Good evening,
as the title says, our new build (shell construction) was completely botched in autumn 2018 and now needs to be repaired. In the course of this renovation, we are considering changes to the staircase (which should be carried out by a third party).
1. In June 2019, the basement was flooded with nearly 50 cm (20 inches) of groundwater in the solid concrete basement for about 2 weeks.
2. Bricks not laid according to Wienerberger guidelines (instead of thin-bed mortar, 5 mm (0.2 inches) or wider joints).
3. Flat roof was executed incorrectly – tapered insulation not installed according to the installation plan and then cut afterwards to create a slope.
4. Basement was excavated over 50 cm (20 inches) too shallow – consequence: the house is too high according to the allotment garden law and is not consolidated.
Suing the company is not an option – costs for legal proceedings would be enormous and lengthy – lasting for years – and the company could file for bankruptcy at any time. The result would be that we would still be stuck with the court costs. We have already consulted six construction law attorneys. We cannot afford to demolish and rebuild the house, although we will always be uncertain about water leakage in the basement. We live near a river, and high groundwater is a recurring issue every spring after the snow melt. We are completely desperate.
The building authority does not help: despite the clearly wrong height. According to a new submission plan by the construction company, it is supposedly approved, even though it is clearly too high (according to recent surveying by a certified surveying office). It all sounds like a bad movie, but it is true.
The defects became apparent starting in summer 2019, and since then we have had an expert involved.
Our only option is to play along and reach a consensus with the construction company. We have already paid about 250,000 EUR (approximately) for the shell construction.
The floor plan is an external dimension of 8.3 m x 6.15 m (27.2 ft x 20.2 ft).
The staircase from the ground floor to the basement is about 4 m (13 ft) long and 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) wide, very uncomfortable concrete steps. (26 cm (10 inches) tread, 18 cm (7 inches) riser).
We are considering hiring an architect again to change the staircase to possibly a 2 x 2 m (6.5 ft x 6.5 ft) half-turn or slightly rotated. We have no joy with the whole house anymore. The stair width should also be a maximum of 90 cm (3 ft), not 130 cm (4 ft 3 in).
On one short side there is a 4 m (13 ft) kitchen and a 1.5 m (5 ft) WC. Then the dining area faces the long side and the living area is there. There would be a 3 x 2.2 m (9.8 ft x 7.2 ft) lift-and-slide door on the other short side.
In the middle of this whole mess, doubts arise about the floor plan and the staircase. We have two schoolchildren and a toddler and wanted to be living in the house since last autumn.
Sorry for the long post. I can only upload the plan next week.
Please share your opinions on changing the staircase (this would involve demolition of the existing one and widening but shortening the stairwell).
as the title says, our new build (shell construction) was completely botched in autumn 2018 and now needs to be repaired. In the course of this renovation, we are considering changes to the staircase (which should be carried out by a third party).
1. In June 2019, the basement was flooded with nearly 50 cm (20 inches) of groundwater in the solid concrete basement for about 2 weeks.
2. Bricks not laid according to Wienerberger guidelines (instead of thin-bed mortar, 5 mm (0.2 inches) or wider joints).
3. Flat roof was executed incorrectly – tapered insulation not installed according to the installation plan and then cut afterwards to create a slope.
4. Basement was excavated over 50 cm (20 inches) too shallow – consequence: the house is too high according to the allotment garden law and is not consolidated.
Suing the company is not an option – costs for legal proceedings would be enormous and lengthy – lasting for years – and the company could file for bankruptcy at any time. The result would be that we would still be stuck with the court costs. We have already consulted six construction law attorneys. We cannot afford to demolish and rebuild the house, although we will always be uncertain about water leakage in the basement. We live near a river, and high groundwater is a recurring issue every spring after the snow melt. We are completely desperate.
The building authority does not help: despite the clearly wrong height. According to a new submission plan by the construction company, it is supposedly approved, even though it is clearly too high (according to recent surveying by a certified surveying office). It all sounds like a bad movie, but it is true.
The defects became apparent starting in summer 2019, and since then we have had an expert involved.
Our only option is to play along and reach a consensus with the construction company. We have already paid about 250,000 EUR (approximately) for the shell construction.
The floor plan is an external dimension of 8.3 m x 6.15 m (27.2 ft x 20.2 ft).
The staircase from the ground floor to the basement is about 4 m (13 ft) long and 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) wide, very uncomfortable concrete steps. (26 cm (10 inches) tread, 18 cm (7 inches) riser).
We are considering hiring an architect again to change the staircase to possibly a 2 x 2 m (6.5 ft x 6.5 ft) half-turn or slightly rotated. We have no joy with the whole house anymore. The stair width should also be a maximum of 90 cm (3 ft), not 130 cm (4 ft 3 in).
On one short side there is a 4 m (13 ft) kitchen and a 1.5 m (5 ft) WC. Then the dining area faces the long side and the living area is there. There would be a 3 x 2.2 m (9.8 ft x 7.2 ft) lift-and-slide door on the other short side.
In the middle of this whole mess, doubts arise about the floor plan and the staircase. We have two schoolchildren and a toddler and wanted to be living in the house since last autumn.
Sorry for the long post. I can only upload the plan next week.
Please share your opinions on changing the staircase (this would involve demolition of the existing one and widening but shortening the stairwell).
Laurasstern schrieb:
An expert during the construction phase PLUS a site manager are already significant additional costs. And how much additional cost do you have now that it has been botched?
Laurasstern schrieb:
And unfortunately, not everyone can be present – with 50 hours, where or WHO would our 3 children have been if I had spent 8 hours a day at the construction site? WHO would have looked after them? Grandma, aunts, friends, nanny, to name the most common options.
I find this mindset ridiculous. Either you have the time to build a house, or you don’t – then you have to look at existing properties. Building a house is not something you can do on the side unless you’re Rockefeller. And hoping you can just pay someone to do it and it will work out is like playing the lottery. You rarely get lucky.
There is also a complete lack of structure here. Even in this thread, it’s just chaos. You need a clear overview:
- What defects are there? List!
- Who caused what? Documentation!
- Who is willing to fix the issues? Can the terms be renegotiated?
- What do the solutions look like and who can implement them?
- What else must be done before moving in?
- How much money is still available and how will it be allocated?
- A new schedule with deadlines for the tradespeople and someone to oversee it
- Payment only upon acceptance by an expert inspector
Constant complaining, hoping, and waiting for the person at fault to admit their mistake is nonsense. Document everything, get a written confirmation from the expert, and then think ahead.
P
Pinkiponk14 Feb 2020 09:26Unfortunately, I can’t offer expert advice, but I’m thinking of you and your family, and as an older woman, I want to reassure you that once you’re settled in the house, the troubles will soon be forgotten and you’ll feel great. It’s a great fortune that you were able to secure this plot of land, and building a house almost always involves some difficulties. In your case, there are a few more challenges right now, but fortunately, the problems can be resolved. Maybe you can focus on the fact that you got an excellent plot in Vienna, which many others will envy.
It’s a bit like having children—the pain is soon forgotten.
It’s a bit like having children—the pain is soon forgotten.
P
Pinkiponk14 Feb 2020 09:28And as someone who is not Austrian, I want to tell you that being allowed to live in Vienna at all is already a gift.
N
neubau201914 Feb 2020 09:30kaho674 schrieb:
Grandmother, aunts, friends, nanny—just to name the most common ones.
I find this idea ridiculous. Either you have the time to build a house, or you don’t, and then you have to look at existing properties. You can’t build a house on the side unless you’re Rockefeller. And hoping someone gets paid and everything works out is like playing the lottery. You’re only rarely lucky. What nonsense... Not everyone has family around to take care of the kids, and moms also have to work full-time just to afford a house! And if there’s nothing available on the market, does that mean I have to stay renting? I’ve hardly ever read such nonsense. Of course, building a house takes a lot of time, but you can always hit a wall...