Lessons Learned - Building a House

[Felch]

And i bet $40k was above average for a block of land then too.
We bought our 500 sq mtr block in the Port for $60k in 1999 and people told us we were stupid for spending that much on a block there. Those same people now wish they had of bought the blocks alongside us

[smac]

Yep, plenty of folks were telling us it was a bomb to spend on land, even with teh $5k rebate from Delfin (starting price $45k).

It was a nice little earner, but not for me. The ex-wife now lives there. Not every story ends happily fellas!

[Felch]

Ooh, that hurts !

[smac]

Twas a small price to pay mate.

[Dutchy]

Smac - so fair to say it was before the housing boom and tradies would have been looking for work rather than it walking in the door?

[smac]

Smac - so fair to say it was before the housing boom and tradies would have been looking for work rather than it walking in the door?

It was actually in the last housing boom mate, tradies were flat out - just poorly organised.

Find out how many tradies go looking for odd jobs as a result of supes stuffing them around. My old man builds pergolas and decks in his off days because supes can't get their act together - and he's been doing the same thing for 40 years, regardless of peaks or troughs in the industry.

[heater31]

Smac - so fair to say it was before the housing boom and tradies would have been looking for work rather than it walking in the door?

It was actually in the last housing boom mate, tradies were flat out - just poorly organised.

Find out how many tradies go looking for odd jobs as a result of supes stuffing them around. My old man builds pergolas and decks in his off days because supes can't get their act together - and he's been doing the same thing for 40 years, regardless of peaks or troughs in the industry.

ah the pre GST boom. The major problem with supervising building work is to estimate the time to call the materials up.

Also the majority of the Joe Bloggs public have completely no idea of how the process works. The Cabinet maker just can't drop everything like hot bricks just because you want your Kitchen in two weeks.

[Dutchy]

a bit of cash goes a long way with tradies also...in fact even builders for that matter

[Squawk]

Hey Dutchy - what did you carry in first - the wife or a slab?

[Dutchy]

Hey Dutchy - what did you carry in first - the wife or a slab?

my 12 month old son!!!

hows your house coming along?

[Squawk]

Hoping to be by end of Nov.
If I am still alive that is - the process is killing me!

[Spot]

Hoping to be by end of Nov.
If I am still alive that is - the process is killing me!

Hey are you in yet,

My builder is a slack arse and hasn't even started, it's great to be paying rates on a block of land and paying a guy to knock down the weeds.

If your in how long did the whole process take from signing to starting to build and the completion.

My builder justs thinks I am impatient, guess I am now.

[Squawk]

Hoping to be by end of Nov.
If I am still alive that is - the process is killing me!

Hey are you in yet,

My builder is a slack arse and hasn't even started, it's great to be paying rates on a block of land and paying a guy to knock down the weeds.

If your in how long did the whole process take from signing to starting to build and the completion.

My builder justs thinks I am impatient, guess I am now.

Bought block in March/April 2006
Signed contract around Jan/Feb 07
Site cut started on 16 April 07 (ie first sod turned)
Handover last Friday - 23 Nov 07.
20 months or so but still have a lot of work to do yet - fences, curtains etc. Oh, and moving in as well, hopefully in the next fortnight or so, so not quite in yet!

You're right tho - they dont care that it is costing you money whilst you wait for them. Once work starts and they issue you with invoices for progress payments, they have a different attitude. Usually payment expected in 7 days (from date of letter, not date of receipt!). Of couse, bureucracy takes over and we found that if payment hadn't been received in those 7 days, they would ring you the first Tuesday morning afterwards to ask where their money was. Also, I wasn't always convinced they had "substantially completed" works for which the invoices applied, and they hated our independent building inspector. No keys delivered either until payment in full is made, so make sure you are happy to hand over the final cheque - ie that they have done everything.

[smac]

And once you are in, start a list of stuff that you discover that the builder hasn't done to your satisfaction.

Make a time for the supervisor to visit and look at these with you, ensure he understands your instructions and get a commitment from them - in writing if possible - as to when they will be attended to.

But don't forget to enjoy the satisfaction of moving into your own place, one which you designed and no one else has ever lived in!

[Felch]

Hoping to be by end of Nov.
If I am still alive that is - the process is killing me!

Hey are you in yet,

My builder is a slack arse and hasn't even started, it's great to be paying rates on a block of land and paying a guy to knock down the weeds.

If your in how long did the whole process take from signing to starting to build and the completion.

My builder justs thinks I am impatient, guess I am now.

Our builder was suppose to start on Oct 31st, nothing has happened as yet.
We are getting various excuses as to why things arent progressing - engineering hold-ups, services on the block not done, council issues etc
IMO, i think they are putting us off until after Xmas.
I wish they would just say that, at least then we would know and would stop ringing/emailing them

[Dutchy]

But don't forget to enjoy the satisfaction of moving into your own place, one which you designed and no one else has ever lived in!

Yes I must say it is magnificent, we designed our own and are loving all the little things we put in ourselves (seperate storage room in the garage, double shower, extra cupboards etc)....our time lines -

Bought Block 2/2006
Settled 6/2006
Commenced 3/2007
Finished 11/2007

still got some of the garden to do but should be all done by christmas

[Spot]

But don't forget to enjoy the satisfaction of moving into your own place, one which you designed and no one else has ever lived in!

Yes I must say it is magnificent, we designed our own and are loving all the little things we put in ourselves (seperate storage room in the garage, double shower, extra cupboards etc)....our time lines -

still got some of the garden to do but should be all done by christmas

I can't wait.

Makes you wonder how they can say anything to get you to sign with them.

The only thing that is a big concern now is I had to go back to do another tile selection as the titles I had picked are no longer avaiable and makes you wonder if they will ever complete the job with the things you selected or will there be more changes.

Builder told me they would have started this week, but another week has come and gone,
good thing pre season has started and it gives me something other than the house to think of. lol

[Psyber]

But don't forget to enjoy the satisfaction of moving into your own place, one which you designed and no one else has ever lived in!

Yes I must say it is magnificent, we designed our own and are loving all the little things we put in ourselves (seperate storage room in the garage, double shower, extra cupboards etc)....our time lines -

still got some of the garden to do but should be all done by christmas

I can't wait.

Makes you wonder how they can say anything to get you to sign with them.

The only thing that is a big concern now is I had to go back to do another tile selection as the titles I had picked are no longer available and makes you wonder if they will ever complete the job with the things you selected or will there be more changes.

Builder told me they would have started this week, but another week has come and gone,
good thing pre season has started and it gives me something other than the house to think of. lol

That means we have used up the cheap batch we got and we require you to pick another equally cheap alternative. The last house we built we negotiated a contract in which we supplied our own tiles and tiler, taps, and door locks, so we got good stuff. The probably didn't give us as much off as they should have, but at least we got solid brass taps and door locks. We also sacked their painter when we saw him at work.

[rsemmler]

Hi guys just need some help/advice/answers in regards to our PRACTICAL COMPLETION DATE. Fairmonts have advised us we'll be in at the end of March, but the house got started on the 2nd of September and we seem to be way ahead of schedule. Up to today, we've had the kitchen installed and the tiles are going in today. This only leaves the flooring, carpets and painting plus finishing touches. Does this stuff really take that long??

Interested to hear if anyone else has been in before the PCD or is it generally around that date?

[smac]

Did they recently advise you of the PCD or is that from the start of construction?

If it is from the start, I suspect you may get in early. If it is a recent advice, they may be having trouble with the trades you require from here on.