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Hi all,
I am building a Porter Davis Brookwater. Had my tender appointment late September and my world of style appointments early November. Contract signing is booked in for late November.
During our tender appointment we decided to make a change where we removed a window which existed in the original plan. This window was an original inclusion in PD's plans. This was suggested by our consultant during our tender appointment as it would free up a wall for a future bbq in the alfresco area.
However, now we have realised that by removing the window and putting in a solid wall in that area we will be severely limiting the amount of light that comes into the area. It will definately make the area less desirable. This is making us stress out.
We contacted PD and they advised that since this was a structural change after tender, and since they had sent the plans for energy rating assessment they can make the change only after charging us $1500.
My argument is that, the change we are making is simply reverting back to the original plans that PD had. So from an energy rating point of view nothing should change for that area.
Charging $1500 for admin costs is like paying more than a weeks salary to someone who can possibly revert back to the original plan in 10 mins.
Any suggestions and advice on how I should approach this?
Thanks
Correlator1
Hi Correlator1,
I saw your post at another Thread - brookwater. Glad to hear that you decided to go ahead. We have done our contract appointment on 31/10. Now waiting for Post Contract Variations from BC.
We have a similar issue to yours. We upgraded our front entry doors height to 2340mm at tender, however we found out at Contract appointment that the style we chose for front entry doors can't be modified to 2340mm as it has glass panel with fixed height to 2040mm. We then asked BC to change the height back to 2040mm and been told can't do it as it is structural change. PD's policy is no structural changes allowed after tender unless you pay for the redrawing fees.
The same feeling as you. I am a bit frustrated with this policy too. We are stilling working on the alternative options and will let you know how we go.
Is everything else going ok with your KDR? We just found out that our front setback dispensation application has been approved by the Council today! Great news! Now we need to get the house demolish soon. When is your site start? Ours is booked for Jan start. Fingers crossed it will take place as planned.
Good Luck!
Hi
We have demolished the house already as it was anyways not habitable. Demolition was OK, put in the request for underground power and waiting for the power company to respond. Lets how much that will be.
We needed to go to dispensation as well for the front setback and we have been told verbally that this has been successful. Nothing in writing as yet. My contract is at the end of the month. Hopefully everythign will be sorted prior.
Did you get your contract documents in advance of your appointment to review. I think expecting people to review it with all the detail is quite ambitious on the same day.
I am concerned that some of our questions and changes that we wanted to include after our World of Style appointment has not been integrated going into contract. They say that those will be done after contract. I believe that is just not right considering there is almost 3 weeks between WOS and contract in my case and I would like a contract with all the changes included.
And for the structural variation I am yet to hear back.
Cheers
Correlator1
Hi Correlator,
I had the same concern about our changes not reflected at WOS appointments. What I did was sending a list of my questions/changes to my BC a week prior to the contract appointment then she addressed all my queries at the date of contract. This way at least you don't need to wait after contract.
I don't think PD allow you to have the final contract document prior to the date of contract appointment. It took us 6 hours for the contract appointment and still had a few items to be resolved as Post-Contract Variations.
At least you have your demolition completed well in advance. PD has submitted the building permit yesterday to Council and hopefully the permit will be issued prior to Xmas.
PS: Did you arrange temp fencing for your site after demolition? Could you please share some info about where to get temp fencing and how much it will cost?
Cheers,
I am building with PD too. just wanted ask from you guys for which things , you have got manuals and warranties on handover from PD ?
If anyone is interested, I've found some guides from the Master Builders Association about surface drainage and salt attack...
http://bendigowaldorf.blogspot.com/2014 ... -salt.html
I am building with PD too. just wanted ask from you guys for which things , you have got manuals and warranties on handover from PD ?
We got all our warranties and certificates at handover.
All the manuals were at the house on the day of handover, and the heating and cooling manuals came with the guy who set all of that up for us on the day.
Does anyone here have tiles throughout living areas with the silicone expansion joints?
We've got silicone expansion joints in a few spots however we are concerned about the join between the silicone and the grout in these areas. The joins don't look finished and there looks to be gaps between where the silicone ends and the grout starts.
Does anyone have any photos of their silicone expansion joints that they could share? In particular for brick pattern tiles?
Thanks!
PS - Also, for those who have had their 3 month inspection, what types of things were fixed/not fixed? We have a join in our carpet in the lounge which is raised and you walk over it and you can feel the wooden strip underneath... and it stands out like... well... it stands out. LOL. Is this the type of thing that would be fixed? I raised it at PCI but was told it should settle, but it won't because the wooden strip is on the slab and won't 'settle'.
I've just caught up on your blog posts. Holy toledo. You might need to invest in a boat.
I hope you get it sorted ASAP. You seem incredibly calm, I'd be a basket case in this situation! Good luck.
Wow TLB - just read your blog
feeling horrified on your behalf and concerned for myself - one of the big reasons we are doing a KDR is due to failure of the DPC in our exisiting home leading to salt, damp walls etc.
I can only hope that they rectify at their cost, and promptly. Do you have an independent inspector to assist you fight your battles and give you practical guidance as to what (if any) practical solution is offered?
Our temp fencing has arrived and knock down is scheduled for this week, hopefully Monday. Hubby is mounting a weather proof time lapse camera on the neighbours house this afternoon. Hopefully we can share our (fingers crossed positive) progress on our blog
What have anyone done with lighting from the house entry from the garage? Do you have a switch as right next to that door? Which light does it operate, and is it a 2 way?
My dilemma is that the garage entry door is right in the middle of the hall, which makes it difficult to work out where i should locate my 2 way switches. We originally though of having one at the front door obviously, and the other 2way switch at the other end. However with the garage entry door smack bang in the middle of these, i can not work out how to do it if i want the garage entry door to be a 2way as well. i hope i make sense.
What have anyone done with lighting from the house entry from the garage? Do you have a switch as right next to that door? Which light does it operate, and is it a 2 way?
My dilemma is that the garage entry door is right in the middle of the hall, which makes it difficult to work out where i should locate my 2 way switches. We originally though of having one at the front door obviously, and the other 2way switch at the other end. However with the garage entry door smack bang in the middle of these, i can not work out how to do it if i want the garage entry door to be a 2way as well. i hope i make sense.
I have a 2way switch for the hallway cos it would suck having to walk all the way to the front door to turn the lights on when you come down from the stairs.
Ditto. I have a two way, front door and base of stairs. But my garage door exits through a mudroom, not into the hall. Yes, there is a light right next to the door (mudroom light), or else if the garage motor light is still on, that would suffice to reach a main light.
I'm up to frame stage now (just updated my blog too) and I'm looking at my electrical plan and second guessing myself again. *sigh*
Anyone got tips what to look out for once build starts? We are starting onsite this week and hope to have slab done and frame started before Xmas holiday break.
Our pool hole is done, steel frames in and concrete poured all ready to sit and wait now for house to be built. So excited.
Anyone got tips what to look out for once build starts? We are starting onsite this week and hope to have slab done and frame started before Xmas holiday break.
Our pool hole is done, steel frames in and concrete poured all ready to sit and wait now for house to be built. So excited.
Get an independent inspector and don't hand over any progress payments until all issues are rectified.
Anyone got tips what to look out for once build starts? We are starting onsite this week and hope to have slab done and frame started before Xmas holiday break.
Our pool hole is done, steel frames in and concrete poured all ready to sit and wait now for house to be built. So excited.
Get an independent inspector and don't hand over any progress payments until all issues are rectified.
Good advice, we've selected an inspector and will make sure my money stays in my pocket until all issues sorted out.
Anyone got tips what to look out for once build starts? We are starting onsite this week and hope to have slab done and frame started before Xmas holiday break.
Our pool hole is done, steel frames in and concrete poured all ready to sit and wait now for house to be built. So excited.
Get an independent inspector and don't hand over any progress payments until all issues are rectified.
X2 for holding up the cash gets everything fixed, paying them everything gets forgotten & they move on until you kick up about it.
Has anyone managed to get their $1,000 bond for Asset Protection back from PD once your build was complete?
Does anyone know which type of smoke detectors PD installs?
http://bendigowaldorf.blogspot.com.au/2 ... s-huh.html
Yes. We specifically asked to ensure we had both photoelectric and ionisation (standard) ones at electrical appointment.
Anyone got tips what to look out for once build starts? We are starting onsite this week and hope to have slab done and frame started before Xmas holiday break.
Our pool hole is done, steel frames in and concrete poured all ready to sit and wait now for house to be built. So excited.
a bit obvious, but.. go on site as often as you can and take as many photos as you can
Good luck for your build!
Anyone got tips what to look out for once build starts? We are starting onsite this week and hope to have slab done and frame started before Xmas holiday break.
Our pool hole is done, steel frames in and concrete poured all ready to sit and wait now for house to be built. So excited.
a bit obvious, but.. go on site as often as you can and take as many photos as you can
Good luck for your build!
Thanks. They scrapped site today and porta loo ready.
First hiccup was a truck ran over water meter snapping main pipe. Soil very wet...SE water did good job fixing it. Lucky for us Neighbour saw cement truck do it and got his number plate as he drove off. Wasn't a truck for our house and police are following him up.
With the go on site as often as you can - I've been mostly going twice a day, after dropping the kids at school and when I pick them up. If I hadn't, I would have missed quite a few photo ops of the pre-slab and post-pour stage, and that's the stuff that once buried, can't be uncovered to check again. So take every possible chance to visit for a week or so, as it can happen super fast. After that, while still good to visit, one day's work is not being buried before you can turn around so it is less critical.
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