Construction progress: Duplex with WU basement and developed attic

What has actually happened in/on the house since your last posts? Progress? Demolition?

I am grateful that you share your terrible experiences with us. Don’t be discouraged by pointless comments from continuing to write here!!

That’s exactly why I’m doing it. But when things are going badly, and there’s no other way to put it, you don’t need smart alecks who think they have to rub it in even more. I appreciate encouraging words; I don’t need expressions of pity. Besides, I am convinced that many don’t know what defects are hiding under their roofs. Who knows the difference between a roof underlay membrane and a counter batten membrane? I now know that I need a counter batten membrane, even though I specified a roof underlay membrane. My mistake. Have you seen your drywall substructure before the drywall went on? Do you know how your vapor barrier was sealed? Do you know if there are floor heating pipes under your bathtub and how thick the screed floor is in the showers, or whether you have a 3-level window sealing? Probably most people here in the forum do, but the builders who rely on the craftspeople will not know this and will have similar problems, but will only notice when it’s too late and the mold blooms.

What has actually happened in/on the house since your last posts? Progress? Dismantling?

Strictly speaking, nothing. The drywall has been removed and the window reveals have been renovated three times. That was a drama. Otherwise, just legal haggling.

The point of reducing the defect rectification costs is quite simple. I am entitled to double the retention amount of the defect rectification sum. With €35,000 that means €70,000. With an actual amount of around €130,000, it would be €260,000. And this way, it is much easier for them to present me with an invoice that I would then have to pay over this amount. The lawyer is a criminal law specialist; he is very clever. And the general contractor thinks that he can recover the €70,000 that he wasted senselessly from me.

: Please write again about what you mean here. What is this shared blame nonsense? I have a general contractor; whoever is commissioned with the scaffolding is his responsibility! And even if it’s the biggest idiot for whom spelling is apparently a foreign word. I neither have an offer from the scaffolding company nor any contractual relationship with them. So please don’t post any generic shared blame crap here if you don’t know the circumstances.

I apologize to you, after rereading my answer it really sounds stupid and above all not like what I meant. Also, I think I somehow confused your thread – wasn’t there someone else whose whole project got messed up but absolutely wanted everything done by the cheapest (and most unprofessional) provider? Anyway: Sorry. I didn’t mean to attack.

I apologize to you, after rereading my answer it really sounds stupid and especially not how I meant it. Also, I think I somehow confused your thread - wasn’t there someone else whose whole thing got messed up, but who stubbornly wanted to have everything done only by the cheapest (and most unprofessional) provider? Anyway: sorry. I didn’t mean to bash.

I hardly believe that anyone who is having a house built would want to do so with the most unprofessional provider. That it later turns out to be such is a completely different matter. Besides, there are also clients who have had bad experiences with expensive companies. A family we know for sure didn’t skimp on the house, and after 6 years the roof is now leaking and has to be completely removed. Expensive unfortunately is not necessarily synonymous with quality.

I hardly believe that anyone who is having a house built would want to do so with the most unprofessional provider. That this later turns out to be the case is another matter entirely. Incidentally, there are also clients who have fallen flat with expensive companies. A family friend of ours certainly did not skimp on their house and after 6 years the roof is now leaking and must be completely removed. Unfortunately, expensive does not necessarily mean quality

Sure, but unrealistic prices are what they are - unrealistic. And if a company were to act so unprofessionally towards me, they would be out. No matter how cheap they were. But since you weren’t involved in the contract award anyway, that doesn’t matter.