Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Nov 14, 2014 8:06 am Re: Urgently seeking expert help! :). 8Nov 14, 2014 3:09 pm 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: Urgently seeking expert help! :). 10Nov 14, 2014 4:14 pm 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: Urgently seeking expert help! :). 12Nov 14, 2014 7:17 pm Custom build Northern NSW viewtopic.php?f=31&t=72217 Re: Urgently seeking expert help! :). 15Nov 15, 2014 3:32 pm Custom build Northern NSW viewtopic.php?f=31&t=72217 Re: Urgently seeking expert help! :). 16Nov 16, 2014 6:08 am I completely understand your husbands need to "have another look" and possibly save some money. I think everyone here understands that. But it already sounds like you have some doubts what this new builder can offer. The exercise of seeing a second builder and getting new plans is a good thing because you will have done it and when/if you go back to your first option you will be happier, you will see what value you are getting with the first builder and you also might discover something in the new plan that you would like to add to the first. A few thousand dollars to achieve these things is not wasted but months and months of time is. So I would restrict the time you spend on pursuing a second option. What struck me most is when you describe your first plan and build cost, you used the word perfect. I think maybe hubby wants to make sure. My 2 cents. Good luck with it all especially baby. Re: Urgently seeking expert help! :). 17Nov 16, 2014 11:23 am Successful project is a lot more than just price and many people forget that. Focussing on lowering price and discounts is a sword that cuts both ways. If you have beaten down your contractor in price how do you expect him to go the extra mile for you, he may just be pleased to see you fall in a hole. I generally don't discount my services and when people ask me for one I ask them what part of my report they would like me to leave out. That usually fixes them but still leaves negative impression with me. In my case I am Building Expert and not Discount Inspections, there are plenty of others less qualified that do discounts. There is nothing wrong with shopping around and getting the best deal but if you now go shopping after you have invested all this time with your builder and after still having great feel about him, what message will you be sending out not just to him but also to others? Pay the price and enjoy the ride. 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: Urgently seeking expert help! :). 18Nov 16, 2014 4:44 pm Thanks all for your help. This forum is a great resource. The whole thing is now really stressing me out to be honest. We have gone back to thr builder a second time to ask if it's their best price, I don't think they will make any further changes and we should accept and get started, for P soil mid-high quality custom plans on slope I think $1700 is pretty bang on for the quality we will get. I hope we can come to a resolution, hubby is still keen to pursue so we are going to see the other builder tomorrow our friend who used him did say he was bang in with his estimating and variations were few so that's something I guess... Their budget was greater than ours though I believe and it was a full renovation not new build. Re: Urgently seeking expert help! :). 19Nov 20, 2014 11:55 am One issue I can see with you wishing the have the plans re-drawn is that the builder owns the copyright. Any draftee/architect would not legally be able to reproduce these for you to take elsewhere (it is not the physical 'drawings' that are owned by the builder, it is the design itself). If you wanted a check price - you have mentioned re-drawings the plans to take to other builders - as another option - you could find a quantity surveyor. These are cost estimating professionals (normally work in commercial field but some do do residential) and they DO price it down to the last screw. It will cost you for this service, but give you peace of mind if your builders price is within a few percentage. You mentioned you where concerned that if the builder isn't pricing accurately this will lead to variations. If the builder prices something and is happy to put this as the contract sum in your building contract - this is the price they will charge - they cant apply variations because they have miscalculated the cost. Variations will only apply from changes you want and unforeseen things on site (that they could not have reasonably allowed for). Unless there are 'provisional sums' as these are arbitrary and cant shift around. I agree with building expert - discounting a fee might mean you save a few dollars, but if it leaves a bad taste they will be less likely to help you out. If you are happy with the price - pay it, if not, go elsewhere. But personally, I don't think negotiating on fixed fee items is worth it - even if you do get a discount. Small footprint in Eliza Ponds, Spearwood WA Re: Urgently seeking expert help! :). 20Nov 20, 2014 12:26 pm As a QS and estimator with over 4 decades of experience in (3decades in public tendering) I know how to get it down to a last nail but in practice it never happens. Pressures of business and life and tight tendering times mean that you have to take shortcuts. There just isn't enough time to take everything to N'th degree. Estimates are done with the use of rates (preferably the ones you worked out yourself from historical jobs) and adjusted for current job or rates from say Cordells. In any case tenders are won or lost not so much on the last screw but management accurately reading the market and the competition and then applying margin to the net cost. From reading OP she knows the price is right it's just that reassurance is missing 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 Hi everyone! This is my first time posting here, and I'm looking for some advice regarding my house construction project in North Kellyville. I… 0 6721 There is no reason why building contract reconciliation cannot be done prior to handover, if the builder won't do it get someone to do it for you. Why would you pay for… 3 6717 My home office is hot with computer equipment running virtually 18 hours a day. When it gets unbearably warm I simply step out of my door into the living area which is… 0 5160 |