PHOTO GALLERY: May’s biggest building blunders revealed!

Paul Eyers
By Paul Eyers
4 Min Read

Mistakes happen, but some are hard to ignore…

Which is why those responsible for these jobs might be wise to deny doing them altogether. 

Welcome to the latest edition of Build-it’s “Building Blunders,” where we showcase some of Australia’s most outrageous mistakes made by tradies and home renovators.

Throughout May, Build-it readers gave us an exclusive look at their job sites, highlighting some of the most subpar workmanship in the industry.

So, put on your PPE and get ready to laugh as we dive into last month’s worst from “top” Aussie tradies and DIY “experts”.

Building balls-ups

With the nation in the midst of a housing crisis, Aussie builders are under the pump to produce more homes in less time than ever before.

With an ambitious national target of 1.2 million new residential properties being constructed by the end of the decade, it’s no wonder builders are feeling the pressure. 

Still, that’s no excuse for some of these building balls ups, especially some pre-existing piss-takes our readers found during May.

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Not sure what’s more concerning, the bracing or the fact some one thought the frame stability needed it.
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Can’t wait to see what they do with this support frame when the home is finished.
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I’m not sure if wiring woes or just looking to take advantage of the EOFY down-light sale at Bunnings.
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Can you spot the glaring error with the design of this property?

DIY disasters

The following DIY disasters will be enough to make less experienced home renovators think twice before trying to save on hiring a professional.

But when going with the cheapest quote still isn’t quite cheap enough, many homeowners enlist family, friends or even themselves to have a crack at their tradie troubles. 

After all, it can’t be that hard, right? …

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10 out of 10 chooks, 1 out of 10 retaining walls.
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Not sure they bothered getting the tape measure out for this one, or even the saw.
This DIY dummy decided to make room for a dishwasher in his kitchen… which he then couldn’t close.

Rushed roofs

A quality roofing job is an essential piece to any home or new build.

But rushing its construction can lead to a catalogue of catastrophes further down the line.

So whether it’s from a fudged-up framework or sloppy sheeting, we feel these homeowners are likely to suffer faulty roofing problems in the future.

It looks like this roofer went with a freestyle approach to a piece of ad hoc panelling.
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I’m betting this will still be noticeable once the roof goes on.

Tiling troubles

It may be one of the more repetitive trade jobs around, so surely that means it would be even harder to stuff up…

That’s clearly not the case for whichever tilers produced these job-site shockers.

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This homeowner counted 26 tiles precariously balanced on their bathroom wall, after the tiler had let the adhesive dry before sticking them down.
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Paul Eyers has worked as a journalist for a range of media publishers including News Corp and Network Ten. He has also worked outside of Australia, including time spent with ABS-CBN in the Philippines. Stepping away from the media, Paul spent five years sharpening his tools in construction - building his skill set and expertise within the trade industry. His diverse experiences and unique journey have equipped him with an insider view of Australia’s construction game to dig deep into the big stories.