Recoveringbuilder

I feel for you, luckily we had a separate annex we could finish and move into. The non-attendance of trades seems to be a perennial problem, I've no solutions but its a problem worthy of its own thread.

We have been living "in" the building site for about 4 months now, but at least it is only me making the mess, and then clearing it up.

1 minute ago, ProDave said:

We have been living "in" the building site for about 4 months now, but at least it is only me making the mess, and then clearing it up.

 

+1 (at the time). Plus we did get a couple of rooms completely finished so that we could move in. kitchen / family room became kitchen, lounge, bedroom, dining area for a while. We stored all of the remainder of our belongings in what was to be the formal lounge in the knowledge that we wouldn’t be able to finish it for a while (it needed painting, flooring, skirting etc still). 

 

Can you not force them to complete at least 1 room so that you can shut it off and use? 

 

I sympathise and @Hecateh is sharing the same joy just now. 

 

 

That’s the biggest problem, the staircase won’t be with us for a month at least but I could quite honestly live downstairs but they have stuff lying everywhere there isn’t a room we could store everything in without them using our stuff as somewhere to put their things on top of,I’ve put the chap who’s going to lay the flooring off twice already as the place is a tip and it would just get wasted , we’re truly on the verge of putting them off the job, we could probably finish it quicker ourselves!

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So 16 days ago the builder said he had a weeks worth of work to do, 16 days later he still has, the electricity connection is happening this week and we’ve told them once there is power we’re in but it doesn’t seem to make any difference to them, the plumber said today when I told him our plans, do you really think this will happen, short answer- yes you lot are not forcing me into staying in this caravan any longer my furniture is coming home next Thursday and once it’s here there’s no builders getting in I’ve seen how they treat your belongings, why do they not finish a room at a time, shut the door and know they don’t have to go back in there, oh no that would be using your brain, instead they leave a window sill or piece of skirting to be done and move onto something else and that’s if they bother coming out at all, we’ve had 3 days of attendance the last fortnight, fed up doesn’t even begin to cut it!

 

1 hour ago, newhome said:

I sympathise and @Hecateh is sharing the same joy just now. 

 

(Although I wish none of us had this experience) It's kind of comforting to know others, and their belongings, get treated with the same lack of respect.  Someone, or rather Mr Nobody as they all deny responsibility, has even chipped my new kitchen worktop.  I'm pretty sure I know who it was but he vehemently denied it.  "I'm big enuff an' man enuff t'own up if it were me and it wan't an' I dun't like gerrin' blamed fur summat I an't dun'.  The other reason why i suspect my plumbers are not coming back.  

It's a tiny chip; no one will ever know that it is there unless I tell them, and I can't afford to replace the top but it is soul destroying.

 

I aimed to be in by the end of September, I knew this was ambitious but thought I would be nearly there, and I was, but somehow 3 weeks later I am no nearer.  There are a combination of reasons.  Stuff arriving damaged and needing replacing (and refitting).  Aforementioned plumbers - if their work was done I could have at least half moved in this coming weekend.  Handyperson being ill and having car problems - not his fault but still throws my schedule out).  Me not daring to order some things because until some other jobs are completed there is no where to put them.  Me delaying ordering some things because I am losing sleep over a £50 difference between what I want and what will do the job (but not be what I want) etc, etc, etc.

 

I will get there!

 

 

That sounds exactly like my story , it’s a domino effect, the builders are so disorganised they’ve got me in the same state, I look around at everything and don’t know where to start, tiler has been on holiday for a fortnight and was coming this afternoon but he now has car problems! Of course plumber can’t install sanitary ware until tiling is done and all the sanitary ware is filling a room , I too thought I’d be in late September early October but it hasn’t happened, we need to grab back control!

I feel for you @Christine Walker and @Hecateh, sending you virtual hugs.  As my main contractor disappeared onto bigger and better things I have been arranging most of the trades. I got the whole house painted as the main contractor said I should but now it is gradually getting trashed as other trades ruin it.  AS my sparky was off sick for a week his second fix didn't get done before the painters so he has cut holes in the painted holes and patched up where he got it wrong.  Also I have only just got my staircase fitted which apparently is a 1st fix job (no-one told me) and again the plaster/paintwork is trashed.  We are still moving in on 3 Nov but it will in no way be finished liked we hoped it would be.

1 minute ago, Jude1234 said:

I feel for you @Christine Walker and @Hecateh, sending you virtual hugs.  As my main contractor disappeared onto bigger and better things I have been arranging most of the trades. I got the whole house painted as the main contractor said I should but now it is gradually getting trashed as other trades ruin it.  AS my sparky was off sick for a week his second fix didn't get done before the painters so he has cut holes in the painted holes and patched up where he got it wrong.  Also I have only just got my staircase fitted which apparently is a 1st fix job (no-one told me) and again the plaster/paintwork is trashed.  We are still moving in on 3 Nov but it will in no way be finished liked we hoped it would be.

There is no way round that.  Handyman is trashing his own work.  I am treating the whole decorating thing as a base coat meaning that there isn't going to be any plaster showing at the edges of furniture after painting as it had a couple of coats beforehand.  The whole house was spray painted  before any fittings were in but the whole house is going to need re decorating.  Oh - and the one place the plasterer didn't get a smooth finish was directly above one of the wall light so it looks very rough.

Yep, I too feel your frustrations - our Joiner has been on site for just 13 days out of a possible 30 working days!! As a result, other trades are having to be put back and the time in our rental extended for another month.

Electrician said he would be on site this week - failed to show thus far.

Plumber won't come out until Kitchen is in.

Kitchen can't go in until tiles are down.

Tiler failed to show for past 3 working days despite saying he would.

What can you do? I'm sure it will all come together over the next 2 -3 weeks but why does it have to be so blooming frustrating ??

I believe it is part and parcel of self building - I don't believe anyone said it was going to be easy !!

And I am still waiting to complete my window installation!!

I T . W I L L . A L L . B E . W O R T H . I T . I N . T H E . E N D

We had a few chips, scratches and cracks of stoneware and veneered doors, flooring  etc. These things happen and even if they own up, it's difficult to get anyone to pay out.

 

We used a Magic Man (repair franchise) who came to site and fixed all of these issues (you would never know that they'd ever happened) for a fixed fee - about £250.

 

 

15 minutes ago, Bitpipe said:

We had a few chips, scratches and cracks of stoneware and veneered doors, flooring  etc. These things happen and even if they own up, it's difficult to get anyone to pay out.

 

We used a Magic Man (repair franchise) who came to site and fixed all of these issues (you would never know that they'd ever happened) for a fixed fee - about £250.

 

 

Yup. There are a couple of ( tidy ) companies about that offer such services. Another I've used is called Plastic Surgeon, ( and no, no to get my man-tits reduced before you say it @PeterW ). 

They do some fantastic work and some of the repairs you literally have to see to believe. Deffo get the chip done @Hecateh as it'll bug the shit out of you otherwise.   

More likely to be 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Unika-ColorFill-Worktop-Joint-Sealer-Compound-Laminate-Repair-Various-Colours/292070230041?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D54618%26meid%3D41cb828a2b984508b1ca6329214709bc%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D3%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D231594513570%26itm%3D292070230041&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

 

than Magic Man - it's laminate work top - I could get the whole thing replaced for less than £250 

So after a no show again this morning after they promised to be here yesterday and didn’t turn up we decided to call them and tell them they were off the job, the main man had the audacity to say I’m not here to come whenever you call! No but you’re supposed to be finishing off a job you took on! At the time of writing this they are here picking up the remainder of their tools and we have a joiner who we know and trust starting next Monday. He wouldn’t take the job on initially as he works alone and it was too big for him but he was coming to do flooring so he now has a bit more to do.

Fingers crossed you get a bit more progress made with your new guy. 

This has been a good week, the new joiner started on Monday and he has really gotten through all the odds and ends that have been waiting around forever, the tiler has been on site for two days and I now have a fully tiled bathroom, utility and he has done one of the shower cubicles in an ensuite , I really didn’t think he’d get as much done in the two days, so he’s coming early tomorrow morning to do the grouting and the plumber can now fit the cloakroom, bathroom and one of the showers. The electricity meter was connected today, we should have had power at that point but it’s delayed until tomorrow, the electrician who now has a broken wrist on one side and a broken pinky on the other will be back tomorrow to do some more fitting of lights and switches, the kitchen is all hand painted so it’s ready to go. The only blip is that Scottish Water were meant to be here today for yet another inspection, they’ve been 3 times and last time we hadn’t the boundary box in so another inspection was needed! Of course they never appeared and a phone call at 4 o clock never got me anywhere, they are the worst to deal with, water connection is now holding up the pellet stove and thermal store getting commisioned, my furniture will be back on Tuesday, we had to make a decision on this as it could have gone on forever! The staircase has finally been sorted out but won’t be for a few weeks and we have a new installer for that but the firm won’t send out the glass balustrade until the installer gives all the sizes, he has said he will template it with 1/4” ply but there is a lot of glass and a tight budget now so I don’t fancy having to buy all that ply to be cut up then scrapped any ideas of what else could be used gratefully received 

A full sheet of 6mm ply is £12 from B&Q. Hardboard is about £8

 

How much is one wrong piece of glass in comparison ......????

Template all the way.  

11 hours ago, Christine Walker said:

The staircase has finally been sorted out but won’t be for a few weeks and we have a new installer for that but the firm won’t send out the glass balustrade until the installer gives all the sizes, he has said he will template it with 1/4” ply but there is a lot of glass and a tight budget now so I don’t fancy having to buy all that ply to be cut up then scrapped any ideas of what else could be used gratefully received 

 

Not a place to cut corners. Expensive if a mistake is made.

Edited November 1, 2018 by Ferdinand

12 hours ago, Christine Walker said:

tiler has been on site for two days and I now have a fully tiled bathroom, utility and he has done one of the shower cubicles in an ensuite

 

Take note @Onoff!

Latest update!!!

so Scottish Water didn’t appear yesterday for inspection and I called them this morning, they then emailed an other department and requested they come out today, meanwhile after there being traffic lights on the road (for Scottish Power) for the last 9 days they were removed,then comes SW inspector , oh yes your boundary box is fine but we cannot connect you until you implement chapter 8, what the hell are you talking about; well apparently WE have to apply to the council for traffic management and pay for it to enable SW to spend 20 minutes making the connection, this is the connection we paid over a grand for 5 months ago and the same connection that we have had to do all the work for , installation of ducting both on our land and across the road, supply both the ducting and pipe etc, had they come out when I phoned on October 22nd the road was under traffic management, even if he’d come yesterday when he was meant to it was under management but oh no that wouldn’t do that would be too easy! There is now a sign at the bottom of the road saying the road is going to be closed next week for 3 days apparently for bt although we cancelled our connection as it was going to coincide with SP energy, do you think they could take the opportunity to connect us then ? I very much doubt it!

When we got our connection from Scottish Water, we paid for an "all works" contract with them making the road crossing and taking care of any legalities associated with that and digging up the field the other side to make the connection.  Even so they were an awkward bunch to deal with.  but on the day it was a subcontracted company that did the work and as is usual, the guys on the ground doing the work were fine.

 

The did fail us on our first "track inspection" because I had not fitted the tripple non return valve to the standpipe and the caravan.

They refused to do an all works contract said they didn’t do that ! We’ve had 4 visits from them two of which we never asked for they came by mistake! They have changed the requirements at every visit and this latest one has never been mentioned before, I mean how are we meant to organise traffic management when we wouldn’t even know where to start and even if we did how do we know when they want it for when they don’t even come when they’re meant to and miss appointments without any warning, the chap who came yesterday just quoted we’d need chapter 8 he didn’t even say how we went about it!

Sounds like time to raise a complaint....