Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Oct 25, 2009 12:07 am Have you dumped your builder really close to site start?? If you have, did you lose all the money you put in up to that point...or worse still, more than that?? How did you do it and was it a really hard decision to come to? And why? Deposits paid 29/4/09 Land settlement 12/08/09 Build contract signed 24/08/09 Colours done 28/09/09 BLOG-http://www.eljaysbuild.blogspot.com/ Re: Did you dump your builder close to starting? 2Oct 25, 2009 12:25 am Oh Eljay, you are in an awful prediciment atm and I feel for you, I would be reading your contract from start to finish and back again and possibly asking some hypothetical questions to your builder, you know my thoughts so I hope you can come to something you are "completly" happy with! x Building Thread viewtopic.php?f=31&t=13002 Site start: 8th July 2009 Handover: 11/12/2009! 5 months total build time. 40 sqs of luxuary...Bliss! Re: Did you dump your builder close to starting? 3Oct 25, 2009 12:54 am Reading the contract is the key. Builders have pretty well defined contracts and when dumping them a customer should be quite concious about possible consequences. Based on my agreements I had pretty much no choice (unless being agreed to lose quite a lot). From another point, unless the builder is a complete crap, it does not make much sense to loose them. Looking through the forum I understood that almost everyone had issues, however most of those are attributed to our own expectations and dreams -- not too much to the reality. At some point of time I was quite close to let Clarendon go, however, understanding the financial implications and looking at other people's experience I got an idea that changing half way through did not make much good -- you simply going to replace a known set of problems with an unknown one... So, IMO -- no gain at all... Patience, patience and patience. Maybe more communication with the builder. So far, after a 8 month relation with my builder and finally being in the construction phase for the last 5 weeks I'm quite (if not completely) happy with my builder and glad I did not do any rush decisions. ... built a Promenade with Clarendon. viewtopic.php?f=31&t=25104 20-10-09 - excavation and piering completed ... 12-04-10 - Basins fixed. Connecting to the electrical grid 23-04-10 - PCI 07-05-10 - HANDOVER! Re: Did you dump your builder close to starting? 4Oct 25, 2009 7:18 am Our DA was approved, we had demolished the house & we received a variation from the builder that if they damaged any other adjoining properties it was at our expense to repair them. After weeks of arguments with the builder (we spoke to the dept. of fair trading & our solicitor who both said not to sign it) we told them we couldn't & wouldn't sign it. Their answer was to put it in writing & that was the last we heard of them. We lost the $4000 that we had paid, that wasn't what concerned me the most it was the 9 months that it took for them to get to that point. We were with the same builder & building the same house that ebyelyakov is. In the end it worked out for us as we had the most amazing build & we do not regret the decision that we made, even though at the very beginning we were thinking of selling the land & buying established. Good luck with you decision, it is very hard but somethings happen for a reason, this could be one of them. We now have a blog. http://allaboutthebuild.blogspot.com/ Re: Did you dump your builder close to starting? 5Oct 25, 2009 8:22 am Eljay, I replied on your blog but I'll give a bit more detail here. I dumped m3tr1c0n around a week/10 days before site start. We absolutely loved the house, and after 7, 8 or 9 (I lost count) visits into head office to try to sign the friggin contract........ we were still with them. After our colour consultant changed a colour we selected and when questioned said "I thought this would look better!" WTF????.... we were still with them. After a middle manager blatantly * about something to cover the CSC's incompetent a$$, and I could prove it all with a paper trail..... we were still with them. We had developer approval, a building permit, everything...... then our construction drawings came back wrong AGAIN. As there was only internal alterations/tweaking and fixing of the electrical plan, it didn't effect the building permit..... but they'd had around 4 goes on the contruction drawings. I finally just thought, if they cannot understand where a doorway is meant to be, or keep moving light switches for no reason, THEN BLAME US how was the build going to go?? And that was it and we walked. My point is.... we had plenty of reasons to walk away earlier in the process and we should have. Every alarm bell went off time and time again.... and we still stuck with them, more out of fear than anything. I cannot tell how difficult it was to walk..... but I also cannot tell you of the sheer relief of being rid of them. I will have to look up total figures, but off the top of my head, we had paid around 16k, they offered us a ridiculously low amount back and I fought them and got just under 10k back. We were happy to lose the rest to be able to move on. I sometimes think if we just sucked it up we'd well and truly be in our house now. But then I look at the M3tr1c0n Bel -Air being built around the corner from me....... their slab was poured around 2 or 3 months before we started..... our house is bigger and we have now passed them and will no doubt be in before them. Everytime I pass that house, I feel very sorry for the owners, and very relieved for myself. Trust your gut Eljay. They count on us feeling stuck, not being able to walk away and just accepting their crap. I leave you to fend for yourself, figure things out yourself. Terrence Malick Re: Did you dump your builder close to starting? 6Oct 25, 2009 9:06 am From your other posts It doesn't sound like you have the budget to be able to dump your builder at this stage and find another. Terrible communication seems pretty standard with most builders. We certainly had it prior to contract signing but so far our build has been pretty good. We still dont get our weekly phone call but we are free to check things out ourselves so we know what's going on. Have you spoken to other people who are building with your builder? Does the build tend to go smoothly once it starts? If communication is so far the only problem...I'd suck it up. Where are you going to go that you are certain you will get better service? There is no point moving on if you are just going to have to suffer the same crap again. Re: Did you dump your builder close to starting? 7Oct 25, 2009 10:17 am Ari From your other posts It doesn't sound like you have the budget to be able to dump your builder at this stage and find another. Terrible communication seems pretty standard with most builders. We certainly had it prior to contract signing but so far our build has been pretty good. We still dont get our weekly phone call but we are free to check things out ourselves so we know what's going on. Have you spoken to other people who are building with your builder? Does the build tend to go smoothly once it starts? If communication is so far the only problem...I'd suck it up. Where are you going to go that you are certain you will get better service? There is no point moving on if you are just going to have to suffer the same crap again. up with being treated like it, this infuriates me, the above is not a good enough reason not to stand your ground and demand decent treatment. Best of luck Eljay. x Building Thread viewtopic.php?f=31&t=13002 Site start: 8th July 2009 Handover: 11/12/2009! 5 months total build time. 40 sqs of luxuary...Bliss! Re: Did you dump your builder close to starting? 8Oct 25, 2009 11:35 am Its not really about the builder once you start. Its all about the SS and the tradies. I am not sure if if works the same everywhere else but my SS picks the tradies not the builder. My SS has just started with my company and I have gotten all the tradies he has used with another builder for the last 5 years. The builder only comes into it when the SS will not agree to fix the things you have problems with. My SS so far has fixed nearly everything, my only complaint is he dosn't tell me it will get fixed, I will just go have a look at my house and it is done. Re: Did you dump your builder close to starting? 9Oct 25, 2009 12:07 pm Thanks everyone...I was more asking out of curiosity, as much as I would love to jump ship right now I'm in to far I think. My budget is pretty tight and I don't know if I could afford to lose the $11k right now. I'm sure they are watching this ;( I have sent my admin an email letting her know that I am dissatisfied with the communication so far and I expect an improvement! We'll see what happens, I will read over my contract again and if by Thursday I have not had an outcome to my emails(s), I will seek legal advice over whether or not I can get out. At this point I wish I had bought established! Or had gone with the one I nearly signed up with. Thanks Deposits paid 29/4/09 Land settlement 12/08/09 Build contract signed 24/08/09 Colours done 28/09/09 BLOG-http://www.eljaysbuild.blogspot.com/ Re: Did you dump your builder close to starting? 10Oct 25, 2009 2:31 pm [quote="pinkfairymagic It may be "standard" with most builders but they only get away with because people put up with being treated like it, this infuriates me, the above is not a good enough reason not to stand your ground and demand decent treatment. Best of luck Eljay. x[/quote] I agree that we all *should* stand our ground and demand better treatment however while so many people are pushing their budgets to breaking point just to build the house, the builders have them over the barrel. Not everyone can afford to walk away from 11 grand. Re: Did you dump your builder close to starting? 11Oct 25, 2009 5:46 pm Eljay Thanks everyone...I was more asking out of curiosity, as much as I would love to jump ship right now I'm in to far I think. My budget is pretty tight and I don't know if I could afford to lose the $11k right now. I'm sure they are watching this ;( I have sent my admin an email letting her know that I am dissatisfied with the communication so far and I expect an improvement! We'll see what happens, I will read over my contract again and if by Thursday I have not had an outcome to my emails(s), I will seek legal advice over whether or not I can get out. At this point I wish I had bought established! Or had gone with the one I nearly signed up with. Thanks See my comment on your other thread in Michelles Lounge. Change builders.. hopefully you would be able to get most of the money back.. but you wont need to upgrade much at all if you go with a larger builder.. they have much better inclusions!! Do you really like the current house plan though? Like absolutely cant wait to live in it, like it? If you dont.. change builders because you will be so sad with the house and lack of communication/service. Re: Did you dump your builder close to starting? 12Oct 25, 2009 6:07 pm I guess I need to contact the builder and ask what my loss would be. I can live without the house, but losing that money is really going to hurt I have read my contract, which has confused me!! But in the back of it says "should this contract not proceed for any reson whatsoever, all moneys expended by the builder on fees, soil reports etc etc etc shall be dectued forthwith from tany deposit paid. And admin fee of $2k for the costs of documentation, plans etc... If the deposit is insufficient to cover such costs then the proprietor shall pay such extra costs to the builder within fourteen days after receiveing notification that the same are due payable" So I need to find out how much it will cost me I guess.... I shall send an email. Deposits paid 29/4/09 Land settlement 12/08/09 Build contract signed 24/08/09 Colours done 28/09/09 BLOG-http://www.eljaysbuild.blogspot.com/ Re: Did you dump your builder close to starting? 13Oct 25, 2009 9:00 pm well you know my op on all this! If they're crap now, they probably always will be. I agree patience helps, but sometimes you have to be numb as well. That I can't be! I wouldn't wait till thurs for legal advice, go for it first thing monday. You don't have to take the advice, but here's the thing, the longer you leave it, the longer the whole process takes. Why not find out your rights today, why tomorrow. Maybe there is something you can do with your current builder to help, maybe there isn't. Your soly will sort all that out for you. If you can't afford a soly, start with Legal Aid Advice line, free. Just don't sit there and think this problem is going to mend itself. BTW, I know you are certain the builders are looking at this (and your blog). My op, they aren't. They couldn't care less. Get smarter, and be more proactive about your situation, I know you're going it alone, so sometimes it's hard to make these decisions, just do it!!! You Go Girl! A thankful person is a happy person. [/color]My hobby design blog: http://aviewondesign.blogspot.com/ Re: Did you dump your builder close to starting? 14Oct 25, 2009 10:30 pm Thanks everyone for your support and advice I'll have a think and try and crunch some numbers. But... is there anyone else that wants to share their experiences?? Its not all about me. I was purely being nosey hahaha Deposits paid 29/4/09 Land settlement 12/08/09 Build contract signed 24/08/09 Colours done 28/09/09 BLOG-http://www.eljaysbuild.blogspot.com/ Re: Did you dump your builder close to starting? 15Oct 26, 2009 1:35 pm Just to let you know, we had really bad customer service at the start of our process well with the CSC at head office. But I have to say we have the best CSC now for construction and she always answers our calls and gets back to me the same day. It is like I am dealing with a different company. So if you can't afford the time and money to start over I would stick with it. Only if you love your house. But this is what happened to us with the M Good luck and hope you get what you want out of it. Forum thread viewtopic.php?f=31&t=22300 Re: Did you dump your builder close to starting? 16Oct 26, 2009 2:23 pm Hey Eljay, I really don't have any experience with this type of situation. But i wish you all the best in sorting it out. If you do decide to cancel then fingers crossed your builder is reasonable! I would also recommend getting some sort of legal advice asap so you know where you stand. viewtopic.php?f=31&t=22766 - my build thread! Time waits for no man. Unless that man is Chuck Norris. Re: Did you dump your builder close to starting? 17Oct 26, 2009 3:58 pm I changed my builder about 1 week out from site start. Best decision I ever made. My new builder has caught up to where the other builder is at, even with a 4 week delay because of bank delays I figured if they can make that many stuff ups and have such bad customer service and broken promises before they start building it can only get worse once they start. Moved in December 2010 Surrey Hills, Vic 3127 Garage is being built with metal, 3m distance away from my cover deck. It is parallel to my cover deck, living room, family room and kitchen,… 0 9591 Thanks mate. Yeah good points! Leaning towards Option 3 to get a bit extra space in the cabinets but not going too crazy high (and expensive). Would require a mini… 13 39236 |