Is This Paint Work Acceptable for a Newly Built Home?

peppet on 03/05/2022 - 17:39
Last edited 06/05/2022 - 09:53

We just had a new home built from ground up by a certain Home Building Company. The general workmanship is ok, but the paintwork doesn't look up to scratch.

Photos: https://imgur.com/gallery/DKYQo27

We recently got stains and unfinished bits patched up and this is their "finished" product. We're still under the warranty period so we can ask for more to be done.

Is this the best it's going to get and I should just suck it up? Or is it actually unacceptable?

Also, would I be being too unreasonable if I asked them to re-paint the whole house? (the entire house is like the photos above)

Edit: thank you guys so much for all the tips and advice. I am now very stressed but I'm going back in with way more insight and conviction than before. Consensus is that it's a bad job and needs more than a painter to fix as AH suggested. They've responded saying they're going in for a more "thorough" check, and I'm going in with an independent building inspector. I am very much looking forward to getting this fixed and uncovering (preferably not) any other issues. If you are constructing, definitely get legal advice all the way through regardless of the cost (would've saved us a bunch of money) and as everyone said below, an inspector at each stage.

We're still working with AH who are being helpful, though the process is long and tedious. This initial post was to say I was unhappy with what they deemed finished/their best work, will update with the fixed finish product.

Poll Options

  • 9
    Acceptable
  • 577
    Unacceptable
Home & Garden

Comments

    • peppet on 04/05/2022 - 16:23
      +1

      Building inspector is on the way. Maybe little me giving them a hard time will discourage them from screwing people over in the future

      • Herbse on 04/05/2022 - 16:26
        +1

        I'm sure the parent company will put pressure on the contractors they hired to do the work once you bring it to their attention.

        Make an extensive list and get the inspector to back them up and take it to them

        • peppet on 04/05/2022 - 16:32
          +1

          From speaking to their maintenance team today it seems they're now supervising the painter.

          They carefully word their responses so that they never acknowledge that the job is bad, just that they'll fix it. Which I hope is just them considering their liability by not admitting to faults, and not because they don't agree.

  • CalmLemons on 04/05/2022 - 16:18

    That is not on, though they're problems that are easily fixed.

    Depending on how much your time is worth, it may be better to just spend a few hundred at most and fix it yourself.

    • peppet on 04/05/2022 - 16:25

      My last resort is to repaint it myself because if we do need to sell someone will be buying a "brand new" house in what looks like used DIY condition

      • CalmLemons on 04/05/2022 - 18:41

        If you do, don't go cheap with the paint or the rollers, get the good quality microfibre rollers and a decent brand of paint, makes a huge difference.

  • klonky on 04/05/2022 - 16:32

    No way this was done by a professional

  • All Blacks NZ on 04/05/2022 - 17:14
    +4

    Mate, please hire a professional and get them to go through the whole house before accepting keys and making final payments. If this is what the presentation is like, I can only imagine what they did to the things you can't see. It's bit late for what's inside the wall and the frame but just looking at your photos, it is absolutely unacceptable.

    • redslert on 04/05/2022 - 17:18

      Agree, you need to hire someone who will check the entire place out and not just paintwork.

  • Chong on 04/05/2022 - 17:18

    It should be rectified at their costs, take pictures of all defects, ensure you got the date and time setting displayed on the pictures in case you have to use it in the future (much easier than checking meta data), of course make sure you got the originals if it ever gets to the point they want to see meta data.

    I built a few years back, even though the builder wasnt excited about an inspector, i did my research and got a good one and they both enjoyed it, as both were reasonably happy with each other in the end.

    The builder was worried about cowboy inspectors picking up things that are not of concern at the various stages, which i think is a valid concern.

    The important things are only viewable before the dry way goes up, so you need one to check the slab, and another before the stage the dry wall goes up.

    • peppet on 04/05/2022 - 17:45

      I took pictures and videos every stage of the process, have about 500 so far, and pictures and videos of the entire house after it was finished, and of defects, all dated.

      Not sure if pictures of the slab and frame etc. will be of much use to an inspector but I have learned from my (very expensive) mistakes if I ever decide to do this again, hiring one straight away

  • peppet on 04/05/2022 - 17:45

    [Oops, response to chong]

  • MrThing on 04/05/2022 - 18:03
    +2

    Pay for what you get

    You will find you probably dont have a leg to stand on regarding quality of finishes so long as it complies to building codes or standards.

    There is probably a disclaimer in your contract regarding finishes or that display homes arnt a guarentee of your finish quality. These kind of buildets are a race to the bottom and work on volume not quality

    If there are building defects which make it non compliant thats a different story, but you will need an expert to fight that for you, these volume builders are masters of this crap and they have a legal team who will bury you in nonsense.

    Heaven forbid there are non compliances in areas you cant see anymore like the slab…

    Mod: company name removed

    • itsHughesy on 05/05/2022 - 20:22

      This is super accurate, pay for what you get - people shop by builders by cheapest price so they can have a larger home, rather than a quality home.

  • mrhanky71 on 04/05/2022 - 18:21

    Have you made final payment yet?

  • Breno785au on 04/05/2022 - 18:23

    I'd be checking the foundation if I could

    • serpserpserp on 04/05/2022 - 19:03
      +1

      Hard to check a slab with a house built on it now. If there was a big problem they could see however.

  • knitwear on 04/05/2022 - 19:46

    What the heck. I'm not a professional painter but I can do a better job than that.

    Agree with what others said, if the paint is that bad (which is arguably the least complicated), I would be more worried with the quality of their build.

  • lilyesp on 04/05/2022 - 20:04

    Im worried if thats the paint- what are they actually hiding/the interior building- prob get a professional inspector

  • chris666 on 04/05/2022 - 20:30
    +1

    Wow I did my own painting in my last house and did a better job… Shows how little care they have make them repaint the whole house

  • h0mbre on 04/05/2022 - 20:39
    +1

    They are a reputable project home builder, I've heard positive stories and negative stories.

    The issues presented are simply unacceptable but realistically easy to fix. Just ensure they are repainting entire walls, trims etc instead of doing bodge patch jobs.

    The sad reality is that project home builders often get the cheapest trades and the only way these guys make money is to churn through the work in high volume.

    The flipside is that any builder or trade worth their salt will know that call backs are just lost money and will try to do the work to an acceptable standard in the first place.

    Based on your photos the guy who painted your house is not a painter but most likely just a guy with a paint brush.

    As a builder myself I would be embarrassed to present that to my client but I wouldn't worry too much, just don't back down and engaging an independent inspector is definitely a good idea.

    I actually like dealing with independent inspectors or experienced architects doing the defects because they understand Australian standards and tolerances better than your layman.

    Mod: company name removed

  • mrhugo on 04/05/2022 - 20:40

    I'm starting to think this is the new norm. I recently did a tour of a new office built by a very large real estate investment trust, and there was over-paint and missed spots everywhere. It's like they paint with speed and didn't bother to do any prep work. I know the blue masking tape isn't cheap and you can tell they never used it.

    Painting is time consuming and the prep even more so; paint is cheap, you want a cheap quote, get cheap labor, cut out prep. This is even more critical when you promised your clients the place would be ready by X.

    I suspect if you complain they will just send a handy man over to do touch-ups.

    Makes you wonder how the quality is like on the things you can’t see. I guess 5-10 years will tell you that.

    • BurnZ on 05/05/2022 - 15:00
      +1

      I know the blue masking tape isn't cheap and you can tell they never used it.

      Proper Painters don't need to use tape for cutting in anyway.

  • Unacceptable on 04/05/2022 - 20:44
    +1

    I’m very flattered. Thanks.

    • peppet on 04/05/2022 - 20:49

      Could it be, the Earl himself?!

  • Kranbone on 04/05/2022 - 22:10

    It's unacceptable and I would leverage the warranty to get it sorted as well as checking for further faults.

  • FareEvader on 04/05/2022 - 22:45

    Far out, if this is what you can see… just imagine the things you can't. I recommend you also post a Google review because they seem to score well on Google.

  • fullmetal on 05/05/2022 - 08:01

    These companies should be sued. I think it will be a good story with Tracy.

  • pn09 on 05/05/2022 - 08:22
    +1

    My advice would be to pick your battles.

    Problem with asking the Builder to fix things that are cosmetic is that often the end result is worse than the original problem.

    We've experienced this before so the last time we built we did the cosmetic stuff ourselves as that way it was done properly and by people who gave a toss about the results.

    We only got the Builder to sort out non-cosmetic problems like venting of the rangehood (vented to roofspace even though we'd paid for it to be vented externally), wrong light fittings, some cabling not being done, leaks from taps, amongst others. If something is broken then definitely get them to fix it but stuff which is more about the finish (and this is predominately things like paint finish, grouting between tiles, etc. you're better off doing some DIY in our opinion.

  • pn09 on 05/05/2022 - 08:24
    +2

    Also be wary of naming and shaming a builder - because as much as you want to be a good citizen and warn others you need to have a relationship with them to look after your house against major issues for years to come. An antagonistic relationship should be avoided at all costs.

    This really bothers me as I think people should be help accountable for what they are paid to build, but we don't live in a perfect world and there are lots of petty and vindictive people out there.

    Of course if they refuse to do things they need to do and other avenues are exhausted - naming and shaming is always there. But should be a last resort.

    Just my 2 cents

    • peppet on 05/05/2022 - 11:22
      +1

      Mods have removed names! I don't want to deal with them again after this is finished but I definitely don't want them to hate me either

  • [Deactivated] on 05/05/2022 - 11:01
    +1

    It's not acceptable, but good luck chasing it up, it just becomes a huge time sink and you don't get anywhere. My ex and I built a home 5 years ago with a big builder that starts with the letter M. Even before they finished the build, they were difficult to deal with, but with only 2 builders servicing the region we built in, there isn't much that can be done unless you want to sink more and more time into it - in the end I fixed it myself including:

    Drainage pipe fittings in the front and back not attached properly, they didn't even affix half them (just chucked) and I had to do it myself or watch them blow away and risk pipes filling up with debris.

    Chandelier drooping from the ceiling. Builder said it was the light fitting companies problem, light fitting company said it was the builders problem, both dodging phone calls and playing merry-go-round with emails over and over. Never got anywhere, got it fixed with a local guy.

    Extra drill holes all over the ceiling for downlights not fixed because whoever the idiot was that did the downlights, didn't bother measuring twice so additional drill holes were just left gaping, I had to putty and paint them myself.

    Retaining wall not installed correctly,a few sleepers lopsided with big gaps between them. This was fixed eventually but why not just do the job right the first time.

    Bricks galore - about 10 pallets of bricks. I asked them to collect the excess, they said they would, they never did. I'm not talking about just a couple bricks, but so many bricks I could've built another house. Thankfully I was able to slowly give them away via FB and got rid of them all in the end.

    I'll never build a house ever again. These big companies like the one that starts with the letter M just subcontract everything, and the people doing the actual work just want to get in, get out ASAP, they already got their money so they don't care. Today's builders do a poor quality job.

    For comparison, the 2 bedroom apartment I own now was built in the 70s, and the workmanship is exceptional, it is in better shape than the 5 year old rural dream home the ex and I built.

    • peppet on 05/05/2022 - 11:23

      Good lord that is awful. I am hoping besides the paint I won't have any other issues. The things you described sound like things I probably have no clue how to fix without additional help, and this process has been so long and torturous I absolutely do not want any more of it.

    • RocketSwitch on 05/05/2022 - 14:31

      You're right. I have a 1970s home that needs updating. So far every trade has been a pain in the ass from roof guys, to plumbers, carpenters, electricians… it's hell!

  • BartholemewH on 05/05/2022 - 12:29
    +1

    The tiling job looks shit…Where is the skirting board? The paint is the least of your worries.

    The issues with buyers not knowing what they should be asking for/getting are real

    I used to work for a (very meticulous) project home builder (many years ago) and recently a work colleague showed me her plans and inclusions at a very late stage and asked my opinion. I looked it over overnight and gave her 42 points regarding layout, inclusions, missing contract details. She showed the builder and he asked 'who have you been talking to?!?'. The majority of the points were incorporated or resolved before proceeding.

    Edit: Even then, I didn't have the soil report or site plan and I didn't inspect the block. The colleague assured me the builder had stated the site was suitable for waffle pod. Looked at the site myself later and didn't believe it but contract well and truly in for e by then. The cost of additional fill and siteworks to make it work: $70k!

    • ankor on 06/05/2022 - 21:44

      Geez, every first home buyer needs a work colleague and trusted friend like you. Bravo!!

  • kalithreaver on 05/05/2022 - 12:58

    the whole finish looks bad. i wouldnt accept it

  • zyj494949 on 05/05/2022 - 14:07

    That's very rough work in the picture!

  • BurnZ on 05/05/2022 - 14:59

    Absolute horseshit quality all around. Not just the paintwork.
    But on the subject of the paintwork, as a Painter who has worked with award winning builders in Sydney, a lot of them use cheaper guys from China and the quality shows.
    That's how we got one of our contracts a few years back because we were doing things correctly (on a test house) and not taking shortcuts. I've had to peel supply labels off timber posts that had already installed and sprayed.

  • Caped Baldy on 05/05/2022 - 15:14

    Where is this?

    A family member is building a place and I'm wondering if they need to be worried.

  • AlanHB on 05/05/2022 - 15:15

    It might just be the photos, but it kinda looks like my house when I bought it. My house was built in 1978, and small changes in foundation movement over 40 years caused issues like what's in the photos.

  • doptimal on 05/05/2022 - 17:00
    +1

    Nope, nope, nope. I built with a very entry level builder aimed at first home buyers. In Perth. Although the house did not come painted as per contract, the build quality was hard to fault and any minor imperfections were fixed after asking only once.

  • echelon6 on 05/05/2022 - 18:34

    NAME AND SHAME

  • itsHughesy on 05/05/2022 - 20:20

    No, it's not, familiarise yourself with the HIA standards and tolerances for defects and pursue them appropriately via your state tribunal if you aren't satisfied.

  • Mr Random on 06/05/2022 - 12:49

    The lack of quality control recently is absolutely horrendous.
    We have had battles with subcontracts this entire year relating to paint and workmanship in general.

    Aircon leak - Contractor leaves a hole in wall stating he has no material to fix. Had to patch it ourselves unless we waited a month for them to be available.
    Door jamming - Contractor ripped the frame off denting it, left paint peels everywhere. Waiting 4 months for a painter to come and do a sub par job.
    Floorboard not cut correctly exposing a hole - Contractor comes out and fills with silicon!!!

    Yes we can probably touch up those paint jobs ourselves, but the fact is it's a brand new place. Would you be happy with buying a new car with scratches on it?.

    Totally reasonable to want them to fix what you show in your images. Unfortunately you need to stay on them other wise they will just push you aside.

    • peppet on 06/05/2022 - 12:57
      +1

      Absolutely. I wouldn't have any issues if this was a old house I was buying but when you pay for a brand new house built that is what you should get.

      No one would get away with selling a product as new when it looks used, but builders can because you pay upfront. If I was buying this off a builder marketed as a new house I would in no way accept this, but seeing as I've already paid I have little leverage.

      I can't believe your contractors solution to your issues was that shoddy. There needs to be better regulations, because bringing awareness to consumers doesn't help in situations like this, unless the builder is held to account by someone else

  • Moventura on 06/05/2022 - 14:15

    Good luck. This is why I had an inspector for multiple stages of the build. On one walk through with my inspector, he showed me the next door neighbours house. They had filled all the walls with insulation, but hadn't sealed it off. That weekend it had poured. All the insulation was soaked through and they were starting to close up the walls. My house had so many issues at the time they weren't even at the insulation stage. I basically had to force my builder to stop work for 2 months until they fixed the issues at the pre-plaster stage.

  • ankor on 06/05/2022 - 21:56

    Atrocious work tbh.

  • ankor on 07/05/2022 - 12:22

    At this point, I would also run my hands along the edges of every piece of carpet and adjoining wall to ensure that there is no carpet gripper improperly installed.

  • peppet on 06/11/2022 - 08:45

    Update:

    The painter came around a total of 6 times. I cannot understand why this took 6 visits. Visit #1 and #2 he fixed the skirtings but made things much worse by creating a hatbanding/picture-frame effect on my walls. Visit #3 he came back to fix the hatbanding by painting over it the same way and thus making it much more obvious….. I sent them info on hatbanding effect before visit #4 so he wouldn't, beyond all odds, make it even worse than worse, he comes back and does some patchwork over it so it's less obvious at the skirting, only now it's obvious half way up the wall because he just dragged the paint higher up the wall. I'm just exhausted at this point having to explain painting to a professional painter so I get advice from another painter who tells me the walls now have to be compeltely repainted. Visit #5 he comes over and re-rolls one wall. I tell them again that all the walls that the painter ruined need fixing. So he comes back for visit #6 and does two more walls, leaving ~7 walls still looking terrible. I email them saying there are more walls to fix. They ignore me. Clearly they do not want to spend the money repainting all the walls they ruined so they're dragging this out as long as possible and intentionally forgetting problem areas each time.

    Photos of "fixed" walls, which look much worse than before imo https://imgur.com/a/J35kxUI (sorry for imgur quality) https://ibb.co/7QBGPVn https://ibb.co/d032fhC

    TLDR; painter came back for 6 visits, made paint look worse with every visit until I inisisted he repaint the walls he ruined. He repaints 3 out of ~10 walls but I'm now being ignored for asking for the rest to be fixed i.e. they f'd up and don't want to fix their expensive mistake. I am tired and have given up.

    The end.

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