Hillcrest Builders

Ryan Bauhs

2023-12

We did a lot of research to find a builder in the area and had a general idea on location. Hillcrest not only had amazing designs and front-end work, but also had the lot selection that was perfect for our new home. The initial layout and design were very collaborative. All of the staff was pleasant and knowledgeable. We ran into some delays and normal construction issues, but our PM and the team at Hillcrest helped navigate painlessly. Communication was good throughout the build. All in all, we are so pleased with our new home and decision to enlist Hillcrest to build the home of our dreams!

Kelly Clark

2024-01

Although the building process is unpredictable, the staff at Hillcrest were top notch. My home turned out absolutely beautiful. The finishes Hillcrest offers are unmatched and the quality of work makes you feel like you have made a worthy investment.

Jonathan F

2023-08

Thank you Hillcrest Builders and Oyvind for our dream home in Elkhart Lake, WI! Quality build from foundation to framing, plumbing, electric, etc! Our house looks fantastic and works fantastic. Oyvind and his team were thoughtful and proactive in helping our vision become reality. See attached photos. Contemporary farmhouse with windows that extend to a high ceiling (to the roofline) with custom woodwork on the ceiling.

Steve Markelz

2024-04

From lot selection to home design and during the building process the Hillcrest team was easy to work with and overcame any obstacle. Once I understood their business model it went smoothly and completely satisfied with the quality of my home and would recommend Hillcrest.

Erin Gehrke

2019-05

After interviewing numerous local builders, we decided to build our house with Hillcrest in 2016. Hillcrest allowed us to customize our home and incorporate our own style into the build (barn beam mantel and wooden beam support) at an affordable cost. We loved the selections process! Specifically, the fact that all selections were chosen at the same site in Plymouth made it extremely easy to visualize the finished product before we even broke ground. If a question or concern would arise during the build process, our project manager, Jon, was always there to give us a quick answer and the project would continue. Overall, I would recommend Hillcrest Builders to anyone in the Milwaukee-metro area that is looking for an affordable, high quality, and energy efficient home.

James Rusch

2020-05

We built with HillCrest about 3+ years. My wife and I were very happy with all facets of the building process with HillCrest. This was the 3rd home that we built and by far the best process of all. Oyvind helped us choose the lot and plan we wanted and helped adjust the plan to meet our needs. This was to be our retirement home and we wanted everything to be perfect. Heather was fantastic to work with on making all of our choices. Great to be able to touch and feel all of these at the model office. Jon, project manager, worked with us from Pre-construction meeting until move in day. He continued to assist in making sure all items were complete and finalized after this as well. I can’t say enough how pleased we were with everyone at HillCrest and all of the sub contractors that we dealt with. Highly recommend HillCrest to anyone looking to build their Dream Home. 😍

nava saka

2020-05

It was a great experience working with Hillcrest. We loved the attention to detail and simplicity when communicating. Provided us enough information and time to make the right choice. Generously listened to all our questions and gave us the answers. Project Engineer/Manager was great to work with and helpful in providing us right tips.

Diane Becker

2022-05

Hillcrest Builders is NOT to be trusted. Once they get your money, you will not hear from them again, except to give you empty promises. Maybe there are good reviews from single family home owners who built $500,000 homes with them. But if you are in one of Hillcrest's condo projects, they treat their customers like dirt.They promised, and our City required, an established lawn. What we got was ineffective grading, no top soil, and junk seed with lots of weeds in it.(Photo shown below) The City required Hillcrest to do erosion control work. The house foundation is exposed, the step off the back concrete porch is so extreme that we cannot use our backyard. The parkway trees that are required by the City have not been planted.Hillcrest has no condo management skills. I got a citation from the City because the snow was not cleared from the public sidewalk. I forwarded it to Hillcrest as they are responsible for the outside property. They came and plowed the snow and dumped it on top of the fire hydrant!Their improper installation of plumbing caused leaking pipes which flooded my home just 6 months after I moved in. Carpets, drywall, flooring, bathroom vanity and cabinet were all destroyed. This happened Dec. 9, 2020, and Hillcrest had a rep look at the damage a week later and told me they couldn't do anything about it until after the holidays! I wound up using my personal homeowner's insurance to repair everything. Hillcrest never gave me a dime towards the expense, not to mention it took 4 months to complete repairs.There are 4 occupied units in our condo project, and despite living here for more than 18 months now, I do not have an occupancy permit from the City. Neither do any of my neighbors.Upon moving in, the dishwasher was not connected, the disposal was broken, lighting was dangling from the ceiling, the inside was filthy, there was leftover construction debris piled up in my garage and I could not park my car in it. The front door didn't latch or lock. The natural gas line was improperly installed and the first time I used the gas clothes dryer, the entire house filled with gas and was a near disaster. The ceilings were not painted, only primed. Doorframes were left unpainted,All of the condo project residents have registered complaints with Hillcrest. The Hillcrest rep just says, "You get one customer complaining, and then the rest of them start. It grows like a cancer." That's what Hillcrest thinks of their customers -- as a cancer!BUYER BEWARE - Do NOT do business with Hillcrest Builders unless you enjoy being lied to and abused.Services: Install flooring, Design, Paint indoors, General repairs & maintenance, Project management, Drywall installation, Plumbing fixture installation

Hali Moro

2023-05

Created a pond in my yard by removing a natural ditch and grading the water directly into my yard from the new home they’re building and will not fix it. When the water does go away my grass is now a mud pit.A year later and still sitting here with a pond in my yard while the rest of this new home next to us was nicely landscaped all around the entire house EXCEPT the side they graded towards us and flooded. Won’t return calls. This company is an absolutely joke. Not to mention we’ve been informed of the people who have built with them are currently suing them.

Deanna M

2021-05

As most all have said, run and run fast if you are considering Hillcrest Builders. They are great until you sign the contract then you deal with lack of communication, unanswered promises, and contractors who do not want to finish your jobs becuse Hillcrest is not paying them(as they all told us.) Multiple overages and upcharge fees that they do not tell you about. At one point in time after we had all of our finished carpentry done we showed up to check on the progress and found the painters had their small children running around inside playing in our home and their 15 and 16 year old kids were painting! Attached are just a few pictures of the horrible workmanship that my husband will now have to fix. Meiters that do not match up, built in bookshelves shoved in so tight the wood is splitting, and tiling grout that is cracked out all over.

BobbieJo Stahl

2019-05

I can't believe we have been in our home for 1-1/2 years already. We are so happy with our home.The whole building experience was great, that we actually miss the excitement of stopping by to see what was done. Oyvind and Hillcrest were wonderful. Yes , We would build with Hillcrest again.

Ann Kaczkowski

2024-04

Loren has been very easy to work with and addressed every issue we had. A really nice guy to talk to and answers all our questions.

timothy mahler

2019-05

We recommend Hillcrest Builders to anyone that is thinking of or are building a new home. The entire Hillcrest team made our first home building experience stress free! From the beginning on drawing up our plans, Oyvind, listened to our ideas and was able to draw up our dream home. Heather was amazing with assisting us with selections. She was able to find products even if they didnt have. Our projected manager, Jon, was great to work with and very detail oriented. We love our new home!

John Syburg

2019-05

We did a complete rehab/remodel of an existing family home. We chose Hillcrest because we have seen their work, know the people, and had complete confidence that they would be able to complete the project in a way that kept the feel of the older home, yet gave us the updates we were looking for. We were 100% correct! We got exactly what we wanted, and so many people have complimented us on the completed house. As you can imagine with an older house, we ran into many needed changes along the way. Hillcrest handled those quickly, and their design ideas were spot on. The follow up on "warranty" items was terrific as well. Thanks TEAM HILLCREST!

Richard Sauer

2019-05

Being new to the area it was great dealing with realtor Dan for support. We decided to build a new condo with Hillcrest in Port Washington. After building five other new homes we were somewhat reluctant to build again with all the selections etc. Both Dan and designerHeather were great to work with and very patient with us. Once building began Jim our construction manager was wonderful to work with us and he came up with great suggestions. All of the subs were easy to deal and of high quality but the electrician, finish carpenter, plumber and HVAC guy were exceptional. Were are very pleased with the result. We feel that the quality is very good at a fair price. To us this means we got a great value for the price we paid.

Deb Bates

2019-05

My husband and I decided to build our home with Hillcrest builders because of the time and effort they gave us in discussing options and pricing that fit our budget. Our project manager, John was amazing!! Very good at follow up and when we did have any concerns always made sure to answer. We would highly recommend Hillcrest - it's not often you find an owner who is as involved and willing to discuss things as Oyvind was. We are looking forward to Spring when we get to finish the landscaping process and get to see the final results of this process. We have no doubt that will be met with the same professionalism!! Thank you all for helping us through this process!!

Mark Rittorno

2020-05

We are very happy with our Hillcrest home. Oyvind and his Team were great to work with on the front end, allowing many alterations to the original model plan, always willing to figure out how it could happen. Jon Lilyquist the Project Mgr was excellent during and after the build. As a Realtor, I can attest that Hillcrest is known in the real estate community as quality built homes.

Dan Jewell

2019-05

We would highly recommend Hillcrest Builders to anyone thinking of building their home. Oyvind Solvang (owner) was great to work with, from the first email to the last, Oyvind always responded quickly. Hillcrest worked with us to completely customize our house plan and were responsive to any questions or concerns throughout the building process. We were moving from out of the state and were concerned that the house wouldn’t be done on time, but they went above and beyond to make sure they met the deadlines they gave us. We had a great time making our selections with Heather and John was there throughout the process to make sure everything was done correctly and on time. When we moved in, the house was perfect, we didn’t even have a punch list of items that needed to be completed. Everyone that walked in said it should be in a magazine! We had one small warranty issue a few months after we moved in and Oyvind made sure it was fixed and stood behind his work. I want to personally thank Oyvind for building us an amazing home and always being there to make sure we were happy.

Mike Cortez

2019-05

Hillcrest helped us build a very nice home. Their home plans are very well thought out. It was very easy to work with them. When we had questions about it we called them and answered all of our questions. Even after we moved in when we had questions Jon is available to answer them. I would build with them again.

joel moths

2019-05

On a scale of five stars, 5 being the best, we would give Hillcrest Builders a 50 😀We had such a great experience when they built our beautiful new home!They were all so great to work with, attentive to every detail, super helpful, friendly, knowledgeable, just the best group of people to work with that you could imagine!We give Hillcrest Builders our highest possible recommendation!

Joshua Prostek

2021-05

My family and I are starting the process of building a home with Oyvind and Hillcrest. I recently read a review, where the timeline for the entire process was documented, as well as the impression at the time of the post update. I thought it was a great idea and decided to do the same for our experience now.After meeting with several builders in our area, we decided to move forward with Oyvind and Hillcrest in early 2020. We met several times, and outlined a home that fit what we needed. During this time, we met exclusively with Oyvind and he was great. We needed to walk away a week or so after signing into contract due to Covid. Oyvind spoke to us about it, and was very kind. We were able to walk away and did not forfeit any money. Fast forward 12 months later (December 2020), and we are again back and under contract with Hillcrest. We are now awaiting next steps to include selections, bank appraisal, etc. I think its good to point out at this point, why we went with Hillcrest. By far, our money went farther with Hillcrest. The product did not feel or appear as cheap as others (of note we live in a new construction currently, by another builder, within a community where Hillcrest has also built). The experience/service we had with Oyvind to this point, stood out compared to others. Really felt that rather than trying to just sell us a home, he was ensuring the home we built with him fit what we needed and we would not be back at another builder in a few years. I will continue to update periodically as big milestones occur with the build.Update 4.19.21 We are a good 4-4.5 months into our process, and are still having a great time! Lots has happened since we have last visited this post. First we went through the selections process - flawless and effortless. I think its important to leave out names of those that we are interacting with, in an effort to respect their right to privacy within their job. Nonetheless, the selections representative was outstanding! They were able to maintain accurate records of every detail, despite changes coming from our end like a blizzard. In our mind selections was a great experience for two reasons: first the selections representative was organized, well versed, and navigated us through all the sections with ease. They stayed on top of changes and did a great job navigating when our eyes were bigger than our budget (which lets face it will for most individuals ALWAYS happen at some point). The second reason the experience was great is that we did a great deal of homework/research and were true to our budget. We knew the brand and model of pretty much everything we wanted in the house (faucets, toilets, lighting designs). We also looked at the project in totality, meaning we did our best to not get hung up on the small things that turned out to be inconsequential the following week. Oyvind during this entire time was great also. Responsive, informative, and respectful of our decisions. Always willing to educate us on different products, or when we are stuck provide information/opinion that helps us move forward.Last week we met our project manager who is also great! Conversation was effortless and they are great at providing leadership on a variety of topics within the build. Whether that is advising on a design change (and the potential impact to finish date), or educating us on a non-attractive component of the build.... the septic tank. Again, common theme of respectful and ridiculously responsive. Again, we send an email and within the hour a response, on topics ranging from a question on purchasing appliances to a change order.Perception is reality for everyone - at this point, I am just very impressed with our entire experience. We no longer feel like we have simply hired someone, but rather have friends we trust building one of our most prized possessions. In case your interested, we are building a 5 bedroom/4 bathroom home, on 2 acres with a budget of 450-500K.

Bill Klaas

2019-05

Initial work on house plan and design changes were with Oyvind. Responsive and accommodating. Selection process went well. Very happy with Jon, project manager. Great communication and resolved questions and concerns. There were a couple bumps, but not major, and they were resolved quickly. Very happy with home construction. The contractors were easy to work with and responsive as well. Some issues, based on wet weather in the fall, with getting excavation and grass done. Grass will delay to spring. But, weather related and I am sure many were impacted. A very good experience overall. Would rate our experience as 4.5. Bill

Crystal Greicar

2018-05

Don't build with Hillcrest. Building with them was a nightmare. We loved our selection process & team, up until the point of building. We built once before & had a fantastic experience, so we thought we could do it again. We ended up having to obtain legal counsel just to finish the project & the workmanship of this home has been poor. We have had nothing but problems with windows, doors, cracks in the ceiling, drywall, plumbing leaks, ETC. I am sorry to say this I just want to save you from a bad experience. Ask our neighbors in Misty Ridge they will tell you the same thing.

Ross DeRosier

2019-05

Hillcrest has been great to work with. They are truly a one-stop, all encompassing experience, and take the fear out of building. Oyvind and his team of realtors, project managers, and designers will help you design your dream home, and help sell your current home. Hillcrest has great design, excellent selections, and will work around your schedule. If you cant find the right home on the market, I would highly recommend having a conversation with Hillcrest. Your dream home is closer than you might think.

LOTI

2019-05

I would recommend that you have timeline expectations in your contracts if building with Hillcrest. They have taken a very long time to build houses in our subdivision. Somewhat simple 2500 sqft homes that you'd typically see complete in 6-8 months take 10-12 months.I'd suggest not taking on so much work if you can't keep up. It impacts all those around a new build not just those you are building for.

Elle Stream

2019-05

My main frustration is this, we hired Hillcrest to build a house for our family and for them to take care of us throughout the process. We, as customers pay them a hefty premium for their knowledge, expertise, professionalism, and quality in contractors/sub-contractors (craftsmanship) and I feel that they have dropped the ball on everything throughout our entire build process.That being said, our initial experience and first impression with Hillcrest was positive. However, once we signed on the dotted line we were then treated like garbage and we were just another number. From there it just got worse. Here are some of the items we experienced:* They were four months behind breaking ground for our house and Hillcrest did not communicate ANY of their delays we always had to ask. They have NEVER been forthcoming with any information and we have always had to prod.* Our house sat unsided from the beginning September to mid/end of December.* Our house has had to be re-sided and re-trimmed twice and it is STILL not correct.* Our basement flooded while under construction because no one turned on the sump pump (we have a finished basement).* We had damaged cabinets installed and it took 7 months to sufficiently repair.* We have been promised 7 times and have been given 7 separate deadlines for when all of the items on our "punch list" will be completed. For some perspective most, if not all of the items on our punch list should have been completed before we even moved into our house (we moved in February/March time frame). Our punch list is still not complete and the latest date we have been given is an "October Time-frame."* The original counter tops that were installed in our kitchen were damaged and had to be replaced. They should have never been installed in the first place.* We have had a few major plumbing issues.* We have had a few major HVAC issues.These items just scratch the surface of issues we have experienced...there are more, however they are very specific and I fear if I divulge them, we will receive backlash from Hillcrest and they will not finish any of the remaining items on our punch list.I know we are not the only customers of Hillcrest in this predicament. My goal of writing this review is two fold:* I hope to encourage more current Hillcrest customers to come forward and put out their own Caveat Emptor (buyer beware) stories.* I hope to encourage Hillcrest to get back to what they were good at several years ago, building quality homes with quality contractors/sub-contractors.On a side note, read into this how you wish...two of the five star reviews were completed by close relatives of Oyvind the owner. Also, Hillcrest recently took off the ability to leave a review on their facebook page due to several negative reviews. There is another google reviewer that has created their own facebook page dedicated to issues surrounding building with Hillcrest, could be worth the read.---Update 8/31/18Response to Hillcrest: We have been in direct contact with several of your employees including Oyvind (owner) for MONTHS regarding our issues. The pattern remains the same...We have issues/incomplete items that have not been addressed and continue to remain unaddressed. Timelines keep getting pushed. I still don't have a finished home, 6 months after moving in. This is extreme, which is why I have written this review. There are several other families that have built with Hillcrest recently that are in the same boat we are in and for Hillcrest to say they are unfamiliar with any of these issues is incorrect. I know 9 families personally that have experienced the same or similar issues. There is a lack of transparency, urgency, and communication that comes from the top and it's appalling. If Hillcrest would have done things properly/correctly the first time, we would not be in the situation we currently find ourselves in.

Maris Gumtow

2023-05

In Sept., 2016 we started our terrible experience with Hillcrest Builders and Oyvind Solvang. We were told our condo would we finished by April, 2017. They just started construction shortly Before the finish date. We sold our house in April but had to pay the new owner rent. Oyvind say he would reimburse us for the paid rent. He also told us we would have a berm to hide the highway noise, landscaping with grass and bushes. We moved in to a completed inside in June, 2017. We had a moat around the house where the soil was not filled in around the building FOR A MONTH. We got the grass and bushes two years later. I had to talk to CONTACT SIX in order for Oyvind to get the sewers out of the driveway so we could finally use it. Now, five years later we got a phone call from a minion of Oyvind's saying he was taking us to court for the money held out until the promises were completed. If we didn't pay the amount due in three days he would sue us in small claims court. I responded, "What about the what was promised?" He responded, "Do you have it in writing?" No, we did not so we took out a loan and paid by the deadline. So much for trust and honesty. I don't know how Oyvind looks at himself in the mirror. He is a very dishonest man. DO NOT BUILD WITH HILLCREST BUILDERS!!!!!

Jennifer Hahn

2021-05

EDITED (please see added info). Awful. Awful. Awful. Go with anyone else! As you may have read on other reviews, they treat you like royalty until you sign the dotted line. Then you are their lowest priority. I’m still waiting for them to replace the faulty floors they had installed (knowing that the quality was poor). We have been in our home for 3.5 years. Waiting for Hillcrest to act professional, as they are currently refusing to communicate with the flooring company and us. It seems (I can certainly attach photos of the email conversations, if they try to deny this) that they will not respond to us, or move forward with replacing the floors, unless I change this review.Services: Install flooring, Garage design & building, Design, Paint indoors, Project management, Drywall installation, Plumbing fixture installation, Consultation, Flooring

Martha Bonk

2019-05

Dan is an exceptional realtor. Dan is very personable, which builds trust with his clients. He became a "family member' during our selling process. Bob and I found that Dan was sincere, knowledgeable, and trustworthy. We signed a contract with Dan to sell our condo after a few discussions in person and via email. The documents were signed using e-signatures, which was timely and efficient. After a few Open Houses and online advertising, our condo was sold within two months. This was our first step in our process of moving into a home with no stairs for our future style of living. Thanks so much Dan!

Patty DeGroff

2019-05

Since we moved to Wisconsin from SD we have used Dan 3 times. We knew right away he was the realtor we wanted to help us find our home. He is so friendly, he seemed very informed in realty, he also figured out just what we wanted in a house after looking at homes for sale that he sent online. He felt like part of our family right away. He took us all over - even when he probably knew we were looking at a house we wouldn't want once in awhile. We will definitely use Dan again when the time comes to move again.