Sharron and Phil are living on a bus after their builder went bankrupt, leaving $700k home ‘unfinished and uninhabitable’

Exclusive: Sharron and Philip Barker began building their dream home in 2021, hoping it could be a safe haven for their kids and grandchildren.

Five years on, the property is “unfinished and uninhabitable”, with the couple forced to camp out in an old bus after their builder went bankrupt.

The cost to complete construction could double their mortgage.

The Barkers purchased a lot of land in Dalveen, in Queensland’s Southern Downs region, several years earlier and paid about $714,000 for a new-build, two-storey home.

“We thought that we’ll build this house and we can all be together until the kids get married, and then they come and visit all the time with their kids,” Sharron, 57, told nine.com.au.

“We just wanted that beautiful rural lifestyle on acreage.”

The Barkers contracted Joshua Hamilton Moore of Amber Lifestyle Homes for the build.

At first, the work began quickly and without any hiccups.

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But they claim problems came flooding in thick and fast.

“It was supposed to be built to ‘lock up’, and he was to complete the house, but he never did,” Sharron claimed.

“Since then, our lives have been consumed by legal proceedings, engineering reports and repeated inspections by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC).”

Sharron said she and her husband flagged compliance issues with the construction, including holes in the timber, water in the walls and puddles inside the house.

Sharron alleges the house “vibrated” in the wind once the second storey was built, an issue for the wild Queensland weather and cyclone threats.

By 2022, the Barkers had terminated two contracts with Moore, locked the gates and instructed him to stop work.

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The couple then lodged a non-completion claim and a defective works complaint with the QBCC, the independent statutory body that regulates Queensland’s building industry.

“The [QBCC] did eventually admit that there were problems and defects with the house, and they directed the builder to come out and rectify them,” Sharron said.

“And when the cyclones were coming, the QBCC inspector rang us and said, ‘Don’t you dare go near that house.’”

All up, the Barkers had 36 complaints and an inspector came to the property to see the alleged defects.

Five defective works were eventually identified in a report seen by nine.com.au and Moore was directed to rectify them in April 2025.

Among them were defects with the verandah, floor lamination and bracing, and door tie-downs.

Many of the complaints were identified as “contractual issues”, which Moore was not required to fix.

The QBCC is not able to issue any orders on defects that are considered contractual issues.

It is alleged one of the building contracts with Moore was about 95 per cent finished, while the second contract was 50 per cent completed.

Before the outstanding work could be rectified, Moore entered bankruptcy on August 23, 2025.

Because of his insolvency status, he is not legally obliged to return to the Barker home.

Moore’s builder (low rise), carpentry and joinery licences have been cancelled by the QBCC.

The couple also took their complaint to Queensland’s Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) and are awaiting a decision.

Moore suggested increased costs had led to the dispute over the unfinished works and said the ensuing legal battle had cost him his business.

“We signed a contract with the Barkers to lock up, they then continued their building works, another contract for internal linings and bathroom works,” he told nine.com.au.

“They became very upset with us after we provided them a price to finish the joinery works and they then went down the legal route with QCAT and QBCC.

“This legal battle went on for years and cost our business dearly. As a result, we could not continue our business.

“COVID price increases across Australia and the world are not our doing personally as builders, yet we get the blame when people cannot afford the costs.

“We are just a little local builder and yet we get crucified for the inflation problem in this country.”

The couple says it could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for a fresh contractor to come in and finish the job.

One contractor quoted them $615,000, Sharron said.

“We’ve tried to get quotes, but a lot of builders don’t want to get involved in someone else’s mess,” Sharron added.

“My husband is 76. How does he get a loan now?”

Fury over insurance scheme’s $200,000 cap

The final avenue left to pursue is the QBCC’s Home Warranty Insurance Scheme, which has a cap of $200,000 to finish incomplete building work or structural defects.

Their application is still in progress.

The Barkers said this isn’t good enough. 

Even if their application is approved, this would leave them in the hole by over $500,000.

“It doesn’t matter how much the house costs to build,” Sharron said.

“House prices have gone up so much. $200,000 doesn’t even clean up the mess.”

QBCC chief executive and commissioner Angelo Lambrinos told nine.com.au the commission’s insurance scheme is not a “commercial grade comprehensive insurance policy”.

“It is a ‘best in nation’ scheme that enables eligible home owners to access assistance without first having to pursue lengthy and costly legal action against their builder, like what occurs in other states,” Lambrinos said.

“The Queensland government is considering changes to these thresholds to better align with changing market conditions.

“In 2025-26, 198,944 QHWS policies were issued and $55.7 million in approved claims were paid out, with over 85 per cent of claims paid out in full, despite the current $200,000 cap.”

Lambrinos added that the QBCC will “unapologetically” enforce the law when “someone knowingly or repeatedly does the wrong thing”.

“Our range of regulatory actions to enforce standards include issuing Directions to Rectify defective work, imposing licence conditions, suspending or cancelling licences, and issuing fines or demerit points,” he added.

“In addition, the QBCC conducts financial audits, investigates non-conforming building products, and can prosecute repeat non-compliant behaviour in the industry.”

As they await a resolution, Sharron and Philip have spent the past four years living in a 1978 Bedford bus on the property.

It is cold, cramped and nothing compared to the spacious family home they envisioned living in by now.

“We wake up and are just frozen, and then you’ve got to watch out for the mice and the vermin, and cook on old wood stove,” Sharron said.

They also have until July 2027 to complete the property or face being kicked out by their local council.

In a statement to nine.com.au, Southern Downs Regional Council Mayor Melissa Hamilton said the council recognises the “difficult situation” the Barkers face and “has worked with them throughout the approvals process to help identify practical pathways forward”.

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“Under Council’s local laws, residents can apply to occupy a temporary home while a permanent dwelling is being built, provided health and safety requirements are met and the necessary approvals are in place,” Hamilton said.

“Temporary home approvals are generally granted for up to 18 months. In this case, council has granted two extensions due to the landowners’ circumstances, with the current approval in place until July 2027.

“Council has also aligned the temporary home, building and plumbing approvals and waived the associated fees to reduce the burden on the landowners.”

Hamilton confirmed the council would consider an extension beyond July 2027 if necessary.

The Barkers say they are fed up and defeated. 

They want the QBCC to provide a better insurance scheme to protect home owners.