Brown family living in a caravan due to new home build almost a year overdue

It was supposed to be their forever home, but a family of five says it is taking forever to build and they are now living in a caravan waiting for a list of defects to be rectified.

Jarrad and Caitlin Brown with their children Zara 11yrs, Harlow 7yrs and Harvey 3yrs who are living in a caravan as their home is completed. Picture: Emma Brasier

Almost a year after their $680,000 forever home was supposed to be finished, a family of five is living in a caravan as the dream turns to a nightmare.

Jarrad and Caitlin Brown, with children Zara, 11, Harlow, 6, and Harvey, 3, sold their home in the expectation of moving to their new four bedroom home at Dernancourt last July when the Stannard Family Homes project was due for completion.

Repeated delays saw the family end up in a caravan on a friend’s property with no end in sight for the project.

Jarrad and Caitlin Brown with their children Zara 11yrs, Harlow 7yrs and Harvey 3yrs who are living in a caravan as their home is completed. Picture: Emma Brasier

The Browns lodged a complaint with Consumer and Business Services. Picture: Emma Brasier

The Browns lodged a complaint with Consumer and Business Services but the watchdog told the family there was nothing more it could do and they should get a lawyer after Stannard failed to meet a deadline agreement given at a conciliation conference.

To make matters worse, an 81 page building inspection lists a cavalcade of defects, as well as claims of poor workmanship or incomplete work.

This includes waterproofing missing in a bathroom, cladding being “not fit for purpose”, and rendering “that should be reapplied”.

“The salesman sold us a dream but now it is a nightmare,” Mr Brown said. “We are stuck in limbo with no end in sight.”

Work started in November 2023 and was supposed to be complete last July.

“The handover was put off until August, then to Christmas so we had hoped to be in for the holidays,” Mr Brown said.

“Consumer and Business Services held a conference and there was an agreement it would be finished by December 15 — but it wasn’t and CBS told us there was nothing more they could do and we should get a lawyer.”

The Brown family engaged a building inspector who found a long list of faults, and are now living in a caravan. Picture: Dean Martin

After a year after their $680,000 forever home was supposed to be finished, the Brown family of five is living in a caravan as the dream turns to a nightmare. Picture: Emma Brasier

The Browns engaged a building inspector who found a long list of faults.

“The builder said they would fix everything, and handover was then supposed to be on May 25 but now they say they are still waiting on tiles,” Mr Brown said.

Stannard Family Homes said delays were due to well-documented trade shortages and material supply issues affecting the residential construction industry.

“While these external pressures have contributed to the delays, we would also like to take full accountability for not issuing the necessary extensions of time as per the HIA building contract,” they said in a statement.

“The unprecedented trade shortages over the last two years have challenged the usual flow of our construction timelines. That said, we are confident our current and future builds will not face these same challenges.”

The company is committed to rectifying defects “as quickly and thoroughly as possible”.

“With works and defect rectification now progressing, and barring any further unforeseen delays, we anticipate the project to be completed within the coming weeks,” they state.