Worried i bought a dud property (First home)

Hello all,

I purchased a property in Raceview, QLD earlier this year.

It was brand new, there have been a few issues and i'm worried that fixing the defects will only be a temporary fix.

There has been a lot of movement, the deck/patio slab has moved about 1inch from the house as a result there is a hap there
The door to the patio has about a 2cm gap in the seal.

The main bathroom door doesn't close and i can see the seal coming away in the shower and the wall next to it.

There are cracks on many of the door frames, they are usually vertical though some are diagonal.

On the side of the house there is a large diagonal crack through the brickwork which is around 5 feet long. This is a crack that zigzags with the brick work.

I understand you have the 12 month defect warranty and the 6.5 year QBCC warranty also.

I know houses take a few years to settle, but this much movement so early is alarming.
I was a little naive when buying the house and could of done more due diligence, it is an expensive lesson to learn.

I can provide photos soon if required and will answer any questions you may have.

Any information or help would be appreciated.

I have engaged the builder and they will send a site inspector to the house, i am contemplating getting my own inspector to list the defects so i can present the builder with the list.

The house is a nice new house, but if its going to have ongoing issues i would rather wash my hands with it.

Thanks

 

You absolutely need to get your own inspector and perhaps structural engineer to ascertain what is causing all this movement.

 

Definitely get all your stuff ready for an insurance claim - it doesn't sound great unfortunately!

 

The builder is sometimes your first point of contact not always QBCC

Building work has finished and there are defects
Once building work is finished, the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme may help if:

• the builder fails to rectify defects which have resulted in a QBCC Direction to Rectify
• the builder becomes bankrupt or goes into liquidation
• the builder is in another country or deceased
• the building suffers from subsidence or settlement.

But I would engage a independent adviser even if the cost isnt covered to ensure the work is property fixed. Get cracking (pardon the pun) as there are strict limits to time:

For structural defects you must lodge this complaint form within 3 months of noticing the defect

 

How did it go?

 

ended up selling the house, was able to get out. Now just looking for a new property, but taking my time and doing alot of due diligence prior to buying.

 

What age property are you looking for next?

 

I home you got a good price for it.

 

We bought a 7 year old apartment that was a disaster. We were lucky enough to sell it for what we bought it for a few years later and if we’d paid rent that whole time it would have been a lot more so it wasn’t a big deal. My advice is to get out ASAP.

 

Sold for 8k less than purchase, but we did have FHOG so came out just a bit down, but overall it taught me alot.

Looking at houses now that are atleast 5 years old. But anywhere within a 25min Radius of Bris CBD. Just looking at my options, high demand and low stock at the moment, so everything is getting snapped up. I am in no rush though and won't panic buy.

 

Yes it's a good lesson. Even 5 years may not be enough time to see if it has settled but it's better than brand new I guess. I get the appeal of new, but for the premium you pay, you could buy an oldie but goodie, renovate the hell out of it, and still end up like 50-100k ahead.

 

Where would you like to live?