Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Jan 14, 2010 9:48 am Hi All I was hoping to be tracking my build on here but so far it has just been one massive waiting game! I signed the initial go ahead contract with DFH in February 2009. I didn't receive my full contract until the end of August 2009. Now I still don't have a site start date and its mid-January 2010! All I have been told by DFH is that I need to apply for an extension to the FHOG because they probably won't make the 26 week build time for the grant. Brilliant. Ok so this probably wasn't overly important to post but I needed a small vent as I was hoping to be tracking my build on here by now!! Re: Dennis Family Homes - So Many Delays... FHOG Extension.... 2Jan 14, 2010 10:12 am WOW MayaMatt I can't believe you don't have a site start date yet. We actually signed in Feb 09 like yourselves and received our contracts in June and we started in September. What has been the reason for such a long delay? ChloChlo experienced the same kind of delay issues I would recommend you read her thread. Building with Dennis Family Homes - Hartley 280 Location: Settlers Run, Botanic Ridge Re: Dennis Family Homes - So Many Delays... FHOG Extension.... 3Jan 14, 2010 10:46 am We haven't been given any real reason apart from the usual 'we're busy because everyone rushed for the FHOG'.... Well I don't really see my initiating things in February 09 as a rush.... It is nearly a WHOLE YEAR!! To clarify, our land is in Kinglake and was fire damaged. So while we have been waiting for the contract we have cleared all our dead trees, had water tanks installed and had our own electricity cables installed (DFH was going to charge 5 times the price we were quoted by a local electrician). None of these tasks have delayed DFH as they were all done while we were waiting for them. The only minor excuse they had for delaying the contract was some issues with the new fire regulations building requirements - but in the end they were sorted out with no real issue (well apart from adding about $10k to our costs).... Despite signing in August and getting almost immediate bank approval we didn't get our colour consult until late October. Because we wanted variations (such as polished porcelain tiles etc) we had to wait for this to be sent back to us - which took until the 4th of December and which I signed and sent back immediately. The last I heard from DFH was on December 8 when someone called to see if we had electricity at our site. And following this I received a generic letter on Dec 28 saying I need to apply for an extension to the FHOG. I am trying to remain calm and am trying to see the positive side - at least we can pay more off the mortgage of the land before we get the house price lumped on. But now that the FHOG is in question this is causing much more stress - being a rural build it is a high grant and was obviously taken into consideration when costing the house. Thanks for listening. M Re: Dennis Family Homes - So Many Delays... FHOG Extension.... 4Jan 14, 2010 10:49 am Hey I have a similar situation with my contract, paid the initial amount last year in January, got the final contract signed in August and still don't have a start date. Will most likely have to apply for the FHBG extension unless they begin next week and get the slab down before the 7th of Feb? So annoying!!! Caine & Sarah's NBG Buckingham 36 View my thread here: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=19894 View all photos here: http://caineandsarah.blogspot.com Re: Dennis Family Homes - So Many Delays... FHOG Extension.... 5Jan 14, 2010 3:11 pm MayaMatt We haven't been given any real reason apart from the usual 'we're busy because everyone rushed for the FHOG'.... Well I don't really see my initiating things in February 09 as a rush.... It is nearly a WHOLE YEAR!! To clarify, our land is in Kinglake and was fire damaged. So while we have been waiting for the contract we have cleared all our dead trees, had water tanks installed and had our own electricity cables installed (DFH was going to charge 5 times the price we were quoted by a local electrician). None of these tasks have delayed DFH as they were all done while we were waiting for them. The only minor excuse they had for delaying the contract was some issues with the new fire regulations building requirements - but in the end they were sorted out with no real issue (well apart from adding about $10k to our costs).... Despite signing in August and getting almost immediate bank approval we didn't get our colour consult until late October. Because we wanted variations (such as polished porcelain tiles etc) we had to wait for this to be sent back to us - which took until the 4th of December and which I signed and sent back immediately. The last I heard from DFH was on December 8 when someone called to see if we had electricity at our site. And following this I received a generic letter on Dec 28 saying I need to apply for an extension to the FHOG. I am trying to remain calm and am trying to see the positive side - at least we can pay more off the mortgage of the land before we get the house price lumped on. But now that the FHOG is in question this is causing much more stress - being a rural build it is a high grant and was obviously taken into consideration when costing the house. Thanks for listening. M M, if I was you I'd definitely be escalating this issue by contacting someone at Head Office, this just is not good enough!!!!! I've built a couple of times now and the most frustrating part for me is the lack of communication by builders, but you have been waiting so long without a site start date I would be jumping up and down and demanding answers. Good luck!!!! Building with Dennis Family Homes - Hartley 280 Location: Settlers Run, Botanic Ridge Re: Dennis Family Homes - So Many Delays... FHOG Extension.... 6Jan 26, 2010 4:32 pm Same, we signed house contact in July with DFH. As of Jan 14th our 26 weeks was up. All we have is a meter box. The SRO definition of 'commence' actually means slab finished and paid for. However because we didn't go through the bank for the grant, you can't submit for an extension until you have submitted the paper work for the grant, which you can't actually do until you get the cert of occupancy. So we wont know if we get the grant until the house is finished. We should get it through as our bank took 4 months to approve the finance and we lost 1 month over xmas/new year. Its not DFH fault in this case as they only had 1 month to get everything done. Matt Re: Dennis Family Homes - .. FHOG Extension.... 8Jan 26, 2010 7:59 pm Hi, I have mates building in Kinglake, the builders were worried with there contracts due to the State Government/Local Council not deciding on how to have new building regulations. Most of these contracts got delayed. To solve your problem you need to write a letter to the SRO that factors were outside your control. Im pretty sure trying to use the bushfire thingy may help your cause. Re: Dennis Family Homes - .. FHOG Extension.... 9Feb 11, 2010 2:23 pm Thank you all for the concerns! Just as we were starting to get very depressed about the whole thing we got a start date!!!!!! FINALLYYYYYYYYY!!!!!! Our start date was Feb 7 so the 251 building days is up on October 16. So that means between buying the land and moving in it will have been a 2 year process. Well.... let the games begin and I hope to have some updates on here soon. Re: Dennis Family Homes - .. FHOG Extension.... 10Feb 11, 2010 2:39 pm I am glad things are starting to look up for you. I am currently building with Dennis Family Homes in Whittlesea so not too far from you at all we are building the Flinders, what house are you building. Lucky for us our process hasnt been stressful the admin process was a little lenghty initial deposit March signed our contract in June and started in September. Our site supervisor has been great, our kithen has gone in and the housewill be painted any day. I hope its all sunshine from here for you both. Re: Dennis Family Homes - .. FHOG Extension.... 11Feb 11, 2010 2:48 pm Thank you. We are building the Murchison 321 - but with an older facade that they don't offer anymore (with a verandah at the front). However we have changed the plan - the games room is turned on its side to fit the building envelope and we have put a two-person bath in the ensuite and only one vanity and we have put a wall in between the "Living" room and kitchen to create a) a library instead of a living room and b) a walk in pantry in the kitchen. They are the main changes - as well as closing in all the "open holes" in the walls which frankly I think are weird and render most rooms pretty useless...... If I can figure out how to upload my house plan I could do that! Glad your house is coming up so quick! You're very lucky there!! Re: Dennis Family Homes - .. FHOG Extension.... 12Mar 08, 2011 8:40 pm Hi mayamatt my hubby and I are using a private builder to build roughly the Murchison you are building but with changes to the front having it straight across the house. And we are having a WIR behind the bed with a door either side with the ensuite with a double shower and double basin and toilet of course. We have taken out the door in the kitchen that goes into the lounge i think and just made that bench space. We have a 6 acre block which doesnt have gas or water so we have to get a tank and a wood heater. How is your house coming along? We have chosen bricks etc till lock up yet to choose internal colours and flooring. Contract signed - March 7,2011 Site Cut - May 6, 2011 Pre slab plumbing - 19th May, 2011 Slab - 10th June, 2011 Our thread viewtopic.php?f=31&t=45044 Hi everyone, Newbie renovator here, after some advice for combining our family room in the picture and the alfresco and make a larger family room. There is a flush sill… 0 1569 Hi, We have a single story MacDonald Jones house, on a waffle pod slab with steel frame. Are we able to build a second story extension? Other info is we are 900mm from… 0 5839 Hello Josh, This is Irving from PRIMA, we are a manufacturer of the staircase, railings, kitchen cabinets, windows, doors from China. 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