It's not only the builders fault but society. People want cheap and government/Authorities doesn't seem to inspect these days.
I worked on a 3mth old unit of a friends. Lights and power on same circuit. Garbage/Cheap circuit breakers. I removed 5 light switches to put dimmer and 3 the wires fell out as not even done screws up. That's a potential hot joint/ fire hazard right there.
None of exhaust fans connected to ducting properly. Just a bit of sticky tape that already come off. Insualtion randomly spread.
They are built to look pretty but cheap and nasty half the time. It is sad but also can be hard for good tradesmen to do good work in domestic situations cause they become too expensive and people think they are being ripped off.
Kind of why I do more industrial nowdays. Factories dont want their machines having downtime. They rather a high quality job that lasts.
Absolutely - it's disgraceful.
When I was working at a trade centre, I knew of one builder (who "declared bankruptcy", and is now running a business in Melbourne, under his wife's name) who took every shortcut known - using glue for gyprock, instead of using the studs; using ceiling paint on walls, and doors; telling buyers that downpipes don't need painting (I mean, they don't NEED painting, but a good coat or two of decent quality acrylic paint will cop the abuse of the sun, and the weather, and the pipes will last way longer).
Three days after we moved into the house, we had to call in the people who installed the cabinets, because they initially installed the wrong sized latch on one of the cabinets...
I am at a loss as to how some people can cheap out to that extent.
The duplex we bought - they were asking $650,000+.
It's a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom place - but it is located in a so-so part of Penrith (it's not terrible, but it's not fantastic, either), the rooms are small, and the workmanship of the property is quite poor.
We ended up getting it for $510,000, because I played hard ball with the guy, and he knew he wouldn't get $600,000+ for it.
It's a decent house, but I shake my head at why things are how they are.
My wife says she's not worried about the drain things - I said to her, "Look, they protrude about an inch up from the grass - what if our son (when he is old enough to play) trips, and falls on it - those edges will literally take his eye out! Nevermind that it doesn't drain - it's a genuine safety risk!"
She's a lovely, lovely woman, but she is so enamoured with her house, she can't see the faults in it.
