Day 165. Sunday, 30 January 2011. Its closer now to the date we expected the house complete. The contract, you know that legal document said 212 days for construction. And given that month long delay by PD (the builders) at the start, PD agreed to reduce the build time to 205 days. Which brings us to 10 March 2010. All easy right!
Not really. Been trying to get that confirmed in writing and three weeks later an email from our administrator says PD has worked out that 6 April 2010 is D-Day. WHAAAAAAAAAT? Seems like a little note in the Fixed Price Tender says they can add more days for Christmas. So now while the Contract includes a 28 day allowance for Christmas, the good folk at PD want to add another 24 days for Christmas. That makes it 52 days in all.....thats one celebration that is far too long. Most parts of the world get Chrissy done and dusted in no more than three weeks. 52 days for Christmas, would I love a holiday like that! So not happy Jan.
When the site start was delayed, I was told that the Building Manager would oversee our project and they would make every effort to finish ahead of schedule. Ha! Would that ever happen? Havent spoken to the Building Manager in six months, and guess what, looks like them builders want to take every single day the contract allows them and more.
To put dates in perspective, we signed up with them in March last year and were told by the sales consultant albeit verbally that they would start in May 2010. They actually started in August 2010, a month late and now it seems an extended Christmas break is in order. There's a choice array of phrases I could borrow from Enid Blyton, but I wont just yet. One year later, we are still waiting and waiting and I can tell you our patience is being tested sorely.
Note to people building houses: read all bits of paper. Even the ones they tell you to disregard, cause I'm pretty sure we were told to disregard the "Special Conditions" under the tender. There was supposedly nothing in there that would affect us.
Back to construction dates, in my humble opinion, the contract is supersedes all else, Fixed Price Tender and other bits of paper that the kids scribbled on included. Construction begins based on the contract, and so 10 March 2010 it should be in my books, and VCAT if I have to. Another battle, sigh! The house has been idle for weeks at a time, and now this is what we get. If PD actually cared, they could still finish the house on time. But its like a side show meandering on, stopping a little, starting a little and boy is it frustrating! I'm. So. Very. Annoyed. Now.
