bought a new house, which needs quite a repair

[MoTi]

building complex (DaLuo) is 4 years old, we are first people to move in ....

Seems they opened the window all the time, as the humidity marked all kitchen and bathroom metal into black spots.
Furthermore a lot of floor-tiles got scratches or are partly broken. Kitchen also strangely does not look new ...

Apparently they are unwilling to replace / repair our appartment. Every complain is quite an annoying fight, which we win in most cases.
Then again, the paint-jobs they are doing in an amazing lazy way.
Another example (of many) : They installed a new fume extraction hood, but this thing is hanging not even at all ...

I don't understand why in Taiwan things are done that bad. Looks like they need me as their babysitter to watch them and their quality of work ...
This situation, is this normal in Taiwan or are we just unlucky ??

We are sure, finally we will get what we complaining about, but it is just a painful process, which also takes a lot of time ...
Of course everybody wants to move in a.s.a.p.

I got the impression, they are playing with the time to have less mafan themselves. Anyway, we have the time ...

Is there any law, what gives the selling-company (in Taiwan mostly also the construction company) a time limit to finish all repairs after you have signed the contract ??

[Northcoast Surfer]

I don't understand why in Taiwan things are done that bad. Looks like they need me as their babysitter to watch them and their quality of work ...
This situation, is this normal in Taiwan or are we just unlucky?

You are not unlucky, this is the normal way things are done in Taiwan, a quick shitty job. "Taiwan, where we don't care and you don't have to care, either!" Yes, every construction job I ever ordered had to be micromanaged every minute a worker was doing anything on the job. Sucks!

[merge]

It's sometimes mind-boggling how poorly contractors work here. Sack up and micromanage them, or learn to do things yourself.

[housecat]

We once asked that the paint on a window ledge be re done because there had to be about 1000 coats of paint on it and they were all cracked and curling, peeling off. Obviously, it need to be stripped and sealed, then re-painted. Someone actually just went in there and POURED more paint onto the ledge to fill up all the space between the cracks and curls!! I couldn't even believe that.

So, yes, you will have to be there and watch them do the work, or do it yourself. And likely, anyone you're watching will not want you there because they don't really know how to do a professional job anyway.

[Northcoast Surfer]

And likely, anyone you're watching will not want you there because they don't really know how to do a professional job anyway.

That's so right! Professional contractors? None! Buy a blue truck, some tools, and you are a professionally qualified contractor, for Taiwan! Bonded and insured?! Not!

[TheLostSwede]

Not true, you can get very good people here, but it costs $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ or you have to know someone, or you have to know someone that knows someone...
Lucky my GF has a friend that runs an interior decorator type of business and the things we had them do was done way above the normal standard levels here. They put in a kitchen and did a great job, the only complains I really have was the electrician that worked for them, he was a lazy git...

The previous owner had to fix some things here and they knew someone who turned out to be a right lazy F&*K and I almost threw him out on his ass. In the end I did most of the electrical re-wiring myself. The original work in this house really freaked me out and I'm surprised that no-one died because of how badly it was done.

[Northcoast Surfer]

Not true, you can get very good people here, but it costs $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ or you have to know someone, or you have to know someone that knows someone...

I stand corrected. You are right of course. However, it is just like you say it is. You need to know someone that knows someone, etc. That's such a pain in the ass and a waste of my time.

I guess what I meant was if you go to any legal home remodeler of any kind in America, they will have a general contractor's license, they will be bonded, experienced and professional, with lots of references. I once opened up a phone book and I blindly hired a general contractor master mason to replace my brick chimney which was damaged in an earthquake. The work was masterfully done and it was so easy to find a real professional. I suppose I could have hired an illegal immigrant with no license, no experience, no insurance for much cheaper, but I would have no recourse if the work had been shoddy. In Taiwan, it a crap shoot and most of the time it's all crap, unless you know someone who knows someone who's doing a girl who has a brother, etc! If someone advertises themselves as a contractor, they should actually have a contractor's license and be insured, but that's too much to ask for in Taiwan.

[TheLostSwede]

Well, we did find a qualified electrician/plumber/gas guy and he was ok, better than most I've seen here. But how the hell can you have a license for all three?
He ended up doing some stuff I didn't have the tools for.
The other yokel ended up leaving a big nasty hole in the wall where he drilled, at least the decent guy filled up the whole he did, even if it was with the over used silicon sealant that Taiwan seems to be built on...

[MoTi]

update :
they finally managed to repair most of our complains ...

BUT
I asked them to polish the floor-piles trying to get rid off the scratches. I knew it was impossible to remove them completely, but anyway ...
What a big mistake this was - how can I know, how can I imagine, that this fucked-up person used a metal-brush to scratch to original scratch off the pile ...
Result is, there is no color anymore and 1-2 cm to each side of the original scratch has now even more scratches ....

I lost my control and just screamed to that management guy, who even said, the job is done and that is it. Of course you can only see the desaster in the sunlight, which he thought is not that important anyway ....
Believe me, I was very close to take his Iphone and scratch it too with my keys ....

Again, endless discussions, I had a sleepless night due to this shit. We arranged now to change all damaged floor piles (we are talking about 20 pieces).

However, they warned me, that some of these 20 new piles could have a slightly different color, as they have to order them. I told them, to order them 30, so I can choose the best of them. Answer is a strict no.

I ordered her to give me call ahead before the workers will move any hand, as I am so pissed off now and I do, what other posters suggested in this thread, I will micromanage them.

I hope everything will turn out in a positive result, however, in case the new piles won't match, what are my legal options here ?
Do I have any at all ?
Like to insist to change ALL piles, by meaning all I talk about 200 piles ...

If I knew this all before, I would just let it be - but how can I know / imagine this ?
Furthermore my wife is not that supportiv too, as she just care to move in as quickly as possible and now is blaming me for this situation too ...

Suggestions / maybe legal advice suggestions very aprreciated ....

Thank you

[Anubis]

Good luck, MoTi!

I had similar experiences when I had renovations done to my house. For example, the painter we contracted for the exterior walls wanted 50% of his fee upfront after which he subcontrated the work to some other fucker (can't call him a painter) who had never held a paint brush before. We ended up having paint on the patio tiles, window frames, glass panels, insect screens, lawn (where he cleaned his paint brushes), and even the flowerbeds. Paint fucking everywhere!

We just refused to pay the original contractor the rest of his fee until the mess was cleaned up. Which he did with a very long face.

I have to add that we also contrated a carpenter to do our floors and wood panelling. An absolute professional and a delight to watch. I would recommend this guy to anyone who wants quality work done.