Homeowner Guide

Helpful information on maintaining your new home, understanding defects, and making the most of your 12-month warranty period.

Dear Homeowners,

Thank you for choosing Hero International Limited to build your new home.

We understand this is an exciting time for you, and our team wishes you continued happiness living here.

For your peace of mind, the Hero International team offers their continued commitment to ensuring your new home continues to perform long into the future.

About Your Home

Defects and Maintenance

Your home is brand new and therefore may be subject to defects or maintenance requirements, as many new homes are. These maintenance items are best described as ‘issues that occur during the course of normal use.’ Many of these maintenance issues are perfectly normal and should not cause alarm. To help, Hero International can provide some useful guidance for you.

12-Month Defect Period (MBIE)

As part of the Building Amendment Act 2013, builders are required to offer a 12-month defect repair period to all new homeowners, starting from the date of practical completion. This means the builder is required to fix any defects in new building work notified within the first 12 months following the completion of the home.

What Is a Defect?

A defect is an issue in the home that is due to the design, materials, or workmanship. Whilst new homes are known for needing time to “breathe” or “settle,” defects are more serious faults in the build of your home that may need attention.

A defect can be defined in a number of ways, including:

Non-compliance with the Building Code
On-agreed variations form consented drawings
Failure to meet agreed contractual specifications
Premature product failure

Examples of defects:

Cracks wider than a $1 coin
Leaking roofs
Leaks from pipes and plumbing installed at the time of build
Doors not closing or locking properly (not caused by carpet installation)

What constitutes a defect may change over time due to fair wear and tear, settlement, weathering, and aging of materials. Therefore, what may be a defect at handover may not constitute a defect after 12 months. For example, deep scratching on a polished wood floor is a defect at handover but may not be considered one several months later due to fair wear and tear. (Any defect notification will be assessed and advised accordingly.)

What Is Not a Defect?

As you would expect, Hero International can only be held liable for work done within the construction contract and by the specialist trades they have commissioned. Hero International cannot be held liable for work or damage caused by the owner, occupier, or another party contracted separately by the owner.

As a result, Hero International will not be responsible for any defect or maintenance event that is not attributable to them, including:

Damage that occurs outside of human control – e.g., natural disaster
Damage done by a person outside of the building contractor’s control
Damage resulting from a failure to undertake normal maintenance
Damage resulting from a failure to carry out repairs as soon as practicable after the defect becomes apparent (i.e., allowing a shower to continually leak)
Damage resulting from user failure to carry out maintenance schedule required (For example: Mould around sealant bathroom floor due to lack of care and cleaning)
Non-functional relevant but visual appearance satisfactory
Non-Building construction relevant but design issue
Aging of material over time with fair wear and tear
General wear and tear or issues caused by neglect
Garden maintenance
Minor decorative issues – scratches to glass, hairline cracks thinner than a $1 coin (these are considered common as part of the “Shrinkage” with new-build homes)
Dissatisfaction with an outcome that is installed to specification and to a reasonable standard is not a defect. For example, an owner cannot expect a level 5 plaster finish if the specification called for a level 4 plaster finish.

Your Responsibilities
for Maintenance

All buildings require ongoing maintenance. This should be expected, and it is the homeowner’s responsibility to ensure it is carried out in a timely manner. Normal maintenance is defined in the Building Code as work generally recognized as necessary to achieve the expected durability of a given building element.

Failure to carry out this maintenance may limit the homeowner’s ability to seek redress from the builder or product supplier if a defect occurs.

Any issues arising from a lack of maintenance of building elements, materials, appliances, or fixtures do not indicate unacceptable workmanship in the original build. Likewise, inappropriate maintenance performed after handover also does not reflect poor workmanship in the original construction.

Where correct maintenance has been carried out, but the outcome still fails to meet expected performance, the building work may be deemed unacceptable.

Our Commitment to Excellence

We build with precision and serve with integrity.

Experienced Technicians

Specialists in plumbing, carpentry, painting, tiling, and more.

Prompt Response

We will contact you within 24 hours of receiving your request.

Warranty Follow-Up

All completed repairs are covered by our service guarantee.