chan esther

Its been 4 years since the start of construction of my SemiD and it is still not complete. Has anybody had such along construction time I wonder.

Please include Dreambuild Construction Pte Ltd to list of blacklisted contractors/builders Should avoided at all cost, even if he offers his services for free - please see my other post on details stating the reasons

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Like to share very bad experience with my builder/contractor. For the benefit of others. Please check and recheck and get feedback on the builder before you commit. The situation is such that the homeowner is always at the losing end- its not easy to change builder midway. It costs a lot and there is "downtime" as well. I am not the type who would write reviews but I think I am obliged to do so, so that others can avoid the situation I have ended up in. Like to share my extremely unpleasant and terrible experience in engaging this builder to build my house. What appeared to be a simple build to be completed in 14 months has now dragged to 48 months. This builder I ended up with never seemed to bother to complete his houses on time based on observations. Sends only 1 to 2 workers daily or none at all for stretches of time to site. Does bits and pieces. Keeps blaming others for the delays. Very poor supervision- his workers on site don't even know what needs to be done and do many things incorrectly causing even more delays and frustration. Poor workmanship, - cannot oven get simple thing like toilets bowls position correct - had to redo multiple times. Damage items like brand new door handles and toilet bowl/sink Refuse to compensate for damages done. and refuses to answer texts/messages or phone except when it is time to collect money!. Refuses to pay for delays. Overall truly a nightmare experience. Very sad to see such individuals still practicing in modern day Singapore. They really give a bad name to the construction and build community. Best to avoid and do consider getting a well known and reliable name in the SG build industry. You might pay more but a least you have the peace of mind at the end of the day

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Sad to have such contractors around.

Thanks Snoozee for the advice. Yes, the property tax is indeed a 5 figure sum now.

This message is directed at the experts including Snoozee for advice on this issue. I am fully reconstructing my semiD for the first time - construction started in June 2020. I got an architect to design the building, and on his recommendation, proceeded with a builder whom he said had excellent workmanship and was sure to finish the project. The contract was signed using the Singapore institute of Architects template and the duration of completion was stated as 14 months. It is now coming close to 36 months and the project is only about 60% complete (structural works done but toilets/floors/windows and lift not installed yet). The builder has kept giving excuses about manpower issues intially and now says that completing my house now would cause him to lose money but says he is not going to run away. He is a smooth liar. He does the work in bits and pieces here and there and at most has 2 workers on site or none on site for several weeks at a time. He has several other ongoing building projects including renovation projects and has been deploying his workers there. He is also using my premises to house a few of his workers working at other sites (using my electicity and water). I tried getting another contractor to take over, but since construction costs have increased significantly in the past few years, I would have to pay a significant additional amount to get the house completed. The marble tiles and cisterns that I ordered more than a year ago are still at the vendor's warehouse. In spite of repeated pleas from myself and the architect, the contractor seems unbothered, unapologetic and does not seem to be making any effort to get the job completed. Even the neighbors are complaining as they have had to put up with dust and dirt for 3 yrs. I believe I may have no choice but to get another builder to take over at additional costs as this might drag on for some time. But how do I proceed to seek liquidated damages for the delay. The architect is still onboard - should I get him to issue a certificate of non-completion? Should I get a lawyer on board? is there a channel like the BCA that one can complain to so that they can look into his license to practice - he does have builder and renovation licenses. Lastly, is there a reliable contractor to recommend who has the workers on hand to do the job. We have been paying for both rental/warehouse costs for 3 yrs. Thanks in advance for your replies.