Chris Hayter Building Solutions

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• CACharis P26 Feb 2024

  Chris and his team did an excellent job of the recent renovation to our apartment in Nelson Bay. The renovation involved complete strip out and renewal of two bathrooms and two powder rooms, new float...

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  Chris and his team did an excellent job of the recent renovation to our apartment in Nelson Bay. The renovation involved complete strip out and renewal of two bathrooms and two powder rooms, new floating timber floors (previously carpet), new kitchen, with full replacement of skirting boards and painting. Being a Strata unit (1 of 12) on the 4th level presented specific challenges for material handling, demolition and work hours / site management given our building is predominantly owner occupied. There was no Supervising Architect or Project Manager involved. The building lift could only be used for limited material handling. The following highlights lead to our overall rating of Excellent. -Communication Chris was patient and collaborative through the quote / scope of works negotiations presenting options & suggestions. During construction Chris gave us regular updates on progress of works / sub trade activity. Chris was always present when discussing works to be done with each Sub trade (e.g. Electrician, Tiler). When variations were required (either owner introduced, or contract driven) Chris communicated early any problem & worked with us to resolve any issue and move forward. Pricing for variations was transparent & quickly advised. The building Contract provides clear hours of Communication for both parties which I liked. -Dedication to quality Chris, his direct employees, and sub trades used all have a dedication to quality. We were introduced and met all the critical sub trades. As an example of commitment, the team spent many hours working on selecting & positioning a basin vanity in a powder room. I suspect a project builder would have used the original basin we selected and just left us with an assess / practical use problem). The electrician on the project has become our Electrician for some other jobs). -Variations Beyond the communication positive mentioned we thought the pricing for variations was fair and reasonable. I do believe its up to the owner to work collaboratively with the Head Contractor & sub trades when variations become necessary. The reward is give and take on issues not a contractual battle. I am sure Chris did absorb some additional costs, but we equally found solutions that favoured the sub trade / head contractor. -Site clean up & protection. Our building neighbours spoke positively about the lift & tile vestibule protection, site management (where cranes were used on two occasions) and clean up (which basically had to happen daily unlike a traditional residential building lot). There was no damage to any Common property which is a testament to the care of Chris and his broader team. -Defect & warranties. We know all construction work will have some minor defects. In the post completion walk through for any defects Chris had a far more critical eye than us and resolved any issues quickly (which were all very minor). E.g. they repositioned a door stop after we changed our mind on how far the door should swing without question. It was a pleasure to work with Chris and the broader team. Your Home Design (YHD) did the Concept and Interior Designs for the project. You can find photos on YHD web site. -Peter & Donna Kent Laman St Nelson Bay June 2023