Avoid Future Renovation Nightmares: Quality Custom Homes Built Right the First Time

Are you planning to build a custom home in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs? When you are spending $1 million (or more), the last thing you expect is poor quality from your home builders – or a major defect in a wet area such as a bathroom. Major defects can leave homeowners paying for extensive renovations or a complete knockdown and rebuild. Why does the quality of work differ between home builders? Like some things we purchase, cheap can correlate with inferior quality. You should be able to expect transparent and comprehensive pricing that reflects quality work from your builder. When it comes to building your home, there is no substitute for quality materials and workmanship.

Why Do Some New Home Builds and Renovations Last Longer Than Others?

Building standards and trends in wet areas such as bathrooms have changed over the years. In some cases, builders have opted for cheaper materials without considering the long-term impacts on the homeowners.

Sydney construction lawyers say that poor builder workmanship is one of the most common building disputes they see(*1).

Bathroom Renovation Gone Wrong

Whilst completing an extension and renovation on a client’s home recently, we discovered major defects in an existing upstairs bathroom. The bathroom wasn’t part of the renovation works; the owners hadn’t budgeted to renovate this bathroom as it wasn’t that old, and our hearts went out to the owners. In only a few years, the bathroom’s waterproofing had failed. Water was leaking into the substrate under the floor and walls. It was damaged beyond repair.

The video shows a damaged chipboard substrate in Sydney home.

Waterproofing is critical to maintaining the integrity of the home. If done incorrectly or poorly, key structural elements such as the house frame, walls, and floors can fail(*2).

Why Did This Happen?

Their previous builder used chipboard as substrate, and the waterproofing was sub-par(*3). The builder may have saved themselves $200 in materials and a couple of hours of work at the time. Unfortunately, now the homeowners were forced to spend $1,000s on demolition, building materials, labour and fittings to get their bathroom up to standard.

Quick solutions are not always good solutions – as you will discover in Managed Build’s latest video.

Managed Build was dubious about using chipboard when it became a trend because it is prone to:

• Swelling, disintegrating, and instability.
• Thermal movement (which can cause waterproofing to fail).

Managed Build never compromises quality and takes extra care with attention to detail on every element.

The Solution? Knockdown and Rebuild Bathroom or Entire Home

On rare occasions, a knockdown and rebuild is the only solution. If the whole home was built to poor standards & water has seeped into concrete foundations, the steel mesh and bars that reinforce the concrete can become corroded(*4).

In this situation and considering the high costs of rectification works, we would much rather our clients choose a knockdown rebuild because they adore the area they live in and want a new home that is better suited to their lifestyle and growing family.

Are NSW Homeowners Covered for Major Defects?

The NSW Statutory Warranty exists to protect homeowners from major and other defects. The coverage periods start from the construction completion date(*5).

• Major defects – six years.
• Other defects – two years.

What is a Major Defect?

Major defects include core elements of the home, i.e., foundations, walls, roof, and waterproofing(*5-7).

Water leaks are among the top complaint types against builders(*6,8).

Quality Homes Built with Skill and Care

We build homes that:

• Meet or exceed Australian standards.
• Easily pass certifier inspections.

Your home is where you should feel safe and confident that the roof over your head has been built with skill and care.

What Are You Really Getting With Your Build?

When you partner with Managed Build, you are promised:

• Quality materials.
• Experience.
• Skilled workmanship.
• Dedication.

We build homes that we would feel confident living in for decades.

Contact us today to start building a quality custom home that you can enjoy for many years to come.

 

 

References

*1. Construction Lawyers Sydney. Common Building Disputes in Sydney. Contracts Specialist. 2022.
*2. Watson and Watson Lawyers. Statutory Warranty Period – Building Has Defects –Home Building Act Time Limits – Some Recent Cases. 2021.• Cement Rendering Repairs in Sydney • Campbelltown Skip Bin Hire rubbish.com.au
*3. Meddich, R. Why We Don't Use Particle Board in Wet Areas. Tips From Your Quality Home Builder In Sydney. Managed Build. YouTube video. 2022.• Construction signage absolutecolour.com.au
*4. Downing, K. Effects of Poor Waterproofing. Alpine Home News. 2019.
*5. NSW Fair Trading. Building Defect Complaints. NSW Government. 2022. *6. Moray & Agnew Lawyers. What Constitutes a 'Major Defect' in a Residential Building. 2019. Marketing Technical SEO in Sydney
*7. Hansons Lawyers. What Constitutes a “Major Defect” Under The Home Builders Act 1989 (NSW). 2021.
*8. Edwin, E. What is a Major Defect? Conditsis Lawyers. 2020.