Construction defects - Damage control?

Surely the mega failure of the builder is also to blame. But if I have a DB basement built where I know I have to live, I stand next to the basement builder and ask how it is exactly built and I know how it should be. We were on the construction site every evening and, if in doubt, inquired. Where were you?

The height is hard to see for a layman, that’s true. But the problem was solved, right? The change is approved.

And you probably didn’t even look at the floor plan? Or how do you now come to the idea of tearing out the stairs?

My husband works a lot and unfortunately had enormous stress in the company right at the start of construction. He is a trained technician with a PhD - but in a different field. And I am at home with 3 children. I was repeatedly there during the excavation, I filmed during the concreting of the foundation slab. And also during the raising of the basement and the house. Everything seemed fine. We were also familiar with the theoretical basics. We have dealt with the [wr. Kleingartengesetz] for years.

Yes - our mistake was not to measure afterwards and to trust the master builder. Before the construction, the land was surveyed by a sworn civil engineering office. This report was forwarded to the construction company and the architect, and the architect incorporated the building heights into the construction plan or passed them on to the master builder. If you cannot build or supervise yourself due to time constraints, you assume that a certified construction company knows what it is doing.

Unfortunately, it was a combination of circumstances. In hindsight, we ourselves cannot understand everything either. How do you want to measure survey points from the [ZT] exactly and say if it fits?

Lumpi,
we have a minus of 250,000 EUR.
a five-figure sum would be at best 99,000 EUR.
Loss: 151,000 EUR.
no reason, no house, 9 years of loan repayments for nothing or quickly pay off the loan with tens of thousands EUR penalty to the bank....

I don't think that is a serious option.

It took us a good half year to realize that the renovation or approval by the authorities is the only sensible option.

Although we actually don't want that – because we are taking full risk regarding leaky
cellars, wrong building height (our land or height in relation to neighbors is therefore quite different than planned). but if we finish, we can expect a multiple of the purchase price. but we don't want to sell. we have 3 children.

such allotment gardens with 300 m2 in Vienna with good transport connections or in the green belt, are traded without buildings in ownership for 300,000 - 400,000 EUR.

with cellar + house (80 + 50 + 50 + possibly 50 m2 roof terrace) between 500,000 and 700,000 EUR and more.

our neighbor considered selling her house about 2 years ago: no own land but leased land, only 50 m2 cellar + 35 m2 ground floor + 35 m2 upper floor she wanted 450,000 EUR. the house has a mansard roof, i.e. little space in the upper floor, only 5m high and 20 years old. but she got a grandchild and kept the house after all.

Surely the mega-failure of the builder is also to blame. But if I’m having a DB basement built where I know I have to live in, I stand next to the basement builder and ask how exactly it is going to be built and I know how it should be. We were at the construction site every evening and in case of doubt, we inquired. Where were you?

The height is hard to see for a layman, that’s true. But the problem was solved, wasn’t it? The change is approved.

And you probably didn’t even look at the floor plan? Or how do you come to want to tear out the stairs now?

Huh, what’s the use of standing next to it if you don’t know anything about it???

If anything, you could have guessed that an expert might have been there ...
But there are also many who have no clue and yet call themselves that, then you’re not any wiser either

What good is it to stand next to it if you don't know anything about it???

That's why it says: "I know how it should be," because I look into it beforehand if I'm paying more than 250K for it, so I know what I'm getting for it. How often has the so-called "builder" already built such a basement? Does he have experience with it? Have you exchanged ideas with other customers of the company? Could he show references? The staircase problem is nicely omitted by the original poster in the explanations. And in the end, is it now the stress at work and the children? Apparently it doesn't affect the poorest—someone like me would be bankrupt and have to file for personal insolvency. But that's exactly why something like that wouldn't happen to me. I'm too poor to rely on others for such sums. Well, woulda, coulda, shoulda—now the child is already in the well. Of course, we help you with tips if we can. But the crucial details are still missing. So it's not entirely clear to me what the goal of the thread is.