Browse Forums Building A New House Re: Nightmare of a Build with Porter Davis 34Jun 16, 2009 5:48 pm “It's just as unpleasant to get more than you bargain for as to get less” George Bernard Shaw. Re: Nightmare of a Build with Porter Davis 36Jun 16, 2009 9:31 pm Liana Caroline Porter Davis is not the only nightmare I am building with Henl3y and I physically can't cope its a constant battle. I will continue to read Liana's blog... i just had to comment. It's happening with all of the high volume builders. Our experience and our discussions with the tradies, has revealed that the builders start cost-cutting with the tradies. Big mistake! Big! HUGE! What's the outcome? The decent tradies won't work for less than what they are worth, so they go elsewhere. So who are we left with to build our house? The ones that work for half the wages? Why? Because their workmanship is worth that little to them. I just finished reading your blog. I cant believe what PD want you to accept. I am thinking my house will be heading down the same road. I have 6 weeks till I am meant to get the keys and currently there is 26 defects picked up by my independant building inspector that my builder will not accept. Now my issues are no little thing either, I am missing weep holes, articulation joints are put anywhere and not anything like the drawings, I have no fall on my window sills I mean nothing at, my door have ripples and I can go on and on. I have had no choice but to submit a complaint to the BCVA and now I wait. They also too away the builders toilet today so I guess every tradie and his dog will be peeing all over my so called new toilets! I don't even have the pleasure of christening my own loo.... I have a friend who is building with PD and he thinks everything is going fine so far but they just started. If I show him your blog I think he will freak out big time. I should have bought a established house at least I know what defects I am buying into up front. I am so angry how builders can just take advanage of people.... Re: Nightmare of a Build with Porter Davis 37Jun 16, 2009 9:43 pm Hi liana Like everyone, I absolutely cannot belive the cr*p build you are enduring. I have NEVER seen anything like it. Are they blind? What does it take to get this company to stand up and take responsibility for the sh*t they are putting you through. Good on you for speaking up, you certainly have a right to YELL!!! Where do you see this ending up? Are you making any progress? My blood is boiling for you, bring on the vodka.......get the ice...... JL Re: Nightmare of a Build with Porter Davis 38Jun 16, 2009 10:02 pm Nice to see you here, Liana... well, it would be nice if you had a happy story to tell, but you know what I mean... Our build started with no SS. The one we were appointed resigned before site scrape - perhaps he had an inkling of what was coming. The construction manager allegedly supervised the initial stages. I doubt he actually went near the place. WE picked up three issues before the slab was even laid. Then the SS we were given was a knob. And the tradies? Crap framer, crap brickies, lazy brick-cleaner, possibly the worst plasterers in Melbourne (I mean, really: it should take FIVE attempts to plaster a ceiling and get it straight?).... Blah, blah, blah-de-blah. Wonder why I began drinking again, ate piles of crap, and gained 6kg in as many weeks? My husband had a suspected heart attack (it wasn't, it was stress-related) and we were both sleepless, emotional wrecks. Oh, and my hair fell out in huge amounts - from stress, my GP says. Ya think? Old news now. Caused us no end of misery and drama, blew out our build time by 100%, cost us money - regardless of the compensation they had to pay - and turned what should have been an exciting experience into a living hell. But we survived, we've moved on and are a little wiser and a bit more disillusioned. I honestly thought that we had it bad. Then I started reading your blog... I really hope things can be sorted. And quickly. And please don't lose your sense of humour.... Re: Nightmare of a Build with Porter Davis 39Jun 16, 2009 10:05 pm I am so sorry to hear your story. Honestly, I bet the suits don't have much if any construction experience other than their uni course. Yes you are right about what the tradies get paid. They charge based on job with up front pricing schedule depending on the name of the house. Let's just say that for the same job in the non project build sector my partner earns 2-3 times more doing the same job. There are plenty of excellent and in demand tradies but none of those will work for half the price. I do agree with you that project builders should pay their trades more. However without knwoing their overheads (sales, the suits, tradie wages and construction costs) doesn't seem it will happen. Reality is that project builders provide affordable homes. We walked through a henle-y home that my relative is building in a display and he couldn't build it for less. In fact it would cost substantially more, like a luxury motor vehicle more. My relative wanted a custom home but $$ couldn't afford it. Through my partner, his work and mentors I have met some brilliant buildes who do a top notch job, their office is in their family home, their wives are their assistant and they are the ones onsite every day and personally order materials etc. I hope that your build is resolved however I'm sure that your legal team has briefed you as what to expect from here, and what you will get. Re: Nightmare of a Build with Porter Davis 40Jun 17, 2009 6:19 am King willy Liana However, I commend you on speaking out & telling people the truth about what has happened to you. Unfortunately it happens to many many others who just don’t want to rock the boat or upset other forum member who is building with the same company. I know this is no consolation to you but I find I learn more from people who speak out like you and let owners know the realily of building. KW…………… I know this topic is bound to upset some people and I clearly don't want that to be the case. As I said in my opening post, I don't want the focus of this topic to be a Porter Davis bashing or bagging, but rather an open discussion about what can and does go wrong with a build, without it either putting the fear of God in people or being construed as an attempt to discredit Porter Davis or any other builder. I truly hope that people will see this topic as just one person wanting to share their experience with others, openly and honestly and as you aptly put it "learn more from people who speak out". We all know what can go right, but let's discuss what can go wrong. Pass the wine and 2 glasses please ... Three options 1 Ask the liquidator 2 Find another PD customer and ask the source of their report 3 Pay for new report 3 12336 of course there are legal avenues. You've already mentioned it. Sue them. I find it odd that lawyers wouldnt be willing to take on the case, given CCT evidence and… 1 23764 "Losers" "humanity" "off time" "your" "top notch" "love symbol" Sounds like ponzo is done using other people's toilets 36 23887 |