New Build

Hi all

We are looking at building with GJ Gardner
After making a few additions to the express range of inclusions and a few changes to the floor plan with the Sales rep, we just went into admin a week ago.

We just got called by our admin contact and were told that it has been sent away for first Draft. We thought that we would meet with Admin first to go over all the particulars ie. power point locations etc. before we went to first Draft.

We rang and the guy said no that all happens after first Draft when you have your colour meeting. Is this the normal process? As we are only express range we only get 2 drafts and it doesn't make sense that we would only get a say after the first draft is complete.

Thanks in advance.

Things like power point locations are added in when you walk through with the electrician, just make sure your allocation is adequate for how many points you want in the house (Don't forget external powerpoints), the same with downlights. At this stage you will just have a number of Downlights and Powerpoints, not the location.

Plumbing points need to be in place at final plan stage.

Walk through with the electrician? U mean halfway through the build?

Essentially yes. They will Slab then frame, then roof/brick, then the Electrician will walk through the house with you and youll show him exactly where you want all your power points and downlights. Same with the Plumber, youll walk through with him and tell him where you want all your garden taps/spouts/showerheads etc

I'm pretty sure that is not how they will work and I wouldn't want to trust to leave it to that stage before I sorted it out. We defiantly have a meeting with an electrician before it goes to second draft where every power point data point lighting colors etc will be finalised so we will get a say before build even starts. But my worry isn't even about the power points was just using that as an example.

I was more just wondering about the draft process and if it is normal to go to first draft straight away after paying for soil testing and finishing up with the sales rep before we even meet with anyone from admin?

I am a week from getting my keys with a GJ build in NSW. They might be different but I doubt it. Youll get a silly electrical plan on paper (Mostly completely wrong and have random things you wont want or are impractical once the frame is up), which means nothing until the electrical rough-in stage when you walk through with the electrician.

I got my draft plan, and then you make the changes, thats when you're done with Sales and Admin take over once you sign the contract with your plans done. Im not sure if you've signed your contract, but if not, now is the time to make sure you have everything you want added into the contract.

No we haven't signed contract yet.

We just signed/initialed the quote and finalised our inclusions/floorplan with the sales rep and paid for the soil testing/drafts deposit. Admin has taken over and the rough plans the sales rep done for us has gone off to be our first draft with all the elevations and everything. When that comes back we get that draft to look over, have our color/design/electrical consultation to finalise it all before it goes off for final draft.
We are a good 2 to 3 months off Contracts.

Maybe they do it different in NSW but here it's seems it's admin that take us all they way to contract signing.

Yeah they said we could walk through anytime we wanted through the build to check if stuff is where we wanted. Hope that is the case with us then as well as like you said on paper there are things you can't see.