Browse Forums Building A New House Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 10641Apr 27, 2016 3:54 pm I've also known of cases where the soil reports have come back fine but then they have hit rocks/boulders when excavating that weren't expected. From speaking to builders that I know many times exactly what's under the ground isn't known until it starts so it's hard to even provision for. I was so nervous about getting a rock PCV but fortunately we were lucky.
Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 10642Apr 27, 2016 3:58 pm We put out our rock provision in during tender as our area is pretty rocky we were certain we'd hit some. I don't think we ever saw the site survey. Or if we did it was so long ago I've forgotten. Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 10643Apr 27, 2016 4:01 pm Just a question has anyone gone on the Masterton Home Facebook page to try and get some help from someone higher up in masterton with our problems. We can actually post comments on their page. Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 10644Apr 27, 2016 4:14 pm We just got hit with an additional $12k provision for rock. Not sure who did the initial survey as the rock starts at just half a metre under the top soil. I have visions of the surveyor kicking at the ground with his boot , saying ' yep looks like dirt to me'. Villina Lane 11/14 $3900 08/15 Contract 11/15 DA Approval 02/16 Demolition 03/16 Peg out 06/16 Slab 06/16 Ground floor frame 07/16 1st floor frame & windows 09-12/16 Bricks blog Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 10645Apr 27, 2016 4:29 pm Hey guys, remember me!!!??? Man what a busy 4-6 weeks and it's not over by a long shot. I've just finished catching up on some of the goss. It's only taken me all afternoon!! Rox82 - My reaction regarding your dream stone was exactly the same as Villinaeliters... shock at the price and wondered if it was cheaper to do after handover. Here is a pricing for it http://www.renovationchoice.com.au/shop ... artz-.html. I do like it though so I can see how you can fall in love with it. The grates are expensive but look great. We decided against them in the bathrooms due to cost but we got the outdoor version for our driveway and they set us back $4k!!! Villinaeliters - Totally agree about the furnishings can be money better spent. We spent lots of dollars on the flooring as it's too hard to change later on. Hubby doesn't like the island benchtop stone but to change that shouldn't cost too much if he still hates it after we've settled in. Biggest comments we get from people are from the floor (tile and timber) and the furniture in the large back room. We loved the Nougat stone too and would've picked that but alas. Sorry to hear you've still some warranty issues. Hopefully fixed at M's cost. MGardz - Our carpet in 2 rooms (study and theatre) is Australian made and from "renewably sourced polymer, of which 37% consists of natural corn sugar"!! It's awesome but at about $3k what wouldn't be! Think we chose Black Pearl (http://www.carpetcourt.com.au/nature-s-gift.html). S-VE - I like the vision rollers too. Do they block out the morning sun or would you need to add blackout rollers too? We used Nickel Flash at $9k to upgrade for a double storey house. We have some parts of the build rendered and M used common bricks as well as the area under the flashing which I thought was stupid. In the end the flashing was in the wrong spot therefore when it was moved they had to change it to face brick. Rolleyes at how tradies think. No idea on how many pallets were delivered. They were delivered at different times due to "lack of room" even though we live on a corner block and heaps of side room We have this fan in black for our bedroom and it's awesome http://aeratronaustralia.com.au/aeratro ... eiling-fan. Your kitchen pendants are very similar to ours in shape. Very nice. Regarding choice of window furnishings, I'd suggest to wait until you've moved in to get a feel of what's needed. We've changed our minds (type of furnishings or just the colour) from the original ideas we had. Fingerscrossed - Our ceiling height in our back room (including kitchen) is over 3m as we too have a split which I love. We have very little bulkhead in the kitchen and instead have cupboards for most of the height. Can post a picture if you like. Welcome to the forum newcomers and good luck. I think any experience with a builder will be a rollercoaster ride. We're neighbours mikihome but we're in Hurstville council. jol0 - All our tiling was chosen from Dons and we're happy with our choices. No regrets there but we paid through the nose for the main downstairs flooring. And I suggest to match tiles with grout but it's all personal choice. We had our timber flooring done after handover. In our case the skirts were stained and tacked on and the timber guys put them on for us. NJC - All the colour choices (tiles, kitchen, paint, etc) best not to be signed straight away. They all have to work together so some original choices may have to change to make everything work. I don't agree with their selection set up. M does things to suit themselves, whether it be backwards or forwards it suits them only… not clients, not the banks...!!! bleaky - "Isn't the definition of Insanity doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results?" It's called groundhog day!! Fisher75 - I'd be fighting them over the extra electrical charges. Gibson, it sounds like you have very little confidence in M and their tradies and I can see why. We also had Wendy at colours, nearly 2 years ago now. Is it really called YES PLEASE package. I thought you guys were joking. I was reading sandra 2016's posts of way back and it says 2700 ceiling heights. Those of you that know me know that hits a nerve for me!! I thought the YES package was for free so would've thought the PLEASE package would be too??? They need to move on from the standard Santorini tiles and offer other tiles to their customers. That's been there for years and years. Can someone with a current price list upload the Santorini pricing please? Thanks So who's up to the $50 a day plan with M?? Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 10646Apr 27, 2016 4:36 pm So my story to date… we've been in the house now for 4 weeks and it's mostly awesome. Our alfresco is a fantastic feature to have as we've dumped all the unopened boxes and (un)wanted stuff out there. The most annoying things so far include: one of the bathroom fans blows air instead of sucks it so you can imagine when someone is there a long time on the dunny everyone knows about it; the floor squeaks between the upstairs landing and 2 bedrooms and our SS said that they would have to fix it from the downstairs ceiling as they won't rip up the timber flooring (the d0dgy carpenters have come to haunt us again); the gyprock finishes and lastly the paper thin walls and floors. We've always said from the very beginning when talking to the salesman that we don't want to hear people walking around upstairs. The solution was soundcheck gyprock and R3.0 sound screen batts to ceiling of ground floor. I sometimes wonder if we didn't do anything how loud it would be then!!! And it wasn't cheap… nearly $5k to do this. Very disappointing result There's a huge shortest on tradies especially brickies and I think they're coming from Asia. Maybe M have bitten off way more than they can chew? A Dowell rep was saying that he saw a tradie trying to push a wheelbarrow full of bricks over his sliding door frame and he told the tradie not to do it. The tradie didn't listen and knocked the bricks out of the wheelbarrow and damaged the frame. He said that M will fix it and the Dowell rep said that he would have to, not M. M should make their tradies more accountable for their actions and make them pay for their screw ups, then maybe the tradies will give more of a sh!t. Happy to post pictures. Any requests? Have definitely missed coming here and thought of you guys often. I haven't even been voyeuring, just haven't had time to visit the forum at all. How soon are you guys getting your keys especially Mgardz and Bleaky? Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 10647Apr 27, 2016 4:37 pm Redwynne how can we forget you, pics please! I'm not on the payment plan yet but give me a few weeks and i think I will be. The start day is still under dispute as you get ignored when it suits them! https://mandgbuildatmulgoarise.wordpress.com/ Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 10651Apr 27, 2016 5:09 pm A little update from me, and something for others to be aware of. Not long after we moved in (over a year ago now), we found that when we were emptying the bath, water started to bubble up out of the floor waste. We called M about it, and they were fine with getting the plumbers out to have a look. Turns out, it appeared that the tilers (we assume) had pushed all their rubble down the floor waste. Apparently easier than finding a bin to put it in? Anyway, M sent the plumbers back to clean the floor waste out and extricate the rubble. 12 months down the track, hubby has often commented that his vanity (we have two) is slow to drain. My vanity is fine, so I didn't think too much about it! (haha!) At the weekend, it came to a head when it wasn't draining at all. I called out local plumber who came to have a look....... surprise, surprise, the waste pipe is full of builders rubble! No wonder it was slow to drain! Our plumber agreed it was best to get back to M about it, otherwise M may not come to the party to reimburse us if it isn't their plumber who fixes it. So I got on to M yesterday, and they have been really great. They accepted responsibility without question and have organised their plumber to return tomorrow. So, when it comes to getting your 90 day list, run the taps full boar!!! Ensure that theres no rubbish in your pipes! It was certainly something we didn't think of back then! Masterton Overture 17/12/14 - Handover ...... we got the keys !! blog - http://www.mcnamaraadventure.blogspot.com Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 10652Apr 27, 2016 5:56 pm Redwynne, we were thinking the same thing about the cupboard heights with having over 3 m ceilings. We've asked for the doors and interiors to be removed from the wardrobes, but are now thinking we want the bulkheads removed too, perhaps adding separate sliders very high. And also with the laundry cupboard and linen cupboard, otherwise it will leave wasted space which could be used for storage. Have you done something similar? Being only 5 ft 1 I'll be needing a good stepladder!! We're hoping to pick up contracts tomorrow .... But with our stormwater problems unresolved I can't see us paying our 5 % for a while. What a useful heads up GillyM.....I think I've heard of rubble down drains before. Thoughtless buggers! Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 10653Apr 27, 2016 6:13 pm Hi Redwynne & GillyM, nice to hear from some 'old timers' It appears that there is such a shortage of tradies that they just don't give a rat's, they are unlikely to get the sack/lose future work as there just aren't any replacements around to hire. I'm building a huge list of weird and random stuff to keep an eye on in this build. Villina Lane 11/14 $3900 08/15 Contract 11/15 DA Approval 02/16 Demolition 03/16 Peg out 06/16 Slab 06/16 Ground floor frame 07/16 1st floor frame & windows 09-12/16 Bricks blog Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 10654Apr 27, 2016 6:14 pm Gillym good advice, I checked mine too after ours finished tiling and luckily those guys were good. The careless MOFO carpenter from today on the other hand is not so good, he left all my doors and gate open which was lucky for me so I could take a wander in and to my surprise was even luckier as I found he spilt a can of energy drink on my expensive and beautiful stone kitchen bench and LEFT IT THERE IN ALL ITS STICKY STINKY GLORY. SS is going to deal with a very angry pregnant lady tomorrow. I wanted to vomit cleaning this mess up!! https://mandgbuildatmulgoarise.wordpress.com/ Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 10655Apr 27, 2016 6:33 pm ooooo...... you got inside!!! not so good about the boofhead tiler leaving a mess on your beautiful stone bench though. Any more pics, MGardz? I gather the kitchen is in now? How's it all looking? Glad to hear that you're still popping in redwynne........ love to see some pics of your lovely home!!! Masterton Overture 17/12/14 - Handover ...... we got the keys !! blog - http://www.mcnamaraadventure.blogspot.com Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 10656Apr 27, 2016 6:48 pm Mgardz the day an M tradie cleans up any mess made (accidental or otherwise), i will be rolling over in my grave. I had smelly shirts, empty cans & wrappers & cigarette butts in my wall cavities (which i spent about 10 hours cleaning out on one of my "non official" visits) ... Would have all formed a permanent part of my home behind gyprock if not for my clean. Some would say "who cares, you can't see it". I say .... Yukkkkkk! 2013 1st tender 24/10 Dep. 18/11 2014 5% 25/02 CDC approval 5/5 Demo 26/5 Pool 3/7 Valid'n 10/7 Slab 11/8 Frame 19/9 Bricks 23/10 2015 Roof 3/12 Lock up 11/2 PCI 31/3 Final insp. & keys 30/4 Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 10657Apr 27, 2016 6:49 pm Ps lots of pics of everything Redwynne, knew you would have been busy!!! 2013 1st tender 24/10 Dep. 18/11 2014 5% 25/02 CDC approval 5/5 Demo 26/5 Pool 3/7 Valid'n 10/7 Slab 11/8 Frame 19/9 Bricks 23/10 2015 Roof 3/12 Lock up 11/2 PCI 31/3 Final insp. & keys 30/4 Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 10658Apr 27, 2016 7:17 pm Agree V yuck!! Gillym it was the carpenter, hes this younger guy I saw this morning. The tilers we ok when I was there they were cleaning up after themselves. I've put some pics on the blog for you The kitchen is in, they just need the splashback tiles to arrive and the main floor to be done so they can fit the waterfall edges https://mandgbuildatmulgoarise.wordpress.com/ Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 10659Apr 27, 2016 7:37 pm Looks great, MGardz. Ooops, I meant carpenter..... must have been having a moment! How's the timeframe going for your baby due-date vs likely pci/keys? Masterton Overture 17/12/14 - Handover ...... we got the keys !! blog - http://www.mcnamaraadventure.blogspot.com Re: Masterton Homes - The next thread 4.0 10660Apr 27, 2016 7:43 pm Thanks Sandra. We were quoted $280,250 on our tender dated 24/08/2012. Fingerscrossed - We only have 3m tall ceilings in the back area which covers the kitchen, dining and lounge. I'll post pictures after this post for you to see what we did. One pic includes our stepladder Utilising the height you have is a great idea and you can put in the space things that you don't use regularly or that are seasonal. Upstairs is meant to be 2.6m and the rest of downstairs 2.7m but that's not allowing for the flooring and ceiling so their promotions are very deceiving and I would say M have false advertising otherwise they're id!ots thinking that ceiling height is measured from the slab to the joists I think putting rubbish in the cavities is disgusting. I wonder if the tradies would use that practice if working on THEIR OWN HOME?? Bet not!! Just on the weekend, hubby and his cousin were working on setting up our new amp and one of the outlets in the theatre room had to be changed. There was rubbish behind it in the wall cavity... plastic and the gyprock cut out. Man I was p!ssed. Glad to see I'm not suffering alone here but I do wonder what other sh!t is in the cavity that I don't know about. What is it with young carpenters. Are they also id!ots?? Our has caused us so much grief and now Mgardz you (btw your place is looking really good, can't wait to see more pics). I'm soooo glad I won't be doing this ever again. I'd definitely go postal if so. Now to upload some piccies… 4 16751 i imagine you also have another contract with an architect? and yeah, whatever other's said about special conditions and appendices 16 16026 Hi all I am looking to run a water line under my concrete footpath which is directly next to my home, was seeing if this is possible without cutting the entire section… 0 20191 |