Lessons Learned - Building a House

[Spot]

just signed a contract with sterling. We're going with a modified Toorak 200

Good luck

I am with sterling and have been since Jan, still paying rates and for a person to knock the weeds down now.

They haven't started, one probem after another.

Final sign off last Friday with even more suprises thrown in.

They wanted to put rainwater tank other side of house and only just told me that old driveway has to go before they will start.
And they only just gave me the paperwork that the bank needed that day and yet they expect final approval. I work for the bank and can't believe that it took them so long to give me the paperwork that was needed.

So 9mths later I am trying to find someone to remove the old driveway, we tried but too hard. Have blisters and a sore back to prove it.

So I guess I will not be moving in in Nov as first promised.

Price good, service bad. Shame I love the house I am buying.....

Hope things are better for you.......

[tazz]

Where are you all building?
Was the land a new release?
Was something knocked down?

It's hard to find land that isn't a silly price these days :/

We are building at The Point in Noarlunga Downs. It's a new developement from AVJennings

[Felch]

Tazz, have Sterling quoted you a commencement date ?

[dont think do]

Spot,

if you live in the Northern surburbs (anything north of the city really) and dont have anyone lined up to remove your driveway in the next 2 weeks let me know as I will be moving into that type of work. As in I am getting my own truck and bobcat , truck is still be painted up so thats the only hold up.

Also we have just moved into our house, been in for 4 weeks so understand what your going through.

cheers

[Spot]

Spot,

if you live in the Northern surburbs (anything north of the city really) and dont have anyone lined up to remove your driveway in the next 2 weeks let me know as I will be moving into that type of work. As in I am getting my own truck and bobcat , truck is still be painted up so thats the only hold up.

Also we have just moved into our house, been in for 4 weeks so understand what your going through.

cheers

Thanks keep you in mind.

At last have a tradie lined up for Friday, but wait til Friday to see if it happens,
At least he told me that the only way to get it up is with a bobcat.
If he does turn up, I will keep you in mind for the very small backyard and front yard once the house gets going.

If not I will send you a PM, we are north of the city,

Thanks again.

[Squawk]

They haven't started, one probem after another.Final sign off last Friday with even more suprises thrown in.Price good, service bad. Shame I love the house I am buying....

Well Spot, sorry to say it but dont expect things to improve in a hurry. Ironic that the biggest item of expenditure you ever have corresponds to the worst customer service you will ever experience.

[heater31]

They haven't started, one probem after another.Final sign off last Friday with even more suprises thrown in.Price good, service bad. Shame I love the house I am buying....

Well Spot, sorry to say it but dont expect things to improve in a hurry. Ironic that the biggest item of expenditure you ever have corresponds to the worst customer service you will ever experience.

Tip. When the builder gives you a choice to make make it as quickly and efficiently as possible. Don't stall in making the decision otherwise your job will always be at the bottom of the pile. If the client make the least fuss the builder will always make you a priority.


Well thats how our company works not sure how the other mongrels do it

[Spot]

They haven't started, one probem after another.Final sign off last Friday with even more suprises thrown in.Price good, service bad. Shame I love the house I am buying....

Well Spot, sorry to say it but dont expect things to improve in a hurry. Ironic that the biggest item of expenditure you ever have corresponds to the worst customer service you will ever experience.

Tip. When the builder gives you a choice to make make it as quickly and efficiently as possible. Don't stall in making the decision otherwise your job will always be at the bottom of the pile. If the client make the least fuss the builder will always make you a priority.


Well thats how our company works not sure how the other mongrels do it

Funny that, I have had the same plan since Jan, they just got lost in paperwork.

Kept sending me other peoples paperwork and kept losing mine.

The soil test took 3 mths as the guy that was doing the test didn't go out when he said he would, 7 weeks later after he rang me again to get access, I asked Sterling what was going on. They told me he lost the paperwork. This has happen for every process so far and I figure if I get the house for next Xmas 2008 I will be doing well. I havn't changed a thing and I have one of the smallest houses they build, shame all the ones at Smithfield get built quickly if you buy the land with them.

As the valuer told me today, that things will only get worse.

Looking forward to it not.

Roll on Xmas 2008 lol

[dont think do]

Spot,
Dont loose hope, were many times when we started thinking things would never hapen but it did. The building of the house is quicker than the paper work, go figure.

[Dutchy]

got our keys today!

move in next week but we can start to move small stuff over now every night and this weekend

its a very frustrating process....tradies are hopeless and you dont like to piss them off but you also want some action!...its a fine balance...unfortuantely they have so much work on if they lose a job here and there they dont give a shit!

you do have to keep following them up all the time and put gentle pressure on them....we bought the land in 2/2006, settled 6/2006, slab went down 3/2007 and got keys today....2 mortgages for 17 months (and having a kid during this) has been tough but will be worth it in the end....a house in our street has just sold for $100k more than what we have spent and that house is much smaller than ours and doesnt have the views we have....so financially in the long run I think we have made a good decision...

good luck with your projects

[smac]

Just a slight correction to your post dutchy...

Tradies, in the main, aren't hopeless. Building supervisors on the other hand forget to order materials, forget to book the trades and generally don't give a rats arse. If they could be better organised, the job goes flawlessly.

My home was built in 9 weeks, once the slab was given 4 weeks to cure. All because my old man (who is a tradie - first fix carpenter) took over the supervision of the job and ordered all materials and trades the way it should be done.

That 9 weeks was in the middle of winter as well, we lost about 2 weeks to rain.

But congratulations on getting the keys, enjoy the next few weeks - will be a great time for you and your family.

[matt]

Slightly off topic but...
Can anyone point in the right direction for the following two trades (someone you know is reliable or have done some work for you in the past)
1. Tree removal
2. Decking/pergola

Cheers and good luck with the building. We're in an old return verandah and can sympathise with your experiences with tradies. Nightmare. Only one I'd recommend at the end of the experience would be the folks who put in our kitchen.

[Felch]

Just a slight correction to your post dutchy...

Tradies, in the main, aren't hopeless. Building supervisors on the other hand forget to order materials, forget to book the trades and generally don't give a rats arse. If they could be better organised, the job goes flawlessly.

My home was built in 9 weeks, once the slab was given 4 weeks to cure. All because my old man (who is a tradie - first fix carpenter) took over the supervision of the job and ordered all materials and trades the way it should be done.

That 9 weeks was in the middle of winter as well, we lost about 2 weeks to rain.

But congratulations on getting the keys, enjoy the next few weeks - will be a great time for you and your family.

9 weeks !!!!
Thats slightly better than the 10 months we have been quoted by Jennings. Thats start to finish too, not from contract signing.
Sterling built our first place in 16 weeks, and i thought that was good (mind you, that was 8 years ago !)

[smac]

Which area Matt?

Felch - we were pretty happy, something happening every day and the stuff I wanted to do myself I did on the weekends (air-con and heating install etc). It was a dream process, all our friends who have built since have used our example to push their building supervisor into action - the best result I have heard since was 14 weeks.

[Felch]

I might do the same Smac. My sanity is at stake, we are living with the mother-in-law at the moment.
Not sure i can survive there that long

[smac]

No one should have to do that for too long mate. Good luck!

[Dutchy]

how long ago smac?

our supervisor was great, its a crappy job they have got....

[smac]

how long ago smac?

our supervisor was great, its a crappy job they have got....

Not a great job, you are right. But if you're gonna do it, might as well do it right.

Built that plce in '96 I reckon. Only 11 years ago, and land in Golden Grove cost $40k and the building was under $80k!

[matt]

Which area Matt?

Inner North, cheers

[dont think do]

SMAC,

now your showing off, you would have to say its been a nice little earner for you. We brought the land in July 06, for $150,000 and the blocks left where selling for around $200,000 at the start of the year.

man if only I hadnt pissed so much of my money up the wall at the Villiage and the Berkley when I was young.

Oh well "such is life" as some one said