The couple were among the dozens of homeowners left in the lurch when Ballarat builder Severino Homes went into liquidation in October, owing $1 million to more than 100 creditors. 

Since the liquidation the couple have been able to access building insurance to complete their home, which they initially expected to move into by Christmas 2016.  

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They have since been told by an insurance inspector the entire brickwork will need to be taken down and reconstructed.  Over the course of the build three different bricklayers had worked on the house before abandoning the project. 

“When we signed the contract in February 2016 we thought there would be a couple months before the land to be ready and we assumed June to October would be roughly when we’d move in, at least before Christmas,” Mr Stoddart said of the construction timeline. 

“It’s a big weight off our shoulders because at least now we know the work is going to be done and we can move on from it.”  

While construction has not yet restarted on the property, the couple have been told there is between six and eight weeks of work left to be completed, meaning they should be finally ready to move out of their central Ballarat rental property and into their own home by mid-2018. 

In a statement a Severino Homes spokesperson said the couple owed the building company $72,000 in progress claims, however Mr Stoddart told The Courier in October the company had refused to let the couple see the progress before making the payments.

Liquidator Claudio Trimboli told The Courier in October the company’s assets were being investigated and all creditors would be notified by early 2018.