Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Oct 24, 2023 1:10 pm Architectural Homes & Duplexes - specialising in custom designing homes to your budget Get a Free Onsite Consultation Today or send a PM for information, questions or advice. Re: In this forum we often rightly criticise builders.... 3Oct 24, 2023 2:21 pm Architectural Homes & Duplexes - specialising in custom designing homes to your budget Get a Free Onsite Consultation Today or send a PM for information, questions or advice. Re: In this forum we often rightly criticise builders.... 5Oct 24, 2023 4:52 pm Architectural Homes & Duplexes - specialising in custom designing homes to your budget Get a Free Onsite Consultation Today or send a PM for information, questions or advice. Re: In this forum we often rightly criticise builders.... 6Oct 24, 2023 9:06 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: In this forum we often rightly criticise builders.... 8Oct 24, 2023 11:18 pm Accessible Carpentry & Cabinets accessiblecarpentry@gmail.com accessiblecarpentry.com.au https://www.facebook.com/pages/Accessible-Carpentry-Cabinets/583314911709039 Re: In this forum we often rightly criticise builders.... 9Oct 25, 2023 1:08 am Architectural Homes & Duplexes - specialising in custom designing homes to your budget Get a Free Onsite Consultation Today or send a PM for information, questions or advice. Re: In this forum we often rightly criticise builders.... 10Oct 25, 2023 1:24 am Architectural Homes & Duplexes - specialising in custom designing homes to your budget Get a Free Onsite Consultation Today or send a PM for information, questions or advice. Re: In this forum we often rightly criticise builders.... 11Oct 25, 2023 1:37 am building-expert Ashington Homes I sometimes feel bad about posting too much, but often interesting things happen and I can't help sharing. As this post is titled, we often hear stories about bad builders who are doing awful things to clients, but sometimes there are bad clients who do awful things to builders. We are trying to navigate our way through a situation at the moment that is almost unbelievable. I posted a while ago about a client who was very slow with payments. One stage payment was 3 months behind and we had to formally stop work for a period of time. He finally paid, and then begged us to fast track the build to make up lost time as his wife was going away for work and the house needed to be finished before she left. Over August and September my whole team worked 7 days per week, 12-14 hour days to complete the home by their deadline. We issued PC and the final invoice on the 25th September 2023 for $224,000. They gave every indication they were happy, loved the result etc. Didn't dispute anything regarding the PC notice or the invoice and then without saying anything just moved in. That is correct, a month on, they haven't paid their invoice, don't have OC and have just moved in. What really annoys me, is that towards the end of the build they kept asking for help with items outside of the contract that we obliged with, like solar panels, $13,000 worth up upgraded pool equipment, hose reels, additional pendant lights, additional joinery, extra caulking ( the list is actually quite long). Now we have to go through a legal fight to get our money which is going to be messy and long. But this means we have worked our bums off for a year and a half for free, actually less than free. So that is the other side of the coin. Not all builders are bad and not all clients are great. The one good thing I have in my favour is that I am holding onto the OC and the contract provides for a pretty generous interest penalty of 13.68% pa. Anyway, wish me luck Cheers Simeon Like so many builders, me included you fell into a trap, looking at smiling friendly face not realising the devil in the eyes. In my book you will only be respected if you are thoroughly professional, in control and deliver on your promise on time and expected quality. If you are overly friendly and trusting it can creep up on you and before long you are giving concessions, losing control, doing things for free, being taken advantage of and disrespected for it, and then taken to the cleaners. For what? Nothing. Never get too close to the client, its just business. It s like sport. Law and legislation, regulations and standards are ground rules, your building contract are game rules, you both agreed, so play the ball, not the player. You can be smiling and courteous but always cary variation notice in your back pocket and whip it out before your client has a chance to get to the second sentence, in most cases it is refreshingly cold shower for them. if not then ask them to pay for the variation in full upfront, another cold shower. (remember you can refuse to carry out a variation if it is not on your terms). Some will say I am harsh but not so, In commercial building if you are not on the ball you will be eaten alive, so you have to toughen up to survive. Keep your good heart in check. Thanks for your words of wisdom. "If you are overly friendly and trusting it can creep up on you and before long you are giving concessions, losing control, doing things for free, being taken advantage of and disrespected for it, and then taken to the cleaners. For what? Nothing." I think you are 100% correct on this. We weren't overly friendly but we did make too many concessions and it did creep up on us. If I listed all of the free stuff we gave them and the amount of times we rebuilt things because they didn't like their selections you would probably get on a plane to Sydney and slap me. Part of my problem is that I have a partner who is an amazing builder with a heart of gold ( he literally donates to orphanages every month), but he is soft when it comes to pleasing people. Though I am not perfect either. An example of us people pleasing was the front door. The wife chose a $1500 front door, we installed it and she immediately didn't like her choice so we had to scrap it and get a new custom made one. Never making that mistake again. We have definitely improved our systems and attitude since then. Architectural Homes & Duplexes - specialising in custom designing homes to your budget Get a Free Onsite Consultation Today or send a PM for information, questions or advice. Re: In this forum we often rightly criticise builders.... 12Oct 25, 2023 8:11 am Quick update I have engaged the lawyer who is going to review all the documents and come up with a strategy. We have a meeting Monday. I have also notified the certifier so we will see what happens. I am hoping they can notify council and then hopefully council can give them notice to vacate. So watch this space. I will report back when I know more Simeon Architectural Homes & Duplexes - specialising in custom designing homes to your budget Get a Free Onsite Consultation Today or send a PM for information, questions or advice. Re: In this forum we often rightly criticise builders.... 13Oct 25, 2023 6:11 pm I feel for you Simeon, clients like that are pretty average.. Not to be too petty, but have you signed all the utilities over to them yet? * Ask water board to reduce water meter to minimum allowable pressure (water authority lock/mechanism)? * Not sure if electricity company can remote access the meter? * If it is technically still a construction site, maybe store a shipping container on the driveway? Ultimately, the above will just add fuel to the fire and may not help the cause. Lawyers and evidence is probably the best way to proceed.. Good luck.. Jerry Re: In this forum we often rightly criticise builders.... 14Oct 25, 2023 6:22 pm There will be contractual protocol to follow where the owner takes posession before handover. 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: In this forum we often rightly criticise builders.... 15Oct 25, 2023 7:41 pm EvryThingIsNormal I feel for you Simeon, clients like that are pretty average.. Not to be too petty, but have you signed all the utilities over to them yet? * Ask water board to reduce water meter to minimum allowable pressure (water authority lock/mechanism)? * Not sure if electricity company can remote access the meter? * If it is technically still a construction site, maybe store a shipping container on the driveway? Ultimately, the above will just add fuel to the fire and may not help the cause. Lawyers and evidence is probably the best way to proceed.. Good luck.. Jerry Thanks for your advice Jerry Architectural Homes & Duplexes - specialising in custom designing homes to your budget Get a Free Onsite Consultation Today or send a PM for information, questions or advice. Re: In this forum we often rightly criticise builders.... 16Oct 25, 2023 7:42 pm building-expert There will be contractual protocol to follow where the owner takes posession before handover. I am sure you are correct, but it can't be that common right? I also contacted council today as well. See if they can do anything Architectural Homes & Duplexes - specialising in custom designing homes to your budget Get a Free Onsite Consultation Today or send a PM for information, questions or advice. Re: In this forum we often rightly criticise builders.... 17Oct 26, 2023 8:07 am If your dispute escalates it will get to the stage where there will be points of claim and points of defence. There will be an opportunity for you to include with your claim all the items not yet charged (nothing is for free) and the costs of delays caused by the owner. So maybe you will get paid for all the things you thought you did for free.(overtime, working weekends etc) Sometimes players dont know when to quit, the owner maybe should have quit while ahead. 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: In this forum we often rightly criticise builders.... 18Oct 26, 2023 8:39 am building-expert If your dispute escalates it will get to the stage where there will be points of claim and points of defence. There will be an opportunity for you to include with your claim all the items not yet charged (nothing is for free) and the costs of delays caused by the owner. So maybe you will get paid for all the things you thought you did for free.(overtime, working weekends etc) Sometimes players dont know when to quit, the owner maybe should have quit while ahead. Thanks for your post. I had a feeling this might be the case so I really appreciate your advice. I will start working on a spreadsheet with all the "free work" we did. Interestingly, just had a call from council. They aren't really interested in getting involved. The best help they could give was that they won't pick up their rubbish. That would be annoying but I was hoping for more. Architectural Homes & Duplexes - specialising in custom designing homes to your budget Get a Free Onsite Consultation Today or send a PM for information, questions or advice. Re: In this forum we often rightly criticise builders.... 19Oct 26, 2023 9:17 am No one cares, you are up against it. Even if the council issued a notice requiring dwelling be vacated it could be appealed and or ignored. No magistrate will throw out and evict a family out of their own home on their land for what is a civil matter breach. 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 9 26041 They already have two well known ones (HIA & MBA) that many new home buyers mistakenly think are regulatory bodies that Joe Public can complain to. 6 18452 I also notice that most the builds in Australia are really simplistic when it gets to the interior design and lighting design. Most of the builds are just offering off the… 3 1396 |