Park Terraces – July Project Update
I’m afraid to say, but once again the builder has been beaten by labour and material shortages and to make things even worse the weather has further compounded the delay. There were days when I went to site and there were approximately 5 tradies present. Typically at this stage of the development I would expect to see 20 to 50 tradies. The dramatic spike in Covid infections is compounding an already shortfall of workers.
It is extremely frustrating, because as you will see from the photos, internally the terraces are essentially finished except for some minor items and some floor coverings.
The main item which is delaying practical completion is the podium and its landscaping. As there is such extensive landscaping on the podium the builder needs to ensure that its adequately waterproofed. In order to apply the waterproofing membrane the area must be reasonably dry, which hasn’t been possible for the majority of the month due to the persistent rain Perth has received. However, this last week has given them a small window to make good headway with completing the waterproofing, screeding and rendering.
In addition there are still some material shortages which are also causing a delay. You will notice in the photos that the feature planter boxes at the front of each terrace still need a black metal cover to go over them. These have been on order for months and the builder is still waiting for them to arrive. The trees cannot be planted in those boxes until the covers are installed.
The last remaining big ticket items to complete are:
- The podium planter boxes and then the installation of the landscaping.
- The remaining landscaping on the ground floor.
- The remaining concreting to the driveway and surround.
- Carpet to some of the bedrooms.
The builder has commenced their defect inspections of the terraces and has completed lots 1 to 6. Whilst the majority of these defects are minor, the builder’s next hurdle is in getting the contractors back to site to rectify them.
I have asked the builder for their best estimate of when they believe they will be able to achieve practical completion and I’m very sorry to report that based on the current conditions they are experiencing they estimate they will need another month. If practical completion is achieved by the end of August then titles are likely to issue mid to late October with settlement to occur as soon as the buyers’ banks can arrange after that date.
I look forward to updating you next month, which hopefully will be my last project update, but in the meantime should you have any queries please feel free to contact me on 0451 533 440 or (08) 6144 0700.
Regards,
