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).
kaho674 schrieb:
Is that even a sentence? What are you trying to say?
Then I can’t build a house.
Yes, you can have luck or bad luck. Word of mouth is worth its weight in gold here. Otherwise, you need enough money to cover the bad luck. If things go wrong, what’s your solution?
Yes, what else does the original poster want here? A bit of complaining? Sure, there needs to be a plan to get things back on track. But as far as I’m concerned, she can complain a little more if it helps. Following your statements, do you know what the home situation and family circumstances of the original poster are?
Why a solution? I said this is how it happened with many of my acquaintances and none of them ended up with defects. But probably they were just lucky...
Of course, a plan is needed to solve the problem. But this doesn’t belong in the forum here, or are you now the building expert who really knows everything just because you built your own house and posted a few plans here that sometimes are not really good?
Honestly, I find it sad how you are showing off in this thread.
Well, anyone who thinks that taking care of three children can simply be handed off for half a year or a whole year probably doesn’t understand the situation. I experienced this during our own construction period. Relatives were quite far away, friends had three or more children themselves, and couldn’t look after my three every day. It was a really difficult time because I was often called to the construction site but still had to be back home by 12 p.m. sharp when the childcare from kindergarten or primary school ended. My brother had it easier because my parents lived right next door and he always knew his children were in good care. So be careful with such remarks.
This doesn’t really help the original poster. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that everything will turn out well.
This doesn’t really help the original poster. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that everything will turn out well.
Baufie schrieb:
Based on what you say, do you actually know what the situation at the OP’s home is like and what their family circumstances are? Then more “or not.” Where does such an assumption come from? How should I know, and where do I claim that?
Baufie schrieb:
Why call it a solution? I wrote that it went like this for many of my acquaintances and none of them ended up with defects. But I guess they were all just lucky... Yes, lucky to have chosen the right person.
Baufie schrieb:
Sure, a plan is needed to solve the problem. But that doesn’t belong here in the forum. Why not? Isn’t the OP here to ask questions about the problems? I thought the OP wanted advice here.
Baufie schrieb:
Or are you now also the great building expert who really knows their stuff just because you built yourself? I don’t believe I ever claimed that.
Baufie schrieb:
And you post some plans here that aren’t always really good? “Not always really good”? Feel free to say outright if you think it’s rubbish, no need to sugarcoat. I stand by it.
Baufie schrieb:
Honestly, I find it sad how you’re showing off here in this thread. And I was still holding back.
Basically, I want to say this: I think it’s completely wrong to comfort the OP out of a misunderstood sense of pity. It’s good if other readers, who think they can casually have a house built, are put off by stories like this and realize that potentially all their money could be lost if they’re not careful. There is no one to pull the chestnuts out of the fire when it’s too late, and good advice or sympathy from others won’t buy you anything.
N
neubau201914 Feb 2020 18:22Do you have children yourself? Do you have a full-time job? Not everyone is fortunate enough to take two years off work just because they are building a house... Normal life continues anyway! And to claim that only maintenance is possible during that time is nonsense... it doesn’t reflect reality.
neubau2019 schrieb:
Do you have children yourself? Do you have a full-time job? Not everyone is fortunate enough to take two years off because they are building a house... Life goes on as usual! And claiming that only existing buildings are possible then... doesn’t really reflect reality. Judging by the number of your posts and the times you post, it seems you don’t have a full-time job, and regarding children, I’d guess they’re older and don’t need much care anymore.
And your house seems to be flawless and built in one go.
Criticizing someone who is already down is, of course, always helpful and constructive. I wish you personally never find yourself in a similar difficult situation. But building experts would never experience something like this.