Ascertain current state	It is not possible to know the full extent of a leaky house without pulling it apart. Whilst there are certain thermal and moisture reading apparatus used to determine the presence of excessive moisture, it is difficult to determine how far into the internal structure of the house that the rot has spread. If you have a WHRS Assessors Report this can be used as expert testimony to file your claim. However, sources at WHT have advised me that ACTUAL building costs are generally 60 percent greater than these reports indicate. General damages for person stress can also be claimed.
Review past leaky building repairs	Many of these are leaking again so we can learn from their unfortunate situation
Review current building practices	Since we can no longer rely on professionals to provide us with leak free homes we must ascertain what building practices caused the leaks and the risk points to ensure are covered off in your new design. This also helps us recognise the many good builders there are. Links to Building Guidance Resources
Review current materials	The main failure points in leaky homes are claddings, roof design and flashing and joinery design and flashing. Keeping watch of materials being used to repair leaky homes can provide a wealth of information.
Review of WHRS procedures and past decisions	If you are proceding to WHRS for mediation or adjudication, review the process and claim allowances. I highly recommend attending the two seminars they provide free of charge. They will not only arm you with information, but also badly needed confidence. Read over past decisions to gain insight into cases similar to your own. Also read over all application claim forms, format and Chair Directions More information on WHT \| WHT decisions \| WHT seminars \| Decisions
Gather details	Tracking down the names and addresses of all defendants can be onerous. Whilst these help with the processing of the claim, the WHT has many more facilities available to them than the applicant. It has been known that defendants have been extradited from Australia to attend the adjudication.
Complete documents
Application review	Forward your completed documents to your claims officer for review and make an appointment to go over these in detail. This will speed up your claim and improve your chances of success. This service is provided free as part of your claim service.
Design detail	Once your claim is in process, gather together all information of various building and finishing products. Construct a detailed design brief of all elements. Reference the building information collected and organize this is an easy access format. Binders with acetate sleeves are excellent for collating clips from magaznines and vendor brochures. The more work you do yourself at this point, the more you save in design fees.
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