Tradie exposes dodgy building practices in Sydney apartments: 'Garbage'

A frustrated tradie has slammed the quality of new apartments in Sydney, saying the "building industry has got to change".

In video footage of what he is calling the "worst units in Sydney", the tiler ranted about the "garbage" workmanship he had witnessed at the building site.

"Nothing is straight in the apartment," he said in a clip recently posted on TikTok.

Walking into the bathroom, the man said the shower was "finished" despite "no bloody grout".

"This s**t," he says, referring to the bathtub, which is "plastic."

"Look at the workmanship, it's garbage."

He then proceeded to walk around the apartment, calling everything "garbage".

"Look at the paint, everywhere you go it's like a kid did it," he said, also pointing out that the way the doors have been installed means they will rattle in the wind.

"It's all cheap watered down paint."

Research shows that defects in NSW have become more common in recent decades, with just over half of Sydney’s apartments having at least one type of defect, and more than one in four having at least three different defects.

"This is what you get these days in Sydney, the building industry has got to change," the tradie said on TikTok.

"I remember old school days," he reminisced. "The brickwork today — after a week is f***ing falling to bits."

Expert says it's a sign of the times

Founder of DDP property, Zaki Ameer, said one of the reasons apartments are not up to standard is because of time constraints.

"These days things are built fast with a cheaper quality like most products," Mr Ameer told Yahoo News Australia.

"An apartment may look beautiful on the outside but the way it's being built is concerning."

When asked why he thinks buildings are being constructed faster, Mr Ameer said it's because of the "nature of modern life at the moment", which creates a "roll-on effect".

"If the board of directors or whoever is running the company wants to complete the product and make property sales very quickly, well then there will be pressure going down even to the plumber," he said.

"The builders are borrowing money from the banks, so there's pressure from the lenders.

"And the buyer themselves are also expecting things to be done fast, whether it's in six months or a year.

"I don't think we can just point it to the builder, they have a part to play but there's also pressures coming from elsewhere."

Tips for homebuyers of apartments

As the responsibility is on buyers to make sure they don't end up with a home with defects, Mr Ameer has offered some advice for those that are purchasing renovated flats, or new apartments "off-the-plan", which haven't been built yet.

"Especially for older apartments that have been renovated, I think the most important thing is to get a copy of a strata report and actually review in detail with an independent builder who can inspect the apartment," Mr Ameer said.

"The biggest concern when you're buying a renovated apartment is that the building has been renovated so it looks good today but maybe there has been an issue from 5-10 years ago that might pop up in the next 2-3 years and then you're going to be forking out money."

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While the Sydney tradie mentioned the need for a warranty, Ms Ameer said "many building companies are going bust these days", so relying on one will not necessarily help.

"The thing with builders warranty is that even if you’ve got it, the company could close in 2-3 years, so who’s going to pay for it? Which is what’s happening with lots of homes," Mr Ameer said.

"Yes there's insurance but I think that’s not what you want to put yourself through."

That's one of the reasons he said getting several independent reports done beforehand will help homebuyers in the long run.

"An apartment in Sydney is going to cost $1 million plus on average and a building report is about $400, so forking out money for three reports to get independent opinions is not going to hurt," he said.

When it comes to "off-the-plan" apartments, Mr Ameer said it is crucial to make sure they are being built by a reputable builder.

"Interview the builder and inspect past works of there's that have been completed," he said.

Social media users share their own stories

The Sydney tradie's video has received thousands of comments, with many sharing their own dodgy apartment stories.

"Its been five years since we moved into our duplex, free standing tub has rotted underneath, no grout/silicone, carpets 1cm away from the wall," one TikTok user said.

"This looks like my place," another chimed in. "I live in a brand new build, I took off a 3M hook and it ripped a hole in the gyprock, the walls are like paper it's a joke."

"My mortgage broker told me not to buy anything built after the 90’s, and now I know why," another said.

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