Tarneit family get keys to first finished home following Porter Davis collapse: Watch video

The first family to have their dream home finished following the collapse of Porter Davis has been handed the keys ahead of Christmas, with more to follow.

The first family to have their dream home finished following the collapse of construction firm Porter Davis have been handed the keys ahead of Christmas.

Vav Sharma and Chhavi Koul said they were “over the moon” about moving into the Tarneit property, which would allow their children to start at the nearby school next year.

Following the demise of Porter Davis, home building giant Simonds took on the job through the state’s insurance agency, which Mr Sharma said delivered an immediate feeling of “hope”.

“That hope is now reality because I have the keys in my hand,” he said.

“It’s a cherry on top getting your keys before Christmas.”

Vav Sharma and Chhavi Koul with Simonds CEO David Mckeown. Picture: David Crosling

It is the first project involving major construction that has been completed since Porter Davis went under in March, leaving 1700 half-built properties across the country – the majority in Victoria.

More than 350 of those projects have been taken on by Simonds, which had weathered surging costs linked to Covid-19 and global material price hikes.

Simonds chief executive, David McKeown, said a lot of the workers on the Tarneit job were ex-Porter Davis staff who felt personally connected to finishing the build.

“It feels like it has closed a loop for them, because although it wasn’t their fault what happened (to Porter Davis) … it’s almost like they righted a wrong.”

Mr McKeown said there was still a lot of pressure in the market, but that positive signs had emerged and more than 250 ex-Porter Davis projects were set to be wrapped up in the following 12 months.

One of those is on the other side of Melbourne in Clyde, where a property was badly damaged by fire just days after the liquidation was revealed.

Homeowners Solly and Dibu said they had gone from tears of despair to “tears of joy” after their project was resurrected, and watched as bulldozers ripped down their property’s singed walls.

“We never thought we could rebuild his house so quickly,” Solly said.

“After many months of struggle we can see light at the end of the tunnel.”