Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Jul 09, 2015 11:29 pm Hi, First-time poster, first-time build. I've been working with a builder for a couple of months, and have got a design and upgrades that I like. Now that we've finished with the sales stage and are working on the contract, alarm bells are going off. I'd love to get some feedback about what's been happening, and understand if this is out of the ordinary, or if other people have experienced the same things. * Getting the builder to give me the contract so I could have it reviewed by a solicitor was like pulling teeth! The administrator refused several times, and only relented once it became clear that I wouldn't be signing unless I could have it reviewed. * When I finally did get it, the contract only contained the choices and upgrades that were in the sales quote. There were several upgrades that weren't included in the sales quote because the salesman didn't know the prices. The administrator tells me these upgrades will be added as post-contract variations. This sounds questionable to me, as the contract hasn't even been signed yet! Also, I'm told the cost for these variations would be paid in a single lump sum, with one of the early progress payments. * The solicitor came back with a handful of changes to be made before signing. When I provided these changes to the administrator, they were all soundly rejected for one reason or another. I didn't expect them to take them all on board 100%, but I did expect some acceptance, or at least negotiation. * The builder's conditions allow for a single site visit, after one of the stages is complete. Only one! Is this normal? Thanks in advance for any info you're willing to share! R Re: Trouble with builder during pre-contract stage 2Jul 10, 2015 7:10 am Good on you for taking an interest. Most builders do the final upgrades at a 'Selection' before the contract or a Pre-Start after the Contract has signed. . . it depends on the builder. Overall I think the standard building contracts HIA or MBA are reasonably fair to both parties (there are governent laws about unfair contracts) but you need to watch out for the builder including 'special' clauses. Only one site visit is not acceptable! For more information on contracts you could checkout this link to my Blog. http://www.anewhouse.com.au/category/co ... onditions/ The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Trouble with builder during pre-contract stage 3Jul 12, 2015 8:30 am You should request for an industry standard contract Just to makea point about this, an approach that some people have found sucessful in negotiating these rises down, Is to provide some workings to the builder, specifying… 4 81723 The fastest thing a builder will do is bank your cheque, those systems work perfectly with lightning speed, everything else is slow burn. Just the way it is. 1 8707 The worst thing you can do is sign a building contract without a pre contract review. Over the years many people have come to me with disputes where they just signed… 0 8339 |