Residents at the Waterfront, Shell Cove will have to wait another 18 months for defects in their homes to be fixed, prolonging the scaffolding that surrounds a number of the newly built, million-dollar homes.
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In an email sent to residents last week after The Mercury reported on issues with waterproofing on recently finished homes, general manager development Cameron Jackson at Frasers Property wrote that the scale of the problem was only now beginning to be realised.
"In order to get this right we need to carefully evaluate the works required for each home, as these vary significantly. We have been growing our remedial teams since late 2022 and now have 12 specialist building teams on site. Based on the workflow of these dedicated teams, we are currently completing a full forecast for the detailed program," the letter reads.
"At this stage, we expect the program will continue for the next 18 months."
*Robert and *Amanda have been impacted first hand by the ongoing rectification works.
A scaffolding tower currently sits in front of their garage door, and has blocked access to their garage since January.
The pair moved to Shell Cove in 2018 because of the serenity it offered, in comparison with where they lived in Sydney.
"Compared to Sydney it's really quiet, it's peaceful, so the stress we had, it's just left us."
The block they were after was being sold by ballot, and Robert remembers practising filling out the online form to be able to be first in line.
"The ballot was at 11 o'clock at night on a Sunday. I keyed everything in, the preliminary stuff when it got nearer, thinking, don't go too soon or too late," he said.
"I sat there with my finger poised, as soon as it went, and we got our number one choice."
After moving in, the couple found some minor issues, such as the dishwasher not being screwed in, but felt this was part of the process of moving into a newly built home.
"They're little things, and they didn't really bother us," Robert said.
It wasn't until mould started appearing that the pair became concerned, and it was a night in October last year when water streamed down the inside of their home that got them worked up. Robert, an electrician by trade, said having paid prices similar to a home in Sydney, it was not the kind of fault he was expecting.
"From my experience, it's not a quality build," he said.
A Frasers spokesperson said it was working to resolve the issues residents have found in their homes.
"A design issue has been identified with the external facade between the roofing and cladding on some homes at Shell Cove," the spokesperson said.
"Frasers Property is committed to working through all warranty issues with customers."
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While Robert said he's satisfied with the rectification works so far, it remains to be seen how they will hold up in the long term, based on the experience he's had so far.
It means the serenity which brought him here is a long way off.
"We thought all the building had finished, but we've got all these tradesmen around us again," he said, "instead of having that peace for the past six months."
*Names have been changed.
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