First homeowner (no experience) being taken advantage of with Defects
I'd love to chat to someone that has experience building, to find out if i am well within my rights to seek compensation for what we paid, how bad the end result is, what we can maneuver our life around for them to come and fix, AND what the project manager is telling me they will do to "fix" we feel completely taken advantage of.
Comments (9)
PROImagine Property Development
4 years agoI’m a builder in Brisbane.
In QLD there is a document derived for standards and tolerances. See link.
https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/Standards_and_Tolerances_Guide_0.pdf
This document is collated from the National Construction Code, Australian Standards, Manufacturers Specifications and so on. Owners and contractors alike can use it as an easy to reference guide for standards etc (including defects).
In QLD, the construction industry governing body that is responsible for contractor licensing and consumer complaints is - The Queensland Building and Construction Commission. In SA you will have your own version of this, a third party who you can turn to if you need advice or are unhappy with work quality.
Whilst the industry standards are a good thing, they can be pretty loose. Meaning if your builder has achieved them but you are unhappy their might not be much you can do.
If you need to know anything further I’m happy to advise.
HU-578871216
Original Author4 years agoExcellent. i will do a google, and see what the SA version is. Thank you. it's a great starting point. I see what you're saying re: defects VS standard. but my god they did a terrible job of a BRAND NEW HOUSE. the two townhouses next to us aren't selling because the workmanship is so bad. We stupidly bough off Market and Off plan. So didn't see the end result till we moved in. The PM has come through and agreed to fix majority, but both bathrooms are floor to ceiling tiles, and probably half of the tiles have a black mark on them down the side. But it looks like mould. We obviously want that fixed and in my mind, that means re-tiling both bathrooms. We just aren't prepared to move out of our house and have trades working on both bathrooms... The other part is both downstairs and up, the roof has so many sections where you can see bumps and patching and bad paint. His advice was to repaint and change the lights from regular light to down light (so we wont notice it as much) But thats just sweeping under the rug, something is still wrong. All of these things, im worried will affect the re-sale of our house. There is a huge dent in the metal part of the window seal. He said he can buffer it our, but it wont be perfect. And they wouldn't be able to fix it.. To me, we should be compensated for that. Literally compensated for everything that isn't right, Is that fair? Have you heard of people getting compensated after they bought brand new?
HU-578871216
Original Author4 years agoAlso, Can i ask for the licences' of all of the people involved in the build?
- PRO
Imagine Property Development
4 years agoWith respect to compensation - yeah sure. In QLD there is a mandatory insurance fee, Home Warranty Insurance Scheme, that the builder has to pay before the dwelling can receive approval. I’m pretty sure it is the same nationally. The builder pays for it, but it is factored into the overall build/quote, so the homeowner ultimately pays.
Again, defects can be a tricky thing. That’s why the tolerance guide is there. Some people, such as myself, are super particular and see everything. Others are at the opposite end of the scale and just don’t care. And then there is everyone else in between.
So if your unsure, and your builder is refusing on some defects which you think is unreasonable, then it is worth you contacting your state governing body.
I have developed a building guide for homeowners. It’s a bit late for you now since the project is complete, but it may still provide you some guidance. Its available for free download in my website.
www.imagineproperty.net HU-578871216
Original Author4 years agoThank you so much! I will have a read nonetheless. This Forum for me was very much just chatting to people to see what I should do and can and cant....
This has sure been a good lesson
- PRO
Imagine Property Development
4 years agoNo worries at all. Glad to be of some assistance.
If I can be of assistance further just reach out. Best of luck
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