Browse Forums Building A New House Re: What did you do? 7Mar 20, 2008 1:33 pm Gav & Vanessa Building In Melbourne (Sth East Suburbs) http://www.arkraider.blogspot.com/ Rawdon Hill Construction - Canterbury Heritage Re: What did you do? 16Mar 26, 2008 1:08 pm **Phoenix** I think it also comes down to how "on top of your builder" you are? Anyway, what's a few more weeks....we've waited sooooo long already!!!!! I also email my builder whenever I notice an issue, a lot of things they say they'll fix in the week leading up to handover - like they damaged my fence, and they need to put locks on 3 windows that they forgot about. I'm just keeping a list so I don't forget what I've told them to do. And I'm with you, what's a few more weeks - I think they'll finish a lot faster if they're still waiting for my final payment. However, I understand that some people have the difficulty that they'll be homeless if they don't accept the house "as is". In my case, the "what's a few more weeks" will probably mean I won't be able to take all the annual leave I've been saving up at work for the move, as there won't be anyone available at work to cover my absence Received keys to my new home on 16/5/08 Re: What did you do? 17Mar 26, 2008 2:28 pm I plan to not accept handover till everythings completed, but I have the luxury of not renting (thanks Mum & Dad) so can move in whenever.
I don't trust my builders to honor any promises to come back and fix things. They haven't been the easiest to deal with. What sort of things are considered minor enough to accept handover? I actually can't really work out what they are doing with my house, its in a subdivision of 24 and mine is by far the most advanced. Its at 2nd fix and none of the others have even reached lockup stage. I don't want to move into a construction zone. I'm hoping issues with insurance delay it so everything has to be completed (its strata titled). Re: What did you do? 18Mar 26, 2008 9:27 pm Casa2 The logical thing to do is: 1) Make sure that your liquidated damages covers the cost of rent. Never going to happen! Try and get your builder to part with more than $250 per week anywhere in Australia. The bigger builders mostly dont even offer this much! Casa2 2) Give notice of leaving the rental property once hand-over is executed. A great idea provided the builder agrees to finish the house in those 4 weeks. If they couldn't finish it in 7-9 months what makes you think they will finish it in 4 weeks?? Casa2 3) Should there be any outstanding issues, deduct the cost of getting those issues fixed (not the builder's cost, but your cost to get someone else to do it) from the final payment. Never, ever, in 1 million years going to happen. Once the builder has finished the house to a suitable standard, some issues are allowable (cracks in plaster etc) and they have 3 - 12 months to complete a warranty inspection. If you want to hold back payment they have the right to sue you for breach of contract. Casa2 4) Have an agreed period in which the builder will fix the problems after handover. Also get as part of the agreement that if the builder does not complete in the agred time that you can get someone else to come in and do the fixes. Again all these ideas are great in theory but it would never happen. No builder would allow someone else to come in and fix their work and they pay for it. Why would a builder pay extra $$$ to someone they dont know when they can pay their tradesmen less. Also they have to warrant the work for 7 years so again if they dont know the tradesman how could they warrant the construction of the house. Casa2 The builder of course would want all the money at handover, but if the only options given to the builder is fix it first or paymrnt deduction, then they will choose the payment deduction. You have to treat it like a business. Casa the ideas you have presented are great but the law as it stands favours the builder as opposed to the buyer. No builder would sign themselves up to conditions like these and if they did I would imagine they wouldn't be around for a real long time. It would be nice to be able to have some accountability on them though Re: What did you do? 19Mar 26, 2008 10:08 pm I think I would have to agree with you Matt. While all of Casa's suggestion would be good, I don't think they are realistic. I would love to find a builder who would agree.
I guess it will just be a matter of wait and see for us. I think the SS & CM now realise that they can't get anything by us, they have seen enough of us jumping up & down. Would love to discover the definition of minor. Have had a look at BSA website but have had no luck. Anne Grandview 36 on Beautiful Bribie Site Start Dec 5th 2007 Projected completion May 12th 2008 NOPE Handover 24th June 2008 Moved in 11th July 2008 Wating on one final thing - Still - Oct 2009 Re: What did you do? 20Mar 27, 2008 6:25 am I don't know what is in everyone else's contracts regarding final payment but mine says (in a number of clauses) that when the builder tells me the house is finished:
- we are to meet on site to inspect the house - at the end of the inspection I have to give the builder a written list of all known defects and incomplete work. - the builder is to fix the defects and incomplete work - only after the builder has fixed the defects and incomplete works are they able to present me with a final invoice and it then becomes due within 14 days (I changed my payment terms from the standard 7 days) - when I pay them they will give me the keys. My contract does not say anything about practical completion. The only thing it does say that indicates there may be a problem is that in giving the builder the list of defects, and having him sign it, it is not an admission on their part that there are actually defects - so I guess they might argue that the things I want fixed are not defects. Received keys to my new home on 16/5/08 No the fireplace doesn’t work. It’s been enclosed. I’m not sure what was removed, as it was done quite some time ago - well before what I can see with photos online… 2 9113 Looking to start the journey of becoming an owner builder in SA. Feeling pretty (overly) confident on the building and construction details, but really struggling to find… 0 5784 No. It's not original. Circa early to mid 90s would be my guess and maybe even as late as early 2000s 1 3664 |