Glenvill Group has been at the forefront of Australian residential design for over five decades. Our journey began when founder Michael Warson built his first home in 1958. On the back of Warson’s skillfully planned, superbly functional homes, Glenvill Group’s reputation rapidly grew.
In 1960, Glenvill became the first homebuilder in Melbourne to open a physical display home, allowing customers to fully experience their potential home before construction. Now considered commonplace, this is just one of the innovations that Glenvill brought to Melbourne’s residential property market.
Michael’s son Len took over the helm in 1991. Under Len’s direction, Glenvill became a specialist in premium and high-end housing. Glenvill also became the first homebuilder to incorporate custom design and construction under one roof, creating a new standard in Australia’s construction industry. By doing this, we have helped make exceptional, long-lasting homes affordable for many thousands of families, while also creating distinctive, customised residences for some of Melbourne’s most discerning families.
Today, with our inspired focus on design, craftsmanship and outstanding delivery, Glenvill has elevated to even greater levels. It has been over 50 years since building our first home, and we have now built more than 10,000 homes and become Australia’s most awarded builder along the way.
Glenvill History 1958 - 2016
1950 - 1959
- 1955 - Michael Warson arrives in Melbourne.
- 1956 - Michael Warson builds first ever home in Box Hill.
- 1957 - Launches his first company H & W (Handelsman & Warson) homes - No other builder of the time had thought to “break new territory” by way of building multiple homes.
- 1958 - Michael Warson sets out on his own and Glenvill Homes was formally established. The company name came about due to the availability of a disused company name that was originally intended for a frock shop in Acland Street.
1960 - 1969
- 1960 - Builds 2 display homes in Doncaster - the first in the industry!
- 1969 - Wins 1st award.
1970 - 1979
- 1972 - Opens NSW office.
- 1973 - Michael Warson sells 51% of Glenvill to Mainline. Name changes to Glenvill Mainline Homes.
- 1973 - Opens branches in QLD & South Australia.
- 1975 - Opens first ever super centre in Australia comprising ten upmarket homes in one location in Silverene Crt, Vermont.
- 1976 - Glenvill opens in Los Angeles.
- 1978 - Builds the first ever display home atop a carpark in Orchid Ave, Surfers Paradise.
1980 - 1989
- 1980 - Michael Warson buys back 100% of Glenvill.
- 1982 - Invents boutique collection with homes in Malvern which was unheard of for outer suburban builders.
- 1983 - Completes Parkside High-rise Apartments. Described as “luxury in the sky” they pioneered inner city apartment living and were the first of their kind in Melbourne.
- 1983 - Launches Glenduo. First of it’s kind, Glenudo was a dual occupancy home designed for two families under the one roof.
- 1983 - Glenvill expands into retirement villages, commercial properties and townhouses.
- 1985 - Len Warson joins the organisation.
- 1985 - Michael Warson moves into full on commercial property development.
- 1986 - Len Warson takes on the industry by introducing a range of architecturally designed homes suitable for inner suburban.
- 1988 - Opens the ground-breaking Design Centre at Cathies Lane, where 10 different and innovative luxury homes went on display simultaneously.
1990 - 1999
- 1991 - LW purchases the Glenvill Pty Ltd name and restructures the business. He influences the Company back into residential building, turning Glenvill into the first serious design and construct business in Australia targeting the inner suburban market exclusively.
- 1993 - Launches the 1st inner suburban display home ever built by any builder.
- 1994 - Michael Warson takes control of Franchise business.
- 1998 - Decides to go back into property development committing to the iconic Zirky’s & Illawarra Crescent.
2000 - 2009
- 2002 - Commences a project construction division.
- 2005 - Len Warson throws away the conventional business model of how building companies operate & new model is based on the way 5 star hotels operate.
- 2006 - Starts Glenvill Wholesale (house & land division).
- 2007 - Extension business opens.
- 2007 - Michael Warson sadly passes away.
- 2008 - 50 year anniversary.
2010 - 2016
- 2010 - Makes a serious group decision to market properties throughout Asia.
- 2010 - Commits to opening a serious property development business & buys the site for the Cotery development in Northcote.
- 2013 - Buys the Amcor site (Melbourne largest inner suburban development).
- 2015 - Glenvill moves into its own purpose built state of the art new office.
- 2016 - Launches “never ordinary” group campaign
- 2016 - Opens Queensland division.
- 2016 - Commences the development of ‘YarraBend’ on the Amcor site.
Awards
2015
- HIA – Finalist Townhouse Villa Development Up to $700,000 per dwelling - Studio Nine Richmond
2014
- Australian Achiever Awards - Highly recommended for Customer Satisfaction Scoring 92.69%
2013
- Australian Achiever Awards – Highly recommended for Customer Satisfaction – Scoring 92.16%
2012
- Australian Achiever Awards – Highly recommended for Customer Satisfaction – Scoring 93.01%
2011
- Australian Achiever Awards – Highly recommended for Customer Satisfaction – Scoring 92.37%
2010
- Australian Achiever Awards – Highly recommended for Customer Satisfaction – Scoring 95.02%
- MBAV – Best Custom Home $800,000 – $1.0M – Caulfield North
2009
- Australian Achiever Awards – Highly recommended for Customer Satisfaction – Scoring 91.21%
- MBA – Custom – Best Home between $200,000 – 300,000 – Inverloch
- HIA – Winner Project Homes $350,000- $500,000 – The Aquarius – Mildura
- HIA – HeraldSun Readers Choice Finalist – The Bayside MK11, Brighton
- HIA – Best Display Finalist over $500,000 – The Bayside MK11, Brighton
2008
- Australian Achiever Awards – Highly recommended for Customer Satisfaction – Scoring 89.62%
- MBAV – Best Display $350,000 to $500,000 – The Vista MK11, Narre Warren
- HIA – Commercial – Central Victoria Winner – Mildura
- HIA – Garde – Winner – Mildura
- HIA – Custom – Project Homes$250,000 – 500,000 – Central Victoria Winner – Mildura
- HIA – Garde – Overall Project Home – Victoria Winner
- HIA – Garde – Project Homes $350,000 – 500,000 – Victoria Winner – Mildura
- HIA – Commercial – Runner Up – Mildura
- HIA – Custom – Project Homes up to $250,000 – Central Victoria Runner Up – Mildura
- HIA – Garde – Project Homes $350,000 -500,000 – Central Victoria/Mildura Overall Project Homes
- MBAV – Best Integrated Housing Development – The B, Stewart Street, Brunswick
- HIA – Best Display $250,000 to $350,000 – The Cove, Berwick
- HIA – Best Display over $500,000 – The Vista MK11, Narre Warren
- HIA – Overall Winner Best Display – The Vista MK11, Narre Warren
- HIA – HeraldSun Readers Choice Award – The Vista MK111, Plenty
2007
- Australian Achiever Awards – Highly Commended for Customer Relations
- HIA – Custom Built Homes $250,000-350,000 Central VIC Runner Up – Mildura Small Commercial Project
- HIA – Custom – Project Homes $250,000 – 350,000 – Central Victoria Runner Up – Mildura
- HIA – Commercial – Small Commercial – Central Victoria Runner Up – Mildura
- HIA – Custom – Custom Built Luxury Home – Central Victoria Winner – Mildura
- HIA – Custom – Custom Built Homes over $1.0 Million – Victoria Finalist – Mildura
- HIA – Custom – Home of the Year – Central Victoria Winner – Mildura
- MBA – Seaton 311 – Best Home between $200,000 – 300,000 – Bairnsdale
2005
- MBA – Victoria, Prentice Homes Montana, Winner Best Display $150,000 – $200,000
- MBA – Entertainer 275AL- Best Display home under $200,000 – Bairnsdale
- MBA – Regional Franchisee – Best Display Under $200,000 – Inverloch
- MBA – Regional Franchisee – Best Display Under $200,000 – Bairnsdale
- MBA – Regional Franchisee – Regional Builder of the Year – South East – Traralgon
- MBA – Regional Franchisee – Best Custom Home Under $200,000 – Traralgon
- HIA – Finalist – Display Homes $250,000 – $350,000 – The Lantana
2004
- Winner, HIA-Building Commission 2004 Victorian Housing Awards, Townhouse/Villa Development, Medium Density Over 5 Dwellings, Glenvill for Hoffmans Brickworks, Brunswick
- Runner-up, HIA-Building Commission 2004 Apartment Project, Pottery Precinct, Glenvill for Hoffmans Brickworks, Brunswick
- Winner, HIA, Best Display Home $250,000 – $350,000. – The Nepean
- HIA – Entertainer 274 – Best Display home under $200,000 – Inverloch
- Winner, Best “Medium Density Development” – UDIA Excellence Awards – Applewood Retirement Village
- MBA – Regional Franchisee – Regional Builder of the Year – Traralgon
- Peoples Choice Award – ACH Rokewood 341
- Delfin – Best Courtyard Display – Brooklyn
- MBA – The Nepean – Highett
- MBA – The Galleria – East Brighton
- CSR – Finalist – Australian Housing Awards – Omega Smeg Australian Display Home of the Tear 2004
2003
- MBA – Victoria, Prentice Homes Brooklyn, Winner Best Display below $150,000
- MBA – Victoria, Glenvill Homes The Metropol, Winner Best Display over $350,000
- HIA – Victoria, Glenvill Homes The Garde, Winner Best Display Home Overall
- HIA – Victoria, Glenvill Homes The Garde, Winner Best Display $250,000 to $350,000 cat.
- HIA – Regional, Franchisee, The Rokewood, Winner Most Popular Display over $200,000
- HIA – Victoria, Glenvill Projects- Hoffmans Brickworks, Winner Best Development Over 5 Units.
- HIA – Victoria, Glenvill Homes The Metropol, Runner Up Best Display $350,000 to $500,000
2002
- HIA – Victoria, Winner Best Display Home $200,000 – $250,000, The Classique
- HIA – Victoria, Winner Best Display Home $250,000 – $300,000 The Vista
- MBA – Winner – Best Display Home under $150,000 – Sherbrooke
- MBA – Winner – Peoples Choice Award – Best Custom House
2001
- HIA – National Winner, Best High Density Development, Zirky’s Lodge
2000
- Australian Achiever Awards – Highly Commended for Customer Relations
- MBA – Winner, Best Display Home $200,000 – $300,000, Glenvilla IV
- HIA – Winner, High Density Development, Zirky’s Lodge
- HIA – Runner Up, Best Large Commercial Project, Zirky’s Lodge
- HIA – Finalist, Victorian Home of the Year, Zirky’s Lodge
- HIA – Finalist, Best Display Home Over $220,000, Killarney
- HIA – Finalist, Best Custom Home $350,000 – $500,000
1998
- HIA – Winner, Best Display Home $150,000 – $300,000, Glenvilla
- HIA – Runner Up, Best Display Home Over $300,000, Maison
- HIA – Runner Up, Best Display Home Overall, Glenvilla
1997
- Commonwealth Bank Home Show – Highly Commended Building Product
1996
- MBA – Best Home, Finalist $160,000 – $240,000
- MBA – Most Innovative use of a Small Allotment, Finalist
- HIA – Runner Up, Custom Build Home Under $250,000
- HIA – Winner, Best Small Lot Development
- HIA – Building Young Professionals Award
1995
- MBA – Best Home, Finalist over $240,000, Glenregent IV
- MBA – Best Home $120,000 – $160,000, Glenbrooke
1994
- HIA – Runners Up, Display Home Under $160,000, Glenbrooke
- HIA – Runners Up, Display Home Over $200,00, Glenregent IV
1993
- Commonwealth Bank Home Show – 3rd Best Building Product
1992
- HIA – Certificate of Membership
- HIA – Certificate of Gold Membership
- Building Practitioners Board – Certificate of Registration
1990
- MBA – Judges’ Commendation, Best Dual Occupancy
- MBA – Best Home Under $200,000, Glenard
1988
- HIA – Certificate of Merit, Medium Density Development
- HIA – Certificate of Nomination, Display Homes “C” over 190m2
- HIA – Certificate of Nomination, Luxury Homes over $150,000
- HIA – Certificate of Nomination, Manufactured Housing
- MBA – Special Award, Innovation in Merchandising
1987
- MBA – Best Family Home up to 185m, Glenfern
- Five Star Housing achievement Award, Glensun
1986
- MBA – Special Commendation, Town House, Parkville
1985
- HIA – Certificate of Merit, Densham Road, Armadale
- MBA – Best Value First Home, Compass
- MBA – Best Value Home, Bishop, 86
- MBA – Best Town House, Densham Road, Armadale
