5 reasons your building project may have stalled and what to do about it
1.You’re stuck in council.
Let me guess, you’ve heard nothing for months, and you don’t know what’s happening.
Explanation: Council planning departments can be dysfunctional and under-resourced bureaucracies. Council planners have a complicated job of working with multiple planning instruments, many vested interests, and conflicting and slow information from consultants within the council.
Solution: Demand a meeting with the council. If the planner refuses to meet, don’t hesitate to contact the GM at the council. But... be courteous and patient, work in a positive manner, and try to understand their perspective. Venting frustrations at a meeting is unproductive, won’t move anything, and might be the reason they avoided a meeting in the first place.
2.You can’t get a quote from a builder.
You’ve sent your plans to lots of builders for a quote, but no one is getting back to you with a price, and you don’t know why?
Possible explanation: There can be a number of reasons:
Quality of documentation
Clarity of scope or confusion about what is included or excluded
Unrealistic contractual expectations
Lack of confidence that the project will go ahead
You’ve only got DA drawings, and not construction drawings
Solution: Rather than persistently following up and pestering, try to engage and understand what the problem might be. Alternatively, ask a trusted friend, builder, or architect to provide insights. You may need to consider getting your drawings to a better standard, refining the scope to take out or provisionalize complicated or uncertain elements in the contract, or providing additional info to the builder to help get the quote done. PS - Mat Says: Send your plans to me, and I’ll have a look and provide some insights - genuine offer - no strings attached, email them to Mat.
3.You really don’t like the plans that have been prepared by your architect.
You’ve spent a lot of money, and you’re just not happy with the design your architect has prepared. They either haven’t understood what you need, or they are just going the wrong way.
Explanation: You’ve either picked the wrong architect, or you haven’t aligned with the right architect on project objectives. Some architects really use their clients’ projects to test boundaries, push construction to the limits, or experiment - this doesn’t suit everyone.
Solution: If you’ve picked the wrong architect, do not succumb to the sunk cost fallacy. You need to stop, write off your losses, and get a competent architecture team. If you have the right architect and you don’t like the plans, first stop sketching and redrawing. Go back to the drawing board, so to speak - go to the beginning and review your project objectives. Point out the objective the design has failed to meet; it may be that you need to reassess the key objectives from time to time. Not trying to blow my own trumpet (too hard ;)) but at Ballast Point, we do a half-day workshop with every client so that the entire project team is crystal clear on the brief. More Information here.
4.Nothing is happening on-site.
You’ve paid your invoices to the builder, but nothing seems to be happening on your building site for many weeks. You’re getting explanations that don’t make any sense, like “I’m waiting on plans.”
Explanation: Unfortunately, the most likely scenario here is that your builder has run out of money. They can’t pay their bills, and so can’t get materials or subcontractors to attend the site. This could be because they have got into a dispute elsewhere, or another client has defaulted, and even though you have paid your bills, if they use the same subcontractors and suppliers across many sites and they are stuck.
Solution: This is a tough one to give advice on. I would say try to break through to them and get them to open up about the real problem they are having. Tell them that you understand they have a problem and would like to understand and see how you could work together to get things going. Chest beating and demands at this stage add to their stress and move you away from a resolution. Seek help from fair trading or a lawyer if needed.
5.You can’t get approval to extend your home.
You’ve realized that the plans you had for your property will never be approved by the council or comply with any other approval pathway.
Explanation: This is typically because your house is over the limit already on planning metrics such as Floor Space Ratio (FSR), Site Coverage, or something else. You’re struggling to fit into the existing building envelope, the spaces that you need.
Solution: Consider adding a non-habitable space, like a kids' loft in your roof space or in a bedroom with a high ceiling. We’ve done this many times, and it’s incredible how - even with spaces built with kids in mind - adults seem to get excited and inspired to turn these spaces into libraries, reading rooms, studios, or music rooms. Check out our how-to guide for lofts and attic spaces here.
Need help with your building project? Get in touch with us for personalised assistance and solutions.
