Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Apr 08, 2010 8:05 pm Im intrested to know if people wait till they are invited at the end of each stage to see the work or do you help yourself on the week end. How offen do you check things out per week? Do you go in or just drive by? Do you tell the builder if you see some thing thats not what it should be? We have talked about the legals re, going on site but I would like to know what others do to keep an eye on the progress. Regards KW............. “It's just as unpleasant to get more than you bargain for as to get less” George Bernard Shaw. Re: How offen do you go on site for a look? 2Apr 08, 2010 8:21 pm I was lucky enough to live only 3 minutes from our site, so I would drive by AT LEAST once a day, often twice, sometimes four. I watched as the slab was being poured, and I would often chat to the chippies as they worked on the frame, and wave to the brickies as I went past. I would usually visit (walk around) the site once a day after the tradies had packed up and gone home, except when the double storey bricks were being done and there was scaffolding everywhere (too dangerous). Otherwise I was there, and once lockup happened I was peering through windows seeing what had been done. I could not wait until each stage was completed and I organised a meeting with the SS. I actually picked up several things he had missed that weren't 'quite right' from peering through windows. 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: How offen do you go on site for a look? 3Apr 08, 2010 8:26 pm Hmmm, well if how often i've stalked our land is any indication it'll be fairly often. That said rather than the bank having stages independently checked, they work on the 'we sign the release of funds' after we're satisfied that the work has been completed. So yeah, no question there will be inspections. Our Build - Places Fairhaven 23+ - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=28045 Our Landscaping - Belial's Backyard - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=45375 Re: How offen do you go on site for a look? 5Apr 08, 2010 11:16 pm What's this being invited at the end of each stage thing you talk about?? ;o We are now up to 'finals' as they call it, and we've yet to be invited to take a look. I didn't think they took you through at all until PCI. I guess it must vary between all the builders? But to answer your question, we drive past almost daily. In the early stages (when the slab was laid, bricking was being done, pre lock-up etc) we would drive out there when hubby got home from work, by which time there was no one else around. We'd walk around and take photos, check it all out, etc. Now that we're locked up we still drive past almost daily, but we usually only get out to have a look if it looks like something has been happening, or if it's been a few days since we last peered through the windows. We haven't seen anything major out of the place as yet, but we have rocked up there while the SS was there doing some checks. We introduced ourselves and asked a few questions, had a quick chat and he went about his work. Re: How offen do you go on site for a look? 6Apr 08, 2010 11:31 pm At least every second day. House is now tightly locked up so it is a matter of peering through windows. Yes, we have told our builder of some major problems - extremely bad brickies - and also things that have not been done according to our plans and contract. They haven't been happy but whose money is paying them. Re: How offen do you go on site for a look? 7Apr 08, 2010 11:32 pm Depending on when I expect things to be completed. So perhaps once every 2 weeks. Re: How offen do you go on site for a look? 8Apr 09, 2010 12:20 am We drive past our land once or twice a week to see what everyone elese is doing and we visit the display house about once a month. Our builder should start in the next few days so if its anything like our last house we will be up there every day looking around... I remember leaving a window unlatched in the last house and would sneak a peak during lock up on the weekends... picked up on quiet a few details this way and droped hits to the builder that i could "see the defects through the windows" My build thread:https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=24870 Re: How offen do you go on site for a look? 9Apr 09, 2010 6:20 am We're only 30mins away from our site and while the land was bare as a new borns ..... bottom... it would vary from once to twice a week, if not three times. Now construction has started it's been no less than every 2nd day but in most cases it's every day until lock-up hits. So far we've only noticed a couple of odd things wrong which on the whole is quite good and our SS knows we visit after hours. He's open to listening to our reports but how long and whether he listens to them is another thing. Once Lock-up hits I'll be trying to 'accidentally' fall in and then just have to have a look around and make copious notes for final inspection, or I noticed this through one of the windows using my binoculars the other day.... Happy building trails people... PD Hayman 34 H1 Thread https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=29460&start=0 Blog http://miazfolly.blogspot.com Tiles 25/3/09 Colors 6/4/09 Tender 7/5/09 Contract 28/5/09 Land 16/11/09 Re: How offen do you go on site for a look? 10Apr 09, 2010 7:43 am At the risk of incriminating ourselves (we know our builder reads certain threads - this one is a magnet!) we'll answer this after handover Re: How offen do you go on site for a look? 11Apr 09, 2010 7:51 am Since I bought the land - Dad has taken a detour through the estate most nights as it sits pretty much between his work and home. He's fantastic about looking out for me and it's nice that I have someone to update me on progress now that the house is actually being built. I tend to go there at some point most weekends and now that there is something happening on the block I might take the occasional lunchtime trip (it's a 30 minute trip each way from work all going well on the freeways). Re: How offen do you go on site for a look? 12Apr 09, 2010 8:07 am We go fairly regularly, some weeks it will be once a day, other times I get home too late to have a look (we currently live around the corner). If exciting things have been happening we will go more often. Our builder has given us a key, he will let us know whats happened, like for example, the other day the floor tiles were laid by the front door so he let us know so we didnt walk on them. I am really grateful for this, even though I know most bigger builders (except for Coral I think) keep you off site for workplace health, it feels good to be trusted. This is your house and your biggest investment. They are crazy to think (and most of them know it) that you will never go onsite to have a look unless its in a meeting. Re: How offen do you go on site for a look? 13Apr 09, 2010 8:20 am I go at least once a day, and there is a lot happening there at the moment so I choose my moments then duck in and look through all the windows and talk to the tradies. Its just round the corner for us so its nice and easy Caz & Co ALL MOVED IN!! Now comes all the hard work-decorating.... [b]Blog: http://cazoraz.blogspot.com/ Settling in Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=36993 Re: How offen do you go on site for a look? 14Apr 09, 2010 9:14 am We're 5 minutes away from our block so we normally drive past every week day. Officially we arrange an inspection every 3 or 4 weeks. Built a Tribeca 44 with the Big M Sales Accept 15/06/09, Contract Signed 24/09/09, Site Start 23/11/09, Slab 11/12/09, Frame 12/01/10, Roof 20/01/10, Lock-up 30/03/10, Fixing 30/04/10, Handover 27/08/10. Re: How offen do you go on site for a look? 15Apr 09, 2010 9:51 am We lived closed by so yes everynight after the tradies had finished. We were only ever locked out between PCI and Handover Re: How offen do you go on site for a look? 16Apr 09, 2010 10:30 am It seems twice a week would be average. I guess the excitment and pride of ownership is a big thing. Has anyone been told to @#$% off by a tradie or the builder? I mean how much can the place change in one day. I think once a week is OK. Thanks KW........... “It's just as unpleasant to get more than you bargain for as to get less” George Bernard Shaw. Re: How offen do you go on site for a look? 17Apr 09, 2010 10:52 am King willy Has anyone been told to @#$% off by a tradie or the builder? . No, never had an issue ... Probably because every so often i would bring a case of beer on Friday and catch up with the SS and tradies and chin wag... My build thread:https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=24870 Re: How offen do you go on site for a look? 18Apr 09, 2010 11:21 am King willy I mean how much can the place change in one day. Before lockup, quite a bit! Pipes, slab prep, slab pour, frame set out, bottom floor frame, yellow tongue laid, second floor set out, roof trusses, guttering, roof tiles etc...all of these separate things were mostly done in a day, so it does actually change quite a bit...hence why I would often drive past twice, sometimes four, times a day. I had to take as many progress photos as I could. It's also amazing just how much the brickies get done in a day, and I loved watching the day to day progress (the house building was my life for a year). All the wall plastering was also done in a full day...blink and you'd miss it!! Once the plaster's on it seems to take forever as not much changes on the outside. I found that the most frustrating part because I couldn't get in to see what they had done! 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: How offen do you go on site for a look? 19Apr 09, 2010 2:35 pm King willy Has anyone been told to @#$% off by a tradie or the builder? I mean how much can the place change in one day. I think once a week is OK. Thanks KW........... No, never. We only bumped into them a few times, but they never seemed to have a problem with us taking a quick look and snapping a few photos. Some stages of the build (especially pre lock-up) can happen quite quickly, that's why we tried to get out there daily. Re: How offen do you go on site for a look? 20Apr 09, 2010 3:58 pm As a builder, we know our clients check out their sites at least once a week, with few visiting less frequently than once a month. Technically you are not supposed to be out on a site without a blue card, but it's pretty hard to enforce this unless you go to site fencing with padlocks. If people want to get in - they will find a way. Apart from safety, i have no real drama with people looking as they will pick up things they aren't sure about and will communicate them to the supervisor. I think it's best to visit in the afternoon when trades have gone home as they tend to get a bit uncomfortable with people looking over their shoulders. It also depends on the client - I have heard of situations where the client wasn't happy with something and harassed the trade on site. Hence why in building contracts the builder does have the right to exclude people from site during the construction process. Above all things - it's part of the experience!!! A lot of people don't realise how much work and effort goes into building a home so it's interesting to see it take shape and why we may do certain things. No the fireplace doesn’t work. It’s been enclosed. 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