Problems: Big, Small, frame walk, PDI inspections etc.

[guin1060]

I wanted to start a thread where people could share their ongoing/current problems with the building process of their home. When listing a problem could you include the following information:

1. model of your home (elevation as well)
2. stage of building process when observed
3. specific problem
4. how/if and when mattamy has rectified the issue
5. anything else that you might want to include

The purpose of this is to assist everyone in spotting similar errors in their homes. Further more, to alleviate some of the information asymmetries that exist between builder and home owner.

[guin1060]

Thompson elevation C
During my first visit to my home after the permanent stairs were installed, I noticed that they were very close to the door. I measured the clearance from doorway to staircase and it was 39'' (3 feet 3 inches). In order to open the door to my house from the stairs, I would have to stand on the first step. This didn't seem right to me. I headed over to the model homes after my visit and sure enough there was a big difference. The distance from the doorway to staircase in the model home measured 54'' (4 feet 6 inches). I spent the next few hours measuring every room, the foundation of the home, the hallways......pretty much anything and everything. My only explaination is that they shifted the staircase 15'' towards the front door. Yes, the staircase had the same amount of risers : ), and my home also has 9 ft. ceiling on the main floor, exactly the same as the model. Further more, the post and the pickets at the top of the staircase, opposite of the railing, do not exist in my home because there is no spot for it after the shifting of the staircase towards the door. I am still awaiting a response from Mattamy in regards to the staircase shift and the missing post and pickets. It is obviously too late in the building process to do much about it, but at the very least I should be compensated for the loss of foyer space and missing post and pickets (also note that I upgraded to maple, upgraded to stain, and upgraded the post and pickets).

This was the biggest problem that I have had amongst several.


Any thoughts?

[penguin]

guin1060,
hillcrest, level B, the last time I was out, they had stairs going up to the second floor. I thought they were very close to the front door, but figured they were not the final stairs and the correct stairs would be put in at a later date. (a sign was on them to say they were not yet finished). Thank you for mentioning your situation. It has given me a heads up that I might have to say something to Mattamy before they make the stairs permanent.
Penguin

[anxious_f]

Thompson elevation C
During my first visit to my home after the permanent stairs were installed, I noticed that they were very close to the door. I measured the clearance from doorway to staircase and it was 39'' (3 feet 3 inches). In order to open the door to my house from the stairs, I would have to stand on the first step. This didn't seem right to me. I headed over to the model homes after my visit and sure enough there was a big difference. The distance from the doorway to staircase in the model home measured 54'' (4 feet 6 inches). I spent the next few hours measuring every room, the foundation of the home, the hallways......pretty much anything and everything. My only explaination is that they shifted the staircase 15'' towards the front door. Yes, the staircase had the same amount of risers : ), and my home also has 9 ft. ceiling on the main floor, exactly the same as the model. Further more, the post and the pickets at the top of the staircase, opposite of the railing, do not exist in my home because there is no spot for it after the shifting of the staircase towards the door. I am still awaiting a response from Mattamy in regards to the staircase shift and the missing post and pickets. It is obviously too late in the building process to do much about it, but at the very least I should be compensated for the loss of foyer space and missing post and pickets (also note that I upgraded to maple, upgraded to stain, and upgraded the post and pickets).

This was the biggest problem that I have had amongst several.


Any thoughts?

I have a Thompson Elevation A - Lot 165. Feel free to check my place and see if it is the same as yours. We also are missing the posts and railing at the top of the stairs, but I figure that it's because our houses are smaller than the model (the model is about 1750 sqft and our homes are only 1721). We can open the door fine at our place and, in fact, there is more room behind the door at ours than at the model. Our front door opens 180 degrees and the model only opens 90 degrees and then hits the wall. We don't, however, have 9' ceilings so that might make a difference.

[baldwinCoronation]

I can hoestly say that I could not be happier with the progress of the building of our home. We built our first home and we had nothing but problems. Paint peeling off walls, walls not level, door that never closed, cocking put in places that should have had grout. So when we started building our second home with Mattamy we were expecting some of the same problems. I have walked through the house a number of times and can`t find anything done wrong. I walked through yesturday on mu lunch hour and they had just finished staining my railing and the gentlemen there said that he would be removing the railing and re-doing the wall because it was a little bit crocked. I could not tell in the slightest but by the time I left the wall had come down and they were re-doing it. I could not be happier! Sorry to hear that you are having problems, I hope that they can resolve your issues.

[justmed]

Other than the water coming through the open windows nothing has happened thus far in our place...

that was a grading issue, not a Mattamy thing.

Fingers crossed it stays that way

[guin1060]

I have a Thompson Elevation A - Lot 165. Feel free to check my place and see if it is the same as yours. We also are missing the posts and railing at the top of the stairs, but I figure that it's because our houses are smaller than the model (the model is about 1750 sqft and our homes are only 1721). We can open the door fine at our place and, in fact, there is more room behind the door at ours than at the model. Our front door opens 180 degrees and the model only opens 90 degrees and then hits the wall. We don't, however, have 9' ceilings so that might make a difference.


I had no idea of the sq. ft. difference between the model and our houses. Do you know where you lose the 29 sq. ft.? During the issue with the staircase, I measured the foundations of both homes and they are exactly the same. I just assumed if the foundation was the same the house size would most likely be the same.

[anxious_f]

I had no idea of the sq. ft. difference between the model and our houses. Do you know where you lose the 29 sq. ft.? During the issue with the staircase, I measured the foundations of both homes and they are exactly the same. I just assumed if the foundation was the same the house size would most likely be the same.

I'm not sure exactly where the difference is, but there is a difference. When they sold the Thompson for UCC, they were 1735 sqft. I've been told that all of the model homes were built just slightly larger than the actual square footage of the house that you can buy. Therefore, I was just adding a bit extra in getting to the 1750 number. Here is a link to the floor plan for the UCC model. http://www.mattamyhomes.com/corporate/ourhomes/model_homes.asp?id=963

One example if that the media niche is about half the size in our house than it is in the model.

[smartsexystylish]

1)Hillcrest, Elevation A
2)Foundation poured, but right before framing (thankfully)
3)The forgot/missed to put our 3 piece basement rough in. Turns out they put it in a house a couple doors down from us.
4)I called up Mattamy the following work day and they fixed the issue immediately! Very pleased :)

5)It's really hard to notice that the rough in was missing. On the floor plans, they show you where the 3 pc "might" go. When we saw our foundation we were happy and just thought they moved the bathroom elsewhere since I had no idea what pipes were for what. Then (and I don't want to get flamed for saying this - but it helped ALOT!) because we toured another Hillcrest, we saw they had the rough-in in the same spot according to plan. We then decided to count the number of pipes sticking out from the ground in their basement and run back to ours to count. Sure enough! We were missing it!
The very next day, Mattamy started the sub flooring and when I called in they had to halt production of that and jack hammer our floor to put it in.
I'm thankful we noticed it right when we did, or we wouldn't have known for quite some time as the basement was borded up for along time until we got stairs!

Edit: Wanted to add that this is a great thread to start up! Very helpful so we know what to keep an eye out for!

[DanielleandCody]

I just wanted to say that I think this thread is an excellent idea!!! For us we don't even have a hole in the ground yet but it will be coming shortly I'm hoping!! I think it's really good to communicate with one another what's going on as some of these things could be potentially missed by others. Again thanks guys!!!
D

[justmed]

We went out on the weekend and noticed one of our doors was upside down... :rolleyes:

[babymaeby]

Last weekend we noticed that the window frame (plastic) in our master bedroom was shattered in one spot. On the glass was written ON ORDER with a big arrow to where the broken part was...so we didn't bother telling them about it since it's obvious they already noticed. I'd like to know how they managed to break it - is it that fragile?

How hard would it be to replace a window once they're already installed?

[K.C.]

Last weekend we noticed that the window frame (plastic) in our master bedroom was shattered in one spot. On the glass was written ON ORDER with a big arrow to where the broken part was...so we didn't bother telling them about it since it's obvious they already noticed. I'd like to know how they managed to break it - is it that fragile?

How hard would it be to replace a window once they're already installed?

The new window frames are not fragile. It probably fell on something extremely hard or was received broken before they placed it and they put it up anyway for some reason only they would know about. If they haven't started putting brick on your house it shouldn't be hard to replace it. When you have to replace a window in an existing house it's probably not hard but it is expensive if a homeowner has to pay for it themselves.

[babymaeby]

If they haven't started putting brick on your house it shouldn't be hard to replace it.

Our house was bricked months ago - but I think this window has siding not brick around it - hopefully not a huge deal to pull out - shame though - they'll have to replace the whole thing (I think) and it's 70" wide.

[anxious_f]

Replacing a window is fairly easy (especially for professionals). They likely left the window in because they had to order a new one, but couldn't just leave a big gaping hole there. The house needs to be fairly sealed and finished in order for work to progress (painting, tiling, etc) properly and to keep passing inspections.

[babymaeby]

Replacing a window is fairly easy (especially for professionals). They likely left the window in because they had to order a new one, but couldn't just leave a big gaping hole there. The house needs to be fairly sealed and finished in order for work to progress (painting, tiling, etc) properly and to keep passing inspections.

Yeah, this makes a lot of sense. Thanks.

[JFiolek]

I've got problems,
1. There is a mistery item under my carpet in my sons room
2. They must have poked a hole in the ceiling because they put mud on it and the finish is not the same (very noticable)
3. The tile in the kids bathroom don't go all the way to the baseboards
4. 2 outside windows are not sealed
5. 1 window is shatered
6. a brick on the outside has a hole in it, they started to drill and said.. Oh on wrong spot then drilled in the correct area
Plus I still don't have cabinets and close in 8 days

BRUTAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[K.C.]

Yuck! Call Rocky at the construction office.

[A&O]

I've got problems,
1. There is a mistery item under my carpet in my sons room


I got a tip from a friend of mine about going through your whole house and sweeping it before the carpets get laid. Some carpet people may not care about what is underneath when they start working (nails, drywall, sawdust etc.). Of course I assume Mattamy would bring up the carpet if you felt something under it but it is never the same when they put it back. So we did go sweep out our entire house on Sunday morning. It took a while to do a thorough job but in light of Jason's son's room, my guess it was worth the trouble.

[anxious_f]

I've got problems,
1. There is a mistery item under my carpet in my sons room
2. They must have poked a hole in the ceiling because they put mud on it and the finish is not the same (very noticable)
3. The tile in the kids bathroom don't go all the way to the baseboards
4. 2 outside windows are not sealed
5. 1 window is shatered
6. a brick on the outside has a hole in it, they started to drill and said.. Oh on wrong spot then drilled in the correct area
Plus I still don't have cabinets and close in 8 days

BRUTAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our tile and hardwood don't really go under the baseboard either, but I think that they still need to add quarter round to ours , which SHOULD cover all of the gaps.

They relocated our hydro meter from one side of the house to the other, so our brick and mortar is all mangled on the one side. I would imagine that this will be fix by closing, or shortly after.

We close in just under 14 days and we still need a kitchen, carpets, bathroom fixtures and a garage floor. Those are just the main things to make it livable.

[anxious_f]

I'm EXTREMELY picky about workmanship in the house, so this list may seem a bit much, but I'm of the thinking that if I'm paying someone to do something, they had better be able to do it better than I would.

- "Next Step" not properly insulated on outside walls.
- No quiet wall between laundry and 3rd bedroom - it's still debatable whether or not we were supposed to get this anyway.
- HVAC vent in the dinette seems to be really far away from the window - Jason, do you have any pictures that show where yours is located by the window? You got the pantry upgrade as well, right...or did you get the family kitchen?
- There was a leak somewhere in the house and the water was coming through to the basement floor. - The construction office said that they thought that it was because our soffits weren't finished, so they had them finished and said that they will keep an eye on whether or not the water comes back.
- Reverse hookups for the laundry weren't done and I was told that it was "too late" when I asked them to fix it.
- The drywall is cracked under the marble entry in the master ensuite for the shower.
- Bullnose around the ensuite soaker is smashed.
- The octogonal boxes that they charge $60 for aren't real octogonal boxes that are fastened to studs...they're just kinda left floating in the drywall.
- Broken tile in the powder room, where the waterline for the toilet runs up through the floor.
- One of the shingles on the front of the house from the overhang above the entrance is broken slightly, from the weight of the snow.
- The lock on the front door is crooked.
- No carpet yet.
- No Kitchen yet.
- No Garage floor yet.
- One side of the house looks like swiss cheese, from all the holes that they have incorrectly drilled into it.

Now, it needs to be said that most issues that I have brought to their attention have been fixed swiftly. Not as much in the beginning, with Tom, but Dave has been fantastic!!

[K.C.]

- "Next Step" not properly insulated on outside walls.

Our Next Step doesn't really have any outside walls except the garage. Why wouldn't they insulate properly? They sure charge enough for it! I have no idea what they do that justifies charging $8500.

[JFiolek]

I got a tip from a friend of mine about going through your whole house and sweeping it before the carpets get laid. Some carpet people may not care about what is underneath when they start working (nails, drywall, sawdust etc.). Of course I assume Mattamy would bring up the carpet if you felt something under it but it is never the same when they put it back. So we did go sweep out our entire house on Sunday morning. It took a while to do a thorough job but in light of Jason's son's room, my guess it was worth the trouble.

The best part is I am pretty sure its a piece of carpet LOL!

[JFiolek]

Our tile and hardwood don't really go under the baseboard either, but I think that they still need to add quarter round to ours , which SHOULD cover all of the gaps.

They relocated our hydro meter from one side of the house to the other, so our brick and mortar is all mangled on the one side. I would imagine that this will be fix by closing, or shortly after.

We close in just under 14 days and we still need a kitchen, carpets, bathroom fixtures and a garage floor. Those are just the main things to make it livable.

Thats crazy, so I assume you are getting worried as well? and the quarter round is already down at our place and there is still a gap.

[JFiolek]

- HVAC vent in the dinette seems to be really far away from the window - Jason, do you have any pictures that show where yours is located by the window? You got the pantry upgrade as well, right...or did you get the family kitchen?

- The octogonal boxes that they charge $60 for aren't real octogonal boxes that are fastened to studs...they're just kinda left floating in the drywall.

Now, it needs to be said that most issues that I have brought to their attention have been fixed swiftly. Not as much in the beginning, with Tom, but Dave has been fantastic!!

The HVAC vent is pretty close to the dinning room window, We have the same problem with the boxes but ours where missed.

Also I am a person who really likes Mattamy homes, but maybe they are so good at the fix ups because they have to be, the CRAFTMANSHIP SUCKS!

[anxious_f]

Our Next Step doesn't really have any outside walls except the garage. Why wouldn't they insulate properly? They sure charge enough for it! I have no idea what they do that justifies charging $8500.

I think ours was about $5000. This is BY FAR the most overpriced upgrade that they offered IMO. They basically move the door from the top of the stairs to the basement, finish the top of the stairs a bit more, hang and mud some drywall, put in a finished light fixture, and some carpet. This HAS to be a huge profit generator for them!

I noticed during our framewalk that they had only insulated part of the wall and they were already drywalling upstairs. I asked Tom if they would be insulating the rest of the wall and the stairs and he told me that it would be taken care of before the drywalled it. The next day, the drywall was finished down there too. I asked Mattamy about it and they told me that they only insulate to 2' above the floor in an unfinished are, because it a best practice. Bull!! Best practice is to insulate all the way to the floor, with 6-12 inches left at the bottom. For the money that you pay for this upgrade, I would hope that they do it properly. I will be checking after I move in. If the insulation stops even an inch less than 2' above the floor, I'm making them redo it and properly insulate it. I don't even think that they insulated along the stairway at all.

[K.C.]

I've got a light switch inside the front closet but the light is outside the closet. Not sure what that's about.

[K.C.]

I think ours was about $5000. This is BY FAR the most overpriced upgrade that they offered IMO. They basically move the door from the top of the stairs to the basement, finish the top of the stairs a bit more, hang and mud some drywall, put in a finished light fixture, and some carpet. This HAS to be a huge profit generator for them!

If I'd known what a huge rip off this was going to be I would've had the outside contractor do this part and used the extra money somewhere else. I probably could have got an extra bathroom for what they overcharge you. Problem is when you are buying the house they don't go into any great detail about what you will be getting so you are taking everything on faith. I imagined a much nicer lower foyer area than what we actually got.

[anxious_f]

Thats crazy, so I assume you are getting worried as well? and the quarter round is already down at our place and there is still a gap.

I spoke to Dave when we were there yesterday and he didn't seem worried much. He said that it would be likely that we would only have our cabinets in a few days before closing which meant that our PDI would probably be the day before closing. He said that he hates doing that, but Aya is trying their best to keep up.


The HVAC vent is pretty close to the dinning room window, We have the same problem with the boxes but ours where missed.

Also I am a person who really likes Mattamy homes, but maybe they are so good at the fix ups because they have to be, the CRAFTMANSHIP SUCKS!

I think that I might ask them to move the vent closer to the window for me. I've attached a pic that shows that it's out in the middle of the floor. It looks like they thought that we were getting the family kitchen, with the built in bench seats, but we're not. The location of the vent right now seems a bit odd because we will constantly be hitting it with our chairs. Let me know how this looks in relation to where yours is located. (The kitchen tiles were finished since this picture was taken)

[anxious_f]

I've got a light switch inside the front closet but the light is outside the closet. Not sure what that's about.

The switch inside your front closet controls the outlet that is located in the soffits, on your front porch. They said that this is for Christmas lights and stuff.

[K.C.]

The switch inside your front closet controls the outlet that is located in the soffits, on your front porch. They said that this is for Christmas lights and stuff.

Cool ... thanks.

[smartsexystylish]

- The octogonal boxes that they charge $60 for aren't real octogonal boxes that are fastened to studs...they're just kinda left floating in the drywall.
- One of the shingles on the front of the house from the overhang above the entrance is broken slightly, from the weight of the snow.
- The lock on the front door is crooked.


Yea, I also noticed the $60 octagon boxes are not really octagon boxes. Was a little disappointed when we pointed this out on our framewalk.

We also just noticed we have a couple broken shingles that we will be pointing out for our 30 day.

We've had major issues with our lock on our front door... We've had to get it re-keyed (Don't remember the proper term, if any) 3 times. Thankfully I think all keys work properly now :s

[JFiolek]

I spoke to Dave when we were there yesterday and he didn't seem worried much. He said that it would be likely that we would only have our cabinets in a few days before closing which meant that our PDI would probably be the day before closing. He said that he hates doing that, but Aya is trying their best to keep up.

We talked to Andy today he basically said the same thing

I think that I might ask them to move the vent closer to the window for me. I've attached a pic that shows that it's out in the middle of the floor. It looks like they thought that we were getting the family kitchen, with the built in bench seats, but we're not. The location of the vent right now seems a bit odd because we will constantly be hitting it with our chairs. Let me know how this looks in relation to where yours is located. (The kitchen tiles were finished since this picture was taken)


Ours is in the same spot, they actually built the benchs before they realized we had the upgrade, now they have molding there. I don't understand what they are doing.

[guin1060]

I had upgrade done for pantry and wine rack done. They had originally placed the vent where you had yours but during a walk through my house I pointed it out that I would appreciate them moving it to a more reasonable spot out of the way. I placed it at the corner of the bench punchout closest to the pantry.

[anxious_f]

What walk through did you ask for this? I pointed it out during our framed walk through and the guy said that he would look into it. It obviously never got changed, however.

[JFiolek]

What walk through did you ask for this? I pointed it out during our framed walk through and the guy said that he would look into it. It obviously never got changed, however.

I asked in the walk through as well and they said they doubt it

[guin1060]

I asked during the framewalk.

[anxious_f]

I'm EXTREMELY picky about workmanship in the house, so this list may seem a bit much, but I'm of the thinking that if I'm paying someone to do something, they had better be able to do it better than I would.

- The drywall is cracked under the marble entry in the master ensuite for the shower.
- No carpet yet.
- No Kitchen yet.


These are done. All of our carpet is in (Tuesday) and now all of our cabinets are in (Wednesday). They have also gone through and patched all of the issues in the drywall. The only interior finishings left are the bathroom fixtures and some re-painting.

[anxious_f]

These are done. All of our carpet is in (Tuesday) and now all of our cabinets are in (Wednesday). They have also gone through and patched all of the issues in the drywall. The only interior finishings left are the bathroom fixtures and some re-painting.

I was at the house yesterday and (as usual) I ran into Dave as I was leaving. I can't say enough good things about him! He has been SO responsive and helpful with any issues that we have brought to his attention. A couple of the problems that I pointed out to him, he had already noted and told me that they should be fixed today or tomorrow and the the others, he told me that he would do his best to get them fixed right away.


- HVAC vent in the dinette seems to be really far away from the window
- This one surprised me the most. I pointed it out to Dave yesterday and just said that I was kind of disappointed with it, but didn't expect it to be fixed now. He told me that he was going to look into what he could do to fix it and would get back to me. He sounded pretty hopeful about getting it done. If he gets this one fixed, I will be greatly appreciative and impressed with their level of service.


- There was a leak somewhere in the house and the water was coming through to the basement floor. - The construction office said that they thought that it was because our soffits weren't finished, so they had them finished and said that they will keep an eye on whether or not the water comes back.
- This issue seems to fixed now, since they finished the soffits. We'll keep and eye on it during the spring thaw/rain and see what happens.


- The drywall is cracked under the marble entry in the master ensuite for the shower.
- Bullnose around the ensuite soaker is smashed.
- Broken tile in the powder room, where the waterline for the toilet runs up through the floor.
- One of the shingles on the front of the house from the overhang above the entrance is broken slightly, from the weight of the snow.
- No carpet yet.
- No Kitchen yet.

These were all taken care of. The house has also been repainted already from the restaining of the stairways and they fixed some drywall issues for the basement staircase.

[K.C.]

Cool ... you must be getting so excited.

[JFiolek]

OK I don't mean to vent but I have had enough.

I don't have a counter for at least another 2 weeks I paid over $6000 for this thing because later on it would be a hassle, and right now it's not (give me a break)

I have a cracked window in the back since my frame walk and still is not fixed.

I had the same problem as Dion with my fire place not being vented properly, and the guy said "Yes Union Gas has done there final inspection".

My super shower was not caulked properly now the wall below the entrance to the shower is falling apart.

I still don't have gutters.

The plumbing work they did is a joke.

My garage light doesn’t work, plus the cord on the door is cut.

Plus there is a lot more.

THIS IS BULL SHIT! I bought a house god damn it not some $5 piece of crap

[K.C.]

Vent away. This is probably the only way we can get Mattamy to wake up and stop screwing us all around. They may be able to ignore our individual phone calls and grievances but they can't ignore us all.

I know by some of the things they've done in response that they do read the boards. Sometimes things get resolved in real time right after you post them. Makes you say hmmmmmmmmmmm.

This is the strangest way to do customer service I've ever seen.

It's hard to believe by some of the things people who have moved in have experienced that they're the builder of the year. They must have fired all the people who helped them to get there or something ...

[Porter Nines]

Wow....I'm really starting to feel a bit nervous. I agree with you, KC that I'm less than impressed with the customer service.

I had some questions of Mattamy about smooth ceilings - I wanted to know if we would get smooth ceilings in our great room because it was attached to our kitchen with no divide between the two. When I asked the design centre three weeks ago, they said no....great room would be California Knock down.

On Feb. 17th I emailed back and told them that some others in the subdivision were getting smooth in both because of lack of divide. On Feb 23rd (5 days later??!?) I got an email back saying they would "look into it." It's now a week later and still nothing!

In the meantime though I have already contacted the construction office and talked to one of teh guys there and got my answer that yes, the ceiling in the great room would be smooth. Now....that wasn't so hard was it?!

Regardless...I'm STILL waiting for the DC consultant to get back to me with my answer. I just don't understand why these people can't get it together. I've also heard nothing of this "Mattamy University".

I was under the impression we were supposed to attend that before our foundation was poured....Our foundation has been poured since December 1st. As of today we are framed, have a roof, have shingles, windows, staircase, duct work, plumbing....no mattamy U?!?

argh.

[K.C.]

Yeah, it's like we're dealing with two twins. One is a genius and the other one is retarded.

I got so frustrated with our consultant and customer service I refuse to deal with them. I have my husband interface with them via email when we absolutely have to communicate with customer service. When I want to actually get something done I call the construction office.

You shouldn't have to bypass customer service to actually get some customer service but that's just how it is with Mattamy.

[K.C.]

I've also heard nothing of this "Mattamy University".

I was under the impression we were supposed to attend that before our foundation was poured....Our foundation has been poured since December 1st. As of today we are framed, have a roof, have shingles, windows, staircase, duct work, plumbing....no mattamy U?!?

argh.

They either have issues with a shortage of staff or some people just need to get fired and replaced. Mattamy head office seems to be this big black hole that you should avoid ... it leads to nothing but frustration.

[smartsexystylish]

OK I don't mean to vent but I have had enough.

I don't have a counter for at least another 2 weeks I paid over $6000 for this thing because later on it would be a hassle, and right now it's not (give me a break)

I have a cracked window in the back since my frame walk and still is not fixed.

I had the same problem as Dion with my fire place not being vented properly, and the guy said "Yes Union Gas has done there final inspection".

My super shower was not caulked properly now the wall below the entrance to the shower is falling apart.

I still don't have gutters.

The plumbing work they did is a joke.

My garage light doesn’t work, plus the cord on the door is cut.

Plus there is a lot more.

THIS IS BULL SHIT! I bought a house god damn it not some $5 piece of crap

Hey Jason,

So sorry to hear that you are experiencing worse things then us! I'm guessing union gas called you the day after and told you that they will shut off the gas supply to your place if they don't come inspect it soon? And it's not vented? Lovely. That'll take about a week to get done. And on top of all that, you asked on your PDI if all the inspections were completed?? Wow!

I would also check to make sure your final electrical inspection took place or you'll be getting a call in about 3 weeks time to say you'll need to take time off work and wait for him. I have the phone number of the person if you want to contact them - Also request a faxed certificate from them saying it got approved as I wanted the additional confirmation!

I honestly cannot imagine living in our place without a counter top! A plywood one must be terrible!!! It's a shame that you even paid for it well in advance and they still couldn't provide it in a timely manner! (At least with the cabinets they have the changeover to Aya as an exuse but what can they say with the counter top??)

Our main floor toilet had problems about a week after we moved in. It kept running non-stop wasting water. We had to shut it off. We brought it to their attention and they left it for almost 2 weeks!! It wasn't until I got really mad with them did they fix it.

I can understand your frustration as we were/are in the same boat as you!

[K.C.]

Since we're within our 30 day window and need to finalize our mortgage I decided to call the construction office to make sure they won't be late on our closing. Suzanne confirmed that they will not be changing any closing dates. Good news!

I plan to go on a spending spree after our final credit check is done. It would really suck if we had to get a credit check done again after I ran up the credit cards.

[baldwinCoronation]

Hey Jason,
I know how you are feeling. We closed on Feb 18 and have had alot of issues too. We finally got our countertop yesturday (MAR 2) after having plywood for 2 weeks. We get our backsplash today(or so they say). We had a problem with our plumbing in the master ensuite shower. Our house hadnt been cleaned when we moved in and when they finally cleaned it my 12 month old could have done a better job. We did our PDI and marked everything that was wrong. When we came in the next day to finally get all moved in. All the marking were gone and yet nothing fixed!!! I was extrenely upset and made sure to call the construction office as I wanted a new PDI. Also the day after closing(the day we finally moved in) the soaker tub in the ensuite had a spot where the grout was a different color that when we did the PDI. When I asked about this they said that they had to fix some plubming and that it would dry to the same color. 2 weeks later and its still a different color. I marked it in the 10day inspection. I have tons of problems with my kitchen cabinets. The drawers all stick(being taken care of) and the cabinets have alot of scratches. Also after the counter top was installed yesturday one of the drawers won`t even open now. I have made sure Mattamy knows about this too. These are just few...Funny, if we had been late on closing Mattamy would have made a big stick and charged us daily for interest. Whose going to pay us for buying a house that is not complete and dealing with all the hassle???? Oh and just one more rant...Mattamy is blaming alot on Aya and the kitchen cabinets...what they don`t tell you is that Mattamy forced the canac additions on them. AYA didn`t want the extra contracts. Mattamy said that they had to take them on or loose both Milton and Cambridge deals! Nice, and we all paid in the end. Honestly, I have had enough and am not impressed!!!

Baldwin Coronation!

[smartsexystylish]

Our house hadnt been cleaned when we moved in and when they finally cleaned it my 12 month old could have done a better job.

I know exactly how you feel! We had to have the cleaners come in twice after we closed. The first time to do the bottom floor and then the 2nd to do the 2nd floor - Does Mattamy not think both floors need to be cleaned?? And the funny thing is, they fought with me tooth and nail that they had cleaners in and they cleaned the house. I was like listen we just walked in here - we haven't brought anything in with us and we couldn't make this mess even if we tried! They just kept arguing that it was cleaned. I told them they may have cleaners come in but they must've just stood around and did nothing as everything is filthy! I dragged my hand on our ensuite tub and I'm like do you expect to bathe in this and showed him my dirty hand. Mind you the cleaners only cleaned the bathrooms on the 2nd floor - I had to vacuum everything else and clean. Pretty sad that you expect to walk into this awesome brand new home only to unlock the door and see filth everywhere. It's very discouraging and sad since you've awaited this very moment for months (in our case over a year!) and we walk in for the 1st time as homeowners and we're greeted by a dirty unfinished house! :(


We did our PDI and marked everything that was wrong. When we came in the next day to finally get all moved in. All the marking were gone and yet nothing fixed!!!
Yup happened to us too!


Also the day after closing(the day we finally moved in) the soaker tub in the ensuite had a spot where the grout was a different color that when we did the PDI. When I asked about this they said that they had to fix some plubming and that it would dry to the same color. 2 weeks later and its still a different color. I marked it in the 10day inspection.
Yup, we're still fighting them on our grout in our main bath. We PAID for jet black grout to match the black tiles. We we closed the grout in majority of the tub and on some spots on the floor were whitened to look charcol grey. It's super noticable! I keep bringing it up to them and you know what they told me - Oh if you wet it, it changes to black. So I washed the tiles and grout to see if it will stay black. Nope after it dries it fades to the same grey (and in some spots light grey!!!) So on our 30 day I pointed it out again. They were like oh just wet it and proceeds to turn on the top and point it to the wall in the tub... I'm like that's awesome, I know it turns black but when I am showing my guest the main bathroom I will NOT be turning on the bathroom tap and splashing the wall to show them something we should've had. (Does anyone else see the problem here???!?!) So it got noted on our 30 day. Like seriously, if we didn't pay money for the "upgrade" then I wouldn't care so much, but the fact that we paid (and I don't even know how much at the moment) for it and we didn't get what we paid for and they keep brushing it off thats whats pissing me off.



I have tons of problems with my kitchen cabinets. The drawers all stick(being taken care of) and the cabinets have alot of scratches. Also after the counter top was installed yesturday one of the drawers won`t even open now.

We have problems with our ensuite cabinets - The fall off the tracks (the smaller drawers) And we're still missing a door on a cabinet in the ensuite. In the kitchen we're stilling missing trim pieces around the breakfast bar, as well as the correct valences among other things :mad:


Sad to see there is other homeowners who went through the same things as us - We hoped we were an isolated case so no one had to go through it all! :(

[K.C.]

Normally what they would do if your house wasn't ready in time is delay the closing and give you some freebies for the inconvenience.

They've decided instead to give themselves a freebie ... your money sooner than they've earned it ... and you get to live with the inconvenience of moving into an unfinished house.

I'm calling my lawyer again ... if they want my money the house better be ready.

[justmed]

I cant wait to close, lol :eek:

[smartsexystylish]

I cant wait to close, lol :eek:




LOL I know :) It's exciting isn't it :P (Insert sarcasm text!)

I think for the most part everyone will have a great closing and a handful will get the shorter end of the stick (like us - sad to say though!)

[K.C.]

Apparently the standards for occupancy are pretty low. They have to have one working toilet and one sink!

She said she wants me to be at the house several times a week from now until closing and update her on the progress.

She said the thing about the fireplace not being vented was a big red flag.

I think Mattamy is in bed with the city and they're going to screw us as much as they can.

They must be in a desperate financial situation to let their name turn to crap like this.

[smartsexystylish]

She said the thing about the fireplace not being vented was a big red flag.


Haha That's what we thought also....

How about not getting a final inspection done on the electrical panel??? I would think that would be a huge red flag also!

Head office has yet to contact me regarding how can they close a house missing all the inspections we had... I'm holding my breath again. Actually I'm going to call her again and see.

[K.C.]

Head office has yet to contact me regarding how can they close a house missing all the inspections we had... I'm holding my breath again. Actually I'm going to call her again and see.

They won't call you back because they don't really care. They know what they did to you.

[Dave]

Perhaps someone could email a link to this thread to someone at Mattamy...

[smartsexystylish]

They won't call you back because they don't really care. They know what they did to you.

LMAO! Thanks for sugar coating it K.C. :P

[K.C.]

I don't think they need a link ... they've probably read it.

[smartsexystylish]

Perhaps someone could email a link to this thread to someone at Mattamy...

I forsee alot of people editing/deleting there threads now lol

I'm sure they read the board all the time.

[K.C.]

LMAO! Thanks for sugar coating it K.C. :P

At least I left out the expletives! :)

[smartsexystylish]

At least I left out the expletives! :)


lol yea really.

[justmed]

we dont have to worry about the fireplace stuff, but Im thinking it would be smart going forward to request copies of the inspection.

Is this within our rights?

[K.C.]

we dont have to worry about the fireplace stuff, but Im thinking it would be smart going forward to request copies of the inspection.

Is this within our rights?

It better be or we live in a crappy country!

[justmed]

you'd think so.. but by the sounds of things you never know what Mattamy will tell you you can and cannot do / have

[K.C.]

Call your lawyer's office and tell them about what you've read on the board. Ask them exactly what you should do. Maybe you'll need to bring your lawyer with you to the closing.

[Dave]

article is a little old but it seems to fit.

http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/214758

:(

[K.C.]

Boy we're really bonding aren't we? I thought it was going to be over golf and quilting. Looks like it might be over "how much does your house suck?"

[justmed]

its hopefully just isolated, but with such a small sample and the same problems arising I dont think so...

Sucks that it happens to members of this forum who contribute... have to wonder though, imagine the people who dont post here who have closed... wonder what they are going through too

[Style]

When I went into the house at 32 Silverthorne (the one that's for sale) I was a little surprised by some of the poor workmanship. The guy paid for granite and zodiac in the bathrooms and kitchen and the grout work was terrible. Also the carpets didn't look very good.


How do you try to say something without coming off as being condecending!:) We all sit here and make off the wall comments but we must truly realize for a second that what we say maybe be indirectly offending or upsetting another person.

It is fine to be upset at what looks like makeshift work from mattamy and comment on it as a group,but i think it is crossing the line when we take a specific house in question as you mentioned and knock the piss poor work as it seems you feel that they did.

That is still someones personal property and I think it is completely wrong to make comments like such! We are all entiltled to our own unique personal opinions and hell we arent all gonna agree as such. Your personal preferences wouldnt necessarily be something that I would even consider but that doesnt mean I would 'Air" out my Views on here knowing full well that I was offending someone in the process.

Some things are better left unsaid although with comments like this people will get the wrong idea about you. Just sometimes its better to keep your critical opinions to yourself. And if you don't like my house that is totally fine with me. :D

Everyone should strive to make this community one that we can be proud of! Just my honest views! Take it for what they are! And to everyone I'm sorry if you view this as being harsh, but 32 silverthrone is still human and no that isnt me!:)

[Style]

And After reading all the problems people are having I would be quite surprised to move into a normal home! I guess we are more then prepared for all the issues that are sure to arise! But hopefully everything will get addressed and everyone will be happy!

[K.C.]

You're right. I deserved a spanking for that one. I deleted it. The delete button is cool!

[smartsexystylish]

article is a little old but it seems to fit.

http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/214758

:(


WOW!!!!
I just finished reading the article and I am shaking my head in disbelief! Many times throughout reading it I was shaking my head and saying "WOW"

Sadly I can relate to it a bit (with the whole permits not being signed off prior to closing!)

Just wow! :eek:

[K.C.]

Everything about real estate makes me go wow. You have more protection when you buy a bag of milk.

[guin1060]

This might sound stupid, but how did you guys find out that your fireplaces were not vented properly? Is there anything that will tell you if it isn't?

[guin1060]

Did anyone else question the efflorescence (white build up on mortar between bricks and other cementings) on the pdi? Just curious, because I did and was told that Mattamy will power wash our brick in the time when they do the landscaping. Just want to make sure they told someone else so when the time comes I will have numbers because this is not covered on by tarion, so I'm taking Mattamy's word.

[guin1060]

Article Number: 12.33
Condition: GROUT IS NOT A UNIFORM COLOUR
Acceptable Performance/Condition: In a room or defined area the colour of grouted joints between ceramic tiles shall appear generally uniform under normal lighting conditions and from a normal viewing position.
Warranty: One-Year – Work and Materials • Damage resulting from improper maintenance and normal wear and tear is excluded from the statutory warranty.
Action: Grout joints not meeting the acceptable condition shall be repaired.
Remarks: Minor variation in grout joint colour is normal.
Appendices:


This should help you when you list it on your 30 day tarion warranty coverage.

[smartsexystylish]

This might sound stupid, but how did you guys find out that your fireplaces were not vented properly? Is there anything that will tell you if it isn't?

On the outside I don't think there was a vent in place for ours at all. It supposedly blew away but nothing was installed to begin with (which is why UG shut down our fireplace). I think that's what it meant. I know they had to go into the basement also to check something but I don't know what....


Did anyone else question the efflorescence (white build up on mortar between bricks and other cementings) on the pdi? Just curious, because I did and was told that Mattamy will power wash our brick in the time when they do the landscaping. Just want to make sure they told someone else so when the time comes I will have numbers because this is not covered on by tarion, so I'm taking Mattamy's word.

Didn't even look to be honest. I'm going to look tonight and if we have it also then I will make a note of it to make sure they do it in the spring. Thanks for mentioning it.


Article Number: 12.33
Condition: GROUT IS NOT A UNIFORM COLOUR
Acceptable Performance/Condition: In a room or defined area the colour of grouted joints between ceramic tiles shall appear generally uniform under normal lighting conditions and from a normal viewing position.
Warranty: One-Year – Work and Materials • Damage resulting from improper maintenance and normal wear and tear is excluded from the statutory warranty.
Action: Grout joints not meeting the acceptable condition shall be repaired.
Remarks: Minor variation in grout joint colour is normal.
Appendices:


This should help you when you list it on your 30 day tarion warranty coverage.


Yup! I printed out a million sheets from the tarion site to stand my ground on items I wanted fixed! It's quite handy to familiarize yourself with it!

[K.C.]

With so many people having problems as soon as they move in, I'm seriously considering hiring a professional new home inspector to come with us to the PDI. I can figure out cosmetic mistakes on my own but all this other stuff has me baffled.

[justmed]

question for those who have had a PDI already... it sounds like as dings and dents and mistakes are pointed out they are circled on the wall or something?

but then sounds like they are removed before fixed? is it beneficial to take pictures of the marks? or are they still being fixed no problems?

[smartsexystylish]

question for those who have had a PDI already... it sounds like as dings and dents and mistakes are pointed out they are circled on the wall or something?

but then sounds like they are removed before fixed? is it beneficial to take pictures of the marks? or are they still being fixed no problems?


Hey Justmed,

The have a guy (in addition to whoever is doing your PDI with you) who walks behind and patches up whatever you pointed out to them. It's dark yellow so it's noticeable to the painters to then paint over... They've missed a couple spots so we've lived with yellow spots haha.

I don't think you really have to take photos of them as they come back in after 10 days of closing and touch up anything else you find as well as if you make any dings or scratches while moving in. I would only take photos of major issues (Well more significant than a small ding) that way you have it on file just in case!

HTH

Dion

[baldwinCoronation]

I want to make an additional comment to the rant I made yesturday. I realize that it may have scared the homeowner that have not taken possession yet. Yes there was alot of things wrong with our place, but you will experience this to some extent with any new home. I do agree that the inspections SHOULD be required by law to have been completed and passed before anyone moves into a house, especially people with small children. I am happy to say that we did not have this issue. Also, Mattamy uses sub-contractors. So alot of the schedules correspond directly with whether or not they show up on time. Mattamy is responsible to make sure that they use the right contractors that will respect deadlines. Again, I have had some issues, some more irretating that others, but my house still looks amazing. Most of the workmanship in our house was top notch and I don`t say that lightly as my dad is also a contractor out west, so I have really high standards. I also have to say that I have been treated with respect everytime I call the contruction office and someone always returns my calls by the end of the day or stops in when they see a car in the driveway. I am in no way condoning the issues, I am just as irritated with them but I don`t want people to start getting scared. I love my home, it is beautiful and most of my issues have been addressed or will be complete before then end of the week. Also, even though all the issues, I would by from Mattamy again just from the finished product. Remember I had a Reid`s home before and had just as many issues with them 3 years ago.

I`m done now, hope this helps ease some of the tension.

[justmed]

no tension from me...

Just making a list of things to look for, and notes to make...

Im in an industry where our product fails all the time, its never an issue, how we handle it is... which is why we chose Mattamy:)

[K.C.]

Im in an industry where our product fails all the time, its never an issue, how we handle it is... which is why we chose Mattamy:)

It sounds like you have a fun job!

[justmed]

wouldnt trade it for the world...

great industry, fire fighter training

[smartsexystylish]

I think those coming to the boards and venting (or explaining) what's happened in their home is better than people keeping it to themselves. I don't think it's something to be feared (maybe a bit worried LOL) but what new home isn't going to have issues?? I think we all knew something would happen at some point right?
I think it's better for people to read the rant and then to read the follow-up to it. That way people can rest assured that if this issue arises with them, here are the proper steps in what to do/expect. Also it makes people feel as they aren't going through this issue alone and can chat/vent to others about it.
Sometimes others provide valuable insight/feedback as to how to handle the issues that arise.
We received the survey from Mattamy yesterday and one of the last questions was would we recommend a Mattamy home to others and we said yes we would. We have a beautiful home with an awesome layout that worked perfectly for us. Of course we have blemishes and things we need to get fixed still but when it all does get fixed we will be super satisfied with our purchase :)

Alright, enough of my rambling, I hope I made sense haha.

[JFiolek]

I want to make an additional comment to the rant I made yesturday. I realize that it may have scared the homeowner that have not taken possession yet. Yes there was alot of things wrong with our place, but you will experience this to some extent with any new home. I do agree that the inspections SHOULD be required by law to have been completed and passed before anyone moves into a house, especially people with small children. I am happy to say that we did not have this issue. Also, Mattamy uses sub-contractors. So alot of the schedules correspond directly with whether or not they show up on time. Mattamy is responsible to make sure that they use the right contractors that will respect deadlines. Again, I have had some issues, some more irretating that others, but my house still looks amazing. Most of the workmanship in our house was top notch and I don`t say that lightly as my dad is also a contractor out west, so I have really high standards. I also have to say that I have been treated with respect everytime I call the contruction office and someone always returns my calls by the end of the day or stops in when they see a car in the driveway. I am in no way condoning the issues, I am just as irritated with them but I don`t want people to start getting scared. I love my home, it is beautiful and most of my issues have been addressed or will be complete before then end of the week. Also, even though all the issues, I would by from Mattamy again just from the finished product. Remember I had a Reid`s home before and had just as many issues with them 3 years ago.

I`m done now, hope this helps ease some of the tension.

I understand where you are coming from, but I bought new 5 years ago from Grandview homes, we had no issues and same with our neighbours. I thought it was strange that Mattamy's Custmore Service is so large, they need it with all the mistakes they make. Thats why they can respond so quickly. Grandview had 1 person for 250 homes.

[JFiolek]

Oh by the way our furnace shut off last night, it was 57 this morning. When they came by they said some one turned off the switch. I wonder who could have turned off the switch?

Again I am just venting and maybe I just got the crappy end of the stick on this one, I assume not everyone has had problems. So please some one come on here and tell me they got it done right...

[K.C.]

I thought it was strange that Mattamy's Custmore Service is so large, they need it with all the mistakes they make. Thats why they can respond so quickly. Grandview had 1 person for 250 homes.

Mattamy's customer service is large? Where are they hiding? I haven't been able to find a single person at Mattamy willing to do customer service that doesn't also work in construction.

[smartsexystylish]

Oh by the way our furnace shut off last night, it was 57 this morning. When they came by they said some one turned off the switch. I wonder who could have turned off the switch?

Again I am just venting and maybe I just got the crappy end of the stick on this one, I assume not everyone has had problems. So please some one come on here and tell me they got it done right...

Weird that your switch got flipped mysteriously...

Haha looks like there is a few of us on here who got the crappy end with ya!




Mattamy's customer service is large? Where are they hiding? I haven't been able to find a single person at Mattamy willing to do customer service that doesn't also work in construction.

HAHA I have to agree with K.C. on this one... I'm still waiting on a call back from our customer care coordinator since 2 weeks ago!

[JFiolek]

Mattamy's customer service is large? Where are they hiding? I haven't been able to find a single person at Mattamy willing to do customer service that doesn't also work in construction.

Well I guess I am the lucky one then. When something has gone wrong I call Tom and someone is here within 10 minutes. I guess Customer Service might be the wrong wording. But this is one thing they have been SUPER with, I just wish I didn't need to experience it.

[Style]

Well I guess I am the lucky one then. When something has gone wrong I call Tom and someone is here within 10 minutes. I guess Customer Service might be the wrong wording. But this is one thing they have been SUPER with, I just wish I didn't need to experience it.

I agree Jason. We don't close until next month but any issues I have I deal with Tom and he deals with them fairly quickly! Tom Blake to me seems pretty decent and knowledgable and helpful! But we will see what its like after we close!:)

[JFiolek]

Well I found out the switch was my dad, he turned it off to install the water softener and didn't turn it back on.

[smartsexystylish]

Well I guess I am the lucky one then. When something has gone wrong I call Tom and someone is here within 10 minutes. I guess Customer Service might be the wrong wording. But this is one thing they have been SUPER with, I just wish I didn't need to experience it.

Oh I was referring to customer service at the head office!
Tom is FANTASTIC!!! He's our contact and I think he's great!


I agree Jason. We don't close until next month but any issues I have I deal with Tom and he deals with them fairly quickly! Tom Blake to me seems pretty decent and knowledgable and helpful! But we will see what its like after we close!:)

I've only dealt with Tom on our closing and after close and he's been better than Andy or anyone else I've had to deal with!


Well I found out the switch was my dad, he turned it off to install the water softener and didn't turn it back on.


Haha well at least you figured it out how it go shut off!

[JFiolek]

Counter tops are in, gutters are in no window though, hey 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

[justmed]

Counter tops are in, gutters are in no window though, hey 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

is your heat back on ;)

[K.C.]

I was concerned that we should get bridge financing anyway even though we have 4 days in between the closing of our old house and the new one. She said there's absolutely no need to do that because our buyers are doing everything like they're supposed to and we'll actually have our money sooner than our closing date on the old house.

She said she will need the PDI and Tarion forms signed once the PDI is done but it's ok if it happens late. Our closing is April 1st. She said doing the PDI as late as March 30th would still be ok.

I really would have hoped to have the full 7 days for the PDI considering the size of the house. Definitely need to hire a professional to come with us since we're clueless about what to look for when it comes to the things that really matter.

There's still so much work left to be done on our house. The only way they're going to be on time is if Rocky has some super hero friends. Looks like I'll be moving into an unfinished house.

I'll be going to the house every single day during the last week of March since we'll be staying at a hotel in Guelph. I'll be doing a PDI every day. :D

[K.C.]

I've left a message for the Mattamy PDI rep to call me back. I don't need one of these last minute deals where they call you and say come tomorrow. They're not supposed to do that.

I'm going to bring someone with me who does NOT do a full home inspection during the PDI but will assist me in checking everything I'm supposed to and filling out the forms. If I don't fill out the forms correctly Mattamy does not have to fix certain things that are wrong.

Since my lawyer requires that I sign the forms before we can close it sounds like you really should figure out how to deal with this in advance.

Since professional people have to plan their lives in advance, I'm requesting that Mattamy allow me to book my appointment now.

[tmcarthur]

I really would have hoped to have the full 7 days for the PDI considering the size of the house.




So what are you insinuating??

[tmcarthur]

Since professional people have to plan their lives in advance, I'm requesting that Mattamy allow me to book my appointment now.


Huhh?? Again....What are you insinuating???

[Style]

LOL! Where's my popcorn! :D I thought you had to be a professional to own a home! or did i miss something! A Job is a start! One day when I grow up maybe I will be a professional!:D Or was that a smartass! I can't remember!

[K.C.]

So what are you insinuating??

Sorry I was in a big hurry when I made the last few posts because I was running out the door. It probably would have been better to wait until I could explain things better.

When I talked to the home inspection guy just before I left the house he said that the amount of time the PDI takes depends on the size of the house. The bigger the house the longer it takes to go through it to fill out the forms. There's about 80 different items that need to be covered. If you don't cover these items in your PDI and Tarion forms, Mattamy is not obligated to fix them. He said there's a formula that Mattamy has to use to determine the amount of time they must spend with you during the PDI and it is based on the size of your house.

The reason I thought you would need the full 7 days was so that they would have enough time to fix everything before you moved in. The bigger the house the more mistakes they probably need to fix, therefore it would take longer. But I think I made that post before I spoke to him. He actually recommended it was better to book the PDI very close to closing ... like 2 days before. That way everything would be covered and the things the trades might mess up between the time you had your PDI and you took possession could be minimized. He said once you've done the PDI, that's it for those items. If a trades person messes something up in between you could have problems getting it fixed.

The professional I was talking about was the guy I'm paying to come to the PDI with me. He said he would not come on short notice and that it was not professional for Mattamy to expect that any homeowner would be willing to do that anyway. I don't have a problem with short notice since I'm self employed but most people need to plan their time better. The professionals I was referring to was all of you ... the homeowners ... I guess I should have been more clear ... duh. You guys probably thought I was saying you were unprofessional ... oops! Sorry!!!! I give my husband the wrong message sometimes too but he's used to it ... he knows it's just my brain in overdrive. I have to stop doing this stream of consciousness thing ... it doesn't work with people who don't know me yet.

I asked the guy if he was willing to come onto the forum and make a post but he said Cambridge was kind of far and he wasn't sure he wanted to make a regular habit of it but he would think about it. His prices are very competitive and I told him I didn't have a problem with paying extra for him to make the trip. I tried to explain some of the things he and I talked about in my posts before I left the house but I mangled it pretty good. He sounds like a very knowledgeable person and I had hoped to talk him into making some posts about the whole process. Clearly I'm not very good at it.

[K.C.]

I got a call back from the PDI rep at Mattamy who said he was waiting for a call from the builder before he could book an appointment for us and should be able to confirm a time today or tomorrow. He also said that our PDI is most likely going to be ONE day before our closing date which is April 1st.

I think at least some of us have been working under the assumption that more time between PDI and closing is better. However both the home inspection guy and our lawyer said that the opposite is true. The closer to your closing the PDI is the better for you because it's the best way to get all of your issues dealt with properly. I guess fix ups are always done after you close so expect to have trades people in your homes frequently after you move in. That's obviously inconvenient for most people but that seems to be the norm and there are good reasons for that.

I mentioned to the PDI rep that we would be bringing someone with us. I assured him that he was not going to be doing a full up home inspection but that he was simply there to help us fill out the PDI and Tarion forms. This service is called PDI Assist. The PDI rep said it was his job to help us do that also but that it was completely ok to bring someone we hired as well.

I still plan to be at the house every day the week before closing so I can bring major issues to the attention of the construction site office.

The PDI Assist guy I'm hiring normally needs a great deal of advance notice ... unlike jobless bums like me, professionals need to plan their lives. :D He said the only reason he was going to be able to fit us in even with this much advance notice was because things were a little bit slow for him due to the slowdown in new construction. He also insisted that we book our appointment for 9AM so he could get done in time for him to actually work with another customer closer to the Toronto area instead of spending the whole day with us in Cambridge. I think that was a reasonable request considering how little he charges for his service and the value it provides to us.

We also plan to hire him at 30 days and 1 year and are prepared to pay a premium for his services due to the distance between Cambridge and the geographical area he normally serves which is Mississauga/Milton/Burlington/Oakville.

[Alex&Vanessa]

this is the guy you are reffering to http://www.haltoninspections.com/?

[K.C.]

Yes. Do you know anyone who's dealt with him before?

[JFiolek]

KC you do know you have a 10 day inspection and 30 day inspection right?? you fill out forms and send them to tarion and mattamy on the 30 day and Mattamy must complete the 30 day list to comply with tarion guidelines. On top of that you WILL NOT catch every thing on your PDI, I didn't think to look if I had a hanging rod in my front closet.

[K.C.]

KC you do know you have a 10 day inspection and 30 day inspection right?? you fill out forms and send them to tarion and mattamy on the 30 day and Mattamy must complete the 30 day list to comply with tarion guidelines. On top of that you WILL NOT catch every thing on your PDI, I didn't think to look if I had a hanging rod in my front closet.

Jason, I know something happens at 30 days but I don't know exactly what. I didn't know there was a 10 day inspection too. Somebody should write a step by step here's what is going to happen and what you need to do to prepare for it.

I like to be super prepared but it's hard when you're figuring things out as you go. All this stuff is so confusing. So much stress. At least we have each other to talk to.

We bought a house at the top of the market and watched as the market tanked for the next 10 months. Had to sell a house into the worst market ever. Suddenly the world is coming to an end and you can't stay put because you already bought a new house. And we're the lucky ones! There are people who have it even worse than all of us do.

I'm so glad this nightmare is almost over.

We all could've lived without the extra excitement Mattamy seems to have brought into our lives in addition to everything else.

[K.C.]

I had a very nice chat with our PDI rep ... happy guy. I confirmed our PDI appointment for March 31st, very early in the morning to accommodate our PDI Assist guy.

He had good things to say about Andy Shaw, the person we hired, even though he's never met him. He's actually recommended him to one of his friends. He said he was looking forward to meeting him.

I think alot of the issues we all are having are because there is a huge void of accurate information that nobody at Mattamy seems to want to fill. Some of them might be of the opinion that we're all nuts. Ha! :D

[K.C.]

I don't know if anyone has already posted this but it looks like a good read. I printed it and will try to read through it before the PDI. http://www.tarion.com/NR/rdonlyres/8FEE560B-D84F-4FB2-BD80-E8D6ED6D0584/0/CPGDoc_v2.pdf

[anxious_f]

The home inspector that I have booked for our 30 day and 1 year warranty forms said that it would be a waste of money to bring him along for the PDI, when I asked if he would tag along with us. He said that there is not nearly enough time for him to check everything during the PDI and that the builder will only fix very minor, obvious, things with the PDI list. He said that it is best to just have an inspector come through at about the 3 week mark and do a thorough inspection and help us fill out the 30 day warranty forms. I have him booked for the 25th of March.

[K.C.]

Andy said that most home inspectors don't do PDI Assist. He's the only one who seems to do it and it's not a big money maker for him. I wasn't planning on bringing anybody with me either but all the stuff I read on this board made me think it's probably a good idea to have someone along who's done this before. I realize the kinds of things he's going to do are things that most homeowners who have purchased brand new homes before can do for themselves but I just want to be extra sure about the cosmetic things as well. Like everybody else I've had a very stressful year and it's nice to be able to offload some of the worry onto someone else for a small fee.

[justmed]

Just back from our PDI

Nothing major other than dings and scuffs...

one wall had a seam that needed to be re-taped which was being done as we left.

one floor was squeaking so they were going to fix that this week before we close

All in all, nothing major

Our upside down door was fixed:eek:

[smartsexystylish]

Good to hear things went well :)

This sounds odd but, how squeaky was the floor? We've noticed some sqeaking in a couple spots on the hardwood but I forgot to point it out on the 30 day (bangs head on desk!!) I've also found a small spot on the tile that sqeaks too.

Too bad they fixed the door though - It added some nice character haha

[justmed]

This sounds odd but, how squeaky was the floor? We've noticed some sqeaking in a couple spots on the hardwood but I forgot to point it out on the 30 day (bangs head on desk!!) I've also found a small spot on the tile that sqeaks too.

I guess the best way to describe it, is that it was noticable enough for Todd to point it out. Not sure exactly how they fix it but he assured us they would.

[babymaeby]

Glad to hear it went well. We ended up having our PDI first thing Wednesday morning as Josh couldn't get today off work.

Same as you, we encountered no major issues. They did have trouble turning on our fireplace even though the pilot light was lit. Turns out the wiring was never connected. They assured us it would work by closing day. Other than that, a few dings in the cabinets, a fixture that didn't work and a couple of paint scuffs. No biggie.

Todd was really nice hey? He spotted a few things we didn't notice at all. We joked about whether it was his first day on the job or if he'd done this a time or two before...he's a pro.

[justmed]

oh yeah... few other things were a chipped tub... and our garage door didnt close properly

we liked Todd too, kind of thought he thinks he's funnier than he is, but did his job great

[K.C.]

we liked Todd too, kind of thought he thinks he's funnier than he is, but did his job great

LOL. Dude, he knows about the message board!

[justmed]

Mother in law just had a plumber come over to install a water softener she had bought.

She paid for the 'rough in' which was about 800 bucks, asked Todd if it was in, as she didnt know what to look for. She was told, yes it was, but according to the plumber there is no rough in, no extra drain the only sign there could have been one was the extra electrical box to plug the softener in

:mad:

[K.C.]

Mother in law just had a plumber come over to install a water softener she had bought.

She paid for the 'rough in' which was about 800 bucks, asked Todd if it was in, as she didnt know what to look for. She was told, yes it was, but according to the plumber there is no rough in, no extra drain the only sign there could have been one was the extra electrical box to plug the softener in

:mad:

This whole water softener rough-in thing sounds like a bit of a scam. $800 for a rough-in?? Geez!

[justmed]

This whole water softener rough-in thing sounds like a bit of a scam. $800 for a rough-in?? Geez!

totally agree. The guy is a family friend and he was saying it would be no problem to do it, but he'd need more tools, since he thought it was roughed in.

she paid for the convenience of it all... and now it was totally an inconvenience as he needs to come back.

Also being told there was one in her PDI was frustrating... it was Saturday and nobody was around so she's waiting to hear what they will do

[K.C.]

I think they need to train their consultants and PDI reps better. When they don't provide you with any detailed information you take it on faith that they're not going to screw you. Your mother in law must be so upset that she paid $800 for basically nothing. You think your consultant's job is to take care of you but you pretty much have to take care of yourself. You're left with the feeling that you've been betrayed. Boy am I glad I'm hiring an inspector to double check everything.

Have her call Rocky at the construction office instead of the PDI rep. The PDI guy might just be clueless like the consultants. Rocky should know if there is a rough in there or not. Get him to look at it before her plumber does anything. If there is no rough-in, she should get her money back.

[K.C.]

Our lawyer hasn't been able to get Mattamy's lawyer to respond to a request for documents because Mattamy hasn't confirmed our closing to them. I was told by the construction office a while ago that there would be NO delayed closings at all at Mill Pond.

The lawyer's office said that Mattamy has a grace period of 5 days after your closing but must pay $100 per day to cover your additional expenses after that.