Newsletter to buyers Ode Apartments December 2022

As mentioned in previous newletters, construction is taking place from the top down.
Completion of the corridors has meanwhile progressed to the 2nd floor. These will be completed before the Christmas holiday. The frames, doors and final front doors still have to be fitted, this will take place in the weeks following the Christmas holiday.

We are meanwhile working hard on the main entrance. The impressively large tiles (3 x 1.5 m1!) are being applied to the tall wall at the lifts and the remaining walls will then be finished with wood veneer panels. Lastly, the slatted ceilings will be completed.
We will break through the existing wall in the communal bicycle storage facility and fit frames and doors.

The lifts will be converted from construction lifts to final finished lifts at the end of this year and beginning of next year. The lift cage will be built on the inside (ceiling and floor) for this reason, and the final doors will be fitted on the floors. The doors on the ground floor and the doors of the lift cage will remain in construction mode so the final doors are not damaged during moving. The protection in the lift cage will be reinstalled after completion of the lift cage.

The water pipes are being installed on Ton de Leeuwstraat. Waternet's activities were completed by the Christmas holiday so the pavement can be finished. The square at the front of the building is almost complete. The trees in the first two tree bunkers will be planted before the Christmas holiday (ice and weather permitting).

The Booking.com City Campus on the last Oosterdokseiland plot has been completed. After a construction period of a few years, the building was officially handed over to Booking.com. by BPD Gebiedsontwikkeling in the presence of Alderman Van Dantzig of Amsterdam municipality on 28 November 2022. One of Amsterdam's largest employers is setting up its new head office in this very central location in the city and will move into the hypermodern sustainable office block in mid-2023.

The unique and sustainable building was designed by UNStudio/Ben van Berkel and comprises 72,500m2 in total, with public amenities, 41 apartments, and office space.

You can view Booking.com's impressive City Campus on Saturday 14 January 2023, provided you have registered. We highly recommend a visit: it is very worthwhile!

You will receive an official invitation for a sneak preview from the ODE Office ([email protected]).

The preview and completion dates have now been finalised. The board of the Residents Association has been sent a letter by email with the date of the preview and completion of the common areas. This will take place before the apartments. All buyers will personally receive a letter by email with the date and time their own apartment will be previewed and completed.

You will have the opportunity to check whether your apartment has been completed as agreed during the preview. Your home will not yet be 100% ready at the time of the preview. For example, it may be the case that not all the plumbing is ready or that the contractor still needs to finish certain aspects. However, the preview will still go ahead so that any imperfections can be resolved before completion if necessary.

Normally, a preview is scheduled for about 1.5 hours and you can walk through the apartment yourself to check for any defects or discrepancies. We recommend that buyers have the floor plan and full summary of variations resulting in more or less work than contractually agreed to hand. Should there be any defects, please record them on the designated form. Ensure you take a photo (copy) of the form, as this form will be handed over to the contractor. The execution team will then check the points and correct them before completion if necessary.

We are often asked whether it is advisable to bring a structural engineer along to the preview. We advise against this, as the home is not yet fully complete during the preview and a partial, sometimes unaccompanied, inspection therefore takes place.

If you would like to have your home inspected by a structural engineer, it is better to engage one during completion. All issues identified during completion are compiled and noted as points for completion on the completion form. The contractor then has 3 months to recify these defects/imperfections.

Good to know: in view of the contractor's liability, absolutely nothing can be put in the apartments ahead of completion.

Meter readings will be recorded during completion and the meters can be put in your name. You can also arrange for your KPN and/or Ziggo connections to go live in accordance with the completion date. The KPN/Ziggo connection is also important for connecting and programming the free@home system so the functionalities (lighting and heating controls) also work on the app.

The Butler Point service manager will be on hand regularly to ensure moving goes smoothly. Butler Point will coordinate the dates and times with the board of the Residents Association.

Once moving is complete, furnishing of the common area downstairs can continue. We will inform you of this further in the next newsletter.

The last 5 parking bays further down the Oosterdokseiland car park on the same floor as the Ode Apartment parking bays are for sale. These can be used immediately after notary transfer.

The price of a parking bay is € 80,000 plus costs (until 31 December 2022 with an additional 8% transfer tax). If you are interested and would like to know where in the garage the parking spaces are located, please contact Judith van Gelder at [email protected]. 

We will email the next newsletter to you around the end of January.