Friday, 23 January 2015

Cowboy builders

 

Hati Hati

Big problems are arising with cowboy builders.  Individuals can purchase land and build a home and then sell that home at a reasonable profit.  Buyers are available for such properties, they are excited about the glitzy finishes, custom built kitchens etc.  They can often negotiate a better price than they can on an adjacent property.  

Buyer beware

There is much more to a property that can not be seen than there is that can be seen.  Recently CV Bali Puri Gelis had a buyer for a small house in Pemogen.  A well constructed small single story property which incorporated all the latest damp proof technology, along with substantially deep foundations constructed of black rock at a depth of more than a 1 metre.  The property had all the high grade steel appropriate to withstand an earthquake.  

The buyer however negotiated a bargain price for the property the deal was closed.  A price which included the agents commission.  But then an adjacent property developer owner proposed a better price than ours, less approx US$700, then the developer appeared to  renege on the agents commission. And the buyer closed the deal saving 1%.

A few weeks later the wet season came along and the house became a sponge, capillary action from below sucking water up.  The walls let water through and the unprotected roof may as well have not been there at all.


I am also sure in saying that the property has a 20cm foundation built from a powdery limestone substance.  We wait to see how it acts during an earthquake.

The buyer has hit a brick wall with his complaints and has decided to now sell the property for the best price he can get.  A substantial loss from his original purchase just a few short weeks ago.

The CV Bali Puri Gelis property just next door remains as it was prior to the wet season starting.  In other words for just 1% more on the purchase price a perfect home awaited them. With a 12 month damp proof guarantee.  

At some point controls will have to be put in place to prevent such shoddy behaviour from cowboy builders.