Monday, March 29, 2010
Final stages? Or more delays?
The insulation and vapour barrier are done and the drywall was loaded into the house March 22nd. Now the wait is on for a drywall crew to appear. If past scheduling difficulties are anything to go by, I don't have high hopes that a crew will be in there any time in the next couple of weeks.
From the comment section
Here's an interestinf comment I thought I'd post. Does anyone know of a builder who will put a completion date in the sales contract? What are the penalties should the date not be met?
Mike,
Did you get a written contract from the builder? It should include the commencement date, the completion date, their agreement to provide regular updates during construction and to advise you of any expected delays and the reason for the delays.
March 28, 2010 3:06 PM
Mike said...
No builder I talked to would put any sort of completion date in writing until 45 days before closing. They would say that builds were typically 6 months, depending, of course, on weather or other delays.
My only communication with my sales contact during the build was the occassional phone call letting me know I owed them money. They would then dance around any sort of commitment to come up with a firmer deadline for completion (the usual line being "We won't have any idea until the drywall is done").
I should point out this is a legitimate master builder, not some fly-by-night operation, and there were no unforeseeable delays that I could see - not a flooded basement during excavation, a month of snowstorms, etc. I know they pulled the framing crew off my house the correct the mistakes on another house, and that framing sat without passing inspection for 6 weeks because no one had plans on site. To me, those aren't typcial unforeseen delays - it's poor project management.
Do you know of a builder who will put a completion date in the contract?
Mike,
Did you get a written contract from the builder? It should include the commencement date, the completion date, their agreement to provide regular updates during construction and to advise you of any expected delays and the reason for the delays.
March 28, 2010 3:06 PM
Mike said...
No builder I talked to would put any sort of completion date in writing until 45 days before closing. They would say that builds were typically 6 months, depending, of course, on weather or other delays.
My only communication with my sales contact during the build was the occassional phone call letting me know I owed them money. They would then dance around any sort of commitment to come up with a firmer deadline for completion (the usual line being "We won't have any idea until the drywall is done").
I should point out this is a legitimate master builder, not some fly-by-night operation, and there were no unforeseeable delays that I could see - not a flooded basement during excavation, a month of snowstorms, etc. I know they pulled the framing crew off my house the correct the mistakes on another house, and that framing sat without passing inspection for 6 weeks because no one had plans on site. To me, those aren't typcial unforeseen delays - it's poor project management.
Do you know of a builder who will put a completion date in the contract?
Sunday, March 21, 2010
So I've just heard from my first builder...
I guess the facebook group has caught the eye of at least one builder. I'm not interested in advertising for them, but has anyone heard of Ironco Master Builders? Their VP claims they're an up and coming builder with a couple of showhomes opening soon.
This is actually an interesting case study for the value of this blog. How might someone get enough information about a builder to feel comfortable making a sizable purchase from them? Is it enough just to look at a showhome?
This is actually an interesting case study for the value of this blog. How might someone get enough information about a builder to feel comfortable making a sizable purchase from them? Is it enough just to look at a showhome?
Facebook, too
A Facebook group seems like a logical companion piece. Check it out and let's get this project off the ground!
Check out the Building a House in Edmonton facebook group.
Check out the Building a House in Edmonton facebook group.
Friday, March 19, 2010
For what it's worth: a timeline to date (with pictures)
I thought I'd document my building process so far. I'm sure no two builds are similar so this isn't meant to serve as the definitive record of building a house in Edmonton these days. In fact, check out this blog for another example.
One other quick note: My intention is to document the process, not complain, and so I'm not going to go out of my way to identify the builder I'm using. Apart from a couple of incorrect windows, the house itself looks pretty good. When the delays started to get me frustrated, I looked back and wished I'd had a pool of knowledge from recent home buyers that would have given me an idea of what to expect. The more information the better, I figure, so this is my drop in the bucket.
June 2009
I looked at dozens of showhomes, and both mortgage rates and housing starts were low. Decided to build from scrath rather than buy a partially completed spec home so we could make modifications to the floorplans and choose all interiors. I thought, what's the difference between 2-3 months and 6-7 months? Signed the building contract. I was given a verbal, completely non-binding guesstimate of a late-December completion date.
July 2009
Mortgage approved and financial condition removed from building contract
The lot in July 2009 (just starting):
August 2009 (+1 month)
Made selections at the builder's design centre before going on vacation. This was pretty exciting, and we breezed though it in a little over an hour. I'd recommend taking you camera (and not just the blackberry, like I did) since it could be a while between when you pick things out and when you move in. I'm mlloking at 10-11 months between selection and move-in, and remembering the exact tint of the interior paint, let alone the cabinet hardware, can be a challenge.
August 2009 (+1.5 months)
I was hoping to come back from the east coast and find a hole. No luck, but the lot had been surveyed.
October 2009 (+3 months)
After a few weeks of driving by the same old surveyed lot, the digging began in early October. By the end of the month the basement was poured and the pads were in.
January 2010 (+7 months)
The first floor is finally rounding into shape. Three months from basement to first floor struck me as a long time. The house in on my way home and so I'd drive by a couple of times a week. To my untrained eye there were long stretches where material wasn't being touched for days or weeks at a time. You can see to the right a house going up - it's frustrating watching other houses on the block make such good progess, especially ones that started weeks or months after mine. On the plus side, I had to run out on Christmas Day and much to my surprise, there were framers on site. I wanted to pick them up some coffee but nothing in the area was open.
By the end of January the second floor was being framed.
February 2010 (+8 months)
The roof was going on and most of the windows were in.
March 2010 (+9 months)
I haven't taken any pictures since. As of mid-March the plumbing, electrical, gas and HVAC were roughed-in. Apprval on the framing inspection was delayed by about 6 weeks as there were no plans on site. That's now been corrected and insulation is underway, followed by drywall and taping that should extend into April. The latest update was another three months, making for a mid-June posession. Fingers crossed.
One other quick note: My intention is to document the process, not complain, and so I'm not going to go out of my way to identify the builder I'm using. Apart from a couple of incorrect windows, the house itself looks pretty good. When the delays started to get me frustrated, I looked back and wished I'd had a pool of knowledge from recent home buyers that would have given me an idea of what to expect. The more information the better, I figure, so this is my drop in the bucket.
June 2009
I looked at dozens of showhomes, and both mortgage rates and housing starts were low. Decided to build from scrath rather than buy a partially completed spec home so we could make modifications to the floorplans and choose all interiors. I thought, what's the difference between 2-3 months and 6-7 months? Signed the building contract. I was given a verbal, completely non-binding guesstimate of a late-December completion date.
July 2009
Mortgage approved and financial condition removed from building contract
The lot in July 2009 (just starting):
August 2009 (+1 month)
Made selections at the builder's design centre before going on vacation. This was pretty exciting, and we breezed though it in a little over an hour. I'd recommend taking you camera (and not just the blackberry, like I did) since it could be a while between when you pick things out and when you move in. I'm mlloking at 10-11 months between selection and move-in, and remembering the exact tint of the interior paint, let alone the cabinet hardware, can be a challenge.
August 2009 (+1.5 months)
I was hoping to come back from the east coast and find a hole. No luck, but the lot had been surveyed.
October 2009 (+3 months)
After a few weeks of driving by the same old surveyed lot, the digging began in early October. By the end of the month the basement was poured and the pads were in.
January 2010 (+7 months)
The first floor is finally rounding into shape. Three months from basement to first floor struck me as a long time. The house in on my way home and so I'd drive by a couple of times a week. To my untrained eye there were long stretches where material wasn't being touched for days or weeks at a time. You can see to the right a house going up - it's frustrating watching other houses on the block make such good progess, especially ones that started weeks or months after mine. On the plus side, I had to run out on Christmas Day and much to my surprise, there were framers on site. I wanted to pick them up some coffee but nothing in the area was open.
By the end of January the second floor was being framed.
February 2010 (+8 months)
The roof was going on and most of the windows were in.
March 2010 (+9 months)
I haven't taken any pictures since. As of mid-March the plumbing, electrical, gas and HVAC were roughed-in. Apprval on the framing inspection was delayed by about 6 weeks as there were no plans on site. That's now been corrected and insulation is underway, followed by drywall and taping that should extend into April. The latest update was another three months, making for a mid-June posession. Fingers crossed.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Worth a read...
There is one other blog out there I've come across that's documenting a new home build in Edmonton, and it's worth checking out.
http://cherylktardif.blogspot.com/
Anyone know of any others?
http://cherylktardif.blogspot.com/
Anyone know of any others?
So what's the deal?
In early 2009 I began looking to purchase my first new place. What began as a search of one bedroom condos in downtown Edmonton eventually became a decision to build a detached two bedroom house on the outskirts of the city. Naturally, this meant looking at plenty of real estate agents, salespeople and showhomes (don't get me wrong, I love looking at showhomes). It also means I was collecting a lot of information: dozens of floorplans, different neighbourhoods, each builder's construction specs and building schedules.
Quick aside
I should explain - when it comes to making significant purchases (iPods, laptops, vehicles, houses, etc.) I'm anything but impulsive. I get a kick out of looking at all the options, comparables, prices, etc. And if you're going to be a responsible consumer, it usually means expert and customer reviews. Sure, not every online review is of equal value, but if you look at enough of them you start to get a idea of what to expect. It's like one of those 3D puzzles from the 90s - you stare at it long enough and a picture begins to emerge.
Ok, so it took me a few months of shopping around to work my way up from a condo, to a townhouse, to a duplex, to detached homes with detached garages to finally landing on a two bedroom, attached garage home. In the end I found a neighbourhood and floorplan I liked. I signed a contract mid-June 2009 and looked forward to a 6-8 month build - after all, the city's building market was still recovering from a sharp downturn at that point. Long story short, I'm looking at a 12 month build at the earliest, which is cutting it awfully close to my wedding later that summer.
Looking back, there are probably a few things I would have done differently. But this website isn't meant to document the story of my building process. It certainly isn't going to be a venue for me to bellyache about my frustrations (after all, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be happy with how the house turns out. It's just taking an obscenely long time and I have a hard time getting answers from people. Ok, that's it for the bellyaching).
Instead, the one tool I wish I'd had as I was considering builders and houses was more information from people who have gone through the process. I couldn't find a website where people could share stories about their experiences building a new house in Edmonton. Sure, this could mean what went wrong, but also what went right, what came out of left field, some questions to ask if you could do it again, and what seemed like a big deal at the time but turned out to small potatoes in the long run (or vice versa!).
So my vision, if that's not too grand a term, is for a place where people can share stories and lessons learned, and potential home buyers can get access to both a greater quantity and quality of information.
So if you've gone through the process and have some nuggets of wisdom, please share. If you're about to embark on the process and have questions, please ask. I'll post whatever comes my way and with any luck this could turn into something of value.
Mike
Quick aside
I should explain - when it comes to making significant purchases (iPods, laptops, vehicles, houses, etc.) I'm anything but impulsive. I get a kick out of looking at all the options, comparables, prices, etc. And if you're going to be a responsible consumer, it usually means expert and customer reviews. Sure, not every online review is of equal value, but if you look at enough of them you start to get a idea of what to expect. It's like one of those 3D puzzles from the 90s - you stare at it long enough and a picture begins to emerge.
Ok, so it took me a few months of shopping around to work my way up from a condo, to a townhouse, to a duplex, to detached homes with detached garages to finally landing on a two bedroom, attached garage home. In the end I found a neighbourhood and floorplan I liked. I signed a contract mid-June 2009 and looked forward to a 6-8 month build - after all, the city's building market was still recovering from a sharp downturn at that point. Long story short, I'm looking at a 12 month build at the earliest, which is cutting it awfully close to my wedding later that summer.
Looking back, there are probably a few things I would have done differently. But this website isn't meant to document the story of my building process. It certainly isn't going to be a venue for me to bellyache about my frustrations (after all, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be happy with how the house turns out. It's just taking an obscenely long time and I have a hard time getting answers from people. Ok, that's it for the bellyaching).
Instead, the one tool I wish I'd had as I was considering builders and houses was more information from people who have gone through the process. I couldn't find a website where people could share stories about their experiences building a new house in Edmonton. Sure, this could mean what went wrong, but also what went right, what came out of left field, some questions to ask if you could do it again, and what seemed like a big deal at the time but turned out to small potatoes in the long run (or vice versa!).
So my vision, if that's not too grand a term, is for a place where people can share stories and lessons learned, and potential home buyers can get access to both a greater quantity and quality of information.
So if you've gone through the process and have some nuggets of wisdom, please share. If you're about to embark on the process and have questions, please ask. I'll post whatever comes my way and with any luck this could turn into something of value.
Mike
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