Browse Forums Building A New House Re: Building First Home with Simonds - Narre Warren, VIC 21Jun 01, 2011 10:18 pm thanks abraham i might pm SherWin and see what he / she thinks about all this. like i said i just want to be as informed as possible before proceeding. i am a firm man and i stand my ground. if i get a sniff of someone trying to cut corners, rip me off or try and pull the wool over my eyes - especially when it comes to something this massive and important - they will fix it and get it right or i will destroy them. that's about it really cheers mate. Re: Building First Home with Simonds - Narre Warren, VIC 22Jun 01, 2011 10:28 pm mattnjaz thanks abraham i might pm SherWin and see what he / she thinks about all this. like i said i just want to be as informed as possible before proceeding. i am a firm man and i stand my ground. if i get a sniff of someone trying to cut corners, rip me off or try and pull the wool over my eyes - especially when it comes to something this massive and important - they will fix it and get it right or i will destroy them. that's about it really cheers mate. I am also building through them - better to be safe than sorry ! As some people in the forum has said 1) learn and don't make any haste decisions 2) Never go to contract, always opt for tender Re: Building First Home with Simonds - Narre Warren, VIC 23Jun 01, 2011 10:31 pm Quote: we have money set aside on top but what does your estimate of 50k - 80k include? everything? like flooring / blinds / furnishing / landscaping / driveway / pavings etc? the good thing about having a small and level block and a reasonably compact house is we may be able to save on that aspect we thinks... For us it is $24k site costs (we need a retaining wall as we have a sloping block), electrical $3000, a/c (we are doing this ourselves) $8000 - split downstairs and evap up stairs, flooring (except wet areas) $12000, curtains blinds $3000+, we have the christmas promo $20k plus anything not included in the the promo that we want in the Simonds Gallery $unknown yet, find out on Friday. Driveway and paving $10-$12k depending on what you need. What I haven't included is that we extended the house at the rear by 1 metre to give bigger bedrooms to our kids $17k, for us it is worth it as it means we get a bigger kitchen as well. Our base price is $267k our contract price will be around $350k. But we kind of knew what we were getting in for, and at least the price is fixed. We have opened a high yielding bank account to help us and that interest will pay for those things after Simonds has finished. hubby, kids and me all waiting for the Amberlea Site Cut 27 September 2011 https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=46637 http://www.dscml.com/ Re: Building First Home with Simonds - Narre Warren, VIC 24Jun 01, 2011 10:33 pm forgot to mention we are doing a knock down and rebuild in Dandenong North hubby, kids and me all waiting for the Amberlea Site Cut 27 September 2011 https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=46637 http://www.dscml.com/ Re: Building First Home with Simonds - Narre Warren, VIC 25Jun 01, 2011 10:39 pm wow i really appreciate everyone's opinions and advice. i love the internet. i read a lot. it used to be on electronics, computing and hifi forums but now it's all building forums. can anyone recommend any similar forums to this one for australian builders? not that this one is no good but multiple would be better. i won't rush into anything or make any haste decisions. thanks again everyone. got a really early start. time for sleep now. Re: Building First Home with Simonds - Narre Warren, VIC 27Jun 02, 2011 9:08 am SherWin Cinder....if you are also reading this post.......your friend must have Simonds rectify this problem ....... on what grounds will they not address it? It is their contract obligation to abide by the implied warranties of the Simonds New Home contract, in particular Clause 11.1....The Builder warrants that the work will be carried out in a proper and workmanlike manner .... and also Clause 1.4 ....The Builder warrants that the work will be carried out with due care and skill...... If these statutory warranties are not met then Section 8 of the Domestic Building Contracts Act is being breached. SherWin Hi SherWin, Simonds would not fix it because apparently the Australian standard is, if you are standing directly in front of it, a meter away, and it's not noticeable, then that's good enough. Bad luck that if you're looking on an angle it's glaringly obvious. Sounds ridiculous to me... My Hamptons build (completed): viewtopic.php?f=31&t=63370 Moved in Wednesday 11th Dec 2013 Front landscaping completed June 2016 Building First Home with Simonds - Narre Warren, VIC 28Jun 02, 2011 9:28 am Refer to standards and tolerances guide 2007. Building commission guidelines. Re: Building First Home with Simonds - Narre Warren, VIC 29Jun 02, 2011 11:49 am Hi mattnjaz The following would be items I would seriously give consideration to: Paint - 2 Coat Application o Low sheen acrylic to internal walls o Flat acrylic to ceilings (white optional) You will note a 2 Coat Application ....... what this means is one sealer/undercoat tinted to match the top coat and then only ONE COAT of paint to finish the application. I understand this is common practice for many volume builders BUT it is not accepted practice to meet the Australian Painting Standard (AS 2311) where one coat of sealer/undercoat followed by two top coats is the requirement. Upon communicating with a leading paint manufacturer, a third (and what should be top coat) can be applied but this has to be arranged with the builder and of course at extra cost. Another issue for costing consideration with your building budget would be: o Class 'M' concrete slab Depending on your area, a higher class slab may be required. In our case, a H Class was required, which incurred a further $4500 and in addition to this was another $6500 for bored concrete piers to be installed under the slab ..... easily adding $11,000 to the contract price. Costs like these could subsequently chisel away at your reserve funds for driveway, window furnishings etc.....so just beware there maybe a need for these to be covered in Site Costs. Also once you make your visit to the gallery, an upgrading in fitouts, can easily add the dollars. In relation to independent building inspections.....well we outlaid the additional expense only to have the recommendations ignored....Simonds advised us that they are not obliged to rectify......it could have been $800 spent elsewhere. You could communicate with the appointed Building Surveyor and keep a very close eye on your building.....if something doesn't seem right to you.......ask him and get him to explain further, after all he is the one who gives the tick of approval on the mandatory inspections. As for the 25 year guarantee, I'm not sure about that......yes we are all led to believe there is a 6.5/7 year warranty but it acually covers 10 years. In relation to your comments about this company intentionally setting out to build questionable houses if they still want to be in business in 10-20 years time ........... well this opens a whole new area in relation to building laws and regulations in Victoria. Yes we do have the avenues of BACV (Consumer Affairs) and the Building Commission, and whilst they can inspect and deem buildings defective, they do no have the power to enforce a builder to rectify the defects. Unfortunately due to this, volume builders are getting away with building "questionable" homes and this is why they will still be in business in 10-20 years time. Mattnjaz you must be vigilent and guard your construction. As far as I am aware you are unable to request certain supervisors and/or trades. Hoping the above may assist you ...... good luck with your weekend home visit and walk through ........ this should be an exciting time. Sherwin Re: Building First Home with Simonds - Narre Warren, VIC 30Jun 02, 2011 12:32 pm cinder Hi Matt & Jasmine, My experience is going to see a friend's house built by Simonds ....... This may be the case with every new home build, but he had a list of things to be rectified by them, of which very little had been addressed and it was by then passed the time the contract says that defects should be fixed by. A couple of the more glaring things I remember was the quality (or lack of) of the plastering. Most notably in the hallway, the [i]plaster had visible lumps and was not smooth as it should have been, particularly obvious when light shines on the wall and you're looking from an angle. This will not be addressed by Simonds. [/i]. and Cinder's Post dated 2.06.2011 Simonds would not fix it because apparently the Australian standard is, if you are standing directly in front of it, a meter away, and it's not noticeable, then that's good enough. Bad luck that if you're looking on an angle it's glaringly obvious. Sounds ridiculous to me... Hi Cinder As Eve Dweller has suggested also, if the Guide to Standards and Tolerances is referred to, your friend will find at Clause 9.14 (1) Skim coating is a term denoting a thin finish coat, trowelled or airless sprayed to achieve a smooth finish. It is a thin coat of joint compound over the entire surface to fill imperfections in the joint work, smooth the paper texture and provide a uniform surface for decorating. Skim coatings would not normally exceed 1mm in finished thickness. The Guide also informs that a Level 4 is generally the acceptd level of finish for domestic construction. Your friend really must obtain this Guide to S & T 2007 (it can be obtained online). The first comment that is always fed to clients in relation to plaster issues is that of the problem being associated with glancing and critical lighting (this is also covered in the Guide). Yes, agree that the imperfections must be able to be seen from 1.5 to 2 metres in front ............. but again the issue always comes back to the builders obligation to the Statutory Warranty in that the builder warrants that the work will be carried out in a a proper and workmanlike manner and that the work will be carried out with reasonable care and skill. He must refer the issue to Simonds senior management ..... do not just take the Site Supervisor's or Maintenance Supervisor's advice .......PM me if you or your friend wish. SherWin Re: Building First Home with Simonds - Narre Warren, VIC 31Jun 02, 2011 12:43 pm mattnjaz thanks abraham i might pm SherWin and see what he / she thinks about all this. like i said i just want to be as informed as possible before proceeding. i am a firm man and i stand my ground. if i get a sniff of someone trying to cut corners, rip me off or try and pull the wool over my eyes - especially when it comes to something this massive and important - they will fix it and get it right or i will destroy them. that's about it really cheers mate. Hi Mattnjaz I just picked up the post above ..... please feel free to PM if you have any queries. Sherwin Re: Building First Home with Simonds - Narre Warren, VIC 32Jun 02, 2011 5:57 pm wow. SherWin, love your work. you obviously know your building and it seems you know simonds quite well. i will be in touch. most definitely. thanks for the time you take to help people like us. i would be completely lost without the internet to source my information and it's people like you that make life easier for us uneducated first home builders that may otherwise get taken for a ride. talk soon. Re: Building First Home with Simonds - Narre Warren, VIC 33Jun 02, 2011 6:22 pm mattnjaz wow. SherWin, love your work. you obviously know your building and it seems you know simonds quite well. i will be in touch. most definitely. thanks for the time you take to help people like us. i would be completely lost without the internet to source my information and it's people like you that make life easier for us uneducated first home builders that may otherwise get taken for a ride. talk soon. Now I hope you understand why they have 95% miserable and 5% happy customers. All builders are more or less the same, but this builder is notorious Re: Building First Home with Simonds - Narre Warren, VIC 34Jun 02, 2011 10:21 pm Thanks Sherwin. I haven't caught up with my friend since then, so I don't know the latest, but I will pass that info onto him. Feel like I've hijacked the thread! My Hamptons build (completed): viewtopic.php?f=31&t=63370 Moved in Wednesday 11th Dec 2013 Front landscaping completed June 2016 Re: Building First Home with Simonds - Narre Warren, VIC 35Jun 04, 2011 11:54 pm SherWin mattnjaz thanks abraham i might pm SherWin and see what he / she thinks about all this. like i said i just want to be as informed as possible before proceeding. i am a firm man and i stand my ground. if i get a sniff of someone trying to cut corners, rip me off or try and pull the wool over my eyes - especially when it comes to something this massive and important - they will fix it and get it right or i will destroy them. that's about it really cheers mate. Hi Mattnjaz I just picked up the post above ..... please feel free to PM if you have any queries. Sherwin it is a nice idea to get together and exchange our experiences!! I have had gallery, electrical and tiles appointments already and looking forward to the contract appointment now. So far I have experienced their deceptive policy only. this is about misleading and deceptive information about the prices, options and inclusions. This was done both with the purpose to lock us in and without any purpose, just due to low professionalism of their staff. Their company is poorly coordinated too. I have different responses about the same issue from different people!!!.... Our CRM usually doesn't take the time to answer our e-mails. If answered, the replies don't address the issue. Their staff knows very little about building, except 2-3 highly professional people in each of their offices and their final estimation in the contract will be the real final. All other previous figures and statements may well be wrong. This is how I was informed by one of their staff. All surprises will come up at the contract appointment I guess. I will see soon. Fixed price concerns. I was informed that the base home price may be increased during the period between contract signing and land settlement dates. A friend of mine told me that they may have written down "estimated cost" in the contract, not just cost. "estimated" means only one thing - you will get an increase in the final stage bill. My friend had $4K+ increase. water meter installation and all water bills will be paid by the owner. They also do not allow to take out your particular contract for review! They want you sign it in front of them. Re: Building First Home with Simonds - Narre Warren, VIC 36Jun 05, 2011 5:18 pm [/quote] For us it is $24k site costs (we need a retaining wall as we have a sloping block), electrical $3000, a/c (we are doing this ourselves) $8000 - split downstairs and evap up stairs, flooring (except wet areas) $12000, curtains blinds $3000+, we have the christmas promo $20k plus anything not included in the the promo that we want in the Simonds Gallery $unknown yet, find out on Friday. Driveway and paving $10-$12k depending on what you need. What I haven't included is that we extended the house at the rear by 1 metre to give bigger bedrooms to our kids $17k, for us it is worth it as it means we get a bigger kitchen as well. [/quote] hi there just wondering how your gallery visit went on friday? were there any unexpected surprises? Re: Building First Home with Simonds - Narre Warren, VIC 37Jun 05, 2011 5:51 pm hi, our gallery visit on Friday was a fizzer due to our customer relations guy not having the drawings ready, so we have to go back again, tonight after my kids go to bed I will of written it up on our blog. We were able to choose colours for bricks, roof, chose our bathroom cabinets (upgraded in the powder room to a different vanity which cost $120), bathroom fixtures and fittings, couldn't finish the kitchen because our drawings are wrong, chose tiles, which we chose all standard is most areas but upgraded in 2 which total came to $300, we are using our promotions for the door upgrades. The ladies at the gallery are lovely, I am lucky that the tile lady had some common sense and was down to earth, her name was Lara. We only have the stair case, railing to the balcony, kitchen cabinets and benchtops left. So close to finishing. We can see that the extra will be in the balcony railing and am thinking it will be about $3000. We want to upgrade the roof insulation as well, but I am half thinking this is something we can do later. We have stuck to the promotion to see what extras we can get, one thing we have decided not to get through Simonds is flooring, I am starting to think my estimate is very under. This is the problem with double storey homes. hubby, kids and me all waiting for the Amberlea Site Cut 27 September 2011 https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=46637 http://www.dscml.com/ Re: Building First Home with Simonds - Narre Warren, VIC 38Jun 05, 2011 5:52 pm Have you done your walk through yet? hubby, kids and me all waiting for the Amberlea Site Cut 27 September 2011 https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=46637 http://www.dscml.com/ Re: Building First Home with Simonds - Narre Warren, VIC 39Jun 05, 2011 6:28 pm hey there home builders so we went to visit our simonds representative at the display home over the weekend i'd like to say i am little more at ease with the whole process from here but i'm still trying to soak in all the information. we felt kinda rushed through the whole process and while the representative is very nice i'm not sure they answered my questions as well as i would've liked. there were at least 3 occasions where i was cut me off mid sentence apparently anticipating the rest of my question but coming up with a completely unrelated answer to what i was going to ask. it got really annoying. good news is we have our inclusions price list, we have our house plans, we have our tender including everything marked off as required/unrequired and everything costed. we have 2-3 days to go over all of this and come to a decision on what we would like to do. some thoughts from today- - decided to completely wipe simonds standard included technika kitchen appliances and have the price of these appliances knocked off the price of our package. organise our own kitchen appliances - 900mm oven, cooktop, rangehood at the same time we organise our fridge, lounge suite, maybe even a/c if the price is right and any other furnishing items we may require. we figure if we're prepared to spend a hefty chunk of money harvey norman / good guys might be able to do us a deal on something a bit more quality for hopefully a cheaper price. anyone know where is good to go for a/c installation? - we have $13,000 worth of upgrades free and can extend that to $22,000 for only $5,000 trying to do the math on whether that is worthwhile or not. - we were advised to organise our flooring, tiling, blinds separate from the $13,000 upgrades as there are limits to the work they can complete so it is easier to organise someone else to do the full job. they also advised we are better off to organise our flyscreens for windows elsewhere. - they can do our driveway and front path - up to 40m2 of 100mm reinforced coloured sealed concrete paving to driveway and path $3,720 - seem reasonable? -sectional lift up colorbond garage door with remotes - $1,352 -simonds rep was really pushing the 2590mm ceiling height to first floor of dwelling in lieu of standard 2440mm height - $2,791 - not sure about this seems a lot to heighten the ceiling 150mm but simonds rep seems to think it very important as it will make our living rooms feel bigger? -3 coat paint finish ($2,395) in lieu of standard 2 coat. we have also been assured that all 3 coats are rolled on rather than sprayed. -i thought the a/c a bit pricey - bonaire inverter 1.5hp 3.5kw installed - $2,267. had a look at harvey norman on the way home who i know don't have the cheapest prices but they can do a 7.5 kw more quality brand installed for the same price. -up to 20x 95mm downlights with light points - $2,029 -additional external light point for backyard - $86 -additional 2x tv points for upstairs rumpus/bedroom $53 each -does anyone know what the telstra velocity smart estate package is all about? -engineered stone benchtop 20mm arris edge detail in lieu of standard laminate - $3,500 -translucent glazing to front entry door $155 i asked if we could just have a solid door apparently we can if we pay extra at the gallery when i asked what type of wood the door was made from i was told it is timber. -translucent glazing to front entry sidelights $275 -wider nicer vanity in ensuite (jas really wants this and i like it too) - $407 (we seem to remember rep quoting a lot more for this today but inclusion catalogue says $407?) -wider nicer vanity in bathroom with extra shelf space - $407 (we seem to remember rep quoting a lot more for this today but inclusion catalogue says $407?) -up to 20m2 smooth render finish to nominated areas of brickwork - $1,540? when asked if we could have a look at what both looked like (render/brick) was told that it's not really possible. surely they would have a computer model type program? -our house is built on a class M slab forgot to ask re additional cost if we are required to use a higher class slab however land agent didn't seem to think it would be necessary. so all that total up to $21,030. Assuming we want or need all those additional inclusions we may need to cough up the extra $5,000 to push our upgrades to $22,000. Then we still need to organise carpet, tiling, blinds, landscaping etc not to mention any additional expenses incurred at the gallery we're really excited and while wanting to take our time with these decisions we are meeting with simonds rep again mid week and i think there will be some pressure to start getting some paperwork happening as the promotion we signed on for has now ended. i told rep today i'm not really happy to sign until all concerns / questions addressed. rep says that is ok we don't need to sign but we need to get paperwork happening. they say even if we change our minds between now and november then that is ok? we've been given a whole bunch of brochures relating to our promotion that we are required to sign and bring back on wednesday. so yeah that's pretty much where we are at now. they have assured us we will be assigned a dedicated site supervisor to oversee construction from start to finish and he will obviously possess the necessary experience in his trade. another concern being that they have offered us fixed price until november which is when our land is due to title. we are a bit concerned that if there is a delay on the title then that is likely to push our costs even further should we try push for december instead? any advice anyone would like to offer on any or all of this would be welcomed and appreciated. thanks guys. Re: Building First Home with Simonds - Narre Warren, VIC 40Jun 05, 2011 6:42 pm Quote: -wider nicer vanity in ensuite (jas really wants this and i like it too) - $407 (we seem to remember rep quoting a lot more for this today but inclusion catalogue says $407?) When we went to the gallery the wider nicer vanities just seemed over priced for what they are. To add the shelves onto the side of the single vanity cost $300, we have decided to go for the basics up stairs and change them in the future when we can afford to. hubby, kids and me all waiting for the Amberlea Site Cut 27 September 2011 https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=46637 http://www.dscml.com/ I have posted this before: We hired Darbecca to do every stage inspection, and I strongly recommend them to anyone that asks me. They were amazing. Thorough reports… 2 4410 A quick update, we didn't have site start before Easter. Summit can't seem to give me a day when they are scheduled to begin, so I'm left with a vague "within 10-20… 4 26738 Can anyone give me any onfo on New Homes WA? Good or bad, hopefully good just need to know if my choice was good or not? Thanks ❤️ 0 8933 |