Having now lived in our new home for 2 1/2 months, it is certainly wonderful to be in! We are gradually noticing the flaws in paintwork and finishing as we see the walls in different lights. However, the carpet shows no signs of joins! We ended up with a carpet colour we liked better than the original and our builder brought us a lovely moving-in hamper. It didn't make up for the hassles and poor communication along the way, but we were impressed that even those we were most irritated with didn't take it personally or become difficult to deal with. We have yet to get the final touch-ups and finishing done, but don't anticipate any trouble there as we are quite sure the building company will be glad to get it all ticked off their list!
Our biggest post move-in issue has been the log burner. Since we moved in in the middle of winter we needed to use the fire almost daily, but at least once a week ended up with a roomful of smoke instead of heat. The plumber returned and showed us the correct location of the top-plate to prevent smoke blow-back, but we still had problems. After contacting the manufacturer, I received a somewhat condescending reply from the Sales Manager implying that there could not be anything wrong with the fire, it must be us. Not finding this very helpful, I messaged the MD of the company who took time to consider possible reasons for our problem. In the end it was suggested that using our extractor and keeping all the windows shut could be the cause, since modern homes are relatively airtight. Now wouldn't you think something as simple as that might have been pointed out in either the manufacturer's literature, or the builder's file of instructions? As it turns out, allowing some outside air in (through a partly open window) has alleviated our smoke problems. Sadly we still have a lot of soot to clean from blinds, etc. Next on the list is a fresh-air system so we don't have to keep opening windows! At least it has been a mild winter.
Remember if you are just starting to build, whatever difficulties you face along the way will be worth it once you have your own special place at last.
For us, this home is like a luxury retreat, but we don't have to go anywhere to enjoy it! No we don't have marble bathrooms and palatial rooms, but it is cosy, comfortable and inviting and it's all ours from design to decor. We have much to be thankful for!
Monday, 23 September 2013
Saturday, 29 June 2013
House Building - Carpet Catastrophe
We raised the issue of poor carpet installation mid May, just before our 2nd anticipated hand-over date. Since then, the carpet has had 2.5 days of remedial work, with the result that our carpet lay still does not meet the NZ Standard. Manufacturer's inspection confirmed this this week and now we have to pick a different carpet. The carpet we chose originally has since been discontinued and there are no stocks of it left in the country!
Why has it taken more than 6 weeks to get to this point? Several reasons:
The carpet supplier did not take the issue seriously in the first instance and continued to declare the carpet laying acceptable, even when we, our builder and an independent carpet expert said otherwise (head in the sand? just didn't care? doesn't need a good reputation?);
We are not carpet experts, after a while you begin to think that maybe what look like glaring defects to you are really ok after all (the carpet supplier should know best, shouldn't they?);
Our builder did not advocate effectively for us (also not carpet experts?), obviously from their point of view it would be much easier if we just accepted the carpet, or if there was some easy way to nip and tuck it into acceptable shape (too laid back? no sense of urgency?)
Anyway after a call from our builder yesterday, we rushed to a new and better supplier today to select an alternative carpet. We now wait with bated breath to see what happens next...
Why has it taken more than 6 weeks to get to this point? Several reasons:
The carpet supplier did not take the issue seriously in the first instance and continued to declare the carpet laying acceptable, even when we, our builder and an independent carpet expert said otherwise (head in the sand? just didn't care? doesn't need a good reputation?);
We are not carpet experts, after a while you begin to think that maybe what look like glaring defects to you are really ok after all (the carpet supplier should know best, shouldn't they?);
Our builder did not advocate effectively for us (also not carpet experts?), obviously from their point of view it would be much easier if we just accepted the carpet, or if there was some easy way to nip and tuck it into acceptable shape (too laid back? no sense of urgency?)
Anyway after a call from our builder yesterday, we rushed to a new and better supplier today to select an alternative carpet. We now wait with bated breath to see what happens next...
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
House Building - What is a Minor Issue?
As we discovered some of the big issues, we were encouraged to dig a bit on the smaller stuff. In the course of scouring our contract for a record of the bookshelving we had requested, we discovered that the ceiling battens were meant to be steel. We knew from seeing them before, during and after ceiling installation, that our battens were all wood. Wooden battens are cheaper and potentially more likely to suffer from nail pops. However, the discovery was made late in the build and we decided that for the extra inconvenience and time to replace them, we would let it go.
It is quite common to discover such oversights (very often at a point when remedying them will cause more trouble than its worth). You need to determine how important such issues are to you, and which ones are better offered to the builder as an indication of your good faith and reasonableness than stuck strictly to.
When choosing which issues to push through on, think about the things that will make a real difference to your life as you live in your home day to day, year to year. For us that meant insulation, pelmets and double glazing for warmth; decor, storage and layout for psychological comfort.
Placement of light switches and lights is also important and we regretted not spending more time on these in our first build. It's worth standing in a doorway and shutting your eyes then reaching for where you might want the switch to be before making a final decision on placement.
In our second build we chose light fittings that tilt and rotate so that we have a bit of flexibility in the placement of furniture and pictures.
It is quite common to discover such oversights (very often at a point when remedying them will cause more trouble than its worth). You need to determine how important such issues are to you, and which ones are better offered to the builder as an indication of your good faith and reasonableness than stuck strictly to.
When choosing which issues to push through on, think about the things that will make a real difference to your life as you live in your home day to day, year to year. For us that meant insulation, pelmets and double glazing for warmth; decor, storage and layout for psychological comfort.
Placement of light switches and lights is also important and we regretted not spending more time on these in our first build. It's worth standing in a doorway and shutting your eyes then reaching for where you might want the switch to be before making a final decision on placement.
In our second build we chose light fittings that tilt and rotate so that we have a bit of flexibility in the placement of furniture and pictures.
Monday, 17 June 2013
House Building - Last Minute Crises
Inevitably as the house build nears completion, you will be eager to move in. Our compensation clause kicked in nearly 2 weeks ago and believe me we are anxious to take possession of our home and get settled at last.
However, if there are outstanding issues, it is really important that you don't pay that final payment and move in from desperation.
We have had carpet issues. The day after the carpet was laid, we raised the issues (very obvious joins, gaps around the walls, metal "naplock" strips lifting at the edges). Nothing but an offer of a guarantee on the carpet and it's installation was forthcoming. Now while that may have shown good faith, it did not take into account the upheaval we would face if we moved in and then had to have the whole carpet relaid.
It took some weeks, an opinion of a friend who happens to work in carpet, and steadfast refusal to take possession until things were sorted, before we saw some real action. This came in the form of another carpet layer trying to fix up the bad installation job we got the first time round.
The second carpet layer himself said it was not as good a result as we might have had starting from scratch. So further discussion took place. I called the carpet manufacturer and requested a professional opinion, and then discovered that the carpet we had chosen was a discontinued colour and there were no more stocks available anywhere in the country!
Meanwhile, we noticed that the ducting from our "down draft" extractor had numerous bends. After contacting the manufacturer and attaching pictures, they informed us that every bend resulted in a 1/3 reduction in performance of the fan. They also mentioned that the ducting looked a bit small. After measuring, we discovered that a 90mm pipe had been used instead of 150mm. Big problem for the fan motor apparently...
The building company agreed to sort these issues out and duly a concrete driller arrived and cut a new hole right through the concrete slab and out under it to the fresh air. The nine bends were reduced to 3 and the ducting was the correct size.
This perhaps illustrates the degree to which you, the owner, need to be vigilant when dealing with the "experts". Wherever you can, educate yourself. If something seems odd, check it out with the manufacturer (poor installation can void your warranty).
If at the end of the day, you decide you simply have to move in when some issues remain outstanding, at least get a written agreement on the resolving of these within a specified time frame. Generally there will be some kind of warranty or guarantee on your new home, there should also be warranties/guarantees on many of the fixtures and fittings in it. If you are in any doubt as to what is covered, check your paperwork thoroughly, and ask for a plain English explanation if it isn't clear.
However, if there are outstanding issues, it is really important that you don't pay that final payment and move in from desperation.
We have had carpet issues. The day after the carpet was laid, we raised the issues (very obvious joins, gaps around the walls, metal "naplock" strips lifting at the edges). Nothing but an offer of a guarantee on the carpet and it's installation was forthcoming. Now while that may have shown good faith, it did not take into account the upheaval we would face if we moved in and then had to have the whole carpet relaid.
It took some weeks, an opinion of a friend who happens to work in carpet, and steadfast refusal to take possession until things were sorted, before we saw some real action. This came in the form of another carpet layer trying to fix up the bad installation job we got the first time round.
The second carpet layer himself said it was not as good a result as we might have had starting from scratch. So further discussion took place. I called the carpet manufacturer and requested a professional opinion, and then discovered that the carpet we had chosen was a discontinued colour and there were no more stocks available anywhere in the country!
Meanwhile, we noticed that the ducting from our "down draft" extractor had numerous bends. After contacting the manufacturer and attaching pictures, they informed us that every bend resulted in a 1/3 reduction in performance of the fan. They also mentioned that the ducting looked a bit small. After measuring, we discovered that a 90mm pipe had been used instead of 150mm. Big problem for the fan motor apparently...
The building company agreed to sort these issues out and duly a concrete driller arrived and cut a new hole right through the concrete slab and out under it to the fresh air. The nine bends were reduced to 3 and the ducting was the correct size.
This perhaps illustrates the degree to which you, the owner, need to be vigilant when dealing with the "experts". Wherever you can, educate yourself. If something seems odd, check it out with the manufacturer (poor installation can void your warranty).
If at the end of the day, you decide you simply have to move in when some issues remain outstanding, at least get a written agreement on the resolving of these within a specified time frame. Generally there will be some kind of warranty or guarantee on your new home, there should also be warranties/guarantees on many of the fixtures and fittings in it. If you are in any doubt as to what is covered, check your paperwork thoroughly, and ask for a plain English explanation if it isn't clear.
Sunday, 9 June 2013
House Building - Disappointing Delays
Our current house build got off to a great start with so many things accomplished in the first 2 weeks it looked like we would be in within 3 months. Now as we look back more than 6 months later, still waiting to move in, we see where things began to go wrong.
One day the builder came and put ceiling panels on, that was great. Except the roof truss had still not been moved out of the path of the flue. Now a job that could be done inside without disturbing the roofing tiles, was transformed into an outdoor, invasive, weather-dependent task.
Then the floor of the carport was prepared for concrete pouring before the drains which pass under it had been laid. The drainlayer had to dig across the carport area by hand in order to avoid disturbing the boxing (time consuming).
Next because the drain ditch had been dug before bricks were delivered, the bricklayer was put off for several weeks until it was closed in and access was restored.
Other issues arose when subcontractors were put off from their original schedule because of these delays and then were unable to return until much later. Painters had to paint before carpet went down, some of the paintwork took days to dry (as we had specified oil-based paint for woodwork). These extra days had not been factored in despite the paint type being decided at the outset.
Many of the delays could perhaps have been avoided by better scheduling and greater vigilance on the part of the building manager. In my view, a company that builds homes for a living should be expert at recognising possible delay points and preempting disaster. They should be proactively collecting details of delays and difficulties and incorporating this knowledge into future builds.
Interestingly, many subcontractors and builders recognise that these types of delay are quite common, and yet there doesn't seem to be any great impetus to avoid them in the future, rather a somewhat fatalistic "Oh you always get delays." is the most frequent response.
One day the builder came and put ceiling panels on, that was great. Except the roof truss had still not been moved out of the path of the flue. Now a job that could be done inside without disturbing the roofing tiles, was transformed into an outdoor, invasive, weather-dependent task.
Then the floor of the carport was prepared for concrete pouring before the drains which pass under it had been laid. The drainlayer had to dig across the carport area by hand in order to avoid disturbing the boxing (time consuming).
Next because the drain ditch had been dug before bricks were delivered, the bricklayer was put off for several weeks until it was closed in and access was restored.
Other issues arose when subcontractors were put off from their original schedule because of these delays and then were unable to return until much later. Painters had to paint before carpet went down, some of the paintwork took days to dry (as we had specified oil-based paint for woodwork). These extra days had not been factored in despite the paint type being decided at the outset.
Many of the delays could perhaps have been avoided by better scheduling and greater vigilance on the part of the building manager. In my view, a company that builds homes for a living should be expert at recognising possible delay points and preempting disaster. They should be proactively collecting details of delays and difficulties and incorporating this knowledge into future builds.
Interestingly, many subcontractors and builders recognise that these types of delay are quite common, and yet there doesn't seem to be any great impetus to avoid them in the future, rather a somewhat fatalistic "Oh you always get delays." is the most frequent response.
Sunday, 2 June 2013
House Building - Contractual Confusion
If you have your plan settled, or choose to take an "off the rack" plan from your builder, the next trouble spot is likely to be agreeing on the contract.
Naturally your builder will want to get you signed up as quickly as possible, because then your "possible build" becomes real work. It is wise to determine exactly what you want your builder to do before either tendering or requesting quotations for the work. That way you will be comparing apples with apples and save the builder time (and possible loss of other jobs) while you make up your mind.
If like us you have zero skills at DIY, don't test your abilities on a new build! We had thought of putting sweat-equity in on our current build, but in reality, the time it would take the builder to teach us how to do even basic tasks would probably be better spent letting the expert do it!
In our first build, we told our builder (who happened to be our next door neighbour) what we wanted and assumed what we had said would all be incorporated in the house. Of course, being human, our builder did not retain all of that information and sometimes we found that he had completely overlooked something that was important to us. The handrail for our staircase was completely straight when it arrived, despite me having sent a drawing of the curved finial I envisaged by email.
We decided that a more detailed set of specifications was necessary for our second build, but some issues arose when, to meet our budget, a number of items were removed from the spec and the entire spec document was replaced by our builder's standard specs at contract signing time.
We were assured that the items we had specifically mentioned as important would still be included, but some of these came under fire where there was not also a written record of them by email.
Remember that until the contract is signed, you can change anything. After that it will probably cost you extra and may not even be doable.
Before you sign, be completely sure what is and isn't included (eg power/phone/gas connections, driveways/paths/landscaping, shelving, curtain tracks, flooring, fly screens, etc). Even if you are friends with the builder (perhaps especially if you are) a contract is essential for both you and your builder. I would recommend you go over your initial wish list as you read through the specs and make sure everything you really want is actually there in writing. If not hand write it in and initial it.
We had a couple of items not specified in our contract that we had definitely agreed with our builder on. In the end the builder agreed to include them, but we could have saved ourselves quite a bit of hassle if we had ensured there was a paper record besides our recollection!
If there is a commitment by your builder to hand over the house within a specified time frame, what compensation will you receive if that doesn't happen? (I say this as I contemplate our compensation clause kicking in this week!)
Most completion dates will be set well beyond the time in which the builder anticipates finishing, meaning that the chance of compensation having to be paid is very slight. Also meaning that if the clause does kick in it will seem like very cold comfort to the now depressed would-be home owner!
Naturally your builder will want to get you signed up as quickly as possible, because then your "possible build" becomes real work. It is wise to determine exactly what you want your builder to do before either tendering or requesting quotations for the work. That way you will be comparing apples with apples and save the builder time (and possible loss of other jobs) while you make up your mind.
If like us you have zero skills at DIY, don't test your abilities on a new build! We had thought of putting sweat-equity in on our current build, but in reality, the time it would take the builder to teach us how to do even basic tasks would probably be better spent letting the expert do it!
In our first build, we told our builder (who happened to be our next door neighbour) what we wanted and assumed what we had said would all be incorporated in the house. Of course, being human, our builder did not retain all of that information and sometimes we found that he had completely overlooked something that was important to us. The handrail for our staircase was completely straight when it arrived, despite me having sent a drawing of the curved finial I envisaged by email.
We decided that a more detailed set of specifications was necessary for our second build, but some issues arose when, to meet our budget, a number of items were removed from the spec and the entire spec document was replaced by our builder's standard specs at contract signing time.
We were assured that the items we had specifically mentioned as important would still be included, but some of these came under fire where there was not also a written record of them by email.
Remember that until the contract is signed, you can change anything. After that it will probably cost you extra and may not even be doable.
Before you sign, be completely sure what is and isn't included (eg power/phone/gas connections, driveways/paths/landscaping, shelving, curtain tracks, flooring, fly screens, etc). Even if you are friends with the builder (perhaps especially if you are) a contract is essential for both you and your builder. I would recommend you go over your initial wish list as you read through the specs and make sure everything you really want is actually there in writing. If not hand write it in and initial it.
We had a couple of items not specified in our contract that we had definitely agreed with our builder on. In the end the builder agreed to include them, but we could have saved ourselves quite a bit of hassle if we had ensured there was a paper record besides our recollection!
If there is a commitment by your builder to hand over the house within a specified time frame, what compensation will you receive if that doesn't happen? (I say this as I contemplate our compensation clause kicking in this week!)
Most completion dates will be set well beyond the time in which the builder anticipates finishing, meaning that the chance of compensation having to be paid is very slight. Also meaning that if the clause does kick in it will seem like very cold comfort to the now depressed would-be home owner!
Friday, 31 May 2013
House Planning Help
If at all possible, invest in or get your draughtsperson to invest in 3D walk-through type software so that you can see how the doors, windows, layouts, etc will actually look. We got this ourselves for our second build and added in furniture, lighting and colours to help us see it as it will be when finished.
However, don't imagine that because you have shown your builder, or draughtsperson your image of how the house will look, that they will take it all in or be able to reproduce it faithfully. Being vigilant throughout will still be necessary as otherwise things will fall through the cracks.
If we ever built again, I would take screen shots of each of my 3D rooms from various angles and include these in my specs (with measurements) as a clear record of what we needed.
In our current build we had designed a kitchen with an extra-wide bench-top and sent a screen shot to the builder, but our failure to include measurements resulted in a standard-width top. This we agreed to as we had failed to communicate our requirement well-enough.
With a concrete floor, sewage and waste-water pipes must be installed at the time of laying the floor (before there are walls to check placement by). We suffered 2 problems with this - a very off-centre toilet waste pipe in our toilet (thankfully an adaptor more or less fixed the problem), and piping for our extractor fan beside the stove taking 2 extra turns to meet the pipe coming out of the floor. The latter issue is yet to be resolved...watch this space!
Other issues we have had with paper vs 3D plans include:
Roof truss designed to cross the roof at exactly the same point as the log-burner flue;
Size and shape of rooms seeming fine on paper, suddenly too large, too small, or awkward shapes when seen in reality;
Location of items such as pictures, TV and stereo not considered in terms of windows, placement of lounge furniture, etc.
Every hour you spend in planning is worthwhile, but I would recommend keeping a paper-trail of your plans and discussions, or even audio recording them so that there is no doubt about what has been agreed on.
However, don't imagine that because you have shown your builder, or draughtsperson your image of how the house will look, that they will take it all in or be able to reproduce it faithfully. Being vigilant throughout will still be necessary as otherwise things will fall through the cracks.
If we ever built again, I would take screen shots of each of my 3D rooms from various angles and include these in my specs (with measurements) as a clear record of what we needed.
In our current build we had designed a kitchen with an extra-wide bench-top and sent a screen shot to the builder, but our failure to include measurements resulted in a standard-width top. This we agreed to as we had failed to communicate our requirement well-enough.
With a concrete floor, sewage and waste-water pipes must be installed at the time of laying the floor (before there are walls to check placement by). We suffered 2 problems with this - a very off-centre toilet waste pipe in our toilet (thankfully an adaptor more or less fixed the problem), and piping for our extractor fan beside the stove taking 2 extra turns to meet the pipe coming out of the floor. The latter issue is yet to be resolved...watch this space!
Other issues we have had with paper vs 3D plans include:
Roof truss designed to cross the roof at exactly the same point as the log-burner flue;
Size and shape of rooms seeming fine on paper, suddenly too large, too small, or awkward shapes when seen in reality;
Location of items such as pictures, TV and stereo not considered in terms of windows, placement of lounge furniture, etc.
Every hour you spend in planning is worthwhile, but I would recommend keeping a paper-trail of your plans and discussions, or even audio recording them so that there is no doubt about what has been agreed on.
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