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11 months ago
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A frustrated couple have now waited more than two years to have their dream home completed by a company who promised to have it finished by Christmas.
Travis McElroy and his wife Noeleen signed a contract to build their new home on a plot of land they bought at Smythesdale, 20km south-west of Ballarat, Victoria in August 2021.
But more than 850 days after they signed on the dotted line with builder Burbank Homes, the fed-up couple are still waiting for the home to be completed.
Mr McElroy said the delays in the construction of the house have left him with no choice but to continue an agonising wait that has led to financial stress.
'It keeps me awake at night,' he told the ABC.
Travis McElroy and his wife Noeleen (pictured) have endured frustrating delays in the construction of their new home
'You almost want to get it finished and sell it to move on and try again, but financially we can't even do that.'
Mr McElroy said this year is set to mark the third Christmas in a row that he has heard false promises from the company about when he would be given the keys to the home.
Tensions between Mr McElroy and the company threatened to boil over after he began to put up posts on social media telling users about the couple's experience.
A lawyer from the company threatened to lodge legal action against him if any of his posts defamed the business.
Mr McElroy also wrote a letter to the company over the failure to complete the home.
Despite the delays the builders have reassured Mr McElroy and his wife that they can move in by Christmas.
A spokesperson from Burbank Homes said several issues have affected the construction of the property.
Th couple have been waiting for more than two years for their home in Victoria (pictured) to be built after Mr McElroy first signed the contract to build the property in August 2021
Mr McElroy said the ongoing delays in construction of the home has resulted in financial stress
'The construction delay has been due mainly to record rainfall in Ballarat last year as well as delays accessing timber frames from suppliers, which has been an issue for the entire national construction industry since the COVID-19 pandemic and national building boom,' the spokesperson to the ABC.
Daily Mail Australia contacted Burbank Homes for comment.
Mr McElroy has begun finalising the last lot of payments before he settles the contract for the home.
He said he isn't confident that the home is going to be completed any time soon.
Since September 2020 the number of homes that have been scheduled to be built has outnumbered the number of homes fully completed, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Labour shortages and fewer home buyers entering the housing market due to the cost-of-living crisis has led to new home developments being scrapped.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a plan for Australia to build 1.2million 'new well-located homes' over five years, starting on July 1, 2024 in a bid to combat the shortage of new homes.
The number of homes that were scheduled to be built since mid 2020 has outpaced the number of homes that were constructed completely (sources ABS)
The target was set by the National Cabinet of mainly Labor premiers, putting pressure on states to change planning laws that give local councils the power to stop high-rise apartment developments at the behest of existing homeowners.
The federal government has also been under pressure to increase the number of tradies after the construction industry voiced their concerns over a shortage of workers.
Peak construction body Master Builders Australia expects there will be almost 230,000 fewer tradies over the next five years.
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