Porter Davis homes

geoff7 · Jan 28, 2011 7:51 am

Eve Dweller

No secrets. I was emailed a PDF of tender. The bestvway to approach it was to load up every option you want and eliminate the items at tender you don't want. Eg. I had tiles and floorboards priced.

They dont want to do this for some reason..

sturmmann · Jan 28, 2011 10:31 am

My wife and I just purchased a block of land in College Views Bundoora. We are looking at a few builders but are leaning towards PD Davenport 29. (Colex & Zuccala)

Anyone here built in College views? I spoke with the neighboring builder who happened to be there and he informed me that the slab would most likely be M class and the soil that comes out of here is "good stuff".

Settlement is in 2 months

George's · Jan 28, 2011 10:35 am

menang

I am a bit surprised to read this post. My CSC told me PD can't apply for building permit until the 2nd soil test is done, that is after the house is demolished! Does anyone knows the exact procedures? Well, my CSC did mentioned that she's new in PD. I am a bit panic now...

George's

A quick pre-Christmas update.

Our Demo is 95% completed as of last night, just need them to return and finish up the site clean.
CSC has sent our file to the Building team, council paperwork finance and all required paperwork has been received and processed by PD.
Just need to wait for site start, now officially on track for Jan site start.
Had good news about our driveway crossover too, David from the council has advised we can move our driveway so that it will be in line with the garage ::lol::

The "amenity value" of the tree has turned out to be less than 2K so it's all systems go!!
bring on January.

Thanks to those of you who have answered our questions and queries along the way.

Blog coming in the new year

Hi All,
here's another update on progress.
Or more than likely a RANT on progress!!
Whilst my CSC advised that our file was sent to construction on the 22nd of December, this was actually NOT CORRECT ::angry::

Menang it looks like you were right to be surprised
We pretty much spent time since the tender appointment on the 26th of Nov PCV'ing back and forth for things that were missed between the tender and contract appointments. I have now been advised that the earliest we will have a date for construction is next Friday (04/02) so much for a January site start

It's a shame that the build times are calculated from site start, rather than contract signing.

Stinger · Jan 28, 2011 10:48 am

Hi Sturmmann,

I built with PD 18 months ago and am also in the College View area of Bundoora.
I sent you are Private Msg, FYI. Soil report indicated we needed a H Class Slab

Steve

sturmmann · Jan 28, 2011 12:40 pm

Stinger

Hi Sturmmann,

I built with PD 18 months ago and am also in the College View area of Bundoora.
I sent you are Private Msg, FYI. Soil report indicated we needed a H Class Slab

Steve

Thank you Stinger, just sent you a PM with a couple of questions...

So excited, we are moving from Bundoora to Bundoora!!! love the area

mimi23 · Jan 28, 2011 12:42 pm

Eve Dweller

No secrets. I was emailed a PDF of tender. The bestvway to approach it was to load up every option you want and eliminate the items at tender you don't want. Eg. I had tiles and floorboards priced.

Hi Eve Dweller,
Just wanted to clarify if I may. PD emailed you your tender document, before you had signed it??
So either before your actual tender appointment, or after your appointment but without having signed on the day, they emailed it to you?? :shock:

Regards,
mimi

Miss Piggy · Jan 28, 2011 5:27 pm

mimi23

Eve Dweller

No secrets. I was emailed a PDF of tender. The bestvway to approach it was to load up every option you want and eliminate the items at tender you don't want. Eg. I had tiles and floorboards priced.

Hi Eve Dweller,
Just wanted to clarify if I may. PD emailed you your tender document, before you had signed it??
So either before your actual tender appointment, or after your appointment but without having signed on the day, they emailed it to you?? :shock:

Regards,
mimi

that is how i read it also ,that the tender pdf was emailed prior to the meeting but maybe not :th:

gumboots · Jan 28, 2011 6:39 pm

gumboots

Team PD

gumboots

I email my CSC because whenever we ring she's never available and don't even get an email back!

Anyway it doesn't get any better, I am still chasing up some minor stuff from 3 month maintenance and we moved in late Feb/early March. I understand its hard to track when tradies don't show up but I have called about a particular item 6 times (thats just the times I got through and talked to someone - about a 20% strike rate I find) and he still hasn't come.

Hi gumboots,

I just wanted to follow up on your maintenance issues. Did you manage to get in contact with your CSA and get things sorted? Let me know if you have any questions. Cheers, Jess.

Hi Jess

The first of the leaking showers is being fixed tomorrow with the shower screen taken off for the second time yesterday.

Unfortunately:
- they took off the wrong screens first so the less urgent shower will be fixed first and the other not until after mid jan when all the contractors are back at work;
- the nice lady is gone and the rude lady is back;
- getting one shower fixed tomorrow is the fifth option since reported early October - with the first three offered unsuitable since I am not willing to leave a key out for tradesman and due to prior experience with people not turning up, I'm not taking time off work to sit around waiting for tradesmen not to show up (the third one was offered three times over a week as a 'win' situation before they understood we would not be home), and the fourth involved leaving the shower screen off for 4 weeks over christmas;
- we were promised an early morning visit which has now changed to a midday visit, meaning my OH has to get up after four hours sleep to let them in (if they come)
- I have no idea when they are coming to put the shower screen back on once it is fixed
- the guy bent the shower screen while taking it off but I am not officially reporting this because if I do he may not put it back on in the meantime and I am not up for sharing my ensuite for who knows how long until we can get a replacement.

Not a word about all the other stuff so with all of that outstanding for 7 months I may as well wait another two and start the whole process again with my new list for 12 month maintenance.

But at least one issue is potentially getting fixed tomorrow!

Just an update...

STILL waiting for my shower to be fixed. That translates to 4.5 months of waiting for an 'urgent' issue to be rectified.

Main shower has been fixed, wrong grout colour.

Grout colour was booked to be fixed on Tuesday, appointment got cancelled by the tradie.

Laminex people were supposed to come yesterday to measure the ensuite unit that needs to be replaced because it was waterlogged, didn't show up.

I was aiming for the waterlogged plasterboard around the shower in both bathrooms to be replaced. Called Boral and they recommend replacement where water affected. PD sent someone out to paint over it instead. I called the office to ask about why it was painted and not replaced and someone from maintenance was supposed to call me back the next day. That was a week ago.

Apparently the issue in the ensuite is that the shower screen is not sufficiently sealed where it meets the tiles... I'm not sure about this, would have thought I would be able to see water coming through if this was the case but it isn't. The guy who has received the work order to come and reseal it rang at 7.30am Monday and left a message saying if I got the message in the next 5 minutes he was just down the road so he would come and fix it. I didn't, and haven't heard from him again. I have dealt with this guy before and he doesn't seem to like making appointments, he just calls when he is in the area. So who knows when it will get fixed.

mqtutor · Jan 28, 2011 11:15 pm

Does anyone has a build PD house with Riviera facade? Do you mind pm me or uploading some pictures here?

Thanks in advance

Victoria_g06 · Jan 29, 2011 9:11 am

mqtutor

Does anyone has a build PD house with Riviera facade? Do you mind pm me or uploading some pictures here?

Thanks in advance

I dont have mine finished but I will PM you my latest Pic

geoff7 · Jan 29, 2011 12:38 pm

I can't work out a valid reason for not wanting to provide Tender docs unless there is something to hide, they think consumers are stupid or so pressure can be applied.
Might look at a few more builders next weeken as PD are not the only one around and we all have optioins.

SoniaPD · Jan 29, 2011 10:51 pm

I just wanted some advice. We are looking to build the Cremorne 42 with Porter Davis and are taking the current promotion including 10k worth of site costs including rock removal, upgrade of slab and the like. We were given a quote with 12k on TOP of that 10k promotion for a flat piece of land which we were given 10k sitecosts fixed with Carlisle, are we being ripped off? Our land would never be worth 22k site costs and i feel that this is unfair and if the promotion doesn't really include site costs then it shouldn't be mentioned. If i could get some feedback i'd be pleased.

strawberry_swing · Jan 30, 2011 1:32 pm

geoff7

I can't work out a valid reason for not wanting to provide Tender docs unless there is something to hide, they think consumers are stupid or so pressure can be applied.
Might look at a few more builders next weeken as PD are not the only one around and we all have optioins.

I do think the same thing.. they just want us to be under pressure .. so they can manipulate the situation and have the everything on one day so we are left with no options.. generally speaking.. ppl would giv up and think all builders will rip off in some or the other way so.. why not stay with PD and not be hasseld more... this all the tricks... i have emailed my sales consultant 4 days back i havent got his reply as yet...

strawberry_swing · Jan 30, 2011 1:37 pm

SoniaPD

I just wanted some advice. We are looking to build the Cremorne 42 with Porter Davis and are taking the current promotion including 10k worth of site costs including rock removal, upgrade of slab and the like. We were given a quote with 12k on TOP of that 10k promotion for a flat piece of land which we were given 10k sitecosts fixed with Carlisle, are we being ripped off? Our land would never be worth 22k site costs and i feel that this is unfair and if the promotion doesn't really include site costs then it shouldn't be mentioned. If i could get some feedback i'd be pleased.

I have had a similar situation .. i actually got a quote from Simonds .. metricon and also carlisle... they all came around the 20k mark with the site cost.. and porter davis is charging us around 19k with the 10k promotion.. included... so i cant see what different and how is the promotion incorporated with PD ??? i like the cottesloe floor plan with some modification.. and for a 29sq home they have given us the site cost for around 19k.... and the estate stuff is another 4k ... so i cnt understnd.. and i am in the same boat about the site cost... coz 3 other companies cannot give a similar site cost... ::angry::

SoniaPD · Jan 30, 2011 8:25 pm

strawberry_swing

SoniaPD

I just wanted some advice. We are looking to build the Cremorne 42 with Porter Davis and are taking the current promotion including 10k worth of site costs including rock removal, upgrade of slab and the like. We were given a quote with 12k on TOP of that 10k promotion for a flat piece of land which we were given 10k sitecosts fixed with Carlisle, are we being ripped off? Our land would never be worth 22k site costs and i feel that this is unfair and if the promotion doesn't really include site costs then it shouldn't be mentioned. If i could get some feedback i'd be pleased.

I have had a similar situation .. i actually got a quote from Simonds .. ***** and also carlisle... they all came around the 20k mark with the site cost.. and porter davis is charging us around 19k with the 10k promotion.. included... so i cant see what different and how is the promotion incorporated with PD ??? i like the cottesloe floor plan with some modification.. and for a 29sq home they have given us the site cost for around 19k.... and the estate stuff is another 4k ... so i cnt understnd.. and i am in the same boat about the site cost... coz 3 other companies cannot give a similar site cost... ::angry::

I just took in a quote we were given from another builder with more reasonable site costs and our sales consultant has suddenly decided to take this to his boss to get the Porter Davis site cost quote down for us as he now knows we are more than willing to change builders to get a similar home for a better pricing, maybe you should show Porter Davis what you have been quoted elsewhere as when they have hard copies of fixed site cost details from other similar builders for a similarly sized/priced home then they are more willing to come down. Sometime this week i'll be getting a call on whether PD will match Carlisle or not. I still believe that the Porter Davis promotion can be misleading though.

Lunchtime · Jan 30, 2011 10:38 pm

I still believe that the Porter Davis promotion can be misleading though.[/quote]

Maybe a phone call to the ACCC, I feel we were mislead with a PD promotion stating that all power points were to be double as standard. When I enquired why there were 3 single power points on the order sheet I was given BS excuses about OH&S yet I could pay to make them doubles. Apparently if you pay for them, then OH&S doesnt apply

geoff7 · Jan 30, 2011 10:41 pm

karmaz · Jan 31, 2011 12:29 am

Hi Jess/Team PD,

I'm hoping you can clarify this for me. I am very very very annoyed at the moment. We signed up with PD in March last year. Our sales consultant mentioned that it was likely we would have a May site start as our land had settled in Feb. Verbal promise so nothing I can hold PD to. We were booked for a July site start. Construction started in August 2010. Thats when I found out the "guaranteed site start" advertised means nothing. Nobody could tell me what the guarantee was. An uphill battle meant our contract construction days was reduced to 205 days.

Now the next part. Move forward six months or so. I contacted our CSC and was now told our construction time is 205 days + 24 days for Christmas. This is not fair as the Standard HIA Contract INCLUDES 28 days for Christmas and this is what PD supposedly goes by. The additional 24 days comes from the Fixed Price Tender. For one, I believe construction begins and is based fully on the contract. The contract should supersede all documents. And secondly I have yet to hear of 52 days off for Christmas - that's almost two months!

Like most good folk here, I am on a budget and can ill afford for PD to take more than a year to build a 35 sq home! If I accept PD's lovely two month long Christmas break, it will be pretty close to that. Your invoicing team seem to be the fastest in the country, it is a pity that the build team hasn't matched their speed in our case. As for construction days, I accept 205 days as very clearly stated in the contract. If PD wanted more time, you need to specify this in the contract, not in other bits and pieces of paper that you make us sign. Please can you clarify this for me.

SSAZ · Jan 31, 2011 7:30 am

karmaz

Hi Jess/Team PD,

I'm hoping you can clarify this for me. I am very very very annoyed at the moment. We signed up with PD in March last year. Our sales consultant mentioned that it was likely we would have a May site start as our land had settled in Feb. Verbal promise so nothing I can hold PD to. We were booked for a July site start. Construction started in August 2010. Thats when I found out the "guaranteed site start" advertised means nothing. Nobody could tell me what the guarantee was. An uphill battle meant our contract construction days was reduced to 205 days.

Now the next part. Move forward six months or so. I contacted our CSC and was now told our construction time is 205 days + 24 days for Christmas. This is not fair as the Standard HIA Contract INCLUDES 28 days for Christmas and this is what PD supposedly goes by. The additional 24 days comes from the Fixed Price Tender. For one, I believe construction begins and is based fully on the contract. The contract should supersede all documents. And secondly I have yet to hear of 52 days off for Christmas - that's almost two months!

Like most good folk here, I am on a budget and can ill afford for PD to take more than a year to build a 35 sq home! If I accept PD's lovely two month long Christmas break, it will be pretty close to that. Your invoicing team seem to be the fastest in the country, it is a pity that the build team hasn't matched their speed in our case. As for construction days, I accept 205 days as very clearly stated in the contract. If PD wanted more time, you need to specify this in the contract, not in other bits and pieces of paper that you make us sign. Please can you clarify this for me.

Hi Karmaz,

Check Schedule 1 of your building contract, that is the maximum time they can have for building works. When they started construction, they would have sent you a letter stating how many days it will take. Then if they want to claim extension of time, they have to comply with clause 34 of the Contract & give you written notice. If you don't agree with the extension, you have 7 days to dispute it.

Read through the contract again & make sure you understand them & if you don't, go through it with someone who can explain things to you.

Jess & Team PD should be able to give a better picture although in my experience, PD doesn't always know what they are talking about & they got my timing wrongly calculated.

mqtutor · Jan 31, 2011 9:56 am

I got dilemma here. I was told that I'm not allowed to change the facade because the drawings has been ordered. Very disappointed.

Should I pull out? I haven't signed anything. But in the same time, I don't like to look around again - it's very time consuming.