Hello everyone,
We have been living in our new home for 5 weeks now and, until recently, felt like we had no issues during the construction.
Karma...
Within one week, we experienced water damage in the basement and a surge damage inside the house.
The water damage occurred last week (missing seal at the multi-utility conduit).
The surge damage happened yesterday (neutral conductor on the part of the electrical panel manufacturer was not installed correctly).
The surge damage is much worse and more time-consuming for us.
Various devices on our end, including the heating system, kitchen appliances, etc., are damaged and need to be replaced.
This means for us:
- additional effort for research and phone calls
- trips home to coordinate with craftsmen and oversee repairs
- and possibly more?
We are honestly fed up and had hoped to finally settle in without any further work from contractors — unfortunately, that’s not possible at the moment.
I definitely want to be compensated for my effort here, as I am ultimately the one dealing with these problems.
Now my question:
What can I ultimately report to my general contractor, and what effort can I "charge" for? After all, this will likely all go through the insurance of the electrical panel manufacturer or possibly that of the electrician/general contractor.
I appreciate any input!
We have been living in our new home for 5 weeks now and, until recently, felt like we had no issues during the construction.
Karma...
Within one week, we experienced water damage in the basement and a surge damage inside the house.
The water damage occurred last week (missing seal at the multi-utility conduit).
The surge damage happened yesterday (neutral conductor on the part of the electrical panel manufacturer was not installed correctly).
The surge damage is much worse and more time-consuming for us.
Various devices on our end, including the heating system, kitchen appliances, etc., are damaged and need to be replaced.
This means for us:
- additional effort for research and phone calls
- trips home to coordinate with craftsmen and oversee repairs
- and possibly more?
We are honestly fed up and had hoped to finally settle in without any further work from contractors — unfortunately, that’s not possible at the moment.
I definitely want to be compensated for my effort here, as I am ultimately the one dealing with these problems.
Now my question:
What can I ultimately report to my general contractor, and what effort can I "charge" for? After all, this will likely all go through the insurance of the electrical panel manufacturer or possibly that of the electrician/general contractor.
I appreciate any input!
Additionally, I am currently wondering:
Is the house safe without this neutral conductor? The electrician has turned all the circuit breakers back on and is currently testing the heating system.
Can I live here without risking the house catching fire? Should a certified expert be involved to independently inspect everything?
Is the house safe without this neutral conductor? The electrician has turned all the circuit breakers back on and is currently testing the heating system.
Can I live here without risking the house catching fire? Should a certified expert be involved to independently inspect everything?
Grundaus schrieb:
If it goes through the insurance, you are entitled to a lawyer paid for by the insurer. At least, that's how it works with car accidents. Call a few and ask them. It makes things much easier and less stressful. I have legal expenses insurance – I think I will call them and ask about what claims I have for this kind of damage, including regarding experts / appraisers, etc.
Prager91 schrieb:
I have legal expenses insurance—I’m thinking of calling them to ask about my rights in case of such damage, especially regarding experts or appraisers. Hopefully a builders’ legal expenses insurance?
We had water damage in our new condominium caused by incorrect installation of the plumbing. At that time, we didn’t have builders’ legal expenses insurance. The building insurance covered the claim, but we ended up bearing the inconvenience and costs ourselves.
In your case, you should be entitled to “moving costs.” Make sure to document your expenses.
Chloe83 schrieb:
Hopefully a builder’s legal protection insurance?
We had water damage in our new condominium, caused by incorrect plumbing installation. At that time, we didn’t have builder’s legal protection insurance. The building insurance covered the claim, but we were left to deal with the hassle and expenses ourselves.
In your case, you should be entitled to “moving costs.” Make sure to document your expenses. I just spoke with a lawyer from my legal protection insurance (property). Since I am no longer the builder but have already moved in, my standard property legal protection now covers this. The call was enough for me; I don’t need further information. In theory, all moving expenses and costs can be claimed.
Now I have to wait for the assessor from the manufacturer’s/electrician’s insurance, so I can be sure about the extent of the damages.
What annoys me the most is the TV... Its original value six years ago was 600€ (about 650 USD) – realistically now it might only be worth around 100€ (110 USD), but it would have certainly lasted me another three years. Of course, I won’t buy a cheap TV for 300€ (330 USD) now, but rather something I would have planned to get in 2–3 years anyway (retail price around 1,000€ (1,100 USD)). In the end, you’re always stuck with these extra costs, and the question is: How much will the insurance actually reimburse me? 🙁
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