Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Apr 02, 2017 12:14 am I've recently discussed the nature of the building contract with the building company for a house I'm planning on building. The builder has stated that he doesn't want any variations in the contract. Obviously that means I can't change my mind on anything at all and that I should make sure every little thing is specified ie. exact models/colours etc. Is there anything inherently bad about not having any variations? I do understand that having variations opens up the door for delays and makes it's more troublesome for both parties, but apart from the points I listed above, is there anything else to watch out for? Re: No variations in building contract 2Apr 02, 2017 7:08 am skadoosh I've recently discussed the nature of the building contract with the building company for a house I'm planning on building. The builder has stated that he doesn't want any variations in the contract. Obviously that means I can't change my mind on anything at all and that I should make sure every little thing is specified ie. exact models/colours etc. Is there anything inherently bad about not having any variations? I do understand that having variations opens up the door for delays and makes it's more troublesome for both parties, but apart from the points I listed above, is there anything else to watch out for? Hi skadoosh. I'm not liking that idea at all. That just means that you accept what is given to you and you are not allowed to change anything at all which is very restrictive. Everyone is different and one might have a different need from others. Unless you really really like the floor plan and everything that this builder is giving you then that's fine. We had to change a few things in our builder's original plan. Things like, instead of timber posts in our terraza, we changed it to just one brick post in one corner. We widened the floor to ceiling windows in the meal area as well as the sliding door leading to the outdoor to get more natural light. We changed to a stone benchtop as hubby and I both bake cakes and we needed a cold stone benchtop to work on. We changed the oven to 900mm freestanding rather than what's on the plan of just 600mm and separate stove and oven. We deleted a linen cupboard to make way for a bigger walk in pantry as we thought there's enough linen storage already. We changed the size of the wardrobe to all rooms since the room itself is big enough anyway... Changing the plan according to your needs and lifestyle. Everyone is different. Your needs might not me mine so why accept another's style or idea. There's heaps of builder's out there who are willing to change things according to your needs so why restrict yourself to just this builder though. Unless this is your investment property then yeah sure but if this will be your primary home, you need to be happy living in it. My two cents to the matter...Good morning http://buildingourhumblehome.blogspot.com Land Deposit - 20.08.2016 Land Registered - 27.09.2016 Land Settlement - 07.11.2016 House Deposit - 27.11.2016 House Contracts - 16.02.2017 House Build Starts - 10.04.2017 Building with Beechwood Homes buildingourhumblehome.blogspot.com.au Re: No variations in building contract 4Apr 02, 2017 7:12 pm Not sure what you mean by "The builder has stated that he doesn't want any variations in the contract." Do you mean pre-contract variations to their standard build spec or that they don't want changes once you've decided on the spec and gone to contract? Very different situations. Re: No variations in building contract 5Apr 02, 2017 7:53 pm What rubbish, I've never come across a build with out change, I would run as your builder can't manage a build unless it's easy as possible for him, doesn't care if his clients aren't happy, imagine if you find poor work what his reaction is going to be. Re: No variations in building contract 6Apr 02, 2017 8:25 pm arcachon Not sure what you mean by "The builder has stated that he doesn't want any variations in the contract." Do you mean pre-contract variations to their standard build spec or that they don't want changes once you've decided on the spec and gone to contract? Very different situations. The 2nd scenario you listed. Re: No variations in building contract 7Apr 02, 2017 8:37 pm OK, I'm with you now. Post contract variations occur for a number of reasons. I can understand a builder wanting to avoid them but sometimes they are necessary. If its a case of not deciding which way you want to go then spend a bit more time in the planning before you go to contract. You always have the right to request a change but expect to pay a premium for it. Better preparation makes for a smoother (and cheaper) build. Was there anything particular you were concerned about that could bring about a change of mind? Re: No variations in building contract 8Apr 02, 2017 8:53 pm skadoosh arcachon Not sure what you mean by "The builder has stated that he doesn't want any variations in the contract." Do you mean pre-contract variations to their standard build spec or that they don't want changes once you've decided on the spec and gone to contract? Very different situations. The 2nd scenario you listed. We'll that explains it better then...I think most if not all builders would not wish to alter things once you've locked things in otherwise it's a thousand dollar per variation for every request or change that is why you need to really think if you are agreeable to everything before inking or signing on that dotted line...if there is any doubt then don't sign the contract until you ate satisfied. http://buildingourhumblehome.blogspot.com Land Deposit - 20.08.2016 Land Registered - 27.09.2016 Land Settlement - 07.11.2016 House Deposit - 27.11.2016 House Contracts - 16.02.2017 House Build Starts - 10.04.2017 Building with Beechwood Homes buildingourhumblehome.blogspot.com.au Re: No variations in building contract 9Apr 03, 2017 9:18 pm arcachon OK, I'm with you now. Post contract variations occur for a number of reasons. I can understand a builder wanting to avoid them but sometimes they are necessary. If its a case of not deciding which way you want to go then spend a bit more time in the planning before you go to contract. You always have the right to request a change but expect to pay a premium for it. Better preparation makes for a smoother (and cheaper) build. Was there anything particular you were concerned about that could bring about a change of mind? So just to confirm you're saying we can request changes to a 'no variation contract', but it would be very expensive to amend? Are we safe to sign a no variation contract as long as we have made sure everything has been decided on and nothing missed? I made a post on another website, and they were totally against signing a contract with no variations. https://www.reddit.com/r/AusFinance/com ... _contract/ Re: No variations in building contract 10Apr 03, 2017 9:34 pm I have never heard of a No Variation Contract so not qualified to comment on it. I don't see how it would benefit either the customer or the builder. Variations occur in construction projects. Its more the norm than the exception. If somebody put one in front of me I certainly wouldn't sign it. It seems very clear to me that your contract states that a security account does NOT need to be established so the answer to the builder is NO. If in doubt find a contract… 1 8505 So AFAIk the outcomes of the BAL ratings form part of a clause that allows them to pass these costs on to you. However the more relevant detail is how did it go from 19… 1 9162 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 8706 |