Today was one of the most frustrating days!
I have always had the plan that I was going to change the tapware to something more 'traditional'. I purposely chose the tapware that Henley provided because I wanted the 2 taps and 1 spout instead of a mixer tap. I didn't want to have to pay for an upgrade to something I wasn't going to keep, either. Unfortunately, so I discovered last Friday, the taps I chose at the colour appointment use a 3/4 turn ceramic disk mechanism, as opposed to a standard washer type arrangement.
Today I went to Cosham and picked out other taps that use the washer not the ceramic disc and then set about attempting to organise a PCV to have them all changed. If only it could have been that simple...
As it turns out, according to my SS, it is now too late to make any changes. So, no PCV and no different taps. Looks as though I'm stuck with taps I hate and can't easily be changed after handover because the mechanism is completely wrong. This is probably the reason why people build twice...they learn so many mistakes they made in the first place so as not to repeat them EVER again!!
I am so annoyed and frustrated that I cannot have the taps I desire because a) Henley didn't provide them in the first place, and b) I did not know enough about taps in the first place before I made my decision to try and save money and not upgrade initially.
To change the taps after handover, will most likely mean ripping off tiles and plaster and compromising the waterproofing. Not happy about it at all, but there is nothing I can do about it...
On another sad note, our lovely CSA who has been wonderful, professional and always willing to answer anything, will no longer be our CSA. I'm pretty guttered, as changes to Admin staff means getting to know someone new and getting to know the way they do things. Added stress that I really don't appreciate at the moment. Not happy, but not a lot I can do.
Apparently I have a kitchen too! Although I can't get in to see it until next Friday That's 10 whole days away! Oh the pain!! I can't stand the waiting!!
I'll leave this post on a more positive note. My beautiful 2 x 3 seater Toorak couches from Freedom are to be delivered tomorrow!! Yippee!! Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to share with you some photos. Until then, I'll keep sipping at my glass of red and eating chocolate...
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3 comments:
Red and chocolate....my 2 'building a house' staples.. and the reason I am back with my trainer. I sooo hear and understand your pain. It's your house, your money, you should get what you want. Bloody bureaucracy. If it helps to know you are not alone... I have a painted staircase that looked better unpainted!??? and a house FULL of defects and no painter (I sacked him illegally - he was my builders) and a builder refusing to give me another painter!
I would keep fighting, fighting, fighting for your taps. How can it be too late, can't they use them for someone elses house? Don't they want you to build with them again? This is what I don't understand about builders. Do they think we are going to recommend them if they give us grief? A-M xx
Hi,
I agree with A-M. Being FHB, we don't much about most of things. We most of the times completely rely on builders like Henley to give us right info.
We also had problems getting approval for minor changes with Henley. We wanted to reduce the size of laundry after two months of fighting with SS, we gave up. Then once we paid deposit and CSC was assigned I raised the issue again(thanks for a H1 forum user who said never give up) and she said it had been approved by them how Silly we wasted two months.
Anyhow we didnt like shower set they have and want to chagnge something which got tap and shower inthe same set, but henley doesn't have it. So we gone for default one hoping to change/fix it later.
From this we should take care before siging the contract.
Regards,
Ismail
Hi A-M, so sorry to read of all your painting dramas. I hope everything gets sorted out soon for you. I'll mention the taps again to my SS next Friday when I have a site meeting, but I'm sure he'll still say "no." :-(. At this stage I won't be building another house!! Much too stressful to go through that again! Also at this stage I would quite happily recommend my builder with a warning: Do your research on everything (including taps!) and make sure you know what is going on at all times and where they/you are at. So far I have had a very smooth and consistant run, and consider myself lucky compared to so many other blogs/stories I have read. It's the luck of the draw!
Hi Ismail, You will find with Henley they 'usually' will only make the changes to the floorplan that are in their options book. You were pretty lucky to reduce the size of your laundry with a structural change that is not in their book. The only thing we really did out of the ordinary was add a BIR into the study. All our other changes were in the book. This was one of the reasons we chose the floorplan, as it was pretty perfect and required hardly any changes leading to more costs.
Be careful with your taps is my advice! If you are going to change them afterwards, make sure they have the same 'compatability'. This is where I fell down as I thought taps were all the same. They are not! Another reason why I deleted the shower slide rail that is standard with Henley. If I didn't like the showerhead, I would have to replace with something else...and be left with 2 extra holes in the tiles where the shower rail was fitted! Instead I went with just a standard one shower head (no slide rail) and 2 taps (no mixers).
Good luck!
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