A few hints

Wow! I can't believe how many people are looking at this blog. The traffic is enormous especially considering we haven't even started to build yet. Don't forget you can either be a 'follower' which means that it comes up in your reading list with eblogger or you can follow by email, meaning an email is sent to you when I post something rivoting (or not!)

A number of friends are in the process of dreaming, researching or tendering for a house build so I thought it might be useful to post a tip or two for that stage of the build.

• Identify the upgrade items on the display home you choose to build (take the upgrade list and visually tick them off one by one making a note that they are  upgrades) So much of the display homes are upgraded throughout. Many builders do have display homes that are set out only as a standard home ie without any upgrades. Ask to see one of those for comparison sake. Of course, this is difficult if your home doesn't have a display home or you make so many structural changes like we did!
• Have a look at similar house plans on the online forums if possible since this will give you  ideas that other customers have come up with. HOMEONE forums are invaluable. There is a 'thread' topic in these forums title 'Things you forget'  - lists many, many ideas for adding to your house to make it your home. HomeOne - Things you forget
• Make sure all items that you would like to have and think you have included are listed in the tender document.
• Communicate with your builder via EMAIL. This keeps a record of your dealings with them.
• Double and triple check prices in the tender - they do make mistakes with calculations!
• Ask questions from fellow home builders for recommendations since some the other home builders bad experiences may help you avoid a painful situation. Again, I recommend getting onto HomeOne forums.
• Think about including Provisional Allowances for items that you think you might want to add later in the selection process. For example, we added $10K for kitchen upgrades (needed $20K!!), $15K for electrical, $5K for tiles/carpet, $10K for window coverings etc etc If you do not do this, the variations costs post tender requires short payment terms and this will need to be settled before handover.
  
  
  Hope this helps a little.

The answer is....DiLorenzo!

An email was sent early this morning to EBH management outlining my concerns with the communication process particularly the 'additional charges' that appear on PCVs. True to form, a phone call came through early this afternoon to try & resolve the issue. The outside companies are supposed to inform the clients of the additional charges which has not been the case for us or others I know of. With DiLorenzo, there is a document that needs signing to say that the charges have been explained. We have not signed that nor is it in the paperwork that has been forwarded to EBH so Management have deleted that amount from our PCV.
Hopefully, it will ensure these little 'additional charges' don't keep popping up in the future. Again, top marks to EBH for striving hard to resolve the issue and for their great customer service.

Who is responsible?!

It has been a while. Nothing much has happened on the house front and school holidays are in full swing here.
I happened to look at Eden Brae Connect tonight (a portal for customers) and I noticed a PCV sitting there that has not yet been forwarded to me - my Di Lorenzo upgrades. We requested (at great cost) floor to ceiling tiling in the ensuite and the main bathroom (wet area portion only) figuring it was a worthwhile investment. Signed off on the quote 2 weeks ago.
This PCV from EB has this line item added in...
"Provide additional installation charges due to full height wall tiling to Ensuite/Bathroom to include: * Return trip by plasterer to install cornice * Additional room clean        - $650"
No-one has mentioned this additional charge EVER. Was DiLorenzo meant to discuss this with us when we requested floor to ceiling tiling? Is this something EBH should have talked about? Common courtesy I would think rather than slapping it on a variation AFTER we have accepted the Di Lorenzo quote and it is too late to change it. The bathrooms had better be sparkling clean on handover!!

Thanks for bearing with me in my pictureless posts! I haven't really had much to show of late and probably won't until early next year when construction starts. I remembered today that I hadn't shown the absolutely riveting inside of our wardrobes. They will look something a little like this - white melamine with hanging spaces, shelves & drawers. Brad & I each have a wardrobe that will be U shaped. I am having a motion sensor light in mine - for fun! (Brad couldn't have one as the ensuite is off his wardrobe and I didn't want the light turning on everytime I went to the bathroom)

The children will have something similar but smaller...

Great customer service, EBH!

Geez, I am impressed. I just hung up the phone from a call from the Manager, Bev, who responded a few weeks back to my furious email regarding the storm water bill for $15.5K. She wanted to see how things were progressing for me and how I was feeling about EB. Fantastic lady to chat to. Listened to my concerns about the 'outside' companies and told me what she was going to do about it. I feel validated, cared for and not too fearful of the journey ahead if I have Bev and Rania on my side. Hats off to you EBH!

Finally ALL good!

.....though I am worried about DiLorenzo supplying the goods when it comes time. I mean, if they can't get a quote right on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th attempt, will they be able to supply the correct tiles & carpet in the correct quantities??
Dealing with DiLorenzo has taken up soooo much time - almost as much as Kitchen Culture did. EBH, in my opinion, really need to look at the outside companies they work with. For mine, they are letting down the process and ultimately EBH.
Cooks Plumbing - by far the best & most efficient.
Abbey Blinds - seem to be better at the moment & depends on your consultant.
Outback Landscaping - offered me an outrageously expensive quote for a driveway. No thanks!
Kitchen Culture - based on my experience lacking customer service & a headache to deal with
Electricals - no complaints here but a tedious appointment
DiLorenzo - dodgy marketing (my opinion), time delays on quotes, incorrect quotes, time delays to amend quotes, lack of customer focus (well they have our custom already, don't they?)

All quotes are now in. Waiting for them all to be converted to PCVs and sent to me for signatures - electricals, staircase, tiles, carpets, extra externals taps.

And they still can't get it right!

1) The carpet quote was finally returned today with the sums correct but the wording was NOT! How hard is it?? Not rocket science. Just careful checking required. Rather than asking for another to be emailed, I sent the acceptance with my handwritten, initialled amendments on it. Let's see if they send another back to me for resigning....

2) DiLorenzo tiles - This is the email I received "I have just spoken to estimating again, There is a tile allowance for the area behind the cabinetry in the laundry, We will need to adjust our Quantity but the quote price will not change as it is a standard tile." He has totally forgotten that he put a half wall of tiles in our quote that I never asked for. This is what I am trying to get taken out of the quote - about $400 worth. His email is telling me that I am allowed tiles all the way around my laundry bench as standard - yes, thankyou, but take the other tiles out! Waiting, waiting for an response.....