Testimonials

We could not be happier with our home built by Renay and the team at Australian Heritage Homes. Our block was challenging due to easements location, sloping block and flood zone; however, Renay and the team produced a beautiful home that was well finished, within schedule and budget. The team was friendly, helpful and accommodating to our requirements and requests.

We would highly recommend Australian Heritage Homes to anyone looking to knock down and rebuild.

Thank you AHH for going the extra mile and building our dream home to our exacting standards.

From design to competition Renay and his team were pleasant to work with and offered creative ideas throughout the project to give us a quality home that exceeded our expectations.

To Renay & Gang. It was a great experience working with Renay and the team. It was important for us to partner with someone who would work with us throughout the process, helping us refine our ideas and realise the vision we had for the house. We're thrilled with the result.

Renay and the team built our home on a difficult site and we are wrapt with the result! The whole experience of building our home was made easier by the way Renay and every builder went about it. Our home is 100% custom…. and all of our requests were met with a can-do attitude that makes the whole process enjoyable. We would highly recommend working with AHH.

Hey Renay,

What a pleasure it has been to work with you on building such a fantastic home.

The whole process of designing, building and completion has been such a smooth and easy going procedure. The flexibility you provide with options and changing things as the build progresses was beyond expectation.

Both Taylor and I have been blown away by the quality you construct your homes too and the level of detail you and the team go to to ensure everything is perfect.

We honestly couldn't fault the build in any way, and would highly recommend Australian Heritage Homes to anyone wanting to build a new home.

We love the home and want to say a massive thank you.

Outstanding in every way!

It's hard to express our gratitude and appreciation for the simply amazing job Renay, and the rest of the family did in building our dream home. Every aspect was managed and executed to a really high standard, the constant communication meant we knew exactly how things were progressing and what to expect and by when.

We were always welcome on site, the boys were just awesome, we miss them already! Whilst we are overjoyed with our new family home, we sort of miss the journey because it was a really positive and exciting experience.

It's rare these days, but, it's so nice to get so much more than you expected.

The team at Australian Heritage Homes helped us bring our dream home to life. The whole building experience was amazing. Running into a few slight hiccups along the way that were easily resolved with the help of the team at A.H.H. They worked professionally, quickly and to the highest standards possible to deliver our beautiful 2 story home in just over 6 months. Renay was especially flexible, allowing our family members to carry out some work throughout the build. They all worked in well with one another and everything always ran smoothly. The team at A.H.H became like family to us throughout the build, only wanting the best for us and to see our house complete and to ensure we were happy. We couldn't have asked for a better group of people to build our home.

What a pleasure it was to build with Renay and his crew at Australian Heritage Homes. We had tried 2 other builders (one a bulk builder and the other a small customer builder) with no luck and plenty of troubles along the way.

Australian Heritage Homes designed and built a unique and affordable family home on our sloping bock with a tight building envelop. Renay’s commitment to the job started early on during the design and planning permit process, 1 year before we had a building permit and were allowed to start works onsite. We made several upgrades and added extras along the way and found Renays prices reasonable and in some cases lower than expected. We appreciated Renay’s honesty when making an alternation to the house that resulted in a refund to us… a lovely and unexpected surprise throughout the building process. We loved the regular communication with Renay throughout the process and found him flexible to changes along the way. He provided suggested improvements; based on his experience and knowledge of what we were wanting in a family home. We were able to meet with each tradesman onsite if we wished and became familiar with the names and faces constructing our home. Even to the point of knowing their coffee order!

We consider ourselves difficult customers to please and had a wonderful experience with AHH. If we ever choose to leave the wonderful home Renay built, we won’t waste our time shopping around, we’ll go straight back to Australian Heritage Homes.

We’d highly recommend AHH to anyone considering to build.

We have recently completed a substantial renovation of the rear of our house at the above address in Coburg. The work was carried out by Van Unen Constructions, after we had received numerous glowing reports from friends about the standard of their workmanship. As a result of this renovation, I would unreservedly recommend their services for any construction work you may be considering. You may wish to consider the following points and observations:

The project was carried out diligently and punctually, and with complete consultation with ourselves on all matters where any dispute could have arisen.

The renovation was completed on the projected day.

The total cost for the work actually came in slightly under the fixed price quote.

All rubble and debris during excavation, foundation and construction work was always removed on the day. The usual nails, electrical equipment, exposed wires etc. were conspicuous by their absence.

The workmanship involved in the construction was of consistently high standard.

The entire van Unen family were particularly friendly, courteous, neat and tidy.

The management of all aspects of the construction, especially sub-contractors and outside tradesmen was efficient, which minimized both building difficulties and lost time.

In summary, we are sure that you will be more than satisfied with any construction work carried out by van Unen Constructions.

We have recently completed an extension and some renovating to our house for which we contracted the services of Van Unen Constructions.

Van Unen Constructions had been recommended to us from an acquaintance in Ivanhoe. Renay Van Unen came to view the site and plans within a day of being phoned. He confidently talked in detail about how the job could be done and was up front about what were gray areas in costing. Eg dismantling an old brick mantle.

We were provided with a written quote within 4 days with a reasonable amount of detail. The contracts and permits were straightforward.

The work was completed 2 weeks before schedule, even though they had been flexible and did some extras, not included in the original quote. Eg A built in robe, and the laying of timber flooring.

The Van Unens as a company are very efficient, quick, flexible and highly organised.

At the end of each day the site was left clean and tidy. AT night the building was left secure as possible. Family intrusion was minimal with most days starting at 8:30am and finishing at 4pm.

We have no hesitation in recommending this company. Work is of a high standard. Having one family memb er of the Van Unens on site most of the time was reassuring. Minor hiccups were amicably resolved, and the completion date was a reality.

Thanks a lot for all the work you’ve done around the house! Its been a pleasure and a lot of fun having you and your family members around.

We both thank you also for all the advice and suggestions on all aspects of our home.

Renay is an experienced builder and possesses a wealth of building knowledge, which can only be gained by many years in the building industry. Renay has always displayed a sound knowledge of the structural requirements for projects. He has at all times been cooperative and has shown himself to be a competent builder.

Renay and I go back a long time, over 25 years in fact. He first did a huge renovation and extension for me in North Fitzroy, with a few more alterations over the years and more recently he built my beautiful 3 bedroom townhouse.His workmanship is impeccable, he has a great reliable and friendly team and he handled all he permits and paperwork from the subdivision to the final build. A fantastic company to work with. Read further to find out the whole story.

I first met Renay and his team in 1988 when I did a full renovation on a family home in North Fitzroy. The company was owned by his father back then with Renay and his brothers being the main tradesmen.

They came highly recommended back then and did not fail to impress with their honesty, work ethic, attention to detail and punctuality.

Twenty six years on I was lucky to find the company was still in operation and producing some amazing homes.

My request this time required a much lengthier process from beginning with the subdivision of the block of land that belonged to my father and on which our first family home was built, to the completion of a brand new home for myself and an upgrade and external renovation and landscaping to my father’s home at the front.

Australian Heritage homes with Renay at the helm organized everything saving me time and worry. As I was interested in every step of the process, he kept me well informed at every stage while not bothering with any hiccups faced along the way, of which there were several due to council demands and requirements. He always dealt with any situation diplomatically and expediently.

Once all permits were in place and building works had begun, Renay kept me informed of each stage allowing me adequate time to make selections and decisions on fitments, colours appliances, etc. I was encouraged to observe each stage and give my input and if there was anything I of which I was unsure, Renay was quick to explain in layman’s terms. If there was anything I wanted to change this was immediately accommodated and we would consult on how best to tackle the situation. At every stage I felt my presence on site was welcomed and encouraged and the tradesmen were all extremely friendly, inclusive and above all very professional.

They were also very mindful of my father (a 92 year old widower) who was still living in the house at the front of the construction site and ensured his safety and not too much disruption and noise to him as well as dealing with curious and concerned neighbours.
The whole process was streamlined and very exciting culminating in an incredibly beautiful, low maintenance, functional home with great views.

I could not recommend Renay and Australian Heritage Homes more highly and I thank them for giving me my dream home.

Over the past 7 years I have issued 155 to 200 building permits for new dwellings for Australian Heritage Homes Pty Ltd. I have always found their workmanship and organisation skills to be of the very highest standards.

We would also like to take this opportunity to again thank you personally and everyone who was involved in the building of our home. The entire “building experience” through Australian Heritage Homes is one that we have enjoyed thoroughly. We would also like to thank you for being open, approachable and available to help us with some decisions/advice along the way.

We are also very appreciative that we were able to meet many of the workforce that was involved in construction, you have assembled a great bunch of “guys”, who are a credit to the company. The quality of workmanship has been commented on by the vast majority of visitors we have had, which has given us a lot of pride in our home.

We haven’t forgotten about the barbeque, its just that it hasn’t stopped raining since we moved in. Hopefully by Spring the mud would have dried up, then we will get an opportunity to invite you all over.

We would like to thank you for all your help and great efforts. We appreciate everything you have done for us in making our house perfect.

Please pass our thank you on to everyone in your team. They are a great group of contractors.

A JOB WELL DONE.

It’s hard to believe a year has passed since we moved into our new home. We’d like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for all the wonderful work performed by you and your team to complete the project. The overall experience of building with Australian Heritage Homes remained enjoyable and hassle free, right from the very early days of liaising with Stephen Harper through to final completion and handover. You are certainly the most organised builder we know!

We note too the support and follow up by you when we’ve called over the past 12 months to query matters to do with the house and occasionally to rectify a few minor matters that weren’t quite right. We especially appreciated your helpful and efficient manner on those occasions.

We look forward to eventually completing the garden as well as adding the finishing touches to the house. We wish you and your team all the very best.

We would like to thank Australian Heritage Homes (AHH) for doing an amazing job building our home. Before we found AHH we were engaged with another building company who gave us nothing but grief. The same experience as I’m sure many others have had, no honesty, inconsistent service and they didn’t really care about us, as customers. Thankfully we had’nt signed anything with this first lot, so we started our search again for a builder and came across AHH, and to begin with, we were very sceptical meeting Renay (the owner of AHH). But over time he proved himself and we could not have been happier with the work he and his brothers did for us. Renay was very honest, always gave a high standard of service and made us feel very important.

Renay respected the fact that we had a budget to stick to and worked hard to meet our needs. He was diligent to follow up and keep records of everything we spoke about and decided on to avoid complications later on. The whole process was smooth and enjoyable. We would recommended AHH to anyone looking for a builder who is honest, hard working and very capable. We will definitely use again down the track if we build again.

On my daughter’s behalf I managed a very significant home renovation project carried out by Australian Heritage Homes, under the direction of Renay van Unen. Being a retired civil engineer, I have had a life time working with contractors on major projects. I found Renay a delight to work with. He is energetic, impeccably honest and very responsive to his client. Unlike many of his competitors in the domestic building game, he keeps totally on top of the paper work and correspondence, so that there are no nasty surprises.

His workers, including his brothers, are fine tradesmen. He selects them carefully to ensure not only that they have the skills, but that they are imbued with the same ethos as himself.

I have no hesitation in recommending him, and in fact, based on this initial experience I subsequently engaged him to work on my own home.

I would be pleased to answer any specific questions about AHH by phone (03 9646 8520) or by email (r.olive@bigpond.net.au).

Building with Australian Heritage Homes was a great experience.

As it was our first time building, we were a little unsure of all the processes and exactly what to expect.

From our very first meeting, it was clear that Renay wasn't just a standard builder. He took the time to understand our vision, explained what he believed would work and suggested improvements - and gave us a very detailed quote when he promised he would.

More than anything else, we felt comfortable building with Australian heritage homes - because we were kept in the loop. Renay was always available to have a chat, and was open and honest about variations we ultimately made to the original contract.

We feel so glad to be in our lovely new home, and we have Renay and Australian Heritage Homes to thank.

Renay and his team built our home and we couldn't be happier. 2 years in it now with absolutely no issues. Amazing quality, and beautifully built home!! He impressed us not only with the workmanship but his documentation of variations/paperwork. We love our home. Thanks again Renay! We appreciate your efforts, hard work and patience.

We spent considerable time reviewing a number of builders and eventually settled on Australian Heritage Homes for our custom build home. What got us over the line with AHH was the feedback we received from past clients and Renay's open & straight forward approach. Through our 10 month journey, Renay was able to accommodate our changes and provided us with ideas and recommendations to ensure ``the right choice`` was made. Renay's prompt responses, documented approach ensured that all decisions were accounted for and nothing was missed. At the end of the day, AHH's focus was ensuring the client was happy. We have received positive feedback from many friends, with the key theme - its a quality build. Thanks to Renay and his band of brothers for the great work, and can do attitude!

Australian Heritage Homes is a builder we will definitely look towards for our next project!

We were recommended Australian Heritage Homes for the renovation of our Victorian-era home. It was one of the best decisions we have made.

They primarily do custom new home builds. But don’t be fooled - they do magnificent renovations too.

From our first meeting with Renay, we knew we were in very good hands. His vast knowledge and experience was very reassuring. There was no doubt AHH were the builders for us.

We couldn’t be happier with the end result. It has far exceeded our expectations. Our family and friends who have seen it so far have been absolutely blown away by the quality of the workmanship, finishes, and detail - a couple of them were almost brought to tears when they saw the completed renovation. It was almost like a “Block” reveal!

The boys who worked on our renovation (Darren, Ash, Kane & Mick) were absolutely fantastic, and they have all become like family to us. Also, all the tradesmen Renay uses are so professional, responsive and completely trustworthy.

A huge thank you to Renay and his team for the sensational job you’ve done on our house. Your attention to detail has been fantastic, and we really appreciate your sensible guidance in dealing with the inevitable “surprises” that arise when renovating an older house.

We would highly recommend Renay and his team, whether you are building a new home, or undertaking a renovation.

From start to finish, it was a hands-on experience where we got to help create your custom dream home.

This is precisely what we were looking for, but the team at AHH can take care of everything if that’s what you are after!

Nothing was ever too much for the team with customer service like no other.

The quality is perfection and Renay the Director is all over everything from time frames to compliance and industry knowledge.

He is honest, upfront, trusting and supportive.

If you're looking for a builder who is an expert in the field. Look no further, Australian Heritage Homes is your builder.

They have helped us build our forever home, and we are beyond grateful.