Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Mar 24, 2009 11:23 am O.k so 13 months later we are finally at practical completion. We have the walk thru with the supervisor on thurs. (gave us no notice) We have hired an independant inspector as just like our patience, our trust in our builder has died a slow and painful death. The independant needed to be in 2 days before the walk thru so that his report would be ready intime but as they gave us no notice we inturn could give no notice. so now we are making our site supervisor stick around for 2 hours while this guy goes round picking holes in his work! hahaha. So how does the process actually work? We were told by the company that after thurs they have 10 days to fix any issues and then providing we have paid we will get our keys. Will they try to get us to just sign off on thurs? What happens if we refuse to sign anything until we receive the independant's report? We dont even have a garage door, & the kitchen bench has a massive gaping hole. No work has been done in at least a week and i cant see all the little things getting in 2 days. Re: How does practical completion & handover work? 2Mar 24, 2009 12:14 pm For us our PCI, and we didn't even have glass to the showers or the mirrors, but went through picked faults, then apparently it was going to take '2 weeks' to fix everything, a month later we had our final PCI where we signed off that we were happy with the house, then in the background the Council was called by our builder to do the Certificate of Occupancy had to wait till that reached our builder then they rang to say we are ready when you are, so we organised it two days later to allow our bank time to draw a cheque! Then on the actual date we went in with our cheque the monies we owed, gave us our keys parting gift and 10mins later the house was ours! Re: How does practical completion & handover work? 3Mar 24, 2009 3:23 pm Quote: Then on the actual date we went in with our cheque the monies we owed, gave us our keys parting gift and 10mins later the house was ours! O.k so the money doesn't have to clear into their account first? Was that money in your account? ie that was how you were able to draw a bank cheque. I am dead against giving them anything till we get the keys. Re: How does practical completion & handover work? 5Mar 25, 2009 11:12 pm Okay, so ours is coming up also - we've got wonder Kevin going around Monday afternoon and then we're going around with the builder on Friday morning - hopefully with Kevin's report in hand. Builder is saying we should allow extra time at the end of the inspection on Friday to discuss final bill (for them to draw up at later date I presume). Do we say, sure, I'll pay that amount when you've fixed everything and then wait and then they arrange another final-final inspection? These nerks have taken nearly a year to build the damn place so I hold no faith that they'll fix within a specified time frame either post inspection or even after we've moved in within that 3 month period. Too late then isn't it? Silly HIA contract "says" they should do it but if they don't what then? You have the drama of taking them to VCAT to get it done... (live in Victoria - building at Aurora in Epping). Any advice on how to proceed appreciated. Re: How does practical completion & handover work? 6Mar 26, 2009 12:35 am Quote: Builder is saying we should allow extra time at the end of the inspection on Friday to discuss final bill (for them to draw up at later date I presume). Do we say, sure, I'll pay that amount when you've fixed everything and then wait and then they arrange another final-final inspection? thats what we are gonna do. we figure we've waited 13 months while they fart arsed around & made stupid easily avoidable mistakes, so whats a little more time? I would rather do it this way than to pay up just so we can move in and still be at their mercy 18 months later waiting for things to get fixed. Re: How does practical completion & handover work? 8Mar 31, 2009 4:57 am Quote: How important is it to hire independent inspection from third party? I have no idea, I think its just a personal choice really. I guess it depends on how much you trust your builder, we dont trust ours so we paid $500 for a inspector to do 2hrs of work. That being said, when you've just paid out $200,000+ for the construction alone, $500 is neither here nor there. It just gives you peace of mind. He picked up heaps of stuff mostly cosmetic, but the probs in the bathrooms alone justify the $$. Re: How does practical completion & handover work? 9Mar 31, 2009 11:23 am it is good that they do pick up cosmetic issues as part of it. it is usually difficult to put across the cosmetic stuffs to the builders yet they are the ones that irritate the most. Re: How does practical completion & handover work? 10Apr 18, 2009 7:36 pm ok so its nearly a month later & we still dont have our house. handover on tues. what we have learned is to stay up the builder/admins arse when you think its nearly done. having no notice to book the private inspector to come out before pci cost us an extra 2wks wait!! If these people think we are gonna be on our hands & knees thanking them on tues, they have another thing coming. my next post will probably be from a jail cell! hahaha. What a bunch of dickheads. Re: How does practical completion & handover work? 11Sep 22, 2009 4:05 pm Hi Misscrow, How did you finally go? Have you moved into your home. Re: How does practical completion & handover work? 12Sep 22, 2009 9:56 pm Hi, yeah we finally got our keys after more drama's ie they hadn't done anything after the 10 days were up. we moved in end of june. We've had nothing but probs since. If I believed in such things, I'd say we were cursed. Of course I have no idea why we're soo easy going. Re: How does practical completion & handover work? 13Sep 23, 2009 9:49 am Sorry to hear about the dramas misscrow, but would like to congratulate you all the same for finally moving in. Did the builder fix up all defects listed in the building inspector's report? Re: How does practical completion & handover work? 15Sep 24, 2009 12:20 pm Hope they fix it up properly misscrow so that you can enjoy your new home completely & worry free Re: How does practical completion & handover work? 16Sep 24, 2009 1:09 pm Well it can never be worry free, the initial mistake of putting the slab down without approval & then having to add a tiny extra piece is always on my mind. It continues to move & cracks keep appearing where the join is. I am so scared we'll come home one day & find the front of our house in the street. Basically all the fun & excitement of building has been slowly tortured out of us to the stage where i want a new house. I know thats over dramatic but it just wasn't spose to be like this. The HIA contract, in the term & conditions section states that "Commencment" is deemed when the drainage is started or the piers are dug or the slab is formed up (incase… 2 6177 Like I said the Occupancy Certificate is not the tollgate that marks the completion of the house. The contract defines… 7 10748 Block of two storey townhouses requires painting on the roof. A brick parapet wall separates each unit and extends above the tiled roof. The parapet walls require sealing… 0 3502 |