Duplex build with daughter

Progress in slow....

We will run into the 5 week shutdown over Christmas which was never our intention as approached builder in July 2007 and paid for this block of land in October 2007.

The builder finished IP No 1 in October 2007 and said he could start our duplex early in 2008.

The frame is up and roof trusses nearly complete.


Regards
Sheryn
 

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Decided to change roof colour...

Received a phone call from the Builder's wife last night to let me know that Bluescope have discontinued the black guttering we had ordered. The new colour guttering isn't as black.


We thought about the new guttering colour overnight after checking out the colour on the Bluescope website and we decided to change the roof tiles to grey with grey guttering to match if the roof tiles were not already on their way.


No idea why Bluescope discontinued their dark black colour.


Regards
Sheryn :)
 
Fascia and guttering have been installed.

Roof tiles have arrived and are scheduled to go on tomorrow but it is raining right now.

First photo is a front view of the build.

Second photo shows our side of the duplex - we have 2 single garages. This photo also shows our next door neighbour's water tank!

Third photo is a side view of daughter's half she has a double garage and a panel lift door will be installed.


Regards
Sheryn
 

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My daughter scanned the lower and upper floor plans of the duplex for me tonight so I could upload onto the forum.


Both units have good storage areas on the lower floor plans.

Carpenters turned up at the site today (it was raining) as they had expected the roof to be on and they could work under cover.

Roof not on so they went home = no pay today for the carpenters.
 

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Hello all,

I have an IP in Clayton Victoria which was bought a while ago ~1992. The IP is run down and causes high maintenance xost, so I am considering to re-develop into 3 town houses 3BR/2Bath/1Garage for renting.

The town planning is under way, but I am unsure regarding the strata title. I am vaguely informed that if I want to sell 1 of the town house in the future say to my daughter I may need to organise strata title or subdivision. Subdivision may not be possible as the land size is 730sqm so strata may be the only way.

Would it be better to apply for strata title now before the buiding permit stage and construction or can I do it in the future and what are the pros/cons?
 
Hello all,

I am considering to re-develop into 3 town houses 3BR/2Bath/1Garage for renting. The town planning is under way, but I am unsure regarding the strata title.

Would it be better to apply for strata title now before the building permit stage and construction or can I do it in the future and what are the pros/cons?

Avant
Our builder when he lodged the DA application wrote Attached dual occupancy and strata subdivision (to create to lots).

Once our building & landscaping is finished the surveyor has to submit plans to council to start the strata subdivision process.


Regards
Sheryn
 
We have paid the Stage 4 progress payment to our builder.

The carpenters have finished the skirting and the painters have started. The tiler has done the wet areas eg. bathroom and laundry and will come back after painters have finished to lay the kitchen, dining, entry and patio tiles.

Rockstar and his wife Lee came to 'check out' our duplex today, we had a lovely afternoon chatting about prices and colour selections and discussing different issues we have experience.

I will ask my daughter to upload some pictures (the fence gets in the way of most shots) in the next couple of days as she is at work at present.

I realised this morning that the cupboard in the laundry is full of shelves and does not have a space for brooms and the ironing board, so I will have to get that altered.

We are 3-4 weeks away from the builder finishing the duplex and then we are issued an interim certificate from Council and daughter can move in and do her landscaping.


Cheers
Sheryn
 
Last progress report before handover

Apologies no photos as yet...

  • Saturday cleaners are programmed to clean.
  • Monday carpet is laid and security screens installed and we do a walk through with Builder to inspect building quaility.
  • Tuesday 9.30 am Valuer inspects for lending authority.

Then we authorise financial institution to make final payment if we are happy with practical completion.

Local Council Building Inspector has granted 'Interim Occupation Certificate' subject to landscaping being completed in 14 days!

I have booked the final council inspection for Monday fortnight...

Rang Builder last night to see if we could start landscaping this weekend and he said NO unless we did an external inspection of services today ( which we couldn't do as all working). Fair enough.

I would have great pleasure in telling builder - we have built 3 properties [4 if you count duplex as 2] with you and your service has decreased with each build and customer expectations has been destroyed by yourself.

We cannot recommend you...etc

BUT I won't be telling him anything!!!

Feedback from customers is vital to businesses IMHO.
 
Hi Sheryn,

It's a shame when you experience service (from providers you are loyal to and have a history with) that follows the "law of diminishing returns".

Often when a person is happy with a service/product, they usually tell two other people. :)

What he is not aware of is that when people are not satisfied with a service or product they usually tell seven other people. :(

The worst competitor a business can have is therefore their unsatisfied customer. :D
 
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What he is not aware of is that when people are not satisfied with a service or product they usually tell seven other people. :(

The worst competitor a business can have is therefore their unsatisfied customer. :D

Funny you should say this as a few of his subcontractors are demotivated with his communication techniques and belittling messages delivered in various ways.

My great pleasure will be in telling other people (prospective clients) that we have built 3-4 properties with this builder and his customer service and quality has dropped so we cannot recommend him.........

Use observable facts to prove decrease in quality!

Anyway I need to work out what next project is (and not get pulled into negativity).

Cheers
Sheryn
 
Handover tonight

Yesterday afternoon, we did a walk through with builder prior to handover ( we had already inspected by ourselves and wrote a list of faults that needed fixing) and gently pointed these out to the builder. ;)

Today valuer inspected, faxed or email report to Credit Union and I checked that final payment had been processed this afternoon.

Forgot to get Credit Union mentioned on Insurance documents as mortagee so rang Insurance Broker from work for him to retify and fax to Credit Union

Hubby is up at building now- spraying for pests and to collect keys and remote controls of builder.

Behind the scenes, we have an excavator coming tomorrow, have ordered garden mix and I have written cheque out for hubby to pay truck driver.

Hubby to order turf for Saturday and we ordered and picked up plants as per landscaping plans yesterday.

We are buying our daughter a washing machine as a belated Christmas and birthday present.

I forgot to organise TV antennaes so Hubby can do so tomorrow.
Daughter is finishing work at 6pm tonight so should be home by 6.30pm (she never leaves work if the place is busy = good 2IC).

PLAN
Move daughter into her unit tonight with blow up air mattress, sleeping bag and esky full of food and drink ( duplex is only 5 minutes away from home)

Daughter and hubby are taking tomorrow off work - her to clean and move (pitiful cleaning of duplex) and hubby to start yard with excavtor.

Letterbox purchased x1 and x1 on order from Bunnings.

Daughter has just rung and is on her way home - we will have to christen the house with a drink tonight. :D


Kind Regards
Sheryn
 
On a slightly different note

When I got home from work today the Credit Union had rung because our daughter had made an internet transaction of over 1K to a new name and they were just checking as part of their fraud strategy.

Anyway I rang and cleared the issue - daughter had paid the Electrician for the lights & extra fittings which he had allowed to be booked up in his name as he passed on the trade discount.


Cheers
Sheryn
 
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Well last night didn't go as planned, the painter had been in to give the internal stairs the second coat of stain - so daughter stayed home.

Today she has started moving in.

Hubby is over there with excavator driver landscaping the yard and spreading garden mix.

He has ordered turf for delivery on Friday to be laid on Saturday - (there will be an argument if he has ordered too much, as he is a bit slap happy with measurements and I am 'anal' at controlling costs).


Sheryn
 
Sheryn, thanks for your thread. Great to see it all coming together.
Can you post some more photos up when you get a chance?

Well done,

Gools
 
Have been trying over the last 3 days to load pictures but keeps failing, daughter tried this morning and couldn't load pictures either.

Will try again this coming weekend to load pictures.


Regard
Sheryn
 
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