Our Metricon Merricks 38

We had to add it because that's what the developers required




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Ok I checked and it didn't have any at the sides just up the front. It's ridiculous cos u pay for the facade and yet you still don't get it up to that standard. I thought when you payed for the upgrade you would get it as is. But then you got to upgrade windows and the rest. To get it like the facade.




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The staircase and kitchen island look stunning. Really like the facade style and color theme. Cannot cope with dark facade theme which lots of M display houses have.

Did you upgrade the stone for island from standard?

Thanks. The selection were my wife's. She is quite good with these. We followed the theme of 'Ironstone - Surfmist - Beige Royal'. The roof tiles is monument, upstairs is Surfmist, and downstairs is Beige Royal.

Yes. Wife upgraded the island to cat 5 Caeserstone - Alpine Mist.

Is your eves 600 all around? Or just the front? Cos we have 450 up the sides at 600 at the front




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They shouldn't be able to advertise base prices, they should have to advertise the price of the display.. and then let you remove things.. XD that would be a more accurate way to figure out the final price. I got so excited when I saw "get this house for 160k!!"... but real figure was nearly 220k.

I have 600mm raves all around. No eaves on garage.

I agree M's pricing approach (which is also every builder's approach) doesn't tell the actual cost until the contract. But deducting from the display is worse approach. That's like a car dealer saying this Holden demonstrator model costs 100K but you can get it cheaper if you downgrade the V12 engine to V4, get hatchback instead of sedan, manual gear, fabric seat, non-metallic paint, register the car yourself, etc etc.

I think it's all about education and setting expectation. My SC was really good. She explained on first day that the base price is anything above the slab (slab not included) with the standard plan and inclusion (which she printed out for us). Slab, modifications to structure, and upgrades are not included. These explanation may not make sense to a layman but made sense to me as I am an engineer and deal with contract and variations (in a non-building industry) everyday.

I read through this forum to create a Wishlist using ideas from everyone on the possible upgrades and indicative cost. I then categorised them by 'must have', 'nice to have', and 'can be done post handover in future'. My wishlist was 98 items. My SC took the time to listen to my upgrades, and added provisions which costed 150K above base price in the preliminary contract. Yes. 150K. Do I think 150K is too much? Yes. Do I think 150K is worth it? Yes. Because those modification and upgrades were 'must have' for me. I REMOVED all 'nice to have' and 'things can be done post handover in future' to keep cost down. My SC's provisions were realistic because my final price AFTER contract and variations was 9K less than the preliminary contract. Yes. 9K. Less.

I do agree with what you are saying Nabeelc.

I remember years ago when I built my first two houses. Site cost was included in base prices. Now they don't do that anymore. I think with m there's is too many
Surprises on cost. Nothing really upfront till your in deep. I think they do need a lot of structural changers. And the amount of different documents they have need to be cut back. I have had so many problems. And all because they don't look into the right documents. I have waited weeks for something that was already put in the colour selections. Yet they never looked in there. This has no happened a couple of times. I told them what's the use in having that documents if you don't go back and related to that. I haven't got any response. I told them numerous of times they need to restructure.




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Have to say that Metricon is smart about their business strategy specially with over loaded display homes all around Australia. Although there might be only 1/10 or less customers are going to build display quality homes, everyone walking into those display houses that are not going to build house with M will be surely impressed by the quality and design.
Thus giving M a premium builder reputation among people who want or dream to build their own home. On top of those, your budget might get ruined if you dont cope well with the temptation everytime when visiting M`s display houses

Free word of mouth advertisement, great resale prices for those display houses and premium reputation. M is doing great for themselves with those display house and in the same time helping us in terms of having "built by Metricon premium" to boost resale value of our house.

Got a call from SM. He wanted to setup a pre-PCI meeting next weeks so that we can identify any major issues before the official PCI. That will allow him to fix the issues and have a smoother PCI. Impressed. He thinks just like me. Unfortunately I will be out of town next week, so we agreed to meet week after on 30th May. He said if the meeting goes well, he might turn it into an official PCI.

Drove by the house. A chippie was working on finishing touches and was nice enough to let me in to have a look around. I couldn't find any faults. Few things were leftover which can be finished in a couple of days if the trades can be lined up such as:
1. Mirrors in ensuite, bathroom, and powder needs to be installed.
2. Taps need to be fitted in ensuite, bathroom, and powder.
3. Front door and stair needs to be stained
4. Garage roof tiles which were cracked from scaffolding needs to be replaced
5. Paint touch up in a few corners.
6. Cooker needs to be installed.
7. Network hub needs to be installed.

I haven't considered getting a professional inspector for PCI. My sis got one for her build which costed $880. I am happy with my build so seriously considering to skip the professional. $880 will buy me a washing machine. What do you guys think?




NabeelC | Metricon Merricks 38 | Queensland
http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=86276

Wow that's a lot. Mine only chargers $620 for the last stage. If your pretty happy with it. I don't see why you have too. Unless there's things there you can't pick up which maybe they would.

Maybe try ringing them and find out what they actually do too check final stage. See if it's more detail. Then decide from there?


I don't trust m at all. So I'm pretty set on getting it at final stage.




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I'm with you Nab, I skipped the professional inspector as well. You seem pretty switched on and pay a great deal of attention to things, I feel as if there's no major structural issues, and you're happy with everything, why not just keep it that way!

I have to get one exactly for that reason as well. I'm too particular about things. I might demand them too to fix every little thing up . Apparently there's guidelines you have up too and what's acceptable on the builders side. That's going to be hard for me when I spot something little and passable. Maybe an inspector will help calm me down and see reason lol.




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I would suggest you get one, some things they have picked up I don't think I would have, and I picked up heaps of things wrong. The biggest problem will be if you miss something that doesn't meet building code.


My Journey
H1 thread | http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=77665

Hi Nabeelc

Any update on your build?

Wow your place is looking amazing! That fish tank under the stairs is going to look rad. Nice one!

Sorry for being absent for a while. Life threw me a curve ball that hit me in the face. Sigh

In the other news, I had the PC inspection on 9th June. Did not find any show stoppers. Below items agreed to be fixed:
1. Corner stacker door lock is broken
2. Bathroom and Bed 3 door doesn't close
3. Missing hinge and screw on some doors.
4. Soft close missing in powder
5. Garage opening flashing not painted
6. Mirror, basin, and taps need to be installed in powder, bathroom, and ensuite
7. Front balcony needs to be sealed
8. Upright cooker needs to be installed
9. Paint touch ups required all over the place. Stuck blue tapes everywhere.

Handover is scheduled for 23rd June. I visited last night and sneaked in through the corner stacker door with broken lock. Only item 4 has been fixed. Don't think M can fix the remaining items in the 5 days left till handover.

SM said me to arrange the following before handover:
1. Get gas meter installed
2. Sign up for electricity plan
3. Call council for wheelie bin
4. Get home insurance
5. Get cheque for final payment

Pics to follow.




NabeelC | Metricon Merricks 38 | Queensland
http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=86276

Facade and external













Entrance from front to back and Living















Family, Kitchen, and Dining









Upstairs





Master and Ensuite















NabeelC | Metricon Merricks 38 | Queensland
http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=86276