Building a Home

[samh004]

Isn't that the colour it comes from the factory?

Indeed, very similar. Slightly different, but it does stand out. I'm not one to shy away from colours as you might tell from my signature, and you've probably recalled the many bags I've brought along to AFF events in the past

The power thing is pretty crook. I guess as its still the builder's site, you couldn't simply unplug anything. I guess you photographed everything in sight - that 'note' seems pretty damning. I'd be seeing the site super personally, with all the evidence and let him know that he's up for the power bill. He might call your bluff and not pay I guess ...

Exactly, we're not meant to be on site, nor is anyone else. So when Frankie confronted them he told them to unplug the power cable and after they did we secured the gate closed with the lock (that they either knew the combination to, or had been left unlocked for them – jury is still out on this one).

The site supervisor was pretty aggressive towards us on the phone yesterday, which resulted in a carefully written email last night. This morning we received an apology email and an offer to pay the power once the bill for the quarter arrives.

Is it a case of builders helping other builders out so it's a case of giving consent but you aren't responsible for the consequences of paying the Bill?

At the end of the day because it's in your name you will be responsible for ensuring the bill gets paid. But I think it's pretty rank.

Exactly, I'm sure it's common, but unless the company is paying the bill, the only person getting short changed is myself. And it really is cents in the dollar in terms of what they used I'm sure, but there's a principle to it.

Yesterday on the phone I suggested they use a generator and this was fobbed off as being too expensive, yet they made me pay fixed site costs which could have resulted in a windfall for them had there not been any issues with the groundworks – as it turned out, we had rocks that meant they needed to get extra heavy machinery in, but the fixed site costs protected us when that went over budget – so I fail to see how a generator couldn't be factored into a fixed site cost if you know power wont be connected until partway through the build, or the generator cost passed onto the client if they don't want progress to grind to a halt.

The power thing is pretty common, as is water usage. The house behind used our power earlier this year to run their tile machine because the power to their site wasnt working. We happen to have an outdoor power point out back. They offered to pay and delivered $20 to the front door.

If the builders a couple houses down had reached out to me, or to my site supervisor and then him to me, especially with the offer of some cash for the convenience, then I wouldn't have a problem. Maybe I'd even have said, no need to pay me. But to just take it is a whole different matter.

If I ask to borrow someones car, potentially even saying I'll bring it back with a full tank of gas, that's one thing. If I simply take the car without them knowing, that's something completely different. Even if I take the car and then bring it back with gas, I'm pretty sure the law would take a dim view of the action, and this shouldn't be any different. Even if it is the industry norm.

I'm seriously not interested in going to the police and dealing with that stuff around. I just needed to get this frustration off my chest. The fact my project coordinator has emailed me this morning and reversed course on comments made yesterday to say that they will pay for the power, they'll stop unauthorised use and that I'll be receiving a call tomorrow from their construction manager suggests to me they realise the wrong thing happened. And what happened yesterday was we discovered someone using our power and queried it, we didn't point fingers or accuse, we just called someone up and instead received a fiery backlash. Misplaced most likely.

This is the extent of social media for me, I haven't posted this on their Facebook or Twitter, I just did what I always do when I need an answer, I sent it to the top I laid out my facts politely and concisely. I think the poorly written sign helped with the slam dunk.

 

[Pushka]

Indeed, very similar. Slightly different, but it does stand out. I'm not one to shy away from colours as you might tell from my signature, and you've probably recalled the many bags I've brought along to AFF events in the past

Exactly, we're not meant to be on site, nor is anyone else. So when Frankie confronted them he told them to unplug the power cable and after they did we secured the gate closed with the lock (that they either knew the combination to, or had been left unlocked for them – jury is still out on this one).

The site supervisor was pretty aggressive towards us on the phone yesterday, which resulted in a carefully written email last night. This morning we received an apology email and an offer to pay the power once the bill for the quarter arrives.

Exactly, I'm sure it's common, but unless the company is paying the bill, the only person getting short changed is myself. And it really is cents in the dollar in terms of what they used I'm sure, but there's a principle to it.

Yesterday on the phone I suggested they use a generator and this was fobbed off as being too expensive, yet they made me pay fixed site costs which could have resulted in a windfall for them had there not been any issues with the groundworks – as it turned out, we had rocks that meant they needed to get extra heavy machinery in, but the fixed site costs protected us when that went over budget – so I fail to see how a generator couldn't be factored into a fixed site cost if you know power wont be connected until partway through the build, or the generator cost passed onto the client if they don't want progress to grind to a halt.

If the builders a couple houses down had reached out to me, or to my site supervisor and then him to me, especially with the offer of some cash for the convenience, then I wouldn't have a problem. Maybe I'd even have said, no need to pay me. But to just take it is a whole different matter.

If I ask to borrow someones car, potentially even saying I'll bring it back with a full tank of gas, that's one thing. If I simply take the car without them knowing, that's something completely different. Even if I take the car and then bring it back with gas, I'm pretty sure the law would take a dim view of the action, and this shouldn't be any different. Even if it is the industry norm.

I'm seriously not interested in going to the police and dealing with that stuff around. I just needed to get this frustration off my chest. The fact my project coordinator has emailed me this morning and reversed course on comments made yesterday to say that they will pay for the power, they'll stop unauthorised use and that I'll be receiving a call tomorrow from their construction manager suggests to me they realise the wrong thing happened. And what happened yesterday was we discovered someone using our power and queried it, we didn't point fingers or accuse, we just called someone up and instead received a fiery backlash. Misplaced most likely.

This is the extent of social media for me, I haven't posted this on their Facebook or Twitter, I just did what I always do when I need an answer, I sent it to the top I laid out my facts politely and concisely. I think the poorly written sign helped with the slam dunk.

Oh well. As long as they do a great job on your house which they are doing.

 

[love_the_life]

Indeed, very similar. Slightly different, but it does stand out. I'm not one to shy away from colours as you might tell from my signature, and you've probably recalled the many bags I've brought along to AFF events in the past

Exactly, we're not meant to be on site, nor is anyone else. So when Frankie confronted them he told them to unplug the power cable and after they did we secured the gate closed with the lock (that they either knew the combination to, or had been left unlocked for them – jury is still out on this one).

The site supervisor was pretty aggressive towards us on the phone yesterday, which resulted in a carefully written email last night. This morning we received an apology email and an offer to pay the power once the bill for the quarter arrives.

Exactly, I'm sure it's common, but unless the company is paying the bill, the only person getting short changed is myself. And it really is cents in the dollar in terms of what they used I'm sure, but there's a principle to it.

Yesterday on the phone I suggested they use a generator and this was fobbed off as being too expensive, yet they made me pay fixed site costs which could have resulted in a windfall for them had there not been any issues with the groundworks – as it turned out, we had rocks that meant they needed to get extra heavy machinery in, but the fixed site costs protected us when that went over budget – so I fail to see how a generator couldn't be factored into a fixed site cost if you know power wont be connected until partway through the build, or the generator cost passed onto the client if they don't want progress to grind to a halt.

If the builders a couple houses down had reached out to me, or to my site supervisor and then him to me, especially with the offer of some cash for the convenience, then I wouldn't have a problem. Maybe I'd even have said, no need to pay me. But to just take it is a whole different matter.

If I ask to borrow someones car, potentially even saying I'll bring it back with a full tank of gas, that's one thing. If I simply take the car without them knowing, that's something completely different. Even if I take the car and then bring it back with gas, I'm pretty sure the law would take a dim view of the action, and this shouldn't be any different. Even if it is the industry norm.

I'm seriously not interested in going to the police and dealing with that stuff around. I just needed to get this frustration off my chest. The fact my project coordinator has emailed me this morning and reversed course on comments made yesterday to say that they will pay for the power, they'll stop unauthorised use and that I'll be receiving a call tomorrow from their construction manager suggests to me they realise the wrong thing happened. And what happened yesterday was we discovered someone using our power and queried it, we didn't point fingers or accuse, we just called someone up and instead received a fiery backlash. Misplaced most likely.

This is the extent of social media for me, I haven't posted this on their Facebook or Twitter, I just did what I always do when I need an answer, I sent it to the top I laid out my facts politely and concisely. I think the poorly written sign helped with the slam dunk.

Not withstanding the power issue the house is looking fabulous and I love the front door colour.

 

[Austman]

And it really is cents in the dollar in terms of what they used I'm sure, but there's a principle to it.

You are absolutely right.

But tradies have a bit of a code of their own on such matters.

And we mess with that code at our own peril.

 

[DC3]

You are absolutely right.

But tradies have a bit of a code of their own on such matters.

And we mess with that code at our own peril.

Yes. The disgruntled tradie may well win out. It may take us a while to discover the little surprise, but it will be there, waiting for us.

 

[samh004]

Yes. The disgruntled tradie may well win out. It may take us a while to discover the little surprise, but it will be there, waiting for us.

There's quite a long warranty on the house... so the tradie/builder/site supervisor might get one up on me until I finally find out what it is and report it to his company, at which point he answers to them as they then have to rectify my build. Lots of what ifs that I'm not bothered about entertaining, but whatever comes up will come down and I'm not going to let even 25¢ go it's at their peril to cross me, not mine. Sometimes it can be easier to admit you did the wrong thing and face the consequences than fight, something I have learned on a personal level in the past... and now it's their turn to make the decision on which path to take.

You are absolutely right.

But tradies have a bit of a code of their own on such matters.

And we mess with that code at our own peril.

This may be something I bring up with the overall Construction Manager when he gives us a call tomorrow, that I'm now worried I'm going to be left with a surprise that I wont discover immediately at the end of my build. And I'm sure he'll reassure me that it wont happen, and I'll reassure him that if it does they'll be paying to rectify whatever it is down the line and could reflect badly on them.

At the end of the day it still comes down to not necessarily that the tradies down the road were given access without my consent, but that when I asked about it, I was lied to and then abused for asking about it. That's what has turned the whole thing upside down. If I had phoned my site supervisor and he had admitted he knew and apologised, I'd be upset, but it would be over. Instead, I got the line that he didn't know (and we have photographic evidence that I haven't posted here that shows he HAD to know or he's legally blind). I further then got chastised for even suggesting that he knew and something untoward was going on, as if I was the bad actor in this sorry mess. That's the real rub, that's the reason this whole thing blew up. Something was caught with their hand in the cookie jar and instead of simply clearing the matter up, has gone on the attack instead. Attack me, I'll attack back, but I have the evidence and it's a whole sorry mess that could have been avoided by choosing the other path.

I totally get where you two are coming from, but I don't think the answer is to let people walk all over you. Where does it end in such a scenario, do I find out that I paid for a palette of bricks that were used in someone elses build and just accept that? Etc etc

 

[Quickstatus]

In NSW at least developments have to pay for Long Service Levy.

So all the people building a new house for you are entitled to long service leave...
A Rort IMO.

 

[samh004]

In NSW at least developments have to pay for Long Service Levy.

So all the people building a new house for you are entitled to long service leave...
A Rort IMO.

I'm not sure how it affects me if they have leave or not, but I guess it just comes down to their individual employment agreements. Are they contractors or employees, etc... they're getting 3 weeks off for Christmas on my build, but it doesn't bother me. That's their business, not mine.

 

[Quickstatus]

The thing about Long service Leave levy is that the home owner pays that levy through the development application charges.

The employment and how trades and sub trades are paid should be covered through the contract you have with the builder. However that is not the case with LsLL

It was set up so contract labour and trades have access to LsL

 

[RooFlyer]

I'm not one to shy away from colours

Not sure if it was this thread or some one else's, but there was discussion somewhere on the virtues of having one or more coloured walls in amongst the all the neutrals. I think you haven't gone that way?

I wouldn't either, except that the place I bought and am in now had a couple - one wall in the kitchen quite a bright red, with broom cupboard etc matching colour; a wall in the master bedroom a navy blue. When I put an extension on to the place, I did the wall behind the wall-mounted TV also a navy blue. Works really well. But without having lived it, it would be a really hard thing to agree to!

 

[samh004]

Not sure if it was this thread or some one else's, but there was discussion somewhere on the virtues of having one or more coloured walls in amongst the all the neutrals. I think you haven't gone that way?

We didn't go that way as they wanted to charge too much extra to do so. We figure, if we want to do this down the track we can get this done ourselves or hire someone at a much cheaper rate. Similar to them wanting to charge over $3000 to render a single column, although now we're happy they tried to overcharge and we backed away as we quite like our brick.

 

[jakeseven7]

We didn't go that way as they wanted to charge too much extra to do so. We figure, if we want to do this down the track we can get this done ourselves or hire someone at a much cheaper rate. Similar to them wanting to charge over $3000 to render a single column, although now we're happy they tried to overcharge and we backed away as we quite like our brick.

You are the one that lives there so pick what works for you and make you happy, colours and materials wise

When you come to sell you can always neutralise a house to avoid putting of people who don’t like it!

 

[Pushka]

When you come to sell you can always neutralise a house to avoid putting of people who don’t like it!

Agree. When it comes to selling a house you do things you may not like but know others will. Interestingly our painter was desperate to paint the front door red, which we weren't keen on. He said people remember red doors. It sold so maybe he was right.

 

[get me outta here]

I seem to remember you saying you did not want any clear glass in the front door. Is that obscure glass?
To paint it would require a professional looking job.

 

[samh004]

I seem to remember you saying you did not want any clear glass in the front door. Is that obscure glass?

Yes, the glass is obscured in some way, though I'm not sure you can really tell in any case as I think all the glass currently has a film over it to protect it. When complete, the front door will be the only glass that is obscured. All windows will have roller-blinds installed (transparent) before handover, but sliding doors will not (verandah, laundry) and windows in the wet areas will also be bare – we're considering plantation shutters if privacy is needed.

 

[samh004]

Construction on my build should be re-starting this week. Hopefully the Greater Brisbane lockdown this weekend didn't change any plans.

Before Christmas we received a quote for decking and fencing that we'll be happy to proceed with as soon as the site is handed over. I'm also seeking quotes now on the dry bar/cellar space that tentatively looks like this mud map – drawn from my mind, badly. That's 324 bottles in the rack on the right hand side measuring 1.94 wide, a tall wine fridge in the corner and a dry bar on the left that potentially has a smaller mixers fridge inside/provides storage for spirits. I'll leave my bar cart on the 1.81m wall on the North side of the room between the 2 bathrooms.

 

[RB]

Tradies around here (NSW) have another week off

 

[blackcat20]

Tradies around here (NSW) have another week off

Builders next door to our place started again right after NYD.

 

[RB]

Builders next door to our place started again right after NYD.

Our new neighbours moved in a couple of days before Xmas. They are waiting for the builder to return and finish things off but we are enjoying not having workers start at 7am ( arriving earlier & bashing around most days )

 

[samh004]

I didn't count the Christmas break, so today was day 86 of the build. We usually receive photos on a Thursday, and today was no exception. We weren't sure if there would be any work taking place as the power company app has shown no power usage throughout the day for the past few days, but it appears there has been some.

We also received a phone call outlining the current state of play. Driveway pour happens tomorrow, along with installation of floors throughout the house (all outstanding floors are to be laminate). On Monday, shower screens get installed. As you can see in the photos the cooktop is in, but there are no floors in the kitchen, so I am unsure what is happening there? I've always understood there to be a floor under an appliance. The fridge is not in, I assume because it is waiting for the floor in this section. I wasn't provided any outside photos so do not know if the AC unit has been installed either. Either way, it appears finishing touches are happening in the next week.