Caporegime
Deduct money off your final payment for all works not finished.
Last edited:
Project: Two storey/part single storey side and rear extensions
- Thread starter kai
- Start date
Deduct money off your final payment for all works not finished.
Per my post from last week:
On Friday, my wife found herself in a confrontation with the developer over his insistence on upfront payment again. She started doing shorthand of the meeting, of which he could not understand so started to get irate and upsetting her. To which she called me and i had to come out of a work to calm things.
Long story short he said if you want to pay me in smaller installments; my work will align with the payments (doing it much slower) and basically good luck finding a builder any time soon to finish for you.
He know's we need to be in, in some shape of form by December 18th; he is also holding a lot of money in product i.e. windows, doors, flooring, bathrooms etc all yet to be delivered.
Associate
I have a horrible feeling that he seriously under-priced the job and is now struggling to complete it on budget.
I did think at the beginning that you got a remarkably good deal in the current financial climate.
As for being in by December 18th is there any way you can afford to rent a place on a monthly basis.
I really think it is a bad idea to move in for your own sanity and that of your wife plus the relationship with the contractor will undoubtably be further strained by
the builders having to accommodate a family on what is still a building site
I did think at the beginning that you got a remarkably good deal in the current financial climate.
As for being in by December 18th is there any way you can afford to rent a place on a monthly basis.
I really think it is a bad idea to move in for your own sanity and that of your wife plus the relationship with the contractor will undoubtably be further strained by
the builders having to accommodate a family on what is still a building site
Soldato
Blimey, this guy sounds like a carbon copy of our original contractor for our extension. I hope for your sake it's not!! Gives me palpitations just thinking about it (he was called Adam).
I can't see any decorator worth their salt only painting half a room. It literally makes no sense at all and the extra time for a straightforward square room is almost nothing once you've mixed pain and prepped one wall.
Get your big ticket items in and then sack them off. Get a trusted decorator in that can do the job nicely rather than any old person who will be on the cheapest rate and told to do things quickly. Yes, it's perhaps a minor loss on your part both financially and morally, but you want a decent finish. Falling out over decorating or jeopardising your move in date over this might not be the right move.
Keeping fingers crossed for you!
I can't see any decorator worth their salt only painting half a room. It literally makes no sense at all and the extra time for a straightforward square room is almost nothing once you've mixed pain and prepped one wall.
Get your big ticket items in and then sack them off. Get a trusted decorator in that can do the job nicely rather than any old person who will be on the cheapest rate and told to do things quickly. Yes, it's perhaps a minor loss on your part both financially and morally, but you want a decent finish. Falling out over decorating or jeopardising your move in date over this might not be the right move.
Keeping fingers crossed for you!
He openly admits that if he were to undertake the project again, he would need to add an additional £60-80K. While this statement seems questionable, he insists that he might struggle to break even on the current project. However, it's worth noting that we provided comprehensive support, including technical drawings and detailed itemized quantity surveying lists from other builders (with prices removed).
Regarding additional rent, that's not on the table for us. Currently, the project is incurring more expenses than income, considering not only the ongoing renovations but also the replacement of all items with new ones. Fortunately, we had allocated £20K in contingency for these items.
Not just Adam, but I get the feeling that this situation is not unique, and many people face similar challenges when undertaking a massive renovation job
Man of Honour
That explains it then but at the end of the day that's not your problem it's his.
This might sound harsh, but I have no sympathy for him whatsoever. This is his job and expertise. He's done his job poorly and placing any of that on the customer is completely unprofessional.
I would personally be looking to stay somewhere else at all costs, mainly for sanity. I would want to distance myself from it all and just come back when it's done, and face issues and what I would pay him then. Can you not stay with friends/parents or split the family in half and go to two different places for a bit? We had to do that during COVID when we got kicked out of rental and had a 6 month wait to get our first house purchase through. Those 6 months were very, very challenging but we got through it and came out the otherside with our first house.
We are already past the six month mark; we could technically stay with freinds or remain in the house we are living at the moment for a little longer but we have enforced the 18th Dec on the developer to force his hand and put emphasis on the job' before he was doing days, here and there and dragging the project out. We told him from day 1 we have to be in for Xmas (back in April).
If we dont force hand, this project will keep dragging on and on.
Last edited:
Things have become intolerable. Last Friday, we caught the builder in a lie. He claimed we needed to reduce the size of the worktop because the quartz we ordered doesn't come in a 2.2m length. He wanted to charge us for wasted fitting time and not being able to return the carcasses to Howden’s. Despite my 10 years of experience in kitchen designs during university (part time), he wouldn't listen. He was in a bad mood, making everything an issue. He knocked on my door 10 times that afternoon with questions like, "Do not speak to my builders without me being there; they are paid to work, not listen to your issues." I informed them that morning about our mold being everywhere problem due to the lack of outside brickwork and windows.
That evening, I contacted his worktop supplier directly, and they confirmed that all worktops come in 3.6m lengths. The supplier informed the developer, who perceived this as going behind his back. This resulted in an outburst of abuse over the phone directed at my wife, including threats and making her cry (she refused to give me the phone due to my anger).
Over the weekend, we decided enough is enough, and we are bringing in a building consultant/QS/Project Manager. Fortunately, we know someone willing to take charge and hopefully alleviate the stress. We believe these stunts won't work with this person.
Fast forward to this morning, I had a face-to-face chat that quickly turned nasty. I told him never to speak to my wife like that again, and from now on, he should deal with the Project Manager we're bringing in. He squared up to me, wanting to fight. I burst out laughing, and realizing I wasn't backing down, he threatened to walk off the job. He said the only reason he's staying is that we have a baby, and we need to be in by December.
Currently, I'm waiting for the Project Manager to speak to him (he has refused to work with him), but we'll see how it unfolds.
That evening, I contacted his worktop supplier directly, and they confirmed that all worktops come in 3.6m lengths. The supplier informed the developer, who perceived this as going behind his back. This resulted in an outburst of abuse over the phone directed at my wife, including threats and making her cry (she refused to give me the phone due to my anger).
Over the weekend, we decided enough is enough, and we are bringing in a building consultant/QS/Project Manager. Fortunately, we know someone willing to take charge and hopefully alleviate the stress. We believe these stunts won't work with this person.
Fast forward to this morning, I had a face-to-face chat that quickly turned nasty. I told him never to speak to my wife like that again, and from now on, he should deal with the Project Manager we're bringing in. He squared up to me, wanting to fight. I burst out laughing, and realizing I wasn't backing down, he threatened to walk off the job. He said the only reason he's staying is that we have a baby, and we need to be in by December.
Currently, I'm waiting for the Project Manager to speak to him (he has refused to work with him), but we'll see how it unfolds.
You see this a lot in my industry. He is trying to get you to fire him. That way he can present alternative facts etc. The problem is now, he'll use the PM to suggest delays in decision making etc... so make sure your PM has bonus payments or some incentive for killing himself for you.
Sounds like you handled it as well as could be expected in the circumstance.
Sounds like you handled it as well as could be expected in the circumstance.
The PM will be all over this: why because he is our next door neighbour. He is fed up of the mess outside his house for one and we get on really well with them.
Man of Honour
You've got the patience of a saint, I think considering all his other crap I'd have been very tempted to at least put him on his backside once he decided to try the physical route.
The guy is in his 60's, its bonkers. There are other ways to go about it; that i can hurt other than physical that will not cost me my job.
Last edited:
Sounds like a nightmare.
I remember about 6 / 7 years ago i worked for a guy who built a lovely extension for something like £13K lol.
It was really nice, it was a new bedroom for a little girl and i will never forget how happy she was.
My old man did all the plastering for £13 an hour ( yes he undervalued himself massively ) and i did all the painting.
If we were in London we could probably have charged £30 - £40K
I remember about 6 / 7 years ago i worked for a guy who built a lovely extension for something like £13K lol.
It was really nice, it was a new bedroom for a little girl and i will never forget how happy she was.
My old man did all the plastering for £13 an hour ( yes he undervalued himself massively ) and i did all the painting.
If we were in London we could probably have charged £30 - £40K
Not so sure now. Developer just knocked door and said "some guy just phoned me, i told him i am not interested in what he has to say" sounds like he put the phone down. He said he know's what needs to happen in the house. End of! if we want to waste our money that's fine by him.
Issue is i can't physically get him to work with the PM.