10 weeks, if Covid lockdown is excluded. There were a few minor items to complete in June/July, which were dependent on Justin sourcing fittings, then painter finishing etc. Originally we were to renovate a bathroom/laundry, but the scope of work expanded to include basement work with excavations. We would expect a bathroom to take @6 weeks, so 9-10 weeks for his project does seem reasonable, considering that recommencement at level 3 meant only one trade at a time could go to site. 2. Justin was unhappy with communication. Hans was at site almost daily and Wendy answers emails as they arrive. However, there were 2 different builders at site, due to the first builder leaving at the start of level 4 lockdown to support his elderly parents in the South Island. Both builders were LBP and experienced. There were some minor, remedial issues which we sorted out at no additional cost to Justin. Our fortnightly invoices are fully itemised and we attach all receipts, so that our clients have transparency of costs and full information as to where their money goes. Sometimes clients do need to speak directly to trades, for example, tilers to ensure tile placement is exactly where they wish. 3. Justin was unhappy with the standard of finish at times. All Council building inspections passed first time, apart from the final - due to smoke alarms and weatherboard painting. We did give him a prior checklist and provided all paperwork on time. We remediated anything he was unhappy with to his satisfaction. We actually have a reputation for a high standard of finish. 4. Justin was unhappy with the cost. We provide fully itemised invoices and additional work was carried out. We always warn our clients that renovations typically do run over budget because of this. 5. Justin wondered why he had used us as a principal contractor. We have built up strong, long term trade/hire/supplier relationships over 28 years, which means we are given preferential booking, compared to an individual client. We have to guarantee everything/everyone we bring to site for 10 years and deal with any issues which arise, such as quality, cost, behaviour at site and paperwork. We also co-ordinate the trades to ensure best possible progress on site. We are so sorry Justin's experience with us was less than he expected and have taken on board his comments. We will try not to let this happen with other clients and have discussed at length what we could have done better for him. Wendy and Hans."
Rating by: Justin | Rating posted: 9th Nov, 2020 | Contact: Justin | Job date: Nov, 2020
Communication: 0% | Quality: 10% | Reliability: 0% | Value: 10%
Justin•9th Nov, 2020•More details, one reply…
85%

"Fantastic service and standard from start to finish with great communication."
Rating by: Christina | Rating posted: 4th Oct, 2018 | Contact: Christina Duthil | Job date: Oct, 2018
Communication: 90% | Quality: 90% | Reliability: 80% | Value: 80%
Christina•4th Oct, 2018•More details…
100%

"Hans is easy to deal with, builders all know their stuff and work to a high standard, are reliable and courteous. Highly recommended."
Rating by: Mathieu | Rating posted: 1st Aug, 2018 | Contact: Hans | Job date: Aug, 2018
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 100%
Mathieu•1st Aug, 2018•More details…
100%

"An amazing team of great guys. We lived on site and they were a pleasure to work with."
Rating by: Jens | Rating posted: 14th Mar, 2018 | Contact: Hans Ellehuus and Liam | Job date: Mar, 2018
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 100%
Jens•14th Mar, 2018•More details…
100%

"The quality of work was very good, very personable, very helpful, very tidy. I was very pleased to have a clear screen installed over bath, Kickboard and extractor in kitchen done too. Thankyou"
Rating by: Estelle Arvidson | Rating posted: 31st Jan, 2017 | Contact: Tony | Job date: Jan, 2017
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 100%
Estelle Arvidson•31st Jan, 2017•More details…
100%

"I used Hans Ellenhuus for the renovation of my kitchen/snug and couldn't be happier. It was a complete renovation, including removing a wall. Hans was able to suggest some improvements right at the start which was fantastic and then organised all the trades etc so that I didn't have to worry about anything. The quality of the work was great and I have no hesitation in recommending them. "
Rating by: Katherine | Rating posted: 15th Jul, 2016 | Contact: Hans Ellenhuus | Job date: Jul, 2016
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 100%
Katherine•15th Jul, 2016•More details…
98%

"We used Hans for the first time to do a major renovation of our home.
We have found his company to be extremely good, the standard of work carried out by his team of builders was excellent.
The project was on time through great organisation by Hans.
The sub trades such as electrical, plumbing and painting used by Hans were excellent also.
We would use him again and recommended him to others.
His pricing was competitive too."
Rating by: Richard | Rating posted: 30th Aug, 2015 | Contact: Hans Ellehuus | Job date: Aug, 2015
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 90%
Richard•30th Aug, 2015•More details…
100%

"I would highly recommend this business. They are very thorough and work to the highest of standards. We will definitely be using them in future as we have complete confidence in their work. We had originally hesitated about getting the job done as we had been anxious about what it would cost but we were pleasantly surprised by the final bill. This is a builder that we really trust."
Rating by: Rosemary | Rating posted: 30th May, 2015 | Contact: Hans Ellehuus | Job date: May, 2015
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 100%
Rosemary•30th May, 2015•More details…
100%

"Thank you so much Hans an Buddy for the fantastic job you did at home. Our painter who is very fussy, commented that the job was obviously done by at craftsman. He could not fault the job. The job was done exactly to the quoted amount, which we thought was very reasonable. Buddy was a pleasure to have in my home. He communicated well on arrival and finishing times and always left the job in a clean and tidy state. Highly recommend Hans Ellehuus Builders and would use again in a heartbeat."
Rating by: Helen | Rating posted: 21st Jun, 2014 | Contact: Hans Ellehuus | Job date: Jun, 2014
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 100%
Helen•21st Jun, 2014•More details…
100%

"I use Hans and his team for my work as an Interior designer/decorator. Using Hans gives me complete confidence knowing that the job will be well done, on time and on budget.
Hans is a 'can do' person, very personable, knowledgeable and competent.
Wendy, who does the paper work is also excellent to deal with.
I can't recommend them highly enough."
Rating by: Karin | Rating posted: 9th Feb, 2014 | Contact: Karin Montgomery Spath | Job date: Jan, 2014
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 100%
Karin•9th Feb, 2014•More details…
100%

"Hans & his team did a medium sized renovation on my concrete house. Lining the internal walls, replacing Michael angelo tiles on the ceiling, putting in some storage in the roof.
The job was done to a much better standard than I could have ever hoped for. Everything was finished properly there were no shortcuts.
They were always on time, the builders were lovely to deal with & I would recommend Hans to anyone undertaking a building project.
I have since had him back for a… smaller job in the garden building a retaining wall.

Actual cost came in more than the quote, Hans & his wife were more than happy to explain the extras & they were correct that I had asked for a little more than what was quoted so I was very happy.

I will use Hans again in future for sure!"
Rating by: Raquel | Rating posted: 9th Jan, 2014 | Contact: Hans Ellehuus | Job date: May, 2013
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 100%
Raquel•9th Jan, 2014•More details…
100%

"In February Hans and his team stepped in when my builder of many years was suddenly unavailable. It involved the installation of 5 large sets of double hung windows in a pty that was tenanted. The job was done to perfection, everyone considerately working around each other - tenants happy and we were delighted. We had allowed two full weeks and it was done before time on budget and with very good grace!
We have since used Hans and his team on jobs around the ponsonby area and its always a… joy to work with them, professional builders considerate and reliable - we continue to use Hans and his team going forward.

Kind Regards Jill"
Rating by: Jill | Rating posted: 27th Aug, 2013 | Contact: Hans | Job date: Feb, 2013
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 100%
Jill•27th Aug, 2013•More details…
95%

"We were very fortunate to have Buddy come to install our shower. Due to a very poor rebuild by another company Buddy helped us to get this fixed and installed our shower which resulted in having to come back to the premises once further building work had been completed. I have had positive communication from the Reception at Hans Ellehuus also. Would be very happy to recommend their services. Thanks!"
Rating by: Nicola | Rating posted: 4th Apr, 2013 | Contact: Buddy (Shower Installer) | Job date: Jul, 2012
Communication: 100% | Quality: 90% | Reliability: 90% | Value: 100%
Nicola•4th Apr, 2013•More details…
100%

"I am a young woman doing a renovation on my first house in auckland, and unfortunately have to be away alot for work. I had hired a different building company to do the reno, and they proceeded to for lack of a better job - rip me off. I had been left with a house with 1/2 floor, not tied together, double the price and a number of other things. I was lucky enough to be put onto Hans and i cant recommend him more highly. His team came in and fixed all the problems the other people had left, had… the floor down in the fastest time and offered me valuable advice. He has a great team of hard fast workers and most importantly to me hes honest! when he says his team will be there .. . they are there and they are there with their working hats on. They would clean up everyday and the work is impeccable.

I honestly cant thank Hans enough. After the mess the other company had left me in and the emotional state that i was in when i contacted Hans - they came through and did a fantastic job.

Highly Highly Highly recommended!!!

Thanks Guys"
Rating by: Sigrid | Rating posted: 1st Nov, 2012 | Contact: Hans Ellehuus | Job date: Jun, 2012
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 100%
Sigrid•1st Nov, 2012•More details…
100%

"Our company has been working with Hans, Wendy and their team for over two years now. They are the main construction company we work with on our various projects. They have also completed a number of projects on our own home.
Hans is an \"old school builder\" which means he is honest , reliable and highly skilled. I recommend this company unreservedly and look forward to carrying on our association with this professional company.
Do yourself a favour hire them !"
Rating by: David And Catherine | Rating posted: 11th Oct, 2012 | Contact: Hans And Wendy | Job date: Oct, 2012
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 100%
David And Catherine•11th Oct, 2012•More details…
100%

"I would definitely use Hans on another building project and have recommended him to friends and family many times over. Hans had estimated our job and it came in within a few thousand of what he had estimated, and right on time. You can\'t ask for better than that!
We completed a total interior renovation whilst living in the house! Not one room was left untouched but with Hans and Mark\'s planning the inconveniences were kept to a minimum.
Mark was outstanding - it can\'t have been… easy for him working in a house where a family of 5 were also living. The nature of the renovation meant that as one area was completed, we\'d move into it and Mark would start on the next step. Not only was his workmanship excellent, but he was extremely thoughtful as to how the renovation was impacting on us - he made lots of suggestions along the way to make the process run smoothly.

Hans project managed the job very professionally. He was onsite when he needed to be and was never far away if required. We loved the fact that his team is large enought that when a particular job required more manpower he had the number of hands necessary on site. The subcontractors work, especially the brick layer, was great quality.

Wendy provided detailed invoices each week with all supporting info attached (eg subcontractors invoices, materials). We knew exactly what we were paying for and when. I don\'t recall having cause to query anything regarding the invoicing with her.

In summary, we found the people we dealt with at Hans Ellehuus Builders to be very knowlegable, professional and personable and the quality of the work was very high. We would happily do business with them again."
Rating by: Barbara | Rating posted: 23rd Jul, 2012 | Contact: Hans Ellehuus | Job date: Aug, 2009
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 100%
Barbara•23rd Jul, 2012•More details…
100%

"I have been using Hans for 20 years. (I am one of those awful citizens, a landlord.) He has always done he job well and within budget. Not only does he doe the job well he will tolerate me as a an assistant on the job, so I get to see what the property is actually like.
I appreciate his guidance, particularly when something unforeseen occurs.
I will continue to use Hans Ellehuus Builders as I have always done."
Rating by: John | Rating posted: 5th Jul, 2012 | Contact: Hans | Job date: Feb, 2012
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 100%
John•5th Jul, 2012•More details…
98%

"We have just completed a major renovation with Hans in Dec 2011 and I am wondering if the comments posted on the 7th Jan are actually describing the same person.
My husband and I never undertaken a renovation project on this scale before and now that are enjoying the finished article we are very thankful that we chose Wendy and Hans to be part of that team. We were very impressed at how well managed the project was, how detailed the invoices and project financial information was that we… received from Wendy, and how professional the tradespeople were that Hans subcontracted to. We did have some increases in costs from Hans’ original estimate, but that was due to unforeseen construction variables or because we changed the scope of what we had originally asked for. The project was completed under the original time estimate (at Christmas too) even with these changes, which minimised our rental costs. Hans was project managing the timeline and any of the trades that attended the construction. We were very rarely involved in this. A great amount of pressure was taken off our shoulders as we were both at work and had 3 small children to manage as well. Hans was not always on site himself, but was represented by an amazing foreman Mark who we could always ask questions of as they came up. Every week we would all have a site meeting and I would circulate the minutes of those meetings via email. If there was anything urgent, we could communicate with Hans immediately by mobile or he could meet us at short notice. He also contacted us whenever needed – we never felt he was distracted by other jobs. Part of the appeal of choosing Hans was just how responsive he was and well he explained the impact of our choices on our budget. The only improvement I can think of was maybe a better layout of the original quote so I could compare it more easily with the other quotes we obtained, especially as we were just learning about what costs were involved in the construction. I have passed on my suggestions to Wendy. Apart from that, I thoroughly recommend Hans to anyone considering a renovation by professional building team and I would not hesitate to ask him to be involved in our next ‘Grand Design’!"
Rating by: Edwina | Rating posted: 25th Jan, 2012 | Contact: Hans Ellehuus | Job date: Jul, 2011
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 90%
Edwina•25th Jan, 2012•More details…
3%

"It was a grave mistake to hire Hans.
We started renovations of our house in October 2010, this included a front deck, taking a wall down in the living room and renovating the bathroom into a fully tiled underfloor heated bathroom with floating shelves.
Problems we came across are-
1. Underquoting
We chose Hans as he gave the lowest quote,(great mistake)only to find at the end of the renovations which happened mid 2010, we have easily spent 3 times , what he stated.The quote wasn\'t… detailed and he would add on charges as he goes saying \"it wasn\'t quoted\".

2. Poor project management-between

Hans claims that he does the project management as well, but we found him to be very disorganized project manager.

Our fully tiled bathroom which we spent a fortune on with accessories from Franklin and Hometrends,was becoming a complete mess due to Hans not communicating to his men as to the pre planning of the bathroom prior to the tiles going in. The mirror was installed before the electrician had time to insert the demister, the night light never went in as tiles were already in etc. In the end we had to hire a project manager from Hometrends to salvage our bathroom.

3. Job not done on time and no help in obtaining the CCC

We had a major trouble obtains building CCC for a seemingly minor renovation. We still have a bathroom window that needs a lock in place prior to the CCC, we have requested him to attend to this February 2011,and to date , still not done.

4. Major communication gap

between Hans who make the decisions and Wendy (his wife) who seem to be billing and doing accounting.

What we discussed with Hans seem to be a dead end without Wendy hearing about it and in the end , wasting time on to and fro e mailing .

We received bills of other people wrongly addressed to us, our own bill given to us with wrong amounts etc.

Both myself and my husband are full time employed and we have 2 young children.We basically hired Hans trusting him to do a good job of work and do the project managemnt properly as we do not have time or the experience as this is our first home.

We were terribly disappointed and I ended up having to put in leave from work frequently to keep on checking things as we lost all trust, and as mentioned ended up hiring another project manager for the bathroom.

The only plus point is that our deck was done well, and this was purely due to one of Hans\'s apprentices,Grant. Since then we heard that he had resigned from Hans\'s Company.

We definitely will never hire Hans again."
Wendy and Hans responded:
"When we review this complaint, which borders on to defamation, we find several missing facts. 1. Our quote clearly outlined the job description, inclusions and exclusions. It also gave PC sums on some estimated items. The quote totalled $47598.75. The overall spend, including several expensive items extra to both discussions and plans, such as outdoor steps, more expensive glazing option and gates totalled $81951.37. Extra items therefore totalled $34352.62. This is an overrrun of less than 100, not the 300 Samantha claims. Extra items were always discussed and estimated. Some were quoted up front. All invoices clearly stated progress payment for quoted work and isolated/itemised any extra work. Proof of costs was also supplied. 3. Management - Hans had renovated over 100 bathrooms when we took on Samantha\'s. She was not readily available by phone. She brought in a \"project manager\" 3/4 way through the project, who was just as difficult to contact as Samantha. He didn\'t communicate with Hans, our builder, electrician or plumber. He didn\'t bring fittings to site on time. This resulted in the demister and night light problems. Hans and Wendy see each other several times a day and are in phone contact. Hans visited the site every day bar 2 during the project. 3. The job took longer, because there were a considerable number of extra items to quote to complete. The window lock was not a window we dealt with. COC is the clients\' legal responsibility, although we always assist the process and sorted a few other COC items out for Samantha, including pre-existing faulty piles and a lack of engineering drawings. 4. There was one invoice in error, for which we immediately apologised and corrected. Note - no apprentices went to Samantha\'s. Grant was a qualified builder. Samantha did ask him to come to site independently of us, presumably to pay at a lesser rate. He left us to become self-employed. We would re-employ him anytime. \" "
Rating by: Samantha Herath | Rating posted: 7th Jan, 2012 | Contact: Hans Ellehuus | Job date: Oct, 2009
Communication: 0% | Quality: 10% | Reliability: 0% | Value: 0%
Samantha Herath•7th Jan, 2012•More details, one reply…
100%

"A pleasure to deal with. Hans & his team were willing to go the extra mile to get a top quality result. Good communication and a very professional service. We received plenty of positive feedback from his past clients, were very pleased with the finished result, and would highly reccommned him to anyone who is wanting a quality renovation."
Wendy and Hans responded:
"Graeme is a partner of Brown Day Group Architects, with whom we have been fortunate to share several projects. Graeme is not the only architect at this firm who are fantastic at renovating older homes. They understand growing family needs and that most folk actually do have a budget. They achieve lovely looking homes which work well for modern families. We recommend them constantly. "
Rating by: Graeme | Rating posted: 11th Feb, 2010 | Contact: Hans Ellehuus | Job date: Feb, 2010
Communication: 100% | Quality: 100% | Reliability: 100% | Value: 100%
Graeme•11th Feb, 2010•More details, one reply…

Hans Ellehuus Builders Ltd / Builders in Sandringham