Sunday, 29 January 2012
The silence is deafening..............................
It's been over two weeks since I heard anything from anyone at McDonald Jones! What's happening people.......
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
The Meeting........
Early last week I received a telephone call from the owner of McDonald Jones Homes Mr Bill McDonald in regards to the issues we had noted in our blog. Our conversation was not that of what we had raised but more that he and his team were committed to addressing the issues and resolving any concerns we may have had. As a result a meeting was scheduled within the next two weeks for both he and the Senior Construction Supervisor to attend our site.
True to his word, yesterday I received another call asking me to site for a walk through with both Mr McDonald and the Senior Construction Supervisor which we completed today. To be brutally honest I really didn't know what to expect as both my wife and I are first time builders and we really didn't want to fall into the trap of being too pedantic with some of the issues we had raised. I also didn't know what if anything we were walking into after some of the horror stories published on the renovation forums.
As you all may recall very early in our build we had a slight mishap with our frames which was addressed in no small part by Mr McDonald so I had had some previous dealing with him and found him to be a straight shooter who cut straight to the point. Well today was no different and I must say that both Mr McDonald and his Construction Supervisor's professionalism and dedication to their customers could only be described as outstanding. We spent a good hour walking through, discussing issues and working out solutions to the things we had noted. There was not one single thing that either of these men batted an eyelid too and we were left in no doubt that we would be delivered a polished, well finished home.
I wonder how may other building/ construction companies the size of McDonald Jones would have the owner of the business contact you personally to address issues then come to site and spend the time understanding and addressing your concerns? My guess....... not many at all.
We were of no illusion that with a build of this nature there would always be some issues along the way, accidental or otherwise. However as a wise man once said to me during this journey "Don't judge us on our faults, judge us on how we fix them" they have so far risen to the challenge and given us a firm undertaking that all of our concerns will be addressed.
To both Bill and Mick, thanks gents we truly do appreciate your assistance, assurances and dedication to bringing us a home not just building us a house.
True to his word, yesterday I received another call asking me to site for a walk through with both Mr McDonald and the Senior Construction Supervisor which we completed today. To be brutally honest I really didn't know what to expect as both my wife and I are first time builders and we really didn't want to fall into the trap of being too pedantic with some of the issues we had raised. I also didn't know what if anything we were walking into after some of the horror stories published on the renovation forums.
As you all may recall very early in our build we had a slight mishap with our frames which was addressed in no small part by Mr McDonald so I had had some previous dealing with him and found him to be a straight shooter who cut straight to the point. Well today was no different and I must say that both Mr McDonald and his Construction Supervisor's professionalism and dedication to their customers could only be described as outstanding. We spent a good hour walking through, discussing issues and working out solutions to the things we had noted. There was not one single thing that either of these men batted an eyelid too and we were left in no doubt that we would be delivered a polished, well finished home.
I wonder how may other building/ construction companies the size of McDonald Jones would have the owner of the business contact you personally to address issues then come to site and spend the time understanding and addressing your concerns? My guess....... not many at all.
We were of no illusion that with a build of this nature there would always be some issues along the way, accidental or otherwise. However as a wise man once said to me during this journey "Don't judge us on our faults, judge us on how we fix them" they have so far risen to the challenge and given us a firm undertaking that all of our concerns will be addressed.
To both Bill and Mick, thanks gents we truly do appreciate your assistance, assurances and dedication to bringing us a home not just building us a house.
Sunday, 1 January 2012
Expectations
I must apologise for the substantial lack of photos recently however there have been a few issues that have been niggling me for a while now that we are getting to the final fit out of the build. These issues tend to be more in the "Quality" of the work being done and I am really starting to feel that the finishes of our home will be no where near the finishes in the display homes that drew us to MDJ. Am I wrong to expect that our home should be finished as well as the many many MDJ display homes we have visited?
I am hoping that all of these issues can and will be rectified and as MDJ are now closed for the holidays I don't want to vent to much but honestly I don't know how much more miscommunication and poor craftsmanship I can deal with. I find it so disheartening to see good work damaged by tradies who just don't seem to give a shit, well, except for one but that's another story.
Our polished porcelain floor tiles in our ensuite are running +20mm out of square and as a result there is a 10mm bed of grout on one side of the wall and none on the other side.There are other issues in the main bathroom but they have been addressed with the SS and will hopefully be sorted.
A number of our light switches have been screwed on using bugle head screws rather then the proper fittings and they don't appear to be fixed to the wall plates. Some of these switches have been fitted so close to the architraves the sparkys have literally dug or more accurately "Gouged" out the side of the architrave to fit the cover plate. Other switches have been fitted off centre to the wall and stick out like the proverbial. We had an incorrect outdoor power point installed and when we queried it were told that it was only put on for "Testing purposes" yet is has been screwed into the exterior brickwork.
On a number of architraves the paintwork is splitting, on our laundry cupboard door jamb three large holes have been drilled into the jamb then filled with glazing putty for god knows what reason. This jamb is also split around these holes and I fear may be another case of "Don't worry the painters will fix it".
An issue that raised it head earlier in the build was the stacker doors when installed were not packed out between the reveal and the stud which allowed the reveal to flex. This now results in the paint splitting between the reveal and the architrave and will result in more wasted time to fix correctly as it should have been done in the first place.
We upgraded our pantry door and door handle during colour selections and saw that the carpenter has fitted the long handle to the centre of the door and it looks ridiculous. Nearly every MDJ display home we went to had this door and handle fitted and all were much higher. As it is a timber door it will be impossible to move the handle as you will see former holes in the door so more time waster waiting for a new door. The front door looks to be delaminating and as a result has a blister beneath the veneer, not MDJ's fault but it should have been picked up and rectified not just painted and left as it was. There is paint all over the hinges, lock and our $1000 door handle.
We had some skirting installed and then removed as it was supposed to be left off so we could fit timber floors. When this was removed a number of the walls were damaged then roughly repaired and panted. On some sections it appears it wasnt even sanded, just painted over and left.
There are issues with the brickwork and I really hate to think how these will be addressed. There is cracked mortar around the main pillar out the front, the majority of the window sills have humps in them with the worst being at the front of the house. The brickwork around our front entry way also leaves a lot to be desired and we are missing a flashing on the roof that will allow water penetration to the eaves. There are issues around a rear window that was changed from a door as there is a gap on one side of more then 30mm so you can see well into the cavity. Even with a moulding or flashing there, it will look odd as there is nothing on the other side.
The one thing that has made this difficult period bearable is our CLO Suzzanne. Honestly Suzz you have been fantastic and I cannot praise you high enough for your commitment and customer service. If I was to every start a company you would be the first person I would poach!
There are a number of other issues but I'm sure by now you get the picture and understand my concern. I just want every person in the process to treat this house like their own and frankly it just isn't happening.
If we continue down the path we are presently travelling PCI will be a very long day.
I am hoping that all of these issues can and will be rectified and as MDJ are now closed for the holidays I don't want to vent to much but honestly I don't know how much more miscommunication and poor craftsmanship I can deal with. I find it so disheartening to see good work damaged by tradies who just don't seem to give a shit, well, except for one but that's another story.
Our polished porcelain floor tiles in our ensuite are running +20mm out of square and as a result there is a 10mm bed of grout on one side of the wall and none on the other side.There are other issues in the main bathroom but they have been addressed with the SS and will hopefully be sorted.
A number of our light switches have been screwed on using bugle head screws rather then the proper fittings and they don't appear to be fixed to the wall plates. Some of these switches have been fitted so close to the architraves the sparkys have literally dug or more accurately "Gouged" out the side of the architrave to fit the cover plate. Other switches have been fitted off centre to the wall and stick out like the proverbial. We had an incorrect outdoor power point installed and when we queried it were told that it was only put on for "Testing purposes" yet is has been screwed into the exterior brickwork.
On a number of architraves the paintwork is splitting, on our laundry cupboard door jamb three large holes have been drilled into the jamb then filled with glazing putty for god knows what reason. This jamb is also split around these holes and I fear may be another case of "Don't worry the painters will fix it".
An issue that raised it head earlier in the build was the stacker doors when installed were not packed out between the reveal and the stud which allowed the reveal to flex. This now results in the paint splitting between the reveal and the architrave and will result in more wasted time to fix correctly as it should have been done in the first place.
We upgraded our pantry door and door handle during colour selections and saw that the carpenter has fitted the long handle to the centre of the door and it looks ridiculous. Nearly every MDJ display home we went to had this door and handle fitted and all were much higher. As it is a timber door it will be impossible to move the handle as you will see former holes in the door so more time waster waiting for a new door. The front door looks to be delaminating and as a result has a blister beneath the veneer, not MDJ's fault but it should have been picked up and rectified not just painted and left as it was. There is paint all over the hinges, lock and our $1000 door handle.
We had some skirting installed and then removed as it was supposed to be left off so we could fit timber floors. When this was removed a number of the walls were damaged then roughly repaired and panted. On some sections it appears it wasnt even sanded, just painted over and left.
There are issues with the brickwork and I really hate to think how these will be addressed. There is cracked mortar around the main pillar out the front, the majority of the window sills have humps in them with the worst being at the front of the house. The brickwork around our front entry way also leaves a lot to be desired and we are missing a flashing on the roof that will allow water penetration to the eaves. There are issues around a rear window that was changed from a door as there is a gap on one side of more then 30mm so you can see well into the cavity. Even with a moulding or flashing there, it will look odd as there is nothing on the other side.
The one thing that has made this difficult period bearable is our CLO Suzzanne. Honestly Suzz you have been fantastic and I cannot praise you high enough for your commitment and customer service. If I was to every start a company you would be the first person I would poach!
There are a number of other issues but I'm sure by now you get the picture and understand my concern. I just want every person in the process to treat this house like their own and frankly it just isn't happening.
If we continue down the path we are presently travelling PCI will be a very long day.
Saturday, 17 December 2011
Final fit out
With this week coming to a close we have all our painting complete, the wet area tiling of the floors complete with the walls almost done. Our sparkys arrived yesterday and got all of our electricals wired up and all of the power points , light switches and heater/ fan lights installed. Today our plumbers arrived and began fitting out our bathrooms and toilets.
We have some minor issues to correct with some brickwork but otherwise all is progressing at a steady and constant pace. We got a call from Beacon lighting to say the remainder of our lights had arrived so alas another bill to pay!
We have some minor issues to correct with some brickwork but otherwise all is progressing at a steady and constant pace. We got a call from Beacon lighting to say the remainder of our lights had arrived so alas another bill to pay!
Monday, 5 December 2011
Damm you Christmas! Now where was I?
As it nears closer to the fat man in the red suit visiting I have yet another reason to dislike Christmas, its going to delay us getting into the house! All things being equal, we think the house will be pretty much complete if only we had signed up a month earlier but such is life. We have just payed the second last progress payment and have begun to pedantically start to look for any minor blemishes and corrections want repaired prior to Practical Completion and so far the list is well......quite small. Overall we are very happy with the quality of the tradesman that have worked on our house, with the great majority being really friendly and more then happy to stop, have a chat and let you know whats happening on site.
We met up on site last week with our tiler William to confirm the floor and feature tiles were correct. A really nice fellow and by the look of his work a really good tiler. Our internal fit out is completed and the walls have been prepped ready for painting. We had another site clean up some time during the week which was good as it will hopefully stop some of the knuckleheads who appear to think our rubbish pile is a communal one!
The exterior of the house has been painted and we are really happy with the colours we selected. When I can convince my Internet to stop dropping out I will upload some pics. We haven't really done any more shopping as yet but will keep our eyes out closer to Christmas or over the Boxing day period for some good deals on the appliances we need to chase up. So as things stand at the moment we look like getting in most likely in early February but we will see how things progress.
We met up on site last week with our tiler William to confirm the floor and feature tiles were correct. A really nice fellow and by the look of his work a really good tiler. Our internal fit out is completed and the walls have been prepped ready for painting. We had another site clean up some time during the week which was good as it will hopefully stop some of the knuckleheads who appear to think our rubbish pile is a communal one!
The exterior of the house has been painted and we are really happy with the colours we selected. When I can convince my Internet to stop dropping out I will upload some pics. We haven't really done any more shopping as yet but will keep our eyes out closer to Christmas or over the Boxing day period for some good deals on the appliances we need to chase up. So as things stand at the moment we look like getting in most likely in early February but we will see how things progress.
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Locked Up
It's been a couple of weeks since our last update but progress has been constant. Our extra large kick ass front door is on with its matching gigantic show home confusing to open front door handle. I really wanted this door handle so I could piss myself laughing at everyone's first attempt to open it, it really is quite amusing. The front and rear roller doors and laundry doors are on getting us well and truly past lockup. The kitchen cabinets have been installed with a warning to other trades that "This is not a workbench"!
Our bathroom vanities have arrived, the waterproofing has been completed in the wet areas and we eagerly anticipate the arrival of the floor tilers. Our plasterers have finished but need to return pre painters to correct some small issues where some skirting had to be removed. All the internal skirting, architraves, jambs and doors are also complete.
Were chewing our finger nails down to knuckles about weather we will be in by Christmas but are desperately trying not to get our hopes up. If we don't make it we would be almost 95 percent complete just to make it even more frustrating! On the subject of frustrating, once again our CLO and SS have shone through with a happy resolution in regards to our sliding door reveals as they were all removed and replaced without fuss.
A sneaky kitchen shot through the window!
We finalised our lighting purchase at Beacon lighting at Jamisontown (Penrith) and I must say they were more then helpful so if your in Sydney in the west do yourself a favour and go and see Brian or Jazz for some fantastic customer service and reasonable prices
We also sorted out our flooring and went with the original carpet we had actually seen in colour selections. Although we organised it our self to be installed after handover. We have also finally decided on our main hard flooring which will all be revealed later in the blog.
Our bathroom vanities have arrived, the waterproofing has been completed in the wet areas and we eagerly anticipate the arrival of the floor tilers. Our plasterers have finished but need to return pre painters to correct some small issues where some skirting had to be removed. All the internal skirting, architraves, jambs and doors are also complete.
Were chewing our finger nails down to knuckles about weather we will be in by Christmas but are desperately trying not to get our hopes up. If we don't make it we would be almost 95 percent complete just to make it even more frustrating! On the subject of frustrating, once again our CLO and SS have shone through with a happy resolution in regards to our sliding door reveals as they were all removed and replaced without fuss.
A sneaky kitchen shot through the window!
We finalised our lighting purchase at Beacon lighting at Jamisontown (Penrith) and I must say they were more then helpful so if your in Sydney in the west do yourself a favour and go and see Brian or Jazz for some fantastic customer service and reasonable prices
We also sorted out our flooring and went with the original carpet we had actually seen in colour selections. Although we organised it our self to be installed after handover. We have also finally decided on our main hard flooring which will all be revealed later in the blog.
Monday, 7 November 2011
High's and Low's
Progress with the build is progressing at a rapid rate, much more efficiently then we ever could have hoped. The roof has been completed, the gables finished, the eaves completed, the gyprock delivered, ceilings sheeted and half of the walls complete all within two weeks.
It pains me to post these next few pictures and although I have spoken to our Site Supervisor who assures me they will be fixed "By the Painter" I'm feeling a little despondent about it and feel that the quality and finish that drew us to McDonald Jones is, well lacking.
This first picture is how the majority of the screws holding our stacker doors have ended up. Also to note is the lack of packers between the reveal and the metal studs that stop the reveal flexing when the door is opened or shut.
This next one is how the top reveal of our living room stacker door has been left. With the greatest of respect to MDJ, this is not what I paid for nor is it the quality that I expect from MDJ. To suggest that this will be repaired by "The Painter" is just disappointing. Had the installer just took a bit more care this could have been avoided. To be really blunt, I don't want it bogged up and hidden, I want it replaced.
These last two are from the stacker doors in our master bedroom. Again this room suffers the same fate with the fixing screws and missing packers. Now I don't know if my SS has actually seen these issues so here's hoping he only thinks its slightly cracked and not as it actually is. I will give our SS and CLO a call tomorrow to see how we can rectify this now before we get any further into the fitout.
It pains me to post these next few pictures and although I have spoken to our Site Supervisor who assures me they will be fixed "By the Painter" I'm feeling a little despondent about it and feel that the quality and finish that drew us to McDonald Jones is, well lacking.
This next one is how the top reveal of our living room stacker door has been left. With the greatest of respect to MDJ, this is not what I paid for nor is it the quality that I expect from MDJ. To suggest that this will be repaired by "The Painter" is just disappointing. Had the installer just took a bit more care this could have been avoided. To be really blunt, I don't want it bogged up and hidden, I want it replaced.
These last two are from the stacker doors in our master bedroom. Again this room suffers the same fate with the fixing screws and missing packers. Now I don't know if my SS has actually seen these issues so here's hoping he only thinks its slightly cracked and not as it actually is. I will give our SS and CLO a call tomorrow to see how we can rectify this now before we get any further into the fitout.
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