Browse Forums Building A New House Re: Builder Reviews - Perth WA 222May 15, 2009 5:25 pm Built with Commodore Homes - The Fusion completed April 2009 (with modifications) Yes I have moved! Will update as soon as I can...no internet at home right now!!! Sooty's House - viewtopic.php?f=31&t=19462 Re: Builder Reviews - Perth WA 224May 15, 2009 5:36 pm Building with Homebuyers Centre El Questro! My building thread..viewtopic.php?f=31&t=19421 Brickies started 5/10 Re: Builder Reviews - Perth WA 226May 15, 2009 5:57 pm Built with Commodore Homes - The Fusion completed April 2009 (with modifications) Yes I have moved! Will update as soon as I can...no internet at home right now!!! Sooty's House - viewtopic.php?f=31&t=19462 Re: Builder Reviews - Perth WA 227May 15, 2009 5:59 pm BUILT with Homebuyer's Centre - Aussie Alfresco Games viewtopic.php?f=31&t=16668 Moved In - Dec 14th Painting all but done - Jan 11 Front Landscaping - Feb 8 Moved In PICS Page 43 Re: Builder Reviews - Perth WA 228May 15, 2009 8:43 pm Amy and Mitch Just married!!! Building the Papparazzi Games with HBC Baldivis, WA Practical Completion 4th June 09 Final Inspection & Keys 18th June 09 Getting ready to move into our dream home! Re: Builder Reviews - Perth WA 229May 17, 2009 8:48 am Hi JJ13,
I am sure APG Homes will not be in my shortlist if I build again. Although I must admit that the sales consultant was very professional which is why I chose to build with them. But as soon as pre-start commenced, it was one after another problem. My colleague also happened to build with them but vowed never to build with them again. The advice I give to people building with project home builders: 1) Get a (reputable) professional building inspector (or ring Royal Australia Institute of Architect for referral) to review your building document and plans before you sign the contract. Make sure you get someone to review the construction plans for completeness (and no ambiguity). Remember that all the trades work only with building plans, and they do not refer to the addenda. 2) Ensure you understand what provisional sums are for and have as little PC sums as possible. The builder is entitled to charge you to the maximum of that (PC) amount without having to give you any documentary support of how the sum is derived (I was told that the practice is they double the amount based on the quote they received from their subcontractor). 3) Engage a reputable building inspector to check the progress of the construction. (1) When slab is poured or when brickwork is up, (2) when roof frame is erected and then (3) at practical completion. Be actively involved with the inspection (before lockup) and provide written notes to the builder if you are not happy with the standard. 4) When the builder send you a variation order (VO), do not sign it until you are satisfied with what the VO is for. You are entitled to request for documentary support as to how the amount is derived. But once you sign it off, it over. 5) Do not pay progress claim until you are certain that the value of materials and labour provided equate to the amount they are claiming. Under the law (HBCA), they cannot claim for more than what they have provided. This is your ace card and use it to your advantage. 6) The craze with smart wiring (or structured cabling) is probably over-rated, but is a necesary evil. Try negotiating and have your own contractor for this phase of the work. A certain intelligent/smart wiring company should be avoided. Ring Clipsal and enquire about their Starserve product and any electrician can lay the cables for you. 7) Finally, remember - you are probably going to be living in the house you are building and it is probably one of your biggest investment. But for the builder, it is to do it at the quickest and cheapest way possible!! Re: Builder Reviews - Perth WA 230May 18, 2009 12:30 am My tiles are finished! They look great, I will put some pics up tomorrow. The tiler did a brilliant job, he really did and if anyone is looking for a tiler, he comes with recommendations! He was recommended to us by someone else and I can see why. He is very pedantic about his work and getting the tiling done perfectly, and he does take his time. It wasn't a rush job. I would go there after work some days after he had left and I could see just how careful he was with his work because there would be spirit levels all over the house checking the level as he progressed. The spacing is really small and the floor is completely level because he evened up the slab. He's also very clean! He cleaned down the walls, the sides of the benches and............ALL the rubbish is gone!! On another note, can I get some advice? I have 5 internal doors to install, they are the doors with glass inserts (like french doors). Obviously when you buy them they are the natural wood. I have had door frames and hinges installed by the builder so all I need to do is put in the doors. The door frames and hinges are painted by the builder to match all other doors, so I'd need to paint these doors the same colour to look right, wouldn't I? I have plenty of the gloss paint used on the doors left by the builders, and it's going to be a little fiddly but I just don't think it would look right to have these painted door frames with a natural wood colour door. Or would it? Built with Commodore Homes - The Fusion completed April 2009 (with modifications) Yes I have moved! Will update as soon as I can...no internet at home right now!!! Sooty's House - viewtopic.php?f=31&t=19462 Re: Builder Reviews - Perth WA 231May 18, 2009 10:02 am Amy, congrats.. 2 weeks wow, you must be excited. How long did your construction take? We are zooming along with our house. Im glad i have this new CLO bec, especially as you say shes great. Kirsada, i have no idea how we got the new CLO maybe our useless just left HBC or didnt like us.. im gonna go with left though. I'll post pics tonight of house.. render is done but not our actual colour yet.. New CLO said this week they'll be painting the ceiling and finishing white render walls in the house. Went to house yesterday to show the family and yay no windows were smashed.. Sue, congratttttts! I am so excited for you.. The tiler sounds like a fantasy.. too good to be true. Lucky you got a good one. We wont tile for awhile once we've moved in and save for it. Home Group WA Monte Carlo Timeline on Page 1 Re: Builder Reviews - Perth WA 232May 18, 2009 10:51 am I know my supervisor said some of the Commodore houses in CV had their windows smashed over Easter weekend because I saw him that week and he told me. I didn't have any problems with vandalism though. Have you seen other houses near to your that have been vandalized Nicci? Built with Commodore Homes - The Fusion completed April 2009 (with modifications) Yes I have moved! Will update as soon as I can...no internet at home right now!!! Sooty's House - viewtopic.php?f=31&t=19462 Re: Builder Reviews - Perth WA 233May 18, 2009 2:42 pm Hi Nicci, Thanks very exciting....they are there putting our wooden floors in today and said that the carpets should be going in on Wednesday....yay! We went and bought another 6k worth of furniture yesterday so thank god we are going to have somewhere to house is soon! Um our slab was laid the week before xmas and they told us practical completion will be about 10th June at the latest. I'm going to try and take some more photo's with the floors is so if anyone wants any then email is warnockamy@hotmail.com let me know and ill send them to you Amy and Mitch Just married!!! Building the Papparazzi Games with HBC Baldivis, WA Practical Completion 4th June 09 Final Inspection & Keys 18th June 09 Getting ready to move into our dream home! Re: Builder Reviews - Perth WA 234May 18, 2009 4:06 pm Ill say about 5 months seeing as in dec im sure nothing really happened.. I cant wait to do the furniture buying once house is done.. What house deisgn did you build again? Are you able to put up photos on the forum? Home Group WA Monte Carlo Timeline on Page 1 Re: Builder Reviews - Perth WA 235May 18, 2009 4:16 pm I had two lounges made for me, they were delivered Saturday. They're currently sitting in my garage with plastic until I can mop the tiled floors and bring them in. Can anyone help me out with my door dilemma? I posted it above, I've been asking people at work and they think it's okay to have a painted door frame with natural wood door. They said it shouldn't look funny because it's a glass door with minimal wood but I don't want it to look weird. Built with Commodore Homes - The Fusion completed April 2009 (with modifications) Yes I have moved! Will update as soon as I can...no internet at home right now!!! Sooty's House - viewtopic.php?f=31&t=19462 Re: Builder Reviews - Perth WA 236May 18, 2009 4:22 pm Hi Sooty why dont you hang the doors in their current state and see how they look with the wood finish doors against the painted frames. If you dont like the look just take the doors down and paint them. Much easier than painting the doors then deciding you wanted the timber look. Re: Builder Reviews - Perth WA 237May 18, 2009 4:28 pm sooty I would leave the door natural. In my mind the door frame is supposed to blend in with the walls but the door can be more of a feature. If you don't like it au naturel after living with it for a little while, then its easy to paint afterwards, rather than if you decide you like timber and have to then strip the paint back. if its the timber's colour you are unsure of you can always stain it to co-ordinate more with your colour scheme too... ~*~Moved in on the 16th April 2011~*~ Re: Builder Reviews - Perth WA 238May 18, 2009 4:31 pm I just re read your post and yeah it would be fiddly to paint them, you'd need to tape around all the glass sections ~*~Moved in on the 16th April 2011~*~ Re: Builder Reviews - Perth WA 239May 18, 2009 4:36 pm It's a light timber colour, so it's not too dark at all. I was worried because my door frames are not a white colour, they're Smoke Pearl which is a very very light grey and the walls are Antique White USA. I just can't think of anything I want to do less right now than paint the doors. Built with Commodore Homes - The Fusion completed April 2009 (with modifications) Yes I have moved! Will update as soon as I can...no internet at home right now!!! Sooty's House - viewtopic.php?f=31&t=19462 Re: Builder Reviews - Perth WA 240May 18, 2009 5:03 pm Thats kool, lounges made specifically for you.. thats awesome.. Id say try timberlook first and if you decide it doesnt look right then just paint it. Much easier option. Home Group WA Monte Carlo Timeline on Page 1 We are looking to do a KDR with fairhaven homes, Have seen plenty of good reviews about them pre construction and plenty of negative reviews about them during contruction… 0 18107 Hi starting the process of looking around for Dual Occ builders. Looking to build a home shared with family either as a duplex or front back. Has anyone done any recent… 0 2312 Old Home Restoration / Renovation I cannot find a review for the Reblocker I am getting a quote from. Am I doing something wrong, or are numbers of reblockers who hold VBA registration not reviewed on your… 0 2486 |