Browse Forums Building A New House Re: New House - Tradies Using Loo?? 21Feb 16, 2012 3:26 pm tjilpi - it's the wording of your post and the assumption that DP going through the house and "Let alone taking other people through??" they've done something so wrong that the builder and tradies "probably have just cause to have issues with you at the moment"... ?? Preliminary agreement 23/11 Contract 22/03 Prestart 06/04 - finalised on 30/04 Unconditional approval 10/05 Demolition 05/07 Slab 26/08 Brickwork 13/09-06/10 Roof frame started 07/10 viewtopic.php?f=31&t=32292 Re: New House - Tradies Using Loo?? 22Feb 16, 2012 7:16 pm Disbride tjilpi If the house is pristinely clean on handover, including the toilets, what is the problem? That's how I see it too, I don't think there's a problem with voicing your concerns, but when it comes down to it, if it's clean when you get it, that's all that should matter. Must say I dont really see the problem here either - if a house has a functional toilet, I dont see why tradies shouldnt use it and I dont see why lids etc have to be replaced. Yes of course toilet should be in pristine sparkling condition when handed over to you -but I dont get this big deal about being first person to use it - and I dont think all tradies are dirty and messy either , hmmm, snobby much? - reminds me of The Help. But then I am married to a tradie and mother of a tradie so perhaps I dont have this distaste for them that seems evident on this forum at times. And as I found out in other (now deleted?) thread about tradies and toilets, there are others with much prissier views than me on the matter. Re: New House - Tradies Using Loo?? 24Feb 16, 2012 8:16 pm Once they have installed my toilets, I will be taping the lid real good and put my signature on the tape. If the tape is misaligned with my handwriting, then I would know my toilet has been used. Good idea? Foolproof? 13-08 Moved in 13-05 Build restart 13-04 VMIA compensation 12-08 Builder liquidation 12-03 Fixing 11-12 Lockup 11-11 Frame 11-09 Slab 11-09 Start 11-07 Contract 10-11 2K deposit 10-06 Titled land Re: New House - Tradies Using Loo?? 25Feb 16, 2012 8:43 pm Brad, I thought they rented portaloos for the part of the build before there was a functional toilet. and anyway Brad and Zeitgeber, why does it matter?? - as long as toilet is clean at handover, of course. Re: New House - Tradies Using Loo?? 26Feb 16, 2012 8:54 pm Helyn Brad, I thought they rented portaloos for the part of the build before there was a functional toilet. and anyway Brad and Zeitgeber, why does it matter?? - as long as toilet is clean at handover, of course. Obviously you don't understand that when you are buying/building a NEW home it means everything is new. The thought that someone has been using it apart from being the toilet which is disgusting really and takes the shine off having everything brand new. I would be not asking but demanding 2 brand new toilets before handover. A bank is a place that will lend you money only if you can prove that you don't need it... Re: New House - Tradies Using Loo?? 27Feb 16, 2012 11:36 pm Disbride tjilpi If the house is pristinely clean on handover, including the toilets, what is the problem? That's how I see it too, I don't think there's a problem with voicing your concerns, but when it comes down to it, if it's clean when you get it, that's all that should matter. I think I agree with this too. I'm in a very different situation as we are owner building so trying to save on costs where we can. We are living on site in an old house which is soon to be demolished, so instead of wasting money on a porta loo the tradies all use the toilet in our old house where we are living. I have to say that every single tradie has been completely respectful and left the toilet in a very clean condition. I'm actually more scared about the 'presents' my 2 kids might leave in the toilet for the workmen to find. I can understand though if I had paid a provisional sum for a porta-loo to be on site for the entire build I would want it there for the entire build and not want them using my new toilet. If they gave me the option of paying less by removing the porta-loo once the new toilets were functional I would probably agree to it, but only if it meant more money directly in my own pocket, and only if it was clearly MY choice. Our owner-builder journey - viewtopic.php?f=38&t=45187 Re: New House - Tradies Using Loo?? 28Feb 17, 2012 12:20 am I think I have to agree. It's not about being the first person to use the toilet, but rather, you're the one paying for a brand new that has been used. How many builders/tradies do you think will clean it, or have the ability to clean it, etc? If I pay for a new car and I get one with 30,000 on the odometer, then I didn't get a new one. It doesn't bother me that other people have driven it or where it's been; it would bother me that I paid for something brand new and unused, and it is obviously used. I think you were well within your rights to ask them not to use the upstairs one, and I do believe you were being nice letting them use the downstairs one. Tradies have to go somewhere, and at least its not in holes dug in your backyard. The point of the port-a-potty is for the tradies so, as someone has already stated, taking it away just seems to be another way for the builder to save costs... Re: New House - Tradies Using Loo?? 29Feb 17, 2012 3:35 am tjilpi However, I do think getting a current affairs show to do a piece on builders using a toilet is a bit of an over reaction. If you read my post again, you will see I used the word threaten It is the perceived 'threat' that may get this builder to remove his head from his proverbial Arfur Re: New House - Tradies Using Loo?? 30Feb 17, 2012 8:25 am Buttercup Helyn Brad, I thought they rented portaloos for the part of the build before there was a functional toilet. and anyway Brad and Zeitgeber, why does it matter?? - as long as toilet is clean at handover, of course. Obviously you don't understand that when you are buying/building a NEW home it means everything is new. The thought that someone has been using it apart from being the toilet which is disgusting really and takes the shine off having everything brand new. I would be not asking but demanding 2 brand new toilets before handover. Why is it disgusting that someone has used the toilet? - that is what toilets are for And yes, I did build a new house and no, it doesnt bother me. Incidentally we built a house/land package in a large block of 34 house land packages - all at various stages of build at various times - so we didnt pay for our own individual porta loo anyway, in fact is no charge for porta loo in our contract so I guess builders absorbed the cost as part of a large project - if we did, I'd be with the poster who suggested saving mony by removing the portaloo as soon as the toilets were functional. Re: New House - Tradies Using Loo?? 31Feb 17, 2012 9:29 am wow I'm so surprised how this topic became such a heated debate over the loo Dilbert_Perth, I hope you've gotten enough pros and cons with picking this fight with your builder, ultimately, we all have a different level of tolerance on this loo topic, decide how much you can tolerate and go with what you believe. If having brand new toilet seats mean that much to you, stick with it, good luck. Time is money, and delays cause stress, my preference was to get my new house built asap so I have a home for my family, so I did everything to speed up the build. Re: New House - Tradies Using Loo?? 32Feb 17, 2012 10:43 am We had the same thing happen to us. I also have spoken to tradies who have told me that as soon as the house toilets are working there is not a tradie in the world who will use the portable. The portable at our build was also removed before completion. It would not be as big an issue if they used the toilet respectfully but for lack of a better word they are pig's! Toilets not flushed (wont be to descriptive but you can imagine), empty toilet roll cylinders thrown around the floor! We did say to the builder that they are effectively delivering 2nd hand toilet suites and they said that they could put up a sign saying 'please don't use' but they know the tradies would ignore the sign. At the time of the discussion we had bigger issues and bigger fish to fry so we let it go pending a proper clean. But apparently common practice from what I have heard. Re: New House - Tradies Using Loo?? 33Feb 17, 2012 10:53 am Yeah my tradies also used my house's toilets (and neglected to flush on occasion ) but, again the portaloo was removed a little while prior to handover. In that situation I'd prefer the tradies to use a toilet than go in my back yard Plus it's not like tradies have any germs which the rest of us don't have To be honest I have to agree with Helyn (and others); so long as the toilets are cleaned properly prior to handover I don't see it as an issue. I understand that people don't want their house's facilities to be used as a public toilet but to be honest you have little control about what happens at your build prior to handover. In my case the amount of litter the tradies left behind (lunch wrappers, rotting food and building waste) when there was a skip onsite at all times was more of an issue. I would have ended up with a rotten sandwich in a wall cavity if I hadn't gone out and cleaned up after them each weekend And just as a side note I'd like to give three cheers for the vast majority of tradies who do an excellent job in, often, difficult circumstances Re: New House - Tradies Using Loo?? 34Feb 17, 2012 3:33 pm Wow I am surprised by how much interest this has generated. I have no tradie aversion, my dad was a plumber. We purchased and supplied the toilets, taps and other fittings. Our worry is that the extra traffic into the bathroom will lead to damage to bench tops, tiles, toilet etc from their tool belts knocking things and placing tools on the floor or stone bench tops. We have already had a few tiles chipped and I had to cover the bench tops myself to protect them. They have only stated that they will "fix" any damage, this worries me that if the loo is chipped I won't get a new replacement, they will somehow mend it. To me this is not acceptable as I supplied a brand new item. I think that that the builder should have had the courtesy to ask me if they could use it, and for all concerned (tradies and myself) keep it clean and tidy. Re: New House - Tradies Using Loo?? 35Feb 17, 2012 6:26 pm Helyn Brad, I thought they rented portaloos for the part of the build before there was a functional toilet. and anyway Brad and Zeitgeber, why does it matter?? - as long as toilet is clean at handover, of course. Totally disagree with you, if i or my girlfriend, are not the first to use the toilet its used, and that's exactly how our builder sees it. I don't care how clean they are, i don't want any builder using my toilets. Re: New House - Tradies Using Loo?? 36Feb 22, 2012 12:09 am At least them using the toilet is a better situation than what my wife discovered during the build, where she drove past and noticed one of the tradies looking supisous at the wall of one of the kids rooms the day before the bricking was going to be done when the insulation sheets were up. She did not think he was doing what it looked like he was doing, especially with the portaloo literally metres away. Sure enough when she went back later she could see the marks that confirmed she saw what she thought she saw. Needless to say we cleaned that wall real clean before it was bricked up, but it made us wonder what other surprises were around the house we had not noticed, and we would of quite happily prefered them to use the house toilet than to have them do that. If I was to win Lotto, I would build with a different builder, now to win lotto Re: New House - Tradies Using Loo?? 37Feb 22, 2012 3:45 pm Just want to input my 2 cents as a tradey: We are not all filthy, disrespecting animals that have no other ambition but to upset the homeowners. Some of us respect the building and the owners and treat it the way we would treat our own. There have been many many many occasions where I have been busting to go to the loo in a house with a perfectly functioning toilet (with toilet paper to boot!) and I have avoided the use of it. Purely because I doubt any homeowner would ever look at their loo the same way again after imagining my butt on their upspecced toilet lol.It is a matter of respect - if it is a new home then do no use the toilet UNLESS the owner is okay with it (ask first). If it is a renovation I am working on then I have always asked the owner even if they are not home. I think out of the thousands of houses i've been in (been doing about 3 new houses a day for the past 7 years) I can honestly say not once have i ever used the toilet inside the house. In fact I have not used any of the facilities in a house being built be it the water, toilets, shower etc; I just hope that other tradeys take this into consideration when working on someones NEW house. But then again some owners also need to be sympathetic if there is no toilet on site and the tradey has been doing a good job but just needs to use the toilet I think it should be okay. IF they ask. Oct 10 - Council Approval Oct 23 - Site scrape Oct 29 - Footings and Prelay OCT 30 - Slabbed Nov 6 - Bricks Delivered Nov 13 - Brickwork started Re: New House - Tradies Using Loo?? 38Feb 22, 2012 7:24 pm there is no way in the world I'll allow the tradies to use the house toilets in this place. The only reason is their boots may be covered in mud or stones and they may scratch or damage the traventine. And there is no it's a simple case or replacing a trav tile if one os damaged as we have in grout heating - and that will get damaged if a tile is lifted. Re: New House - Tradies Using Loo?? 39Feb 22, 2012 7:46 pm I see an issue with the principle of having someone else use the toilet before you, its almost like you are paying for a brand new toilet, and your getting a pre-used one I don't find it disgusting as such, but I'd be annoyed on principal, unless it appeared to be brand new on handover. Re: New House - Tradies Using Loo?? 40Feb 23, 2012 2:02 pm Daedalus Just want to input my 2 cents as a tradey: We are not all filthy, disrespecting animals that have no other ambition but to upset the homeowners. Speaking of butts, the majority of subcontractors working on my build are cigarette smokers. Not only do they smoke outside, but also inside (my house is at lockup). There are hundreds of cigarette butts inside and outside my house. Last week, I put up a No Smoking sign in every room, as well as swept the floor throughout. Today, I'm dumbfounded to find new cigarette butts inside my house. My Site Supervisor will get an earful from me. 13-08 Moved in 13-05 Build restart 13-04 VMIA compensation 12-08 Builder liquidation 12-03 Fixing 11-12 Lockup 11-11 Frame 11-09 Slab 11-09 Start 11-07 Contract 10-11 2K deposit 10-06 Titled land Elvis has left the building... The site supervisor quit after 2 month on the project. I guess he was just instructed to bark at people, but didn't like when he was… 26 20901 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 0 2020 |