The work for the trench finished up yesterday. All up we saved well in excess of $10,000. If you can count it that way.
I
ranted about the issue when we got a Building Variation of $18,500 so late in the piece for a services trench. We always knew we had to have the rock cut so it's not like we didn't know about the variation. It really was the timing and the quantum of the variation. We are weeks away from handover.
In the end we found a contractor ourselves who quoted us $2800+GST for digging and cutting the trench and another $900+GST to knock off some rock to make our driveway easier to build when we come to that part. A total of $4070. So a huge savings ($14430)! Doesn't mean that we really save it. But it means our bank balance will be closer to $0 rather than -$15000!
The work was good but the tradies were a bit hamfisted. Our neighbours who are lovely weren't happy as the tradies used their driveway, leaked diesel on their driveway, left the huge rock saw on their property leaking oil onto their grass, and didn't 'water' down the cutting work so dust was flying everywhere including onto the other neighbours house. It meant Will was working day and night supervising and cleaning up. So a huge savings money wise but a bit of a stress to get it right.
It has made Will ponder if we would have been better off (financially) doing an owner build... somehow I think the stress would not have been worth it. This way we get to be at arms length on the build. I can only imagine how the neighbours would have taken that! And having seen some other builds in the area which are owner builder properties whilst they started quick after the frames and bricks have been up everything has slowed to an absolute crawl. Not really sure why! (To me the rest of it is pretty easy as I understand the trades a bit better). In any case the point is moot. I don't think we'll be doing an owner build any time soon :)
Here are some of the photos I took during the trench work.
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| Despite the atrocious weather the guys brought the rock saw |
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| Deliveries... |
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| Of a digger/excavator |
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| Braving the weather the guys discuss what needs to be done |
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| Hi vis gear does help! |
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| "Before" the work |
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| Let's bring the saw up... |
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| Rock saw on neighbour's driveway |
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| Excavator |
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| Rocksaw up close |
After days of rain some of the work actually happened.
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| Near the front power pole and water meter |
Thursday morning with some non rain and some blue sky meant they could mark out what needs to be done
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| Painting some lines |
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| Even painted some water |
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| That's pretty straight I'd say |
Monday visit:
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| Digging out some of the dirt and rock and everything else from the smashed up channel |
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| Can see the trench looking like a trench now |
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| This needs hand digging |
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