Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Mar 11, 2010 7:21 am Hey everyone, We're almost at the end of our building journey and for us blogs have been invaluable - tips and tricks, plus keeping family and friends up to date. So I had some questions for you all on the use of them: 1. What is the purpose of your blog? 2. Do you find other people's blogs useful? 3. Any disadvantages of having your blog? 4. What would you think if your builder made you sign a contract saying that you couldn't blog? What would your opinion be of a builder who bans blogs - would it affect your decision to build with them? My answers 1. To keep family and friends informed 2. Absolutely! Gives you an idea of what happens at each stage, design and fit out ideas, look at colours etc 3. I did worry that people may break windows etc (but that's not just because of the blog - would be in any build). I was pretty careful about being harsh on the builder - I did want them to finish! I got burned once complaining and since then I've always phoned & emailed to attempt to fix the situation with the builder first. If I'm getting jerked around - then I'll post. 4. I'd be worried if it was a complete ban - what do they have to hide? Are things that bad? I'd be ok to sign a reasonable agreement that has a procedure for handling complaints before they went public on the blog - but if they stopped me from making a public blog - I suppose I'd figure out a way (through forums etc) After 4 years - we're in! Re: Your thoughts on blogging 2Mar 11, 2010 7:58 am Well, I have never had a blog - about house building or anything else - but I think one of the disadvantages is that people can hide behind anonymity(sp?) to post abusive personal comments - as one poster here found out the hard way Re: Your thoughts on blogging 3Mar 11, 2010 8:54 am 1. I keep a blog to make it easy to keep my family and friends updated - no more emailing around tonnes of images! It also provides me with a permanent record of the building process - like a diary+scrapbook. I can look back at the week to week progress and see all the relevant photos and see how I was feeling about it all at the time. 2. Just recently a H1ers blog played a big part in me switching my flooring choice - I got to see the floor I was uncertain about in someone's home. Seeing how it looks with normal home lighting and furniture - not a company promo shot - sealed the deal for me and I will forever appreciate the fact. So yes 3. I am wary to put information I don't want public onto my blog - my surname, my address, when electrical goods are being delivered, when house security is compromised etc. I also would never publicly bag out my builder or any tradies - keeping it professional as it were. 4. I would sign it of course, but I would also ask for an satisfactory answer. Asking your client to do that borders of infringing civil liberties in my opinion, and I would need a damned good answer before I let it rest. I'm sure it wouldn't be because they have something to hide, but more because they don't want building materials pinched from home sites that criminals have looked up on the web. Re: Your thoughts on blogging 4Mar 11, 2010 8:58 am hi mate My build blog: 1. To keep friends up to date, provide future electronic diary of our journey for our future kids/grandkids to have a giggle over! 2. I love other's blogs, they are so informative, and they give a glimpse into what other people have found out the hard way (hence we may be saved the trauma) and what others value (including their honest opinions which are always interesting too) 3. Personally I don't see a disadvantage. It's free, and if someone put a neg comment on my blog, I'd simply remove it - no biggie (NB. I've never had a neg comment, but I've had a bit of spam) 4. I would steer way clear of any builder who said you couldn't write the truth. They may ask me to remove something they don't like, but I don't see how legally they can force me unless I gave them an undertaking not to do so - which is, of course, removing my freedom of speech, so they'd be hard pressed to enforce it. NB. my builder did ask me to refrain from revealing one thing on my blog because they said they were doing me a favour, and didn't want other owners to jump up and down demanding the same favour, I was happy to oblige!! It's a two way street I spose with your builder if they are good. PRIVATE BLOG (on design) 1. To keep a diary of gorgeous Aus homes ($$$) and with design flair. 2. Love other designer blogs, I visit them almost daily (albeit at midnight when I finally get a minute to myself around this madhouse!!!) 3. No, it's great, I'm proud of it. People often leave comments, and I love that! 4. Not building related! So many people I tell about my build/design blog, say "what's a blog?" but as of December 2007 blog search engine Technorati was tracking more than 112,000,000 blogs. I think it's biggest in US, but i don't have real stats. food for thought! A thankful person is a happy person. [/color]My hobby design blog: http://aviewondesign.blogspot.com/ Re: Your thoughts on blogging 5Mar 11, 2010 9:05 am Annie both my hubby and I love drooling over your A View on Design blog. We've never even seen the ads for those amazing homes so thanks to you we get a glimpse into that kind of high end interior design Re: Your thoughts on blogging 6Mar 11, 2010 11:46 am 1. The purpose of my blog is to journal things that inspire me. Interiors, design, fashion, art, music, movies etc. Just starting to blog about the build as it progresses. 2. Yes, more helpfull than most supplier/store websites, they are honest. 3. No disadvantages, it has been really handy. If I find a handy website I blog about it. If I DIY something I blog about it, if I cook something awsome I blog about it & it's always there for future reference. You can stay annon if you want & just don't post any pictures where you or your home may be recognised. 4. I think if you were made to sign a contract, it would probably state that you can't name the builder, not blog at all. I think it's just better to be safe than sorry, so just don't name the builder or have any negative content towards any companies. "A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality" -John Lennon Re: Your thoughts on blogging 7Mar 11, 2010 4:20 pm 1. I like to blather on about "stuff", and my family don't want to listen to me all the time ....and blogging gives you access to a worldwide community of people with interesting/crazy/fascinating lives, ideas and thoughts. 2. Blogs are a bit addictive....my reader is out of control. 3. No disadvantages that I've found so far. Anonymity isn't a huge issue for me, having an online business anyway - people usually figure out who I am. 4. Hmm....freedom of speech is pretty important, and if they've nothing to hide, why should they worry? I guess that people can sometimes have unrealistic expectations and can also let emotions overtake good sense when it comes to posting about negative stuff though. Businesses have their name to consider.... if it was a "don't post complaints till we've had a chance to address them" kind of deal, then maybe.... Helyn Well, I have never had a blog - about house building or anything else - but I think one of the disadvantages is that people can hide behind anonymity(sp?) to post abusive personal comments - as one poster here found out the hard way That's easy to deal with - you can ban anonymous comments and/or set comment moderation so you have control over what gets published. I've never had problems with trolls, although I do get blog spam. The delete button takes care of THAT. I have three blogs, they all serve different purposes, but I love them all! Re: Your thoughts on blogging 8Mar 11, 2010 7:22 pm stonecutter1309 1. What is the purpose of your blog? My blog was to tell my family and friends about my experience with building, and anyone else who cared to read my dribble! It was also a diary so I could keep track of when things happened, when things were supposed to happen and when things went wrong...complete with dates. I think it's a great record to keep of the ins and outs of building. Quote: 2. Do you find other people's blogs useful? YES!! I'm a bit of a blog junkie, and I have my favs that I always have to read. Although now I have finished building I have moved on to the decorating side of things and find blogs a wonderful source of inspiration. Quote: 3. Any disadvantages of having your blog? I haven't found any. I do not post any personal info on there, including tradies names, lot numbers, house plans and even number plates etc etc. Quote: 4. What would you think if your builder made you sign a contract saying that you couldn't blog? What would your opinion be of a builder who bans blogs - would it affect your decision to build with them? I probably wouldn't sign the contract. What ever happened to freedom of speech? I did tell one of my CSA's about my blog, but I have no idea if they read it, or not. And, quite frankly, I couldn't care less. Sure, I made no secret about who my builder was, but I never wrote anything that was defamatory or put me in a 'difficult position'. I never named names, and I had a few 'off' days, but my build ran really smoothly in the grand scheme of things and they should be proud of what I wrote about them! I told it how I saw it through my eyes without bagging anyone, or anything. I sometimes used the phrase 'appears to be...' if there was something that didn't look right, and gave the builder the benefit of the doubt until I had a proper explanation. I don't think there is anything on my blog I regret writing. I would have loved to have named my SS, because I thought he was brilliant! But still to this day, I won't. I don't think it's entirely necessary! Henley - Wilshire Mk 3 ... I love my house!! Site start: 4th Feb 09 Handover: 10th Sep 09 Blog: http://stormygirlscastle.blogspot.com/ Build Thread: viewtopic.php?t=7166 Re: Your thoughts on blogging 9Mar 11, 2010 9:28 pm 1. What is the purpose of your blog? When I decided to sign with my particular builder, I couldn't find any blogs from current or previous customers. So I decided to start my own and be the first. Plus it's a great way to keep friends and family updated on the status of your build. 2. Do you find other people's blogs useful? Absolutely! Being a first home buyer/builder, looking through building blogs gave me a clear idea on what to expect throughout the building process. Plus, seeing everyone's colour selections was a great source of inspiration. You can learn what works, and what doesn't. And of course, sharing in their excitement is great fun. 3. Any disadvantages of having your blog? I guess I'm a bit disappointed that my blog has become so negative lately. I started the blog with a positive frame of mind and had every intention of showing the builder in a positive light. However, my build has been plagued with problems and what I consider to be poor quality workmanship, so the blog has been my way of 'venting' and blowing off steam. Don't get me wrong, I'll praise the builder when something is done right and/or exceeded my expectations. However, that situation is very far and few between. 4. What would you think if your builder made you sign a contract saying that you couldn't blog? What would your opinion be of a builder who bans blogs - would it affect your decision to build with them? I would not build with them if they banned blogs or made me sign a contract saying I couldn't blog. Companies must understand that there is a shift in consumer behaviour. With Web 2.0, companies can no longer think that the marketing fluff on their website is sufficient for potential customers. They need to let go of their brand somewhat, because it's the public who own their brand in a sense. It's a big change... some companies have embraced social media; other companies are struggling to come to terms with it. My builder knows about my blog (including the owner of the company). When they discovered it online, I know that there was a few 'emergency meetings' to see what could be done about it. After all, I was their first customer to have a blog. However, I've never been asked to remove it or edit the blog in any way, so that's a positive sign... and one which I must give them credit for. Re: Your thoughts on blogging 10Mar 11, 2010 9:42 pm 1. What is the purpose of your blog? A: The purpose of my blog is to document my build process, allowing my friends and relatives to experience it along with me. (ive had relo's that are on their 2nd house etc and i havent even seen the first one) 2. Do you find other people's blogs useful? A: Yes, i find them very useful as a source of ideas , being a single guy im disadvantaged in the fact that i lack any design skills and colour co-ordination so i like to see whats worked for others and then use that to allow my creative juices to flow or slowly drip ... 3. Any disadvantages of having your blog? A: none that i know of, its all good. 4. What would you think if your builder made you sign a contract saying that you couldn't blog? What would your opinion be of a builder who bans blogs - would it affect your decision to build with them? A: I wouldn't build with them , simple, they should be confident enough in their work to know that they wont do anything i would want to complain about or have an issue with. Why do the feel the need to hide their workmanship from others? Were struck with: Colorbond Ironstone Grey roof and cream windows. What color should we render and paint the garage door to tone down the cream windows? Farm House, will… 0 26980 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 39715 Broker here - legislation says that every true broker must put the clients best interests before theirs so in theory they must offer you the best options for you on their… 2 46013 |