Introduction

Hi, we are building a new home in Shellcove, NSW with local builder One Three Designer Homes. This is the second time we have built a house. The we did not have a great experience the first time, which was with a large project home builder, and because we had a specific ideas for our second house, we decided to go with a smaller builder, thinking we would get great service and attention to detail. Our experience, so far, has been very different and we a now remember why after our first house we said we would not build another house again!

We designed the house, including the facades, ourselves. It has four bedrooms + study, over two levels. We have put a lot of thought into the design so it meet our needs and incorporates goods design principles. We had to make some compromises, but overall we think we got a good outcome. By comparison to the standard two level home, our house will not be big. We have tried to spend our money on quality inclusions instead of space that we will not use. I recall a formal lounge room in our last house that did not get used. It was dubbed the 'Showroom' because it contained all the good furniture and was all was neat and tidy.

We decided on One Three after seeking tenders of a few local builders. Construction finally started in September 2011 and progress has been slow. The wall frames are up, so are most of the roof frames. The brick work is also complete, but it has no roof. In comparison, the house across the road, that started after ours, is at lock up stage and has been for a while. We could spend a lot of time complaining about the performance of the builder so far, but we are going to put that down to 'bad luck' and hope the new year brings about some new vigour!