Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Sep 29, 2012 8:10 pm Hi All, Hoping for some advice about what to do... We had handover on Thursdsay. Builder gave us keys and said that when we use them tradies will no longer be able to use them. Happy with this arrangement, but we went to get into our house today and couldnt. Needed to get in for flooring to start. Builder isnt open today as tried office numerous times to try and sort out. In the end, we ended up ringing a locksmith to let us in. We also got him to redo all locks for us, which we had intended to do at the start anyway. I am planning on asking the builder for half the cost of the job which will be $200. Anybody have any thoughts on what we should do. Thanks Re: Keys after handover 2Sep 29, 2012 10:28 pm I think its only fair.... I would get the builder to foot the bill, basically for the inconvenience. How do you know how many keys had been handed out and cut among the tradies? By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth Re: Keys after handover 3Sep 29, 2012 10:34 pm When you insert the keys at handover it breaks off some tabs inside the lock. This means the builders key no longer works. The builders key is a common key that is handed to the tradies. it usually fits all locks for the builder until the master key is used. Re: Keys after handover 4Sep 29, 2012 11:46 pm As others have said, the keys used by the builder & other trades during construction are all different to the "master" key you are given at handover. Once the master key has been used in a lock the others will no longer work in it ( I think it's something to do with the master key being longer & thus activating an extra tumbler but I'm no locksmith ) As for getting the builder to pay part of the locksmith costs- TBH I think it's unlikely to happen. You say handover happened on Thursday; its hardly the builder's fault that you waited until Saturday (a non work day) to access your home. Also paying to re-key all of the locks on the home was your choice and (I'm sure the builder will say) unnecessary. But there's no harm in speaking to the builders & seeing what they say. At the very least you could ask them to pay for the locksmith's attendance to let you into the home at its obviously the builder's fault that the key they gave you didn't work. Good luck Re: Keys after handover 5Sep 30, 2012 8:40 am I suspect they gave you the wrong keys - best way to check is to look at the code on the lock itself and compare it to the one on the keys. In any case the builder should be paying - out builder organised for their sub-contracted locksmith to come out and re-key all of our other external locks (because the front door was the only one that the correct set of keys worked on). He (the locksmith) also explained that locks often "stick" a little when you first use the master key, but a little bit of silicon spray in the barrel fixed that up. Some people apparently have nothing better to do than comment on other people's sigs. yes it does, you've just not understood it. theres a difference. 4 5333 Your house should come in "as new" condition. It should be clean, and without stains 1 4568 We were lucky in that our old house was so small (86 square metres) compared to the new house, they were able to take enough readings around the old backyard house before… 8 37160 |