Our Contruction Journey finally set on Friday, Feb 17, 2012

On Wednesday Feb 16 I were emotional as I saw our SS on our site. It was first time after 18 MONTHS that FO have done on time (the schedule) for us.

On Friday Feb 17, I saw the most beautiful FENCES in the world on our site

On Tuesday Feb 21, we again got a pleasant surprise to see our long-waiting peg-out and even small rock for our driveway.

The remaing last job for the gum tree

We had emergent contractor to come over with small excavator to remove the wood shaves and leveling the ground on Feb 22

On Feb 23, the below pictures show the contractor must use bobcat to clean up the shaves and leveling ground 

Finally, the "pool_holes" mistakenly made by the crane has roughly been cover up

The below picture show as the wood shaves have removed, we can have a real picture of our last job for stump

The second lefover last job for the gum tree

As said in the previous entry, besides the need to roughly leveling the big holes,  we 
was naive to think that we just need to remove the wood shaves from stump grinding around the rear year as showed in the picture

Sumary of all Terrible Issues on our Gum Tree

We had waited for the Tree People to come over to clean up as they had promised many times over the phone and meeting not only by Mr. S but also by 2 other ladies.

On Thursday, Feb 16, as our site was dry enough to get clean up, we call Mr. S requesting him to do it, then Mr. S said he would do on Friday, Feb 17. Nothing happened on Friday, Feb 17. Mr S said he would do it on Saturday, Feb 18 but he never do it.

So we have to organize another arrangement, but we couldn't do anything on Monday, Feb 18 as the site again returned into wet condition. While the forecast said it would wet on Tuesday, Feb 19 but we had almost dry day so we decided to clean up the tree's shaves yesterday. Unfortunately, we couldn't get the job done yesterday as the excavator was broken.  And we had found out very bad news that the stump was not completely grinded. Then we need to organize another tree people to complete that job.

The following is a summary of  our Gum Tree saga.

The above picture show how terrible the crane has sank into our ground soil.

This crane driver's fault on the tree removal day (Jan 31) has actually made ALL miserable troubles for us.
1) it made a big holes on the lower land area so that rain has made a very annoying "pool" there.
My DA and I have spent 6 hours for two late afternoons to get water off these big holes with a hope to help the soil there dry out  a bit quicker
2) the tree people started around 2 hours later than schedules as they needed to get the crane off . Initially, we thought the tree people couldn't' finish their job for us by removing the wood shaves from stump grinding because they were behind the schedule due to the crane problem. However, we has just come to recognize that they have been all cheating on us because they never really grind the stump and have a plane to remove the wood shaves on the same day!!! Big lesson for us!
3) we have to spend many phones call to request the tree people to come back to clean up the site. That mean we have really waste our valuable time and effort because after 3 weeks they never show up particularly on the good weather days (Feb17 and 18)
4) after remove the wood shaves and roughly leveling the ground by another contractor on Feb 22 and 23, we found out with shocking that the stump is almost there. And the stump is really big so that only big contractor with big machine can do that job. Certainly, they need big money for that job too. Furthermore, we need to get the stump job done in emergency manner due to tomorrow site cut.

 What huge the tree is. The tree is classified as a heritage tree. Yes, we love green and tree that why we bought our first home here in 2004. But everything has its life-span so it is a time to say good-buy for our tree. The council's tree on the street with similar size and age tree like ours was removed 3 years ago!

  For cutting the tree, this people did a good job. Obviously, we were right to choose them for just cutting the tree because they are big company and they have done such big job with risk and insurance everyday!  However, we should never have them in the contract for common jobs such as remove the rock before cutting the tree, grind the stump and remove the shaves.

Regarding the tree issue, we also have another anoying problem which is a sharing responsibility with a joint-owner.
It is true that the tree had grown from our land but these above pictures have obviously show that less than a half of the tree stump belong to the neighbor. Then, the tree had its joint-owners.

Uncompleted tree job

I just talked to Tree Company with regards to their cleaning up the site.

They said they couldn't do it now as the ground is still too wet to use machine. Of course the ground can't be clearly dry but obviously they can do their job. All building company are doing their jobs with the machine out there. They just want to do their cleaning job on their convenience.

It happened that we  rushed so instead of waiting for a good company, we  gave our business for a  unreferenced  company. Should never do it again!

By the end of the week date for stite start is still ALIVE

Called our CSO and got the following news:
1) if the nature mother hold on the rain, then our date for site start BY THE END OF THE WEEK is still alive
2) CSO will ask the SS call us with regards to our site start info (we really doubt that we will get that phone)
3) Will get the quote for cold water tap behind our Fridge. That means we are now waiting for 3 items quotes
including retaining walls and air-conditioning
4) we will get weekly update from CSO
5) New OM from FO

Finally, we got the CC but can't increase FRIJ's width

Called CSO and got news:

 - Officially got the CC

- got beautiful help with mirror mistake with the Family stack door's height

- date for site start is not decided and CSO told me to phone CC to get that important date

- We can't increase Fridge's width and have 2 more  stack door panels for Family next to Afresco due to redrawing and delay

- Still waiting for quote and contract for air conditioning and 2 planned retaining walls

We now need to get a site start but with such unreliable weather our date seems still away from us!

Tomorrow, Feb 7 we will finally get the CC after 3 moths waitting?

We will get the CC tomorrow and site start will be by the end of the week.

I've just talked over the phone with CSO and it appeared we finally have some real progress

1) she said all required documents have looked good to the certifier and the certifier will issue the very long-awaited CC for us.
...
2) we will get the site start by the end of the week.
-Though we very much dislike a repeated term which is "by the end of the week" because we almost have nothing progress/news by the end of many weeks
-We hope our site start really happens by the end of this week.
- Please nature mother hold the rain for us.

3) we have a SS
- We are really keen on putting all negative things and bad experiences with regards with paper work behind us and start a new page/stage for our building journey.

3 times LIES from builder for our basic CC and site start

With regards to our  HORRIBLE PROBLEM with CC and site start, we really want to walk away from our build with F builder.  We need your ACTION NOW  because  we can’t afford any more LIES AND INCOMPETENT TREATMENT from F builder.   

We repeatedly clarify the following points:

* On December 20, 2011, T- Operation Manager wrote that after we urgently paid the infrastructure restoration fee  to the Kuringai Council, our CC would be done.  Even more, T wrote our site start would be Jan 25

* On Jan 25, 2912, A said over the phone that we would get the CC by the end of the week which would be by Jan 27

*On Jan 31, A again said we would get the CC by the end of the week which would be by Feb 3

* On Feb 3, A again said we would know if we would get the CC on Feb 6 as the certifier comes back and if we get the CC, then we will get the site start date.

==> Fowler has CLEARLY AND OPENLY kept breaking their WORDS 3 TIMES.

==> Why do we suffer such LIES and HORRIBLE TREATMENT for our basic CC ?

On Feb 3 (last Friday), A told me over the phone that our CC delay as we needed to have the stomwater amendment  to meet with the Council basic conditions which were written on July, 2011.

We are very much unhappy with the situation because the Council requirement for stomwater amendment was SIX MONTHS AGO and F builder DIDN'T  DO ANYTHING in this regards.

We understand we couldn’t reverse with what had happened but we can look after with what will go to happen from now on

Therefore, would you please keep your words for this 4^th that all outstanding issues with our CC HAVE BEEN DONE and now we just need to wait for a private certifier to issue the CC on Monday? And our site start will be on the following day?

sitestart problems and 200 working days -building contract

a) the CC

 * On December 20, 2011 OM wrote an email saying that there were outstanding issues, but after our paying for infrastructure restoration fee, then we will get the CC soon.
*  Wednesday last week , CSO told me that we would get the CC by the end of last week which would by Jan 27, but it never happened
* This week (yesterday, Tuesday), CSO told me that we will get the CC on the early next week

 All promises have been broken for our very basic CC.  What is really going on over the past 3 MONTHS just for our CC

b) the site start

* OM wrote on December 20, 2011 that our site start is booked on Jan 25 (last Wed).  It was rain on that day.
* Friday last week, I started to request info for our re-schedule. After intensive chasing, this week (yesterday, Tuesday), CSO originally told me that site start would be commenced on the early next week because you need time to order materials

==> CSO know it is crystal clear  that it is 100%  NOT TRUTH because our original booked date was last week and we did only need preparation for excavation such as pegging out, site cut, fencing, mobile toilet.

c) re-schedule site start by Saturday, Feb 4 and 200 working days contract

* As CSO and OM all know our building contract is set for 200 working days excluding bad weather days, the festive break and public holidays

* Original Jan 25 site start was not counted as it was raining, but all days since then have been good weather. Therefore, our passing time is on counting.

* We sincerely hope our re-scheduled site start come truth

* Also, there is a special condition in our building contract that we will carry on independent inspector along with 5 milestone stages

 d) site manager

* We request CSO please introduce us to our site manager

* We are more than happy to meet him on the site and introduce him to our "dear" neighbors

e) Our "married" with Fo

* We have considered our decision to build with Fo that means we got married with Fo and that means we really wish to have a good time with Fo and we are on the Fo side.

* We have been over 1 year "paper" work with Fo. So, we are pretty sure Fo and we have enough time to understand each other's problems and issues.

* However, we always stay positive. Fo have many times broken their promises but we hope Fo will obey their legal building contract with us. We just want Fo deliver what they have legally agreed.

Good bye the Sydney blue-gum tree

The Crane driver made a unacceptable mistake which smashed many our lovely rocks into pieces, delayed the start and made our level ground became a little pool.

 Such really stupid mistake

Re-scheduled sitestart and LOST communication - Mon, Jan 30

Our site start would be on Wed, Jan 25 and our simple CC would be obtained by the Xmas break as written by Tom.

However, after 2 months excluding the Xmas break, our very basic CC is still ......missing in action.

Ordered site start Jan 25 was not certainly done because of the rain.

We wrote an email requesting info for site start re-schedule and the CC on last Friday morning (Jan 27), has been chasing up till today (Monday, Jan 30) but no one give us such basic info!

I really think I will ask Fo to work for them as a volunteer as I'm sure I know how to make the customers happy building and how to keep the customer even happy waiting along with the building procedures!

We are not really sure what is going on with our CSO. We emailed her and OM on Monday, Jan 23. And we called her TWO times and left two messages requesting her feedback to tree protection fencing and others for our site start. But we have never heard back anything from her.

This morning, we called our CSO again and Sara - FO 's phone receptionist has just told that CSO di...d not answer the phone and Sara would take our message for CSO.

So far there have been "lost" communications over the past 2 days and half. In addition, the review about FO time management, quality and communication for construction has been remaining very very negative on this website http://www.productreview.com.au/p/fowler-homes.html . That all makes us very alarm.

We really hope that FO has recognized their problems and issues with their current/existing customers. That means instead of chasing prospective customers, they should focus to make their existing customers happy. Then, powerful mouths of words from their existing customers will make more and more many new customers come to build with FO.