January 2014 – Page 2

Bathroom Fashion 2

There are a lot of expensive bathroom fittings on the home shows and showrooms, but are they really practical?

I saw this wash basin the other day. . . . . .But how do you clean under and behind it?

Perhaps all the people who design these fittings employ cleaners so they don’t care about how practical it is!

As well as making cleaning difficult this free standing bath provides a great hiding space for spiders.

How would you feel relaxing in the bath if a big huntsman came walking up the wall!

I wouldn’t have a freestanding bath unless I could have 1m of clear space all round the bath. At current house building costs the extra space needed would be adding an extra $3-$4,000 to your build on top of the cost of the bath.

Here is a wash basin in our current rental property which has two issues:

The dirt trap between the basin and the wall.
Square section taps (The issue is water doesn’t run off the horizontal surfaces so there are always stains on the chrome)

For lots more about choosing what goes in your new house see : anewhouse Guide to Selection/Pre-Start

Downspout – Fail

An ingenious method of replacing a broken downspout on the cheap.

When they have gone to all the trouble to get a ladder to get to the roof level you would think they would have just spent a few dollars more for a proper piece of pipe.

First decent rain and this won’t have the capacity and will just burst apart.

Thanks to whitetrashrepairs.com for the photo. A great site for LOLs at duct tape repairs and dodgy fixes.

For more Fails and unusual houses go to What the………….?

Using Your Own Building Inspector

I frequently hear of people being told by their Builder “You can’t use your own Building Inspector!”

If your builder says that, he is trying to Con You! ……or Breaking The Law!

Here is an explanation based on my last House Contract (HIA Standard Contract) . . . . . .

Possession

The builder does have ‘Control’ of the site see; Contracts – Site Possession.

But one of the contract clauses states . . . . . . “The OWNER or an authorised officer of the LENDING BODY is entitled after giving the BUILDER reasonable prior notice, to go on the LAND to inspect the BUILDING WORKS at reasonable times provided that such inspection does not delay or interfere with the progress of the BUILDING WORKS.”

Owner

A key element in the above clause is the word OWNER so lets look at how the contract defines OWNER . . . .

‘OWNER‘ means the person, partnership, or company named in the Particulars of the Contract and whenever appearing in this Contract includes their AGENTS, executors and administrators.

This means you can appoint anyone you want to act as your AGENT in the matter of inspecting the works.

Action

Don’t ask, write a formal letter to your Builder informing them that you have appointed a Building Inspector as your Agent.

If you find the builder has put in a clause in the contract saying you can’t use your own building inspector this is illegal. You can have that clause struck out. (see this link: Unfair Contract Terms)

Month: January 2014