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Is this expertise more something that an architect deals with rather than...

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Jay P

Hi All, My wife and I have started our journey to build a house and have purchased a section Ramarama area in Auckland (Franklin). Could someone please suggest some local builders or building companies that we could begin approaching that they recommend? I have taken a month but have read each and every single post that was written and learnt a great deal. I have read all of NZS3902-2004 as well as a full master builders contract. I am well and truly shocked at the stark difference between the contracts. I also feel for all the people that have run into issues with their build and builders, I really appreciate that everyone has been able to share their story so others can learn and know what to look out for. It seems every building company I approach wants to use the master builders contract, and also is not prepared to give me a decent estimate of prices without PC/PS they just base it on m2 data and don’t want to take the time to investigate pricing without a payment. I have obtained a geotech report and a site survey/topo/contour plot to assist with pricing I have also detailed a comprehensive list of our requirements including the spec of Gib, framing, insulation, windows, cladding, etc and a rough house plan. We are interested in building a very energy efficient well insulated house, but struggle to find builders that have any concept of what thermal bridging or differences between vapor and air barriers are. Is this expertise more something that an architect deals with rather than builders? Jay
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Sarah Anderson

It genuinely blows my mind how many people think building companies should invest their time and money into their project without any financial commitment while they “shop around”. If building companies did this for every Tom, Dick and Harry who walked through the door they would go broke. Plain and simple. How about people start showing some respect for the time and cost to run a small business in this country and don’t try and get everything for nothing. If you wouldn’t go to work each day without being paid, don’t expect builders too.
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Source detailsComment #117477Reply to #117474Thread #117474Source link

MJ

I completely understand your comment Sarah but unfortunately for every good builder/building company there are a dozen bad ones which then taints everyone with a bad name and MB and LPB don’t help your image one bit. Good for you if you are an honest and hard working business owner, your work will speak for itself so nothing on this website should affect you one bit, but thanks for the insight.
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Source detailsComment #117478Reply to #117477Thread #117474Source link

NigelH

Fully agree. Builders build, architectural designers and architects design. Don’t go to a builder to design your house. Pay your money to a designer to do the full house plans and spec. By the way designers also don’t do something for nothing. Maybe you’ll get a half hour to an hour max. free consultation. Of course you do get “builders who are a one stop shop. Most commonly building franchises and there are plenty of them. You’ll get drawings and a price for a fee and if you decide not to proceed you can’t use their drawings even if you’ve paid. I feel sorry for the majority of people who ask for recommendations on this and that on this website. Just fortunate that I have a technical interest in a lot of engineering matters including building and consider myself an amateur architectural designer. I have the time available to do this which many people don’t and am prepared to pay when I need more specialist than myself for building design input. There is a Chris ….. who helps many people out on this website. I’m surprised he’s not exasperated by certain requests.
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Source detailsComment #117479Reply to #117477Thread #117474Source link

H M

Fair comment. But building companies should respect consumers, too. I just went through a four month “process” with a design and build company. They gave a house/land package estimate and, based on that, deposit was paid. They suggested getting a “custom build” and I agreed, based on their assurance that the final price would come within the budget I gave them. They advertise that they work to budget, so I understood the onus was on them to get pretty close. After four months tweaking plans, the house/land came in $200,000 over budget (over 20%), with possibly more to pay. So I chose to walk, mainly because I had lost all trust at that stage based on how they operated. A complete waste of time.
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Source detailsComment #117493Reply to #117477Thread #117474Source link

Chris C

Hi Nigel, Not sure if I’m the ‘Chris’ you’re referring to (there’s more than one, which is why I use ‘Chris C’). But if you are, the answer is I respond to stuff because I have the time, and like you also feel sorry for some of the people who write in. Because I can see they are in danger of being ripped off. I agree with most of what you wrote, and I’m sure you’re aware of the following. But for others benefit I would mention, as I have before, that before you sign anything or pay anything, everything is up for negotiation. And that includes what drawings/design you have paid for. If you pay anything for stuff like concept drawings make sure that you get an agreement that you will at least share ownership/copyright of the product. Because if you don’t then most likely the designer or SI company will put something on all their documents that the copyright belongs to them. Of course you have to be reasonable. If the drawings are just minor changes to a builder’s ‘standard’ book of designs, so you haven’t paid much for the changes, maybe you haven’t paid for any copyright. But if the whole thing is a new design, and you’ve paid the going rate, then why shouldn’t it also belong to you? Having said that, the kind of ‘drawings’ most franchise builders use as the basis for a price estimate seem to be just floor plans, and elevations (if you’re lucky). So you don’t need to make many tweaks (I’ve been told only about 10%) for it to become your ‘original’ design. Problem solved.
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Source detailsComment #117482Reply to #117479Thread #117474Source link

delyan

Learned a bitter sweat lesson signing a contract with a reputable franchisee based on a Concept Design. You think the price provided will be very close to the fixed cost price once working drawings and Building Consent is issued. This is never the case and the fixed build price is massively overpriced when compared to the contracted price based on the Concept Design. Once you commit to a contract and you are suckered in, you then see the deception of these ‘pack of thieves.’ Unscrupulous companies like these, are a disgrace to the Building Industry. In my case, this particular building company is virtually destroyed. All employees have left and it is only a question of time when they lose their franchise. Never underestimate the ‘Law of Karma.’
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Source detailsComment #117494Reply to #117493Thread #117474Source link

AM

HM….sorry about that hey, but took interest in reading your comment becoz me and my wife we are in exactly the same predicament. We paid quite some money for the plans about $8k with a very reputable (we thought it was) building company, after being referred to by a friend. We visited their showhomes & we were impressed mostly my wife. For the past 3-4 months, we they have been tweaking and working on the plan, after giving us an initial quote which was very reasonable & competitive, we were over the moon about it…and of course with the promise that even if things change becoz of covid affected pricing, the final quote would still be within our budget. Then it came, $152 000.00 over budget. The only thing that we had changed during the tweaking of the plan was adding a balcony, this we were sure as promised would not blow us out of budget. The foundations were doubled, but even then it was only an extra $30k on foundations. Now we still cracking our heads what to do next. Going through the small print details of the quotes, we have even realized they altered & changed some of the things without our consent. I have kind of lost trust in all building companies to be honest, they all seem to be cut from the same cloth!! All my mates who have built houses have similar stories to tell….,really what is wrong with building companies..???? We have currently scheduled a meeting with the consultant for the building company.
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Source detailsComment #117534Reply to #117493Thread #117474Source link

maree Downs

Hi there, this is the same concern I have. Is there any way around this? I too need a custom build to fit the site but concerned I will sign up to something then find the design will blow the budget.
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Minz

Good decision to walk away at that point. “Custom” built would have only meant a tweak to one of their current floor plans.
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Source detailsComment #117761Reply to #117493Thread #117474Source link

H M

“Law of Karma”- I like that. Luckily I did not sign a contract but walked away once I realised they had no intention of coming close to the estimate. Four months wasted and dream squashed. I only lost the deposit which I am being forced to go to Tribunal for (matter of principal). Unfortunately there is a gap in the law as I can only claim back the deposit while this dishonest bunch still have the house/land and can just try again for a sucker who will just pay it. There is no real penalty to dissuade this kind of behaviour? I am not the first person they have done this to. Sad also that I thought they were going to be ethical as they claim to be “green” (Green Homes NZ, Auckland). Nope!
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Jeannie

Would you be able to tell me what area you are in . This sounds familiar to what happened to us.
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Source detailsComment #117535Reply to #117534Thread #117474Source link

Natty

Hi there I read your post and comments about how deceptive the Building Companies are. I have had a similar experience and it was a costly and painful one. You think you are signing up with a reputable company, that prides itself with honesty and integrity, but in reality, they are not. In my case, the contracted price which was based on a concept design changed dramatically. The Building Company refused to provide a detailed breakdown on the price variation and sighted that this information was ‘Trade Secrets.’ I then had hired a Quantity Surveyor to independently price the Contract and the results were absolutely alarming. QS found the Building Company substantially underpriced the build to lock you into a Build Contract and once you sign up, they then rectify the under-pricing with a substantial increase to the build price. The disappointing thing is that Building Companies can do this because the Contract is based on Provisional Sums and Provisional Costs. I could go on, but this company is already paying a big price for its dishonesty and lack of integrity. All the staff including the sales reps have left and there is lots of talk within the local community about how incompetent this company is. This company is an embarrassment to the Franchise. It is only a question of time when this Company complete folds. The Law of Karma!!
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Source detailsComment #117536Reply to #117534Thread #117474Source link

AM

Jeannie, I have realized most building companies are the same, there might be good guys out there, but the honest ones are hard to come by. I am somewhere in Auckland.
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Source detailsComment #117538Reply to #117535Thread #117474Source link

Jeannie

Doesn’t sound as though it is the same “shark” that ripped us off. We are south of Whangarei and north of Auckland.
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Jane

Hi Jeannie we are about to sign a contract with a franchisee in whangarei. Lawyer looking over contract this week. Increasingly worried that costs will spiral and timeline lengthen. Anxious to avoid a shark
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Jeannie

Good luck with your decision making. We did not use a franchise, we used a building company.
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