Browse Forums Building A New House Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 61Dec 01, 2012 7:17 pm Thanks for the support everyone! I've decided to leave it in their hands and see what comes back. We have been discussing the whole thing today and I think the real disappointment was that up until this stage we never felt rushed. When we met with the sales guy the first time and to sign and pay the deposit we sat, talked, asked questions and never felt an imposition but prestart was the complete opposite! Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 62Dec 01, 2012 11:19 pm fmac Thanks for the support everyone! I've decided to leave it in their hands and see what comes back. We have been discussing the whole thing today and I think the real disappointment was that up until this stage we never felt rushed. When we met with the sales guy the first time and to sign and pay the deposit we sat, talked, asked questions and never felt an imposition but prestart was the complete opposite! : That is all so wrong. As K-A said, you are doing them a favor by choosing them to build your house. It's so unprofessional and just plain terrible customer service that they made you feel that way! Fingers crossed that things go better from here for you and that you get a brilliant SS. Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 63Dec 02, 2012 9:48 am Hey fmac, I hope they play fair with the tile issue! Sounds ridiculous that they won't do what you want. Also on the not offering upgrades, very odd! Summit were very clear with what our options were when it came to things like better taps, basins, wastes etc. If you want Colorbond gutters/fascia/downpipes, you should get them!! Is it normal for most builders to submit plans to council before prestart has been done? I know summit have not submitted ours yet as we only signed the final variations on Thursday... We were able to make structural changes at prestart, luckily! Anyway, hope they're reasonable with the changes you want! Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 64Dec 02, 2012 11:28 am I was surprised about the gutters. We're happy with the tile roof but have heard other people upgrade the gutters, otherwise we have to re paint them down the track... We knew when We signed the contract we couldn't make structural changes after that. We didn't mind it going to council because or block is titled so it means once we sign off on the final prestart costs we can go straight to scheduling and the build can start! The only real issue was at no point until Friday had the facade been mentioned and has first time builders how were we to know that if the front of the house isn't shaded on the working drawings it means it is brick?! I'm pretty confident we can sort the tile issue out. As for the render if it can't be done at this point they can do it after handover.... Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 65Dec 02, 2012 12:50 pm Do the Ventura people do the Aussie Living pre-start? Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 66Dec 02, 2012 12:59 pm Sorry for the stupid question, but is 'pre-start' the colour appointment and where you get the fixed price with upgrades and stuff? That's so weird about the tiles, I'm pretty sure they encourage us to have the same ones as much as possible. Settlement: 10.02.13 Slab: 06.03.13 Frame: 08.03.13 Lock-up: 05.04.13 Handover: 03.06.13 Build thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59555 Brisbane Photography Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 67Dec 02, 2012 1:19 pm Donna I'm pretty sure Ventura have their own prestart staff, they have a different office, so I think they keep it separate. I have a sneaking suspision Ventura will give you much more time.... Prestart we did everything, all the colour selection, upgrades to different taps, sinks etc, re arrange kitchen cabinets. All the internal stuff including the electrical plan. Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 68Dec 02, 2012 1:27 pm Oh okay, thanks. I see the term being used a lot in here, but Plantat!on who we're building with don't use any of the same terms, so I'm confused as to where we actually are in the process. *lol* They don't use the terms "pre-start" or "fixed price", just "siting appointment", "colour appointment" (which I THINK is the pre-start) and "contract appointment", which I think is when we organise to get our fixed price. It's very confusing though. Settlement: 10.02.13 Slab: 06.03.13 Frame: 08.03.13 Lock-up: 05.04.13 Handover: 03.06.13 Build thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59555 Brisbane Photography Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 69Dec 02, 2012 1:28 pm Yes I was told it was a whole day. And they go to the estimator and get the prices while you are there. I have two weeks to go but I've locked in my choices and feel so much calmer now. Five months of changing my mind has been taxing on everyone. Hopefully will hear from bank early this week about valuation and loan approval. They sent our granite quote and carpet quote to the valuer so fingers crossed they will include. Then we can use savings for other things. Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 70Dec 02, 2012 5:01 pm Malin, your colour appointment will be picking colours and tiles, carpets, door colours, doorhandles etc and I'd say your Contract appointment is upgrades like taps and sinks and extending benches, more cabinets, that kind of thing. fmac, My front is rendered and they use those weird big builky builders bricks on the front, but the normal bricks that I chose on all the unrendered areas. So I guess that's why it requires a structural change. You can change all your colour selections now that you know it's all brick, surely they won't charge you variation fee. Don't worry too much, brick looks better IMO. Everyone has render these days. We only got it coz it's a requirement in our estate. If you're swapping your bank of 4 drawers with 3 big drawers, it shouldn't cost very much at all! Good luck. Oh and I had to request all upgrades as well, they only suggested upgrading toilet. Literally that was all, they had everything on display but I had to ask for everything. Half the stuff I wanted they hadn't even heard of. I think they don't care about sales at that point in your sale; the prestart staff are not salesmen, they are just admin staff really that just want to finalise your paperwork. GOODLIFE - Bravo - BUTLER http://getmistyfied.blogspot.com.au Display 20/02/2012 PPA 01/04/12 Prestart: 25/07/12 Settlement: 31/07/2012 Contracts:August Slab 19/11/12 BRICKS 10/11/12 Roof 16/01/13 Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 71Dec 02, 2012 7:03 pm Donna: I have a feeling Ventura may give you a little more time! We went and checked a display in alkimos that had a similar colour and have now confirmed we made the right choice! It is a good feeling when it is all decided! They normally estimate when you do prestart but because we had so many changes and she had an afternoon appointment we should get it Monday, they had 62 changes to cost (though I didn't realise we had so many). Only thing I am worried about is the laundry, we've asked to have the cost of built in cabinet and bench... But realised we aren't sure where the waste pipe from the washining machine will go, will have to check when we get the plans. Turtle: our standard bricks are 2 course so I wouldn't have thought they would have to change the bricks at the front, just make them the big ones they use inside which are also 2 course.... Just have to wait nd see. I like the brick but we ended up picking our front coloring based on rendering the front so we might have to rethink it if it isn't rendered. Not going to think about it till we hear one way or the other... When I get the prestart stuff back I will post the colours and changes Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 72Dec 02, 2012 10:49 pm The sales guy we had with Ventura was fantastic,nothing was too much trouble And i had him scracting his head,alot Pre-start was good too,though the colour lady was on another planet to us This place is wonderful,so much help,its the people who make it Block bought 1st RBC X! 2nd Ventrua,Keeper! Pstart 18/7/11 Ethwks jan 2012 Slab Bricks- finished 7/6 Roof Trusses 15/6-cbond 21/7 viewtopic.php?f=31&t=41185 Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 73Dec 02, 2012 11:03 pm I have to say all of the sales people we have come across in Aussie and ventura displays have been great! We've emailed our sales guy re the front render and he's said he'll look into it so hoping it'll be sorted out. This place has been great and helped me so much going into prestart, was able to do little things like moving the man hole into the garage which I never would have thought of!! Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 74Dec 03, 2012 1:28 pm Congratulations on surviving the pre-start, I have heard it can be a very long day. Regarding your front render, unlucky with the variations but I believe someone hit it on the head by saying that it is a completely different brick they use for render walls, I think you have made the right choice though as I think render makes a house look very nice, 63 changes?! How much of that was power points etc haha? Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 75Dec 03, 2012 2:22 pm I emailed my CLO and they do pre-start first then get the 6 star report and engineers certification and then send to council. Seem's weird that yours have already gone? Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 76Dec 03, 2012 2:25 pm donna61 I emailed my CLO and they do pre-start first then get the 6 star report and engineers certification and then send to council. Seem's weird that yours have already gone? Mine have already gone to get 6 star rating for Structure, Lighting and Windows as well, though my land does not title until May I suppose it just skips the process at the end. As we are not adding any lighting or anything through the builder, but we can change the location of lights etc in pre-start. Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 77Dec 03, 2012 5:55 pm Moving the man hole into the garage is a great idea,we did that,makes the ceiling look alot better i think without that ugly thing being there Block bought 1st RBC X! 2nd Ventrua,Keeper! Pstart 18/7/11 Ethwks jan 2012 Slab Bricks- finished 7/6 Roof Trusses 15/6-cbond 21/7 viewtopic.php?f=31&t=41185 Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 78Dec 03, 2012 6:16 pm kerry-ann T Pre-start was good too,though the colour lady was on another planet to us Many people find that with tile shops too. It's difficult to get past that sometimes! In the end did you get what you wanted? Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 79Dec 03, 2012 9:21 pm Well it has been a very long and exhausting day. We got the prestart cost, i wrote 9 classes of reports and I found out someone who was like a grandmother to me growing up passed away... An emotional roller coaster! At this stage we might be left with the brick rather then render. But waiting to see what happens. It does look like well get the tiles thoughout, which is one plus. We got our prestart costs back... Come in at $16000! But some thing's have been put in twice because we had two alternatives costed, think it comes in about $9000 after we take up double ups and the things we won't bother with. Planning to go through it tomorrow because they seem to have gotten a few things wrong (there is a mention of dowlights and dimmer switches which i dont remeber even asking for!) or charging us for things we are pretty sure were included already. Also not convinced we got credits for all of the things we took out... My pot draws came in at $930 for two sets.... Along with the stone bench, silk finish, cupboards above fridge and pushing the pantry up to the roof it comes in at about $4,000... Will have to see what else we can give up on... The wood planks came in at only $1500 more then the tiles which I was actually pretty happy with.... But the carpet also came in at an extra $1,500 for three bedrooms.... Maybe we should have put the plank in the bedrooms, might have saved some money! Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 80Dec 03, 2012 9:40 pm Sounds like you have had a very busy day, make sure to have a thorough look through as my parents said there were mistakes on their costings and they weren't cheap ones, strange to think pre-start is so expensive. Joe, it depends on your certifier but we are noticing the ones we deal with are really cracking down. So i would recommend you follow your approved landscaping plans to… 4 10961 Hi, We're building a double-storey in Perth and I'm undecided with the kitchen sink situation. I'm set on having the main sink with dishwasher in the scullery - and… 0 20912 2 2983 |