Thursday, April 7, 2011

Promises, promises


Hello buildees,

Same as all of you who are at these final stages, we're getting served numerous promises - virtually none of them delivered - and a whole lot of nada happening on site.

After an uneventful week last week, at the start of this week we were assured that the following would take place:

  • Door handles installed
  • Garage door installed (has been promised for a couple of weeks now)
  • Safety fences down
  • Site clean
  • Perimeter pest control installed
  • Interior builder's clean
  • Aluminium angle brackets installed above window reveals to cover gaps
  • Render patched and painted - front portico and rear outdoor room posts
  • Cupboard shelving and doors installed
  • Shower screens and mirrors installed
  • Downpipe connections

As of this morning, only the first item on the list has been done.

Our SS remains evasive on a PCI date. Apparently one of the major hold-ups is that the showers screen / mirror / cupboard shelving company (beginning with "St") is inundated with work due to the flurry of houses being completed as a result of the <$600k stamp duty exemption which came in on July 1 last year. Did these companies, especially the builders - not see this coming? Given that we have been unconditionally locked-in to our cupboard/shower screen choices for more than 9 months, why were these orders not scheduled for delivery earlier to compensate for the slow lead times?

How are you all going with your promises?

18 comments:

  1. Ha!

    I don't know whats worse? Being promised all those things and not having them come through or not being any wiser as to what was supposed to happen this week..LOL

    We have had NO word on any of the above jobs with the exception of the garage door - which OF COURSE cant be finished until the brickies come and finish a few things in the garage (and other areas). And allegedly they have been twice and its been too wet.. Not sure when as its not actually rained much at all over the past 3 weeks..

    Perfect day today - no trades at all at our place. One days work so far this week (electrical fit off - not even finished but close.)

    I hear you on the "delay" with the shower screen etc company - what BS, bad time management and lack of attention to detail.

    Get it together Metricon.

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  2. Sandrine, I only live two streets away from your new house, drove past on my way to work this morning and noticed the guy removing the fences. Must be one step closer to handover.

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  3. I've just worked out what the issue is...all SS are men...therefore committing to a date is inconceivable!

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  4. Well said Reinsey...but your house is powering along!

    Sandrine and Craig, so close and soooo frustrating. No matter how good the builder it seems getting them over the finishing line is the hardest hurdle.

    Don't loose sight of your beautiful new home.

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  5. hey guys, the fences have been removed and your garage door has been installed :)

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  6. Hooray - you are now leaping ahead of us!

    Reinsey thats been my theory all along - too many men in the building industry - not enough women..

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  7. Well said Reinsey, you crack me up. After all we've all had some experience and huge learning curves have been achieved...maybe its time we start our own female only building company?? Can you imagine all the change of minds, the mood swings. But the communication would be our speciality, all the phone calls to customers just to chat. Coffee and cake breaks..sounds great already. And what wonderful houses we'd build, tradies coming on time (too scared of the nagging from the directors (that's us ladies), jobs would finish and be clean... attention to detail would be of the up most importance,with matching bags in the kitchen (Shayne) chandeliers in rooms(Tonia)Elephant colours (Debra)Mocha roofs (Reinsey),Surfmist gutters and Chandeliers in stairs (Rachael)can you all imagine it..what should we call our business ladies??

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  8. Thanks Louie, just saw it this morning. Love the garage door. Not long now...not soon enough though. Hope you are all well. How long till bubs arrives?
    @ Thigee, thank you:) which street are you in? Which house are you building?

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  9. Sandrine - LMAO!!

    On a serious note - I have been wondering if you guys are getting and independent inspector at PCI stage? We haven't had any and I am seriously considering getting one as I have lost so much confidence in our build..

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  10. I follow another build here in Sydney (also a Laguna like ours) - and they have just posted that PCI for them was originally meant to be first week March, kept getting pushed back, then was due April 1st - that didn't happen but their SS let their independent inspector go over the house anyway.
    25 pages and 60 defects/incomplete works later their PCI is now rescheduled for next week!
    Think I am getting an inspection now too!

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  11. @Shayne - yes we'd concluded that it would be foolish not to get an independant inspection given that:
    - The 60+ defects experienced by the other Laguna blogger.
    - The experiences of Lauren and Richard.
    - This is such a huge investment ... you'd get one on a car you were buying, why trust the builder + tradies?

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  12. Hi Sandy, yeah nice door matches your frontdoor too.. they have just finished cleaning up your surroundings, took them the whole day, but they did a pretty good job i tell ya... bub arrives on 18th of May :) well I guess we'll see you guys very soon.. your house looks almost complete

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  13. Thanks Louie!!!Its good to have you guys there. Our secret spies on Metricon haha.
    We'll have to do a drive by tomorrow and check it out :)

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  14. Sandrine , I am on Armine Way, Beaumont Hill. Building our new house at the ponds with EB.

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  15. Yep, we have come to the same conclusion ;) Haven't yet chosen one though - have you?

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  16. We are currently thinking Tyrrells. You can request a quote online, which seems to be based on your house configuration + contract price.

    Would be great to hear of anyone's inspection company recommendations for the Sydney metro area.

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  17. I was thinking of Tyrells too - heard good things about them from a previous employer.

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  18. Shayne, that's good to know, we've since booked in Tyrrells who are doing the inspection today.

    They actually recommended having the written report for the PCI walkthrough, but because we've been given such short notice (PCI is on Monday and we are stil yet to receive the 'official' letter from M head office), they will give a verbal report to us on Monday morning if the written report isn't ready by that time.

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