just bitching, a long bitch

amazeer · 2008-08-12T09:46:13+00:00

Been a while since I have had a bitch about Clarendon. Despite paying my first wad of cash in nov/dec 2006, at least 20 months ago, my problems with Clarendon havent ended, Today we had another stink. Recent news is that I gave them a 2 page list of defects to fix. After haggling, that 2 page list was reduced to 22 items which they agreed to fix. Not one of these 22 items is a maintenance issue. Even the warranty guy said this. They are all bodge items that should have been fixed before handover, though one may argue that they shouldnt have happened in the first place. There was only one room without fault on my original list. I organised for all the tradesmen to come on one day to fix all the problems. If they came one at a time I (well the wife) would have had to take a week off work. Losing one days pay is enough thanks. So everyone came by and done their bit other than the bathroom people to fix the mirror who are coming later. All was good or so I thought. When Clarendon did the cut, they pushed all dirt to front of the block and left it there. It wasnt taken away. What was left of the footpath was left in a dangerous state where people could trip. Rubbish and debris was left all over. Crap basically. Anyhow, when I got the driveway done (on the original contour of the land) I told the guys not to charge me for taking the dirt away, put it to the side and I would get Clarendon to do it. I had a warm debate with warranty guy about returning my land back to its former state but eventually he agreed. When excavator guy came he took one truck load away, refused to take away anymore, and left the place in a mess again. Today I ring warranty guy and he tried to bullshit me saying that the dirt hadnt come from the excavation but from the driveway and my retaining walls. Well the retaining wall dirt is still at the rear of my house, its being used to fill an area that is my daughters netball circle(I still need more), and 90% of the driveway is above the level of the original lie of the land. I might add that he never made these observations while he was here face to face. He also says that they dont have to take anything away if they dont bring it onto site first. Its the owners responsibility to move it. I dont know if this is true for other builders, but I dont see piles of dirt lying around on other sites. I checked my tender contract and didnt have to go far into the document. Points one and two! Direct quotes below. He is going to come down and have another look now. What the hell for. Its pissing me off and costing me more money. Fuck I hate Clarendon. Dont do it. Not one trade who worked on my house has walked away without stuffing at least one thing up. Excavating, plumbing, concreting, carpentry, brickies, plasterer, waterproofer, stegbar, painter, tiler.... not one! 1. Site Preparation: Approx 1076mm cut to rear right hand side of dwelling, bench for 429mm step down to garage. 2. Provide exporting of excess spoil as a result of Site Preparation

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,789 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 14 Aug 2008, 5:14 pm

#663972

But this is the problem

I AM NOT JUSTIFYING THE BUILDER

They get everything they deserve

$300k is a LOT of money - but i dont believe it is enough to
*buy quality materials
* pay a fair wage to sub contractors
* make a mark up and run overheads of a company
* have a reserve for warranty

They are selling a myth and it should be stopped

I suffer this every day - people tell me i am too dear.
BUT i do win work and i dont make extraordinary amounts of profit (and no i am not stupid)
These builders cut corners, prey on the lack of knowledge and experience of clients, prey on the needy and unemployed for work

Yes - it is easy for me to say to pay more - that is not what i am saying

What i am saying is these builders are driving the price down, and trying to pocket an unreasonable amout of profit for the input they do

I will stop posting now before my comments are taken the wrong way 😀

Futue te ipsum!!!

donn Wolfsburg Elder

3,515 posts · joined Nov 2005 · 14 Aug 2008, 5:45 pm

#663976

"but I'm yet to see a building contract that says anything like "we are the lowest price so expect substandard work"."

Woe there Rose, I've only met you once and you seem like a real nice person, but I was'nt having a go at what you expect for your money, sorry if I came over the wrong way. I reckon that if you paid for a Toyota you wouldn't expect a Lexus, regardless of the phisyical size of the car, but you also wouldn't expect the wheels to fall off and the paint to peel before you took delivery or for any reasonable time thereafter. I have been in the building business for all of my working life and as I posted previously I have always strived to give the best job I knew how, but these blokes run on such a tight margin that it is imposible for them to do the job to the correct standard, when you and yours are making mechanical repairs to someones car you could do the job cheeper if you used cheeper parts, bearings made in China and such, it would still do the job but not for as long, but you wouldn't expect to get away with leaving out half the bolts or not torquing them up correctly (did that make sense?) just as Bizarre said, there has to be enough in the job to do it right. Now thats not the fault of the client, they go to a builder for a price on a project, they don't get told "hey, we can beat the other blokes quote but we will do the job in such a way as to make you wish you had never come through our door". The price has to be enough for them to do the job correctly, and the supervisor has to do the job he's paid to do, SUPERVISE, to let that sort of work go through means he should have his arse kicked so hard ge would end up with a steel cap sticking out his nostril, bloody disgracefull.
So give me a kiss and make up, I wasn't throwing sheet at you but I was certailnly throwing it at the supervisor and even some at the builder.

I dream of a day when a chicken can cross a road without being asked for it's motive!

rose doin it for d girls

2,036 posts · joined Dec 2004 · 14 Aug 2008, 6:17 pm

#663984

donn wrote:"but I'm yet to see a building contract that says anything like "we are the lowest price so expect substandard work"."

Woe there Rose, I've only met you once and you seem like a real nice person, but I was'nt having a go at what you expect for your money, sorry if I came over the wrong way. I reckon that if you paid for a Toyota you wouldn't expect a Lexus, regardless of the phisyical size of the car, but you also wouldn't expect the wheels to fall off and the paint to peel before you took delivery or for any reasonable time thereafter. I have been in the building business for all of my working life and as I posted previously I have always strived to give the best job I knew how, but these blokes run on such a tight margin that it is imposible for them to do the job to the correct standard, when you and yours are making mechanical repairs to someones car you could do the job cheeper if you used cheeper parts, bearings made in China and such, it would still do the job but not for as long, but you wouldn't expect to get away with leaving out half the bolts or not torquing them up correctly (did that make sense?) just as Bizarre said, there has to be enough in the job to do it right. Now thats not the fault of the client, they go to a builder for a price on a project, they don't get told "hey, we can beat the other blokes quote but we will do the job in such a way as to make you wish you had never come through our door". The price has to be enough for them to do the job correctly, and the supervisor has to do the job he's paid to do, SUPERVISE, to let that sort of work go through means he should have his arse kicked so hard ge would end up with a steel cap sticking out his nostril, bloody disgracefull.
So give me a kiss and make up, I wasn't throwing sheet at you but I was certailnly throwing it at the supervisor and even some at the builder.

That's all ok I don't mind no worries here this is all in the past and has all been sorted we are happy with our lovely big home it's like where on holidays every day it has everthing.😘😘😘😘😘 I'm about to go have a spa bath now and watch tele.
Ian says 😘😘bazza

helbus Administrator Mad fabricator, paint and body

7,386 posts · joined Sep 2002 · 14 Aug 2008, 8:21 pm

#664002

Can't we all live in 90 sq metre homes with no air conditioning, no home theatre room, no rumpus room. Just two bedrooms a bathroom, a kitchen, a lounge and a laundry. The kids can all share the one 4 x 4 metre bedroom with only two sets of clothes each with no brand names. Hand them down, socks, shoes the whole lot. In fact lets make the kitchen actually able to make meals. A pantry for the 20kg bag of flour, sugar, rice etc.

I am sure a 90 sq metre home could be built with very good materials, very good quality. very good tradespeople for a lot less than a 300 sq m home. I could give you the contacts of every single tradesperson required. Quirky personality and slow working, but they are all beautiful to watch. They don't advertise, and some of them don't have mobile phones. They never seem to have any warranty work either, and if for some unforseen reason it did happen, they treat it as first priority, as you are a paid customer.

It all reminds me of a movie.
"I want an oompa loompa daddy, and I want it now"

EJ22 into Bay Microbus - Finished project build thread- click on this spot here for info