How long does it take to build?

Jas 'n' Rach · Sep 17, 2008 2:00 pm

Hi guys!

I am new to the forum...I have searched for this topic on previous threads but couldn't find anything.

I am currently getting soil tests and scheduling my colours appointment with H3nley. Planning to build the Palladian (2 storey).

Can others please give me an idea how long the whole process takes?

Both, from now until handover, and from the start of construction until handover.

I am interested to know others experiences, both with H3nley and other builders.

Perhaps if everyone could let me know what their timetable was...and which parts take the longest (framing, bricking, finishing etc).

House:
Builder:
Soil test date:
Colours date:
Tender date:
Contract date:
Site Start:
Handover:

Many thanks!

Clarity · Sep 17, 2008 2:05 pm

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I'm building in Sydney and things are very different up here to you guys in VIC

I just want to wish you all the best with your build and look forward to hearing about its progress.

You might like to start a blog to keep track of what is happening... it has helped me be able to refer to specific dates thing have been done, that I would not have remembered otherwise.

Good Luck

Jas 'n' Rach · Sep 17, 2008 2:26 pm

Clarity

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I'm building in Sydney and things are very different up here to you guys in VIC

I just want to wish you all the best with your build and look forward to hearing about its progress.

You might like to start a blog to keep track of what is happening... it has helped me be able to refer to specific dates thing have been done, that I would not have remembered otherwise.

Good Luck

Thanks Clarity...I have started a blog! Is a great idea!

http://ourpalazzo.blogspot.com/

House-To-Be · Sep 17, 2008 2:39 pm

we bought our land mid March, signed with PD the day before

, site scraped mid June, slab poured 7th July, bottom frame done within a week, top frame took longer as someone kept stealing our wood, bricking took just under three weeks.

We are in week 11 now since slab and house is framed, bricked, windows are in as are insulation, bath, electricals, heating and cooling and plaster around the voids and bulkheads. Plasterers were supposed to start a week ago but didn't arrive till last Friday. Our building contract is 254 days, standard for our house was 210 days. I know some people who have had handover within 20-22 weeks.

Jas 'n' Rach · Sep 17, 2008 2:57 pm

House-To-Be

we bought our land mid March, signed with PD the day before

, site scraped mid June, slab poured 7th July, bottom frame done within a week, top frame took longer as someone kept stealing our wood, bricking took just under three weeks.

We are in week 11 now since slab and house is framed, bricked, windows are in as are insulation, bath, electricals, heating and cooling and plaster around the voids and bulkheads. Plasterers were supposed to start a week ago but didn't arrive till last Friday. Our building contract is 254 days, standard for our house was 210 days. I know some people who have had handover within 20-22 weeks.

Is that 254 days from slab pour? or 254 from contract? Are there any provisions in the contract where the builder gets penalised if they exceed the 254 days.

House-To-Be · Sep 17, 2008 3:12 pm

That's 254 days from day one on site. For us that was site scrape on 13th June. Our contract take us through to mid Feb but I believe we'll be in way before that (hope so anyway!).

Meeting with our SS tomorrow for the first time so I hope to get an indication from him where we sit with handover etc.

Jas 'n' Rach · Sep 17, 2008 3:21 pm

Very exciting! Good luck with your meeting. No doubt you will let us all know how you go.

photogirl · Sep 17, 2008 3:21 pm

Hi Jas n Rach

The actual start date depends on your contract, but make sure they are clear about when the start date actually takes place, it's very important. We had a HIA contract (which is pretty standard I think) and start is within 21 days of council permit being issued. If they haven't commenced within that time you count from the last day within the 21 days (hope that makes sense).

You should also have a clause that states a weekly amount for liquidated damages, This being the amount they pay you once they go over the nominated build time. HIA contract has this but it's pretty much up to the builder I think as to the amount they pay.

Builders can also request an extension of time which they must put to you in writing. This will extend the build period. You can object if you think the request in unreasonable. If your build is going over the Christmas period then they will most likely send you a notice (ours was 28 days). This actually extends the build time for them and has to be added on to the number of days already nominated by the builder.

As to how long it takes there are a lot of factors at play. As long as you prepare yourself for the most amount of time they can take according to their contract, then anything less is a bonus. From what I have seen on the forum, two storeys do seem to take a bit longer than single storeys and for some reason can become more complicated. Plus depending on the house size i.e. 50sq as opposed to 35sq would also probably take longer.

Not sure about everyone elses experience, but brickies seem to be one of the hardest trades to get at the moment which is causing a few builders delays, but this might have changed in the last couple of months.

Hope some of this helps. Good luck with the build.

anthea · Sep 17, 2008 11:42 pm

We're building a single storey in Greensborough and from scraping the sight to lock up it has taken 2 months.

We've been quite lucky that there hasn't really been any big gaps in the work getting done.

From scraping to slab it was 2 weeks, the frame took 2 days (7 guys working on it), roof 2 days (1 day to set it up another to put the colourbond on.) The bricks took 9 days (4 guys working).

Our neighbours are building a 2 storey place and there is 1 brickie and its going to take him 3 MONTHS!!!!!

We were never informed of the actual schedule though we knew the build time was 205 days in total.

When we meet with our builder in July he said there shouldn't be any trouble getting it done by Christmas.

Our builder has been BRILLIANT and answered all my queries really promptly. All post contract variations have been dealt with (we don't have any charge for these other than the cost of the changes).

Anthea

Jas 'n' Rach · Sep 17, 2008 11:57 pm

anthea

We're building a single storey in Greensborough and from scraping the sight to lock up it has taken 2 months.

We've been quite lucky that there hasn't really been any big gaps in the work getting done.

From scraping to slab it was 2 weeks, the frame took 2 days (7 guys working on it), roof 2 days (1 day to set it up another to put the colourbond on.) The bricks took 9 days (4 guys working).

Our neighbours are building a 2 storey place and there is 1 brickie and its going to take him 3 MONTHS!!!!!

We were never informed of the actual schedule though we knew the build time was 205 days in total.

When we meet with our builder in July he said there shouldn't be any trouble getting it done by Christmas.

Our builder has been BRILLIANT and answered all my queries really promptly. All post contract variations have been dealt with (we don't have any charge for these other than the cost of the changes).

Anthea

Wow, sounds great. Who are you building with?

Stormy · Sep 18, 2008 12:06 am

Oooh goody, another H3nley builder! Welcome to the forum!

I'm building with H3nley (Double storey) and our contract is a whopping 310 days. They are yet to start due to our old house being in the way, but I believe I shall have at least a slab before Christmas.

Good luck, and looking forward to following another H3nley customer!

House-To-Be · Sep 18, 2008 12:09 am

anthea

Our neighbours are building a 2 storey place and there is 1 brickie and its going to take him 3 MONTHS!!!!!Anthea

What!!!

We had one brickie for our two storey (42sq's) and he worked his butt off and did it just under three weeks. He did have a young guy making the mortar and another young guy raking/ironing the mortar but the brickie was the only one to lay a brick! Three months is a bl**dy long time!

kexkez · Sep 18, 2008 12:20 am

hmm our contract states 250 working days. Which basically works out at a year. it's a standard HIA contract. it also has something about building must start within 45 days of the contract either being submitted to council or being returned from council. hmm I wonder if it's "submitted" since they very quickly put a water tap and meter on the block even way before the contracts returned from council.

Snake · Sep 18, 2008 8:56 am

Jas 'n' Rach

House-To-Be

we bought our land mid March, signed with PD the day before :shock:

, site scraped mid June, slab poured 7th July, bottom frame done within a week, top frame took longer as someone kept stealing our wood, bricking took just under three weeks.

We are in week 11 now since slab and house is framed, bricked, windows are in as are insulation, bath, electricals, heating and cooling and plaster around the voids and bulkheads. Plasterers were supposed to start a week ago but didn't arrive till last Friday. Our building contract is 254 days, standard for our house was 210 days. I know some people who have had handover within 20-22 weeks.

Is that 254 days from slab pour? or 254 from contract? Are there any provisions in the contract where the builder gets penalised if they exceed the 254 days.

Hey jas'n'rach PD have guaranteed start and guaranteed 20 week finish, thats part of there marketing. So most likely you get the same deal as 'house-to-be' if you use PD.

kexkez

hmm our contract states 250 working days. Which basically works out at a year. it's a standard HIA contract. it also has something about building must start within 45 days of the contract either being submitted to council or being returned from council. hmm I wonder if it's "returned" since they very quickly put a water tap and meter on the block even way before the contracts returned from council.

Our builder is very similar to Kexkez, using a standard HIA contract which I think is the standard 250 working days. With a must start within 6 weeks. :wink:

brisvegas · Sep 18, 2008 12:06 pm

Depends on the builder. Our start date was supposed to be end of June according to our contract (building with Perrys) and the slab was only poured this week and we did the site works oursleves last year :twisted:

Been very stressful but apparently things should move along and apparently should be completed by Xmas but will believe it when I see it! Best of luck and keep us posted and WELCOME to the forum, I've found it invaluable, so many helpful people

VJ · Sep 18, 2008 2:53 pm

Ours is 296 days from site start...

Not achievable though...

anthea · Sep 19, 2008 12:06 am

we're building with NBG. I understand that they use local builders and we deal with the builder direct, no site managers or contact with the NBG office is needed.

The poor brickie next door is on his own, so I can understand why its going to take so long. They building with AV Jennings.

joaninhac · Oct 01, 2008 5:32 pm

hi,

it took us 7 months (incl. x-mas holidays) to do all the initial preparations with our builder being 'H', that's colour selection, tenders, getting developer and council approval. It then took 12 months to build our home.

So from very first deposit which was in September 2006 until April 2008 which is when we had handover. Pretty lengthy process for us... Hope you'rs is alot quicker!

Good Luck