Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Mar 01, 2014 10:49 pm Hi guys We have decided to build with plantation. We picked the breakthrough series Beckham 4. We have paid our initial deposit for soil testing, received the results and we're booked in for contract signing and colour appointments on the 14th March. I do have a few questions and concerns that I hope someone that has built previously with plantation can answer. 1. Did you find there was major differences in the quote the sales person gave you to the contract signing appointment? We're hearing sales person can be very far off with estimates. 2. Once colour and electrical appointments are complete and all choices have been made, once the variation contract comes through, is that it? We're wondering if that's the price set in stone or can we be hit with more costs once build has begun? (This scares us the most!) 3. We've discovered that there are no phone lines to our property. I've been in talks with telstra and they're giving me the run around. Some are saying telstra need to install the line before house begins build, others are saying after. I'm assuming it's hard for plantation to connect to the line if it doesn't exist. Has anyone experienced this? What's the right way to go? 4. We've also discovered there is no electricity to the property. Does plantation charge extra to have energex come out and install that? 5. At what stage are we given estimate of dates for hand over? I plan to take leave at this stage and need to give my work a lot of time in advance. 6. How often is it recommended to visit during build? 7. Once completed, does plantation remove any mess left on the land? 8. Does plantation fix any problems we find with the build or do they just offer a credit? We're really excited for our new house to be built and can't wait. I hope we've made the right choice picking plantation! Re: Building with Plantation - Many questions 2Mar 02, 2014 1:48 am kimmi_baby 7. Once completed, does plantation remove any mess left on the land? In my quotation it says "The owner is responsible to remove excess spoil from site if necessary. The building supervisor will contact the owner as and when applicable." In my previous build with another builder, I was not charged any fees for this, so I too wonder if they will leave a mess... Re: Building with Plantation - Many questions 3Mar 02, 2014 12:28 pm Hi, good to hear someone building with Plantation. We can share ideas, advise and our experiences. We are building the Manhattan with a few design changes in Greenbank/ New Beith/Teviot Downs. We have paid our initial deposit and waiting for site costs and building contract. The builder is supposed to clean the site upon completion thats in your contract. on estimates dates of completion, check your building contract, it should specify how many weeks they take to complete- make sure thats in your contract before signing.They told us it takes 14 weeks to complete ours so i guess its the same for you. Any problems you find with the build you have to report to Plantation and they will fix it for the first 12months after Handover. You will be allocated to a site supervisor so ask him about the visits to the site. With your soil test, what did it come back as in Soil type? and how much did they charge you for that. Re: Building with Plantation - Many questions 4Mar 02, 2014 1:19 pm Hi there, another beckham.. Yah!! We're building beckham in Melbourne though. Our initial quote and contract wasn't too far off. We added what we thought we would need initally and at tender they added provisional cost for generator hire incase there is no electricity in my estate. Rest of costs at tender were our upgrades. Make sure u read the "NOTES" cause that could mean you may end up having to pay extra for other unforeseeable circumstances. Our main concerns were bushfire zone and wind speed. If ure in bushfire then u have to pay for the upgrades. Its not a hidden costs, it happens lots to new estates and rural areas. Are u making any structure changes to the house? We didn't. Is there a display house for beckham in your state? Good luck with your tender! Just make sure u read everything carefully and ask for confirmation. Oh, there is no standard lights in storage under stairs!!!! Second Build, this time with Carlisle 2016, can't wait! Beckham: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=67280 Canterbury: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=81175 Re: Building with Plantation - Many questions 5Mar 02, 2014 1:31 pm 1. Did you find there was major differences in the quote the sales person gave you to the contract signing appointment? We're hearing sales person can be very far off with estimates. Ours was pretty spot on. 2. Once colour and electrical appointments are complete and all choices have been made, once the variation contract comes through, is that it? We're wondering if that's the price set in stone or can we be hit with more costs once build has begun? (This scares us the most!) Yes, unless you have provisional costs in your contract. For example we had a provisional sum for rock removal and it's possible for it to go ABOVE that provisional sum if they hit a lot of rock. All else is fixed price. 3. We've discovered that there are no phone lines to our property. I've been in talks with telstra and they're giving me the run around. Some are saying telstra need to install the line before house begins build, others are saying after. I'm assuming it's hard for plantation to connect to the line if it doesn't exist. Has anyone experienced this? What's the right way to go? I've just discussed this with our site supervisor. Apparently Plantation have run a conduit from the Telstra pit through to the house so when it's time for Telstra to come and run the optical fibre/NBN to the house they'll be able to do it through the conduit with the pullwire. Handy I thought! I've heard people say that you have to get Telstra onboard while the trench to your house is being dug so this seems a much better way of doing it. 4. We've also discovered there is no electricity to the property. Does plantation charge extra to have energex come out and install that? I believe Plantation connect the actual wiring to the house but you have to sign up with a particular electricity provider who will then allow the electricity to flow into the house through that wire. 5. At what stage are we given estimate of dates for hand over? I plan to take leave at this stage and need to give my work a lot of time in advance. We've just got slab down and have been given an estimate but it's VERY rough. We also had to book in leave (last year before we even got a site start date) and we just totally guessed. I'm hoping there'll be a miracle and our leave will line up with the handover time period. We actually made our leave a lot later than we thought we might finish because we figured if worst came to worst it would be better to have the leave several weeks AFTER the move (lots of landscaping and stuff to do after the move) rather than weeks before the move when it would be totally wasted. If you know what I mean.... 6. How often is it recommended to visit during build? We visit once or twice a day because we're just around the corner. We don't actually go on site while the workmen are there though. I don't think you HAVE to visit at all. Our tender guy said we could perhaps organise a fortnightly meeting with our site supervisor but it's not really been needed at this point because we chat once or twice a week about various things. 7. Once completed, does plantation remove any mess left on the land? Yes they will do a site clean. It can be fairly basic I understand though. 8. Does plantation fix any problems we find with the build or do they just offer a credit? I think each one would have to be negotiated but I believe they would aim to fix most e.g. painting defects etc. Build thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=65085 Re: Building with Plantation - Many questions 6Mar 08, 2014 2:22 pm Thank you for your replies! Definitely helped with all my questions. Our soil testing ended up being a h2 and costing a little bit over $7000. Thank you Pearz for the tip with the light under the stairs! We're not making any structural changes to the house. We were considering making the garage a bit bigger but I think it might increase the price too much! Re: Building with Plantation - Many questions 7Mar 08, 2014 3:13 pm 1. Did you find there was major differences in the quote the sales person gave you to the contract signing appointment? We're hearing sales person can be very far off with estimates. - not really. But - there will be differences. We did come in under budget - so were happy - sort of. The more you add the more they add ... 2. Once colour and electrical appointments are complete and all choices have been made, once the variation contract comes through, is that it? We're wondering if that's the price set in stone or can we be hit with more costs once build has begun? (This scares us the most!) - there can be variables. But they generally advise a max. As I said - we came in under budget. They may estimate slightly higher. 3. We've discovered that there are no phone lines to our property. I've been in talks with telstra and they're giving me the run around. Some are saying telstra need to install the line before house begins build, others are saying after. I'm assuming it's hard for plantation to connect to the line if it doesn't exist. Has anyone experienced this? What's the right way to go? - we were in a Telstra Velocity - fibre optic area and had the house wired at build - that does cost. The plan is a sort of add on to the electrical plan. Can't see why they wouldn't do it for you - unless its a basic phone - which can be done after. 4. We've also discovered there is no electricity to the property. Does plantation charge extra to have energex come out and install that? - Energex will do that - don't worry ... P should organise most of these things. We kept the supplier afterwards. 5. At what stage are we given estimate of dates for hand over? I plan to take leave at this stage and need to give my work a lot of time in advance. Keep the build date in mind. They'll approach you about a month out. They were pretty on the mark too. You will have a contact person so talk to them whenever you can. 6. How often is it recommended to visit during build? - within reason. If you live close by whenever you like - but don't be a nuisance. You may not be able to enter the site for legal OH&S reasons. Weekends are a good time - no-one there. Take lots of pics. Try to meet the SS - be friendly and ask his advice. Make sure he has your number and tell him you are available if anything happens. 7. Once completed, does plantation remove any mess left on the land? - yes and no. what's buried/hidden may remain ... They give the house a clean - but it will not be what you might do. The block should be free of all rubbish etc. 8. Does plantation fix any problems we find with the build or do they just offer a credit? - they do a handover walk through - so take notes and look everywhere. They will fix the things you identify - eg paintwork, loose fittings, missing items etc. If a major issues develops after this, ring and they will fix it. Then you have a 6 or 12 month check. We took the 12 - ie 4 seasons. We felt this was better. We've found it all ok - if a little stressful ... I would never build with Fowler homes. I built with them in 2021 and till date maintenance issues are pending. All their existing trades and businesses don't work with… 14 105134 They already have two well known ones (HIA & MBA) that many new home buyers mistakenly think are regulatory bodies that Joe Public can complain to. 6 18005 You should check your detail drawings, it may show downpipe within brick pier. 14 14023 |