Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Oct 06, 2014 3:16 pm Hello All,
I've been on these forums for years.. having both built through a big builder and worked for a couple of them (it was actually my experience of building that made me move from the commercial to the residential construction industry) I find myself reading through the comments and replies and feeling like there is so much miscommunication and misinterpretation of things. I feel the need to put a few things out there, as I feel that some are not receiving the information they need and some builders may be trying a few tricks! I am HIA trained and have also worked with MBA contracts - I have been on both sides of the fence so am hoping you will appreciate my insight! So here is my advice: 01. "That's not how it was on display" - I can't tell you how many times I've heard this. To be clear, your home is never constructed off the display. It is derived from a set of master drawings. Be clear of what you are and are not getting from a display. If there is a key design feature or material, be clear and confirm that you want it. Your contract is designed to outline what you are receiving. If its not in there.. never assume you are receiving it. Back yourself up in writing. If you do not know how to read drawings - ask.. or get a friend to assist. I used to take my clients through their drawings room by room, elevation by elevation.. I never heard that line on any clients home that I contracted! 02. Be good to your administrator. Yes, just like in any industry or job, there are those who probably shouldn't be an administrator. But there are lots who are good... very good, if not brilliant. The great ones I can assure you are underpaid and overworked and they do it because they love it. A good administrator will respond within 24 hours, or at least give you a courtesy message to say whilst they may not have the answer, they are looking into it. Administrators can be handling 50-80+ clients - all who want a lot of love - appreciate when they do good by you and give them credit where credit is due... and they'll return the favour by fighting battles for you.. whether it be with councils, developers or even their own management. If you don't play nice with them, why would they want to bend over backwards for you? 03. If you missed it - say so - don't play the blame game. There is a lot to take in when building. Sometimes, in focusing on details you miss something. I did it and I'm sure a lot look back and go "how did I miss that?" If you do pick up on something you've missed whilst under construction - ask the question on whether its possible to change it - within reason. A structural change during the frame stage is a no no. Why? Because it may affect your engineering, energy rating, building permit plans, material orders - all which cost to change, delay the build program and affect a builders claims. But small things, such as a change of wall colour whilst bricklaying could be possible. Some companies have administration fees which are outlined in their building contracts - don't get mad when they quote this back to you. It may seem easy, but trust me, it never is. The paper trails between builders, contractors, suppliers and trades are ridiculous. When a colour document changes, the document has gone out to countless people and guaranteed the one that needs it ends up referring to the wrong one. These homes pop up quick. Accuracy prior to construction is key to a smooth process. 04. If your builder missed it - say so and be reasonable. Mistakes happen - we're human. Your builder is obligated to build your home in line with your contract and specifications. Be aware that your tender document/specifications OVERRIDE drawings. Drafting errors do happen - but if you haven't paid for it, you won't receive it. If the builder has missed something, query it - sometimes things are done later in the piece than you'd think, but always good to check. If something doesn't look right, ask upfront. When mistakes happen, give the builder time to state what the rectification will be. At the end of the day, they still need to warrant what they do/provide. 05. Have open communication between your bank/broker and your builder - this will make life so much easier. Let them communicate between each other (and keep you in the loop on email of course) - it will save you time and effort - especially when it comes to occupancy time with the occupancy permit, final invoice, insurance and valuations. 06. "Those colours don't go together" - this happens a lot - colours appear differently on differing surfaces, angles and orientation. Be clear about what you have selected and how it is applied. Ie. Pick a paint colour for render or a glass splashback - these will look different to the paint colour selected. This is not necessarily your builders fault (unless they have shown you a specific sample) If this happens, sometimes the builder can assist in helping you to change it (at a cost). Do take responsibility for your choices - sometimes its a winner and sometimes its not. 07. Check your claim against progress onsite. When you receive your Lockup Stage Claim - check it out before you pay. Most importantly, be clear about what your builder terms as "lockup stage" as they do change between builders depending on their build process. You will look like a banana if you jump down your administrators throat about receiving a Frame Stage invoice because the windows weren't in. If you are unsure about what each claim should include.. ask! If something hasn't been completed, ask them when it will be done and only pay once confirmation has been received that it has been done. Some builders do put clauses in to state "or an equal percentage of works against the build program". ie. bricking not 100% finished, but plaster has started. Therefore, Lockup is claimable as part of the Fix Stage works has been done to compensate for non completion of Lockup items. Hope this makes sense. Your builder will make their claims as soon as they can. Sometimes, trades don't finish in the time frame that they said they would. Sometimes, Melbourne weather likes to intervene. Don't get angry because you received an invoice and its not complete. You won't be charged interest if it is incomplete.. simply ask them to reissue when completion is confirmed. 08. Be realistic about the house you are going to receive. Nothing is like a picture or a computer generated model. We are human - materials and finishes are not 100% perfect. There are items worth fussing about, and some that you just have to step outside and think whether its worth the fuss on the grand scale of things. There is a guide to the standards and tolerances for a reason - if its within these guidelines, accept it. If its not, ensure this is documented and rectified accordingly. Building is an extremely emotional process - I know, I've been there. I cried when my timber stain on my door didn't match my windows. And I mean, I cried ridiculously. I didn't think that Meranti and Merbau would look different when colour stained. But no one ever noticed - I just got caught up in everything looking "matching" and now, 4 years on, with the weather, the dust etc, i forget that they ever differed. If you asked for something like display and it is documented in your contract accordingly - you can expect to receive what you've seen.. your builder is obligated to do this. 09. Upgrades are costly. It's a fact. Why? Well, its simple. Your base house price is established upon an agreement between suppliers on providing x amount of basins, bricks etc at a specially reduced rate. When you upgrade, the product you select is not "as" discounted so there is a bigger gap between the pricing of the standard inclusion and the item you want to upgrade. And expect a margin on top... builders have to make money on top, or else they would not be in business! Yes, some are probably overly priced, but a builder has to take into account that some upgrades involve additional trades, additional processes, orders, paperwork and extra time on the build program. Time is money. If they exceed their contract - they then need to pay you. 10. Its not us VS them - If you are happy with your supervisor - let them do their job. They are on the phone and email all day coordinating a million things. The less interruption, the more they can just get on with it. Set a reasonable expectation on how frequently you can meet and be good to them. They are crucial to the end product and the amount time and care they invest is very much driven by how well you are as a client. It's human nature - we want to please those that are good to us and keep them happy. If you feel that you need that much control - question whether a big builder is right for you. You cannot wonder onsite when you feel like - you cannot direct trades - you cannot have your own trades attend to do other works. During construction, the builder has temporary ownership of the site - respect that. If you are unsure of whether the builder is doing things as they should - engage an independent inspector. This should give you the peace of mind you need and a good builder will respond to any items noted in an inspectors report in writing. Oh and please get a good inspector, a reputable one and not one who is there to start a war with your builder - there are so many doozies out there who are just jumping on the band wagon. I hope this helps. If anyone has any queries or wants to know where they stand... post away and I'll be happy to help. Overall, I really enjoyed my build process (it certainly wasn't perfect) but I still rave about my site supervisor - we got along like a house on fire and i'm so thankful and pleased with the house we have. Enjoy! Re: the TRUTH about building with the "BIG" builders. 2Oct 06, 2014 5:03 pm Hi ssci1 Great write up and a great bit of common sense I fully endorse it, well done! Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: the TRUTH about building with the "BIG" builders. 4Oct 06, 2014 10:08 pm I agree . I have shown up most respect to my builder and have gone along way with them .yeh I have had issues .and they feel huge to me because I have spent alot of money .I love everything perfect and have relized nothing is . Redink have surprised me on coming back and fixing things yeh I have had to wait like 1 month to be able to use my one of my showers which I do think is not acceptable . But it could be worse. I think if I stay calm then I will continue to be helped along the way .since they have built my home and issues may arise down the track . the TRUTH about building with the "BIG" builders. 5Oct 06, 2014 10:22 pm Hi Melsie68,
You would be surprised how once the home is finished just how hard it can be to get the trades back .. No matter how good the relationship the trade has with the builder. It can really be like pulling teeth! But I don't think that waiting 1 month for a shower fix is acceptable either - and I would channel this feedback onto your builder in a way that is constructive and this could assist them in improving their service and setting expectations on turnaround timeframes. Hope it's smooth sailing for you for here on in! Re: the TRUTH about building with the "BIG" builders. 6Oct 06, 2014 10:45 pm Do you have any tips on 6 months matinance .I have been writing things down .I dont know if they will fix all of them .but im guessing its worth a try . Im horrible I never take no for a answer Re: the TRUTH about building with the "BIG" builders. 7Oct 06, 2014 10:46 pm Wow thats a lot of LOVE for builders yet no mention about engineers they are the ones that deal with non-compliance and rectification of faulty structures, life time guarantees,material failures, poor workmanship, etc.etc. WE see both sides too and at times we are stuck in the middle.....Some builders need to lift their game as posts on this board prove that point.HTH Designer,Engineer (Civil,Const & Envir),Builder,Concrete & Masonry Contract.Struct Repairs Re: the TRUTH about building with the "BIG" builders. 8Oct 06, 2014 10:48 pm Loved your post! It's great to have an informative other side of the coin approach. I am working in the install coordinating field on a much smaller scale (kitchens,bathrooms,flooring) I have customers calling everyday with unreasonable requests and expecting things for free I dread the mention of the word 'compensation' ( mostly because they don't like to hear the word no) A lot of what you said resonates with me for work and a lot of what I have learnt at work I put into practise with my build, I don't badger my CLO or the SS for unnecessary answers that will be sorted out later We were sort of 'forgotten about' during admin stage and I can tell they are trying to make up for it now. I'm looking forward to watching this thread to see what everyone else says I have only just reached plate height do you think its too early to send my CLO a thank you? Lol Our build thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=66620 Re: the TRUTH about building with the "BIG" builders. 9Oct 06, 2014 10:53 pm Melsie68 Do you have any tips on 6 months matinance .I have been writing things down .I dont know if they will fix all of them .but im guessing its worth a try . Im horrible I never take no for a answer Your builder has a 6 month maintenance service? That's handy! I would list everything and they will advise accordingly. Items like cracking due to normal settling/shrinkage etc they won't touch, but always good to report and cracking you might see. Check over things that are on limited warranties ie. Fixtures like Tapware, toilets are in full working order. check if any doors are sticking/need adjustment - I know that happened on a couple of mine and it was an easy adjustment for them to complete. Re: the TRUTH about building with the "BIG" builders. 10Oct 06, 2014 10:57 pm StructuralBIMGuy Wow thats a lot of LOVE for builders yet no mention about engineers they are the ones that deal with non-compliance and rectification of faulty structures, life time guarantees,material failures, poor workmanship, etc.etc. WE see both sides too and at times we are stuck in the middle.....Some builders need to lift their game as posts on this board prove that point.HTH Oh, I apologise.. Don't underestimate my appreciation of the engineer!! It's just that in my experience, the client rarely dealt with the engineer direct - it was left to the builder and engineering details were sent to a client upon request. This post is not really about "love" for the builder, but rather trying to highlight the typical things that cause issues/delays/disagreements between a client and their builder. Re: the TRUTH about building with the "BIG" builders. 12Oct 06, 2014 11:05 pm Speedwaychick68 Loved your post! It's great to have an informative other side of the coin approach. I am working in the install coordinating field on a much smaller scale(kitchens,bathrooms,flooring) I have customers calling everyday with unreasonable requests and expecting things for free I dread the mention of the word 'compensation' ( mostly because they don't like to hear the word no) A lot of what you said resonates with me for work and a lot of what I have learnt at work I put into practise with my build, I don't badger my CLO or the SS for unnecessary answers that will be sorted out later We were sort of 'forgotten about' during admin stage and I can tell they are trying to make up for it now. I'm looking forward to watching this thread to see what everyone else says I have only just reached plate height do you think its too early to send my CLO a thank you? Lol Thanks for your post - I don't think it's ever to early to show appreciation for something! Keeps the positive energy going. I'd word in more of a "keep up the great work" kind of way as you're still on a path together. Builders are realising the importance of committing to providing a high standard and consistency in service so I'm glad that they're making up for any previous shortfalls Re: the TRUTH about building with the "BIG" builders. 13Oct 06, 2014 11:13 pm ssci1 StructuralBIMGuy Wow thats a lot of LOVE for builders yet no mention about engineers they are the ones that deal with non-compliance and rectification of faulty structures, life time guarantees,material failures, poor workmanship, etc.etc. WE see both sides too and at times we are stuck in the middle.....Some builders need to lift their game as posts on this board prove that point.HTH .... the client rarely dealt with the engineer direct - it was left to the builder and engineering details were sent to a client upon request. . Hmmm, well theres a problems straight away...not explaining the details to the client. Hopefully I can rectify that on this forum Designer,Engineer (Civil,Const & Envir),Builder,Concrete & Masonry Contract.Struct Repairs the TRUTH about building with the "BIG" builders. 14Oct 06, 2014 11:22 pm Hmmm, well theres a problems straight away...not explaining the details to the client. Hopefully I can rectify that on this forum[/quote] I think you'd be a great help in here. I would always take my clients through their engineering plans during their contract, however, I know a lot don't do this and a lot of clients don't understand what they are seeing on the page when provided with copies of the engineering with their final drawings. The construction drawings themselves are a lot for a client to take in and most assume that the engineer knows what they are doing anyway. I wouldn't question an engineer when I know that they cleary know what they are doing! Hence, a lot would turn to building surveyors or ind inspectors for confirmation that it's been completed accordingly. Look at your bill from the electricity company. It should detail the charges. You will need to do some estimating and some calculations. Then charge the… 8 4247 Site works are just about to start on our build with Blueprint in Midvale. viewtopic.php?f=31&t=106894 2 3952 |