Hi Guys

My name is Nici and im 22years of age in Melbourne My partner and I have recently bought a new house yet to be built, its still up to the road construction which is the main reason why i have been looking for a forum to ask a couple of questions in. Every week i visit the block something new has been donw. One week i went the gutters were done, the next they layed some black crush rock on the roads and the week after that the same thing only higher. The stage its at now is only 1inch thick so im gussing the next stage is to lay the tar down? Are the able to work through drizzling rain? The company i bought the house through said that the land is expected to settle in June/July.....when the roads are done is that when the land settles ?I have a picture below to give you guys more of an indication.

Hope you guys can understand me Look forward to your response.

Thank you in advance for your advice.

Regards,
Nici


Edited to correct image size.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Karrow,

From your picture, and thank you for the picture, your site looks like any other construction site here in the states.

From the style curbing (gutters) they used, it looks like the next phase would be “Black Top”. I don’t know what you would call it down under. What I see there is "Ballast" to help with drainage under the street.

In preparing to build, the contractors like to have everything in place and yes, even wait for the ground to dry out and settle. This is especilly true of slab (no basement) homes.

I do not like buying a house with out seeing everything comlete and a year or two old. I am not saying you made a mistake, just there are so manying things that can happen over the next few years.

It will help you, and I see you are, to keep an eye on the progress and stay in touch with your builder. If you have ANY concerns, talk to him. Be sure that any problems or changes agreed on between you and the builder ARE IN WRITING.

Try to get a note from your builder allowing you access to the property. This helps if you are going there after the crew has quit for the day. If the police stop by and ask what you are doing there, the note will tell them it's your house. He may not like you nosing around and that would concern me. Before you except the home as final, get an independent inspector to be sure everything is done right. In the states this would cost around $200US but well worth it.

A last word of caution. Do not sign anything with out reading it first. A friend of mine signed a paper for the contractor stating that everything was done to his statisfaction. There were a couple of items that still needed to be done. The contractor told him that this was just a formality and it would be taken care of. Guess who got to take care of it?

Welcome to the Pool, I hope that is the answers you need.

You have contractors who are reaching the next stage every week ? Do you know how lucky you are ? Then you are not the boss, little old you, it's not you these roadlayers are answerable to but a much bigger force.

They'll be keen to get the roads done, and done properly, because they work for the developers, not you. Chances are the developers have not sold every house 'off plan', as you bought yours, but will have to sell some when these are finished. The developers want to sell these at the best; persuading buyers that the development will be perfect for them is not so easy when they have to be guided through some quagmire up unmade tracks .Most buyers lack any imagination and have to be shown exactly what they are getting; that's why developers have show houses.

Nothing looks or seems untoward from what you say and show.

Do you have official inspections in Australia ? I'd be surprised if there's not something like in the UK: Here there are two guarantees on newbuilds. First of all most builders issue a National Housebuilders' Certificate which guarantees the work for the first ten years. Second, and in any case, no house is saleable until there is an architect's certificate that the work has been done satisfactorily according to plan and specification. It is unheard of to pay for an independent survey of a newbuild.

The real hassle with a new house is in the detail. It's the 'snagging'. It's the paint on the light switches, it's the cupboard door that doesn't quite close properly, it's the myriad of little annoyances and tiny defects which you may not notice at first but which ought not to be there. These don't fall under guarantees in the UK ( they do in France, but I doubt whether Australia is closer to French practice or law ) So before you take the keys make absolutely sure that everything is perfect first and don't take idle words about fixing this, repairing that, correcting the other;prepare a written list of defects (here it's called 'a snagging list') and make sure that it's signed by the developer or acknowledged in writing by them as correct and the defects shall be rectified by them by some date. There should be a site manager or agent of the developer who'll come round the house with you prior to you taking final possession who will do this. Reputable developers anywhere give you a period in which to find these faults and will return to see to them. (Again, in France that's the law but Australian law may not be so stringent )_

Good luck in your new home to be and welcome to Answerpool !

In the states that snagging list of problems is called a "Punch List". Why, I don't know. I guess it keeps you from punching out the contractors.