Brisbane family left in limbo by Porter Davis collapse

A Brisbane family fear their dream home hopes may be dashed forever after the collapse of Porter Davis two weeks out from the start of construction they’d already waited a year for.

Kristy and Robert Daly were weeks away from the concrete pour to kick off their home build through Porter Davis Homes which has now collapsed. Picture David Clark

A Brisbane family fear their dream home hopes may be dashed forever after the collapse of Porter Davis two weeks out from the start of construction they’d already waited a year for.

Kristy and Robert Daly gave $12,000 to Porter Davis in January last year, signing up for the firm to build them its $260,000 Paddington house design on a corner block they’d bought in Pebble Creek.

MORE: Qld’s build-to-rent bid could solve rental crisis for good: Developer

Record delays: SEQ land lots now taking over half a year to settle

The only addition on the Daly’s home site is a “sold” sign. Picture: Sophie Foster

The build kept getting postponed, Mrs Daly said, and now everything was up in the air with the collapse of Australia’s 12th largest builder.

“The site’s got a sold sign and that’s as far as we’ve got so far,” she said. “Noone’s answering the phones. We don’t know who to talk to … We’re pretty much stuck at the moment.

Mr Daly said “with all the weather last year it pushed our land back six months. We should have been building in July last year. We only got the land in December and then now this.”

“We just want answers really. We just want to know where we go from here.”

Kristy and Robert Daly were hoping to build a more spacious home for their children. Picture David Clark

He said the collapse had blindsided them as it was just two weeks ago that they were finalising plans with their builder for the work to start April 12 including details around the concrete pour.

Their best hope was “that we build our house still,” he said, “That someone else takes it on and that we can still build it, but the chances are, I figure pretty slim.”

The Dalys said their family had outgrown their current home with teenage and adult children living at home, and hoped the new build would house them for years to come.

The Daly’s home site now awaits word on whether a new builder can take on Porter Davis’ work. Picture David Clark

Their 19-year-old son was “stuck at home” given the escalation in rental costs.

“The whole idea was to get a bigger house to allow them to be there as long as they need to be until they can sort themselves out.”

Mr Daly said they would watch the liquidators webinar on Tuesday to see what the next step was. “Now it’s just a waiting game, and who knows how long that could take.”

Mrs Daly said they counted themselves luckier than some others whose homes were now stuck.

“We do have a roof over our head in our current home, but it is stressful.”

FOLLOW SOPHIE FOSTER ON TWITTER