How many rectifications does it take to build a new house?

Saturday 4th July 2009

I'm not going to say much in this post.

There's no point. The photo slideshow will do all the talking.

If you haven't seen the photo slideshows in my previous post, you may want to do that first so you can see the "progress" (errr...hummm) on the house when you view this slideshow.

Since my last post, the rectifications, patch-ups and cock-ups have continued.

Here's what our house looks like now AFTER the rectifications have been completed.

I repeat ... AFTER THE RECTIFICATIONS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.

Most have had 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 15 rectifications already.

Click on the image below to view the photos.
The slideshow will open in a new window.
Hit the Pause button and click through the photos.
To view the slideshow in full screen, hit the F11 key.

We're keen to hear your feedback, so please leave a comment.

Cheers
Liana

FOR SALE: Brand New Home - Renovator's Dream

Thursday 21st May 2009

On 6th June 2009, it will be exactly 1 year since our build started. I attribute the completion blowout purely and solely to shoddy workmanship and more importantly, poor (or lack of) supervision and management of tradespeople and their workmanship by Porter Davis.

The amount of rectification work and the never-ending repeated rectifications upon rectifications, is just astounding. I would struggle to find one issue that was rectified correctly the first time.

We had our pre-handover independent inspection on 30th April. Many of the items in the report were already on our own list of defects, but a few new ones were added. So, in total, we are now working from a 15 page list of defects (give or take a page or 2).

I'm not sure why this build has been, and continues to be, the nightmare that it is. What I have learned from this experience is that I would never, I mean NEVER do it again. If I could turn back time, you could hold a gun to my head and I still wouldn't sign a contract with Porter Davis or any other high volume builder.

Our "new" home is currently in the throws of being ... how shall I put it ... renovated, is the right word. Walls are being straightened (again), cabinets, tiles, doors, windows ... the list is endless.

Yes, it's fair to say that things go wrong and it's all fixable. But "fix" means FIX, not f*ck it up even more and everything else around it!

Not only have WE had to point out all the defects and cock-ups to our builder, but the rectification work has been done more than 3 or 4 times and counting. Every single issue (and there's hundreds) has been an uphill battle, combined with tears, arguing and fighting with PD to prove each point and issue.

For those readers who are currently building with PD and for those who have passed handover, this is probably something you don't want to read:

We have lost all passion and excitement about this house. We have even talked about selling it, if it ever gets finished.

For all the bullshit, trauma and sheer frustration that we've endured over the past 12 months, the "dream" died quite a while ago. If I could walk away now and get our money back, I would do it in a flash!

Our "new" home is nothing but a patchwork quilt - put together, torn down, patched up, stuck back together, poked, prodded, jackhammered, drilled, bashed, smashed ... would you feel warm and fuzzy living in it?

I would be scared sh*tless just to sneeze in it!

I have a plethora of photos again today and if you thought the last blog post slideshow was shocking, you better get a drink before you view these. Too many to put into one slideshow, so I have split them into separate albums. Click on each photo below to see the full set of photos.

Our current position is that we have advised Porter Davis that the house must be completed in accordance with legislative requirements and handover must take place on or before 6th June 2009.

Thanks to everyone for all your words of support and encouragement over the past 12 months.

Best wishes also, to those people who contacted me directly, who were thinking of building with PD and those who are current PD customers. I hope our experience and advice has served you well.

Cheers

Liana

ENSUITES

EXTERNAL

PLASTER & PAINT

THEATRE ROOM

LOUNGE ROOM

FLOORS & FLOOR TILING

POWDER ROOM

DOORS & WINDOWS

KITCHEN

TERRACE OFF MASTER BEDROOM
FRONT BALCONY

RANDOM CRAP

FULL SLIDESHOW
If you have a very fast internet connection, you can view all of the above slideshows in one. Just click on our Red Dot Windsor. If the slideshow locks up, you can view each slideshow individually above.

If you're in the mood to see the photos I submitted to PD to prove the point about the paint finish on our doors, click on the door below. Likewise for the laminex on all the cabinets.

Porter Davis Prestige? You be the judge

Sunday 26th April 2009

Since my last post, Porter Davis have been busy rectifying the outstanding issues on our list.

We had PCI initially scheduled for 7th April. That was cancelled because they "weren't ready". That's fine. PCI was rescheduled for 23rd April. Still not ready. That's fine too. It is now scheduled for Thursday 30th April at 10.00am.

We are just under 11 months since our site scrape - well into delayed damages. We have been extraordinarily patient throughout our build, with the plethora of cock-ups, one after another, on top of the other and ... repeat again and again and ... AGAIN!

At our request, we have been conducting weekly site inspections for the past few months with the Building Manager and Site Supervisor. Our experience so far has been that if we don't see the defects and point them out, it won't get "fixed" or "rectified".

I use those 2 words very loosely and you're about to see why.

I am now convinced of 2 things (make it 3):

1. Our house is being built by people who call themselves tradesmen but they're actually puppets from Sesame Street.
   
2. We are in fact owner-builders but we failed to recognise this when we entered into our contract with Porter Davis.
   
3. Deciding to build a Porter Davis Prestige house is a trick you play on yourself on April Fool's Day.

Am I over it?
You betcha!

Is my builder all out of life-lines?
Yep. I had to save one for myself.

The photo slideshow I have for you today are photos of all the rectification work that has taken place in the past couple of weeks. Everything you see in these photos are issues that WE had to point out to our builder. They couldn't see it. Or is it all just a case of "if you want Prestige" you can project manage it yourself.

Oh yes - it's all fixable. But these are fixes after fixes upon fixes. Some are after 10 attempts, others are a first attempt and I mean "ATTEMPT".

Are we too fussy and too picky?
You be the judge.

I'm keen to hear your feedback. Does this look like Prestige workmanship to you?
Click on the image below for the "all fixed now" slideshow. There's 153 photos. I hope you find the slideshow as entertaining to watch as we did in experiencing it.

Doesn't look too bad from a distance, does it? Let's have a closer look after the final clean, the quality inspection by Porter Davis and only days from PCI