Core WA - Home Renovation and Second Storey Extension Specialist

Don't know them,

Worked with them for the design of the business owner's own house extension. They are collaborative and take initiative in coming up with potential solutions. They also take pride in their work and are transparent in how they approach their clients.

Darren and the team at Core Developments and Construction were excellent to work with. They were clean, efficient and flexible and the results were outstanding. We were very proud that our house was a finalist in the HIA awards, but all the credit goes to Darren and his Core Developments and Construction team, who delivered a house far in excess of our expectations.

My wife Fiona & I recently completed a very extensive renovation of our house in Floreat. The scope entailed both demolition and new build. The demolition component consisted of two bedrooms, a laundry, dining, kitchen and alfresco area. The new build entailed the extension of an existing bedroom (including raising the height of the room by 4 courses), a new master bedroom with ensuite and walk in robe, a new kitchen, dining, living and laundry as well as the addition of a carport and the replacement of the whole roof. To complicate things we wanted to remain in the house (six of us) during construction.In selecting a builder we engaged with a number of different companies at the start. One company would not price if we were going to remain in the house. After receiving prices, looking at the previous work of each of the builders and meeting with their representatives we settled on Core WA. One of the things that appealed to us with Darren Johnston (Core WA Managing Director) was that he ran his own team which meant that he did not have to subcontract everything out. When he did subcontract out works it was to a handful of hand-picked companies that Darren had previously used. We felt that this approach would provide us with more surety of program and flexibility in dealing with the inevitable issues that arise during a renovation such as ours.Darren and his team (in particular Pat, Martin and Kaz) were an absolute pleasure to deal with throughout the whole of the renovation. We received a number of comments from people in the neighbourhood saying that they were impressed with the tidiness of the site and the fact that there was always somebody working on the house. I work in construction, so I understand the challenges of this type of work and how it takes real attention to detail to achieve the quality and safety standards that we were seeking. Whilst there were a number of technical issues that we encountered, as you do with renovations, there was not a single one that was not overcome quickly and amicably. To undertake this scope of work without a single argument between the owner and the builder is, I believe, a real credit to Darren’s customer focussed approach.Darren and his team have given us a beautiful high-quality house which was delivered in the time that was promised (around six months) for a fair price. The final price paid was about 5% higher than the original agreed contract price after adjustment for Provisional sums and some additional work scopes that we asked Darren and his team to undertake on the original house (removing and replacing asbestos barge boards, tuckpointing existing brickwork, painting original exterior, upgrading air conditioning) which was well within our expectations.Fiona and I would not hesitate to recommend Darren and his company, Core WA, to anybody seeking to engage with a builder. Darren has my phone number so if anyone would like a verbal reference please do not hesitate to call me.

Darren and Rhonda are a great team. Very professional, ethical and honest people. They delivered the project of renovation in time and very sleek work..Core WA is the best ...

We engaged Core Developments to build and oversee our second storey addition & renovations.From the start Darren organised everything and the build went like clockwork.Darren's tradesmen were very professional, reliable honest and very tidy, which was perfect seeing that we were living in the house while the build was happening.I would not hesitate to recommend Core Developments for 100% customer Satisfaction.

Core completed a small renovation to our home; they were a pleasure to work with; we absolutely loved the end product and their service. Darren was incredibly patient with our questions and took the time to explain the design decisions - coming up with numerous ideas to enhance the finished look and functionality. We really valued and appreciated working with the owner/builder directly rather than with a bureaucratic machine. Whist, a small job compared to Core’s incredible builds we always felt that our renovation was equally as important when it came to quality, service and completion times. Thank you Darren and the team for a wonderful job.

Darren and his team were wonderful. We had a second story addition completed in under 6 weeks when the weather was atrocious! From start to finish they were a pleasure to work with and the quality of the finished product was outstanding. We probably were not the best of customers and they were nothing but professional at all times.

Ongoing damage.Despite being asked to move company vehicles Core wilfully continue to do damage with their parking. When brought to Darren's attention the only response was a refusal to assist. For something so easy to fix no effort was made.I wouldn't trust them with my house if this is the typical behaviour of staff and management!In response to the below, the acceptance of the companies response shows the disregard they have for property... Complain somewhere else"... What a response! Builders are going out of business. Hopefully this one soon. Don't buy here..."