6 minute read
Building a home is one of those strangely exciting and terrifying life moments that seem to arrive all at once. You’re imagining your future kitchen while worrying about budgets. You’re dreaming of light-filled rooms while wondering whether a builder will actually get what you’re trying to describe. And somewhere in the middle of all that, you realise just how many decisions you still have to make.
Choosing the right home builder might be the biggest one of all. It’s not just about floor plans or price tags or even aesthetics. It’s about trust. It’s about who will take your ideas, your money, your hopes for a better life, and actually build something that holds together. Something that lasts.
Australia has no shortage of builders, of course. But a few tend to rise to the top, mostly because they consistently do the kind of work people want to talk about later. The kind of quality you feel when you walk into a house and think… yes, this is right. This feels like home. That said, here are some of the most impressive home builders to know before you build.
1. 101 Residential
There’s something immediately grounding about 101 Residential. Maybe it’s the way they talk about homes. Or maybe it’s the way their designs quietly make more sense the longer you look at them. They focus heavily on maximising space, which sounds obvious, but the execution is where you see their experience. Rooms feel bigger than you expect. Hallways feel purposeful instead of wasted. Storage appears in places you didn’t even think to request.
What makes them standout, especially for Perth home buyers, is how accessible they make the double-storey lifestyle. A lot of families dream of going up a level without blowing out their budget. 101 Residential shapes that dream into something that feels realistic. Their value-led pricing means people who thought they’d only get a single-storey build suddenly discover an entirely different option within reach.
2. Boutique Homes
Boutique Homes has this almost gentle energy that comes through the moment you browse their designs. The homes are modern in that clean, almost minimal way, but not cold. More like someone carefully edited away the parts you don’t need. They tend to deliver a kind of calm elegance, and for a lot of people, that’s exactly the feeling they want to come home to.
They’re known for strong customer communication, which sounds like a bare minimum trait but is, unfortunately, quite rare. The experience tends to feel smooth, not in the “everything is perfect” sense, but more in the “we will walk with you through every messy detail” sense. They’ve built a reputation for transparency. People like that. You can feel it when you talk to them.
3. Metricon
Metricon is one of those names that’s almost impossible to avoid in Australia’s building landscape. They’ve been around for decades, and the scale of their operation is huge. Sometimes this makes people assume the experience will feel corporate or detached. But the interesting thing is that many Metricon customers say the opposite.
Metricon is a strong choice if you want the reassurance of a big, established builder with a design library that spans everything from affordable builds to luxury homes. They know their market. They’ve crafted their processes around it.
4. Dale Alcock Homes
Dale Alcock Homes tends to attract people who value craftsmanship over flashiness. There’s a slightly more grounded, almost craftsman-like feel to their work. They prioritise construction quality and long-term durability. Their homes look great, but they also feel like they’ll still look great a decade later.
One thing you notice is how balanced their floor plans are. Nothing feels crammed or oddly spaced. There’s a rhythm to the way rooms connect. It gives a sense of flow rather than a collection of rooms placed next to each other.
They’re especially strong in WA and have a solid reputation for reliability. If you want a builder who approaches home construction like a long-term relationship rather than a short-term project, Dale Alcock Homes deserves a conversation.
5. Burbank Homes
Burbank Homes sits somewhere between approachable and aspirational. Their homes are priced for a broad range of buyers, which helps a lot if you’re working with a specific budget but still want something that looks polished. The designs are modern and often quite clever, especially for first-home buyers or young families.
There’s a sense that Burbank tries to keep things simple. They remove unnecessary complexity from the process. Sometimes a build that feels too slick or too curated becomes stressful. Burbank avoids that. You get something clean, functional, and comfortable.
6. G.J. Gardner Homes
G.J. Gardner Homes is known for customisation, and not in the “pick one of three options” category. They genuinely lean into personalisation. You can take an existing plan and practically reshape it into something that reflects your specific habits and quirks. If you love cooking, they’ll build a kitchen that feels like a workspace. If you hate corridors, they’ll minimize them. If you want a reading nook, they’ll carve one out.
There’s a friendliness to the brand. Their teams often feel community-oriented because each franchise has a local footprint. The experience varies slightly from region to region, but the core identity stays the same: flexibility, collaboration, and a willingness to make your home feel like your home.
7. Simonds Homes
Simonds Homes has a warm, family-focused design philosophy. Their homes tend to feel cosy, lived-in, and ready for real life. Not the overly staged version of it. They’ve been in the industry long enough to know what matters to most families: storage, good kitchens, workable bathrooms, natural light, and layouts that make mornings feel less chaotic.
They’re also known for affordability without compromising too much on style. You can tell they want to make building accessible to as many people as possible. And while every builder has its challenges, Simonds has managed to stay consistent over time.
Final Thoughts Before You Build
Choosing a builder feels big because it is big. You’re trusting strangers with foundations that will literally hold your life together. It’s okay to feel cautious. It’s okay to ask too many questions. It’s okay to take your time.
The builders on this list represent some of the most reliable, creative, or value-driven options across Australia. Each one brings something slightly different to the table. Some focus on speed. Some on style. Some on flexibility. Some on craftsmanship.
So visit showrooms. Walk through finished homes. Trust your intuition. And try to imagine a future moment inside each space. If it feels like your life could unfold there, comfortably and naturally, then you’re on the right path.
