Browse Forums Building A New House Re: Who is building with Bell River Homes in Schofields NSW? 203Sep 19, 2015 7:04 pm Well congrats to all of you, at least you are all actually in construction and can see progress. I am beginning to feel we will be the only ones to have a 48 week build, I saw a glimmer of hope when I drove by on Friday (finally some action on the blocks along Sparrow St) only to be disappointed today to find our neighbours have had peiring and slab prep and we have yet another pile of dirt moved onto our block. It's great to see how quickly the single levels on Kensington Park have come along but it appears they were the only ones to be built so quickly. Finally now some of the other homes are progressing, but why our whole street is so far behind who knows (the weather has been great for weeks now and there is never anyone near our site). We are still also yet to hear anything from the Site Supervisor. I think instead of my weekly drive by I should just make it a monthly drive by, less chance of disappointment that way. Re: Who is building with Bell River Homes in Schofields NSW? 205Sep 19, 2015 7:18 pm slabs pretty much all round seem to have been done this week, except your street (Stage 2). Perhaps yours won't be too far away now with its start? A pile of dirt won't take long to move - even though I know you're feeling like you took a backwards step. Don't lose heart. I'm still convinced the place won't look the same in a couple of weeks! Re: Who is building with Bell River Homes in Schofields NSW? 206Sep 19, 2015 9:11 pm Thanks Vjh, but it's very easy to be positive when your build is progressing nicely and you can see the results. First we had the tree issue and then the wait for it to come down, then our back retaining wall (along all our blocks) had to be removed because they were out by 200-300mm according to the Site Supervisor. It's not so much the dirt being there but the fact that as usual they get to our neighbours block and stop, given the prediction of rain for the next week, there goes another week for us, it will be October soon and we probably still won't have a slab. Our completion date is July 2016, perhaps we should just resign ourselves to that date and not make any further site visits. I am glad that you seem to be having such a positive experience, we appear to be one of the only owners (one this site apart from mcosta) that were hit with an extra $11K site costs and now we just wait. I was told by our salesperson that Ray (??) is very organised and knows his stuff, well we haven't heard from him, nothing appears to be happening and the fact that the tree did not come down until I pulled up one day and asked about it, does not instill faith in me. Re: Who is building with Bell River Homes in Schofields NSW? 207Sep 19, 2015 9:46 pm bitsnpieces You do have my sympathies - and though I'm one of the 'lucky ones', I can imagine what you are going through. A lot of people have had additional site costs. I think the extent of the slope was initially underestimated. Nonetheless, even knowing that the right thing has happened according to contract, some (like you) have been quite hurt by this. It has been a set back for you because you have had to change things you really wanted - at least I'm guessing so. I also can understand how frustrating it must be to watch others progress and you are worse than stalled. All I can say is hang in there. Things WILL come together if you do. A lot is really happening down there, even though it's hard for you to see it when the wave hasn't hit you yet - but it will. Honestly, I don't think you need to resign yourself to later next year. As I have just been observing, across the development they really are working extremely fast. The first houses are coming in at 2/3 the allocated building time. If this is kept up, a significant amount of the overall development site will be finishing around Christmas. Given what has been happening to you and the frustrations you have had, it's realistic to be looking at next year. But definitely before your completion date. Some of the team worked right through Christmas last year. I don't know what their plan is this year, or what trades will still agree to work, but I think you have reason to hope. This bad run you've been having won't last. It's a set back - but in the end you have such a gift in having your own home and the investment made through this development. It will pay off. I think you just need to give yourself a few more weeks for things to catch up and start rolling - you're facing the darkness before dawn. I'm absolutely convinced of that! And what you have heard of the supervisor is true. He doesn't stop and chat - he is an extremely busy and efficient person. But I am impressed beyond measure at the care he puts into the work and the organisation and quality of the work. He is managing a huge project and doing so extremely well. He has my utmost respect and I'm sure that in due course you will find the same. He is not one to stop and chat - but really that's not what we need him for! Have you tried contacting him? I truly hope that you will be looking back in a few weeks and thinking you can't believe you had given up hope! Will be watching out for you and what happens on your spot Re: Who is building with Bell River Homes in Schofields NSW? 210Sep 19, 2015 10:54 pm Bits and pieces, You are not alone in being disappointed.. First we all had developer delays and now construction delays...half of greenvale hasn't even begun yet and settlement was done 2.5 months ago..: these people are paying interest on land with no construction in sight... VJH seems to be an exception rather than the rule with all the excitement... Maybe you have lower expectations mate... Given half of locosi settled in May, all those houses should have been almost done now... All they have done is Kensington park road -- the rest of the estate is a shell and months away... Single levels are easily done in 18-20 weeks... Re: Who is building with Bell River Homes in Schofields NSW? 211Sep 19, 2015 11:56 pm Mayjong, I know it's been a long tough road, but a lot of it is a matter of perspective. It's not a matter of low expectations.
Progress seems normal to me. Sixteen lots were released for sale (and therefore access to Bell River) at the end of May. Around seven of these houses are nearly finished. Others have been a little behind the first few but still easily within their contract build time. The other lots were released in July. I noticed today that, except for Sparrow Street area, and the later stage half of Greenvale, pretty much all these lots have foundations and more than half have frames. That means the builder has around 30 houses moving in Locosi and around 23 moving in Greenvale. All this within ten weeks, progressing one house after another, allocating work teams. This leaves fifteen places in Sparrow Street area that are just beginning to work on foundations and then the next stage of Greenvale. Sparrow Street has been worst effected by surveying errors (Villaworlds mistakes, not Bell Rivers) and council delays. This is where bitsnpieces has been impacted. Not easy for people in that area, but there is nothing unusual about what is happening. I value what I am building. I'm very happy. I'm so grateful for this whole thing - and one of the reasons this is possible for me is the integrity of Bell River, honouring an expired fixed price contract, due to no fault of theirs that it aged, so it counted that I jumped in when prices were so much cheaper than now - if they hadn't done that than I wouldn't be able to afford my own home probably at all. It's the big picture I care about. I'm currently building a beautiful home - something I never dreamed possible. To me, being here, building my home, the consideration I've received from Bell River, the whole thing is deeply incredible to me. I look around and see a LOT happening. I live next door to building sites started last November and they will be lucky to get in before Christmas - and a major builder doing it. I look around Schofields in our new neighbourhood and see sites by other builders locked up doing nothing while our streets are jam packed with workers and everywhere you look there is something new that wasn't there the day before. Maybe it is easier for me. But in the end, from a business point of view, Bell River is building very nice homes, they are going to be our homes, the product is quality, they've at least upheld all contract agreements, they are working ahead of schedule on places they've completed, they promise to pay your rent if building exceeds contracted periods, and the capital growth we've had in these two years really counts. I think they're doing really well and I'm grateful. I'm sorry some are finding it tougher, but I sincerely believe you just need to hang on a little longer. Re: Who is building with Bell River Homes in Schofields NSW? 213Sep 20, 2015 3:29 pm Hi again In case it encourages anybody, I was just going back through my site photos. The houses almost ready for handing over on Kensington were at the same place many of the houses are at now - no bricks and blue insulation - only eight weeks ago Re: Who is building with Bell River Homes in Schofields NSW? 216Sep 21, 2015 9:08 pm So I went by site today to take down the Site Supervisors details from the site fence (as our office contact will be out of the office until next month) to my excitement there were a couple of concrete trucks with the boom in operation, but as I got closer it appears that they had skipped our block and moved onto the other neighbours block for piering, they continued to pier all blocks but ours. So my Hubby decides to call the Site Supervisor (not Ray) we got the new guy, he explains that apparently our block is not cut to the right level and they cannot begin work on our block until this is sorted, so who's fault is that? if the block was not cut properly or the plans were done incorrectly to begin with someone has stuffed up, first stuff up was the back retaining wall and second is the the level of the block. The only thing that could make this any worse is that they pour all the slabs on the blocks around us and leave ours (again). Apparently they plan to work on our site later this week (to correct the level) and our frame has been ordered for mid October, so guess this means we definitely won't have a slab until early to mid October? Can anyone put a positive spin on that one? Re: Who is building with Bell River Homes in Schofields NSW? 217Sep 21, 2015 9:34 pm Hi Bitsnpieces
I guess you're pulling your hair out ... But surely it must be a relief to have commencement in sight? I hope you've finally got to the end of your hurdles and that things go really well from now on. Re: Who is building with Bell River Homes in Schofields NSW? 218Sep 21, 2015 10:14 pm Bits, I am sure you are not happy about this situation... It's hard to put a positive spin, but if your frames are ordered for mid October, then most likely your slabs, frame and roof will be all done by end of October... Then it's anyone guess with the brickworks...our slab was done more than a week ago and I think our frame is booked for early October or so... I don't think these guys can achieve 18 week build times with the current speed... The first lot on Kensington road were lucky and I doubt that even all of them will get handover within 18 weeks... Re: Who is building with Bell River Homes in Schofields NSW? 219Sep 22, 2015 3:13 am JNKS Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum and I was wondering if anyone (or if you know anyone) is building with Bell River in the Schofields Alex Ave area? Hi, JNKS, I bought H&L package from Bell River on Alex Ave. We bought land in Tallawong Schofields NSW size 30m X 12.5m and planning to get double story house build around 350 sqm. We are thinking about having premium inclusions… 0 4305 No idea about the driveway question, but your price for a house that size including landscaping seems very good! 1 6387 Hi all, We are considering Enigma 46 from Mojo Homes in Gables, NSW. Has anyone built with Mojo and any pointers and feedback. Also, if anyone has built similar design… 0 13409 |