In!

Finally ours! Was a slightly stressful week last week, making sure I had the funds at handover was tight, but made it happen! My schedule ran almost seamlessly: Handover was Thursday instead of Wednesday as the wrong oven had been delivered. Floors went in Thurs/Fri before handover (we had to sign a releases saying we would be responsible if the stove guys scratched the floor as it wasn't going in until Monday). The weekend saw me finish packing and getting the in-laws place cleaned up (mostly, our bedroom was still left dusty but with it being an hour away it just didn't happen alas! My amazing hubby was off putting in ensuite basins and lugging all the boxes I had packed! Monday was the official move, Removalists couldn't fit all our stuff, OMG! So a few extra trips during the week and a final load this weekend sees us OUT! My sister was at the house to meet the carpet guy at 9am, he didn't arrive until 11 and it took him until 5 to do 4 rooms. The Removalists didn't tell me they busted the corner/wheel off my desk, naughty! We have been non stop from before dawn to well after dark. I think with so much to do it is hard to work out what to do first!

ALMOST DONE!

We have been given our final inspection date! We are excited to be so close! I am nervous about getting everything else timed right, I have no time off owing as I started a new job, so I have no idea when we are going to actually move! :) But soon we have a house! Yay!

FIXING - Done And Dusted

Fixing was completed mid-September. We got a brief look around while a tradie was onsight and it is all looking great! The story with relation to the plumbing for the fridge is quite comical... Response to our email about the the incorrect positioning of this outlet was swift and clear: letter "do not enter this site anymore". Of course all visits from that point on have been covertly ;). So they blue boarded the tap into the wrong place and they prepared for painting in the wrong place and finally the ripped it out if the wrong place and stuck it in the rightvplace...*sigh* so really it cost them more money and effort than a little pre-warning from me had hoped they would save. But then with a fixed price house...no water off my back. As I am writing quite a bit down the track, new entry for where we are now!

Roughing in

What excitement! The sparky and plumber have been in! We have done a once over, checking point placement and taps. So far so good, just one plumbing issue, the fridge tap seems to be in the Pantry! But I have emailed the picture to the builder - thank goodness the plasters broke the front door off when delivering or we may not have known :) a few played seem to be missing from the electrical plan, but I am assuming this is a placement issue and they will come soon enough. Photos to come...

Dishwasher!

We have bought a dishwasher, what a BARGAIN! I purchased it online, with free delivery from Sydney and the best personalised service I have encounter from an online store, http://www.appliancesonline.com.au/ I will recommended from my one and only experience and I will definitely be shopping with them again and again!

Dishwasher

Grande series

Features

• 7 wash programs with 3 in 1 function
• Full electronic control by PC board
• 12 place settings
• 2.5 star energy rating / 4 star water rating
• Half load and Rapid wash function
• Twin Sliding Cutlery baskets
• Concealed heating element
• Quick height adjustable basket
• Aquasafe syste

THE OVEN AND RANGEHOOD ARE INCLUDED WITH THE HOUSE:

90cm Freestanding Oven

Primera Series

Features:

• 7 multi function oven
• 1 touch electric ignition
• 115L Gross / 95L net Usable Volume
• LED Clock Full program timer
• Easy clean removable oven inner door glass
• Contained cavity cooling
• Height adjustable stainless steel legs
• Manufactured in 18/10 stainless steel finish
• Cast iron trivets
• Storage warmer drawer

90cm Stainless Steel Canopy

Primera Series 

Features:

• Air flow 700m3/hr
• 3 speed push button
• Ducted or recirculating air movement (optional kits available)
• 150mm air outlet
• 3 x aluminium filters

@ Lock Up!

We finally made it! Lock up stage! Yippee!

The roof is on, the twirly whirlies are on and the temporary front door is in place.  We are SO happy with the colours we have chosen so far! The light roof not only looks good but promises a cooler house due to its reflective properties.

The ceiling batts are up in the roof, all ready to go and the electrical wires are all in place.  There are a couple of electric plates missing, hopefully all the power points turn up in the end!

 On the LEFT, last week with roof on but no insulation.



On the RIGHT, this week with wall insulation, ceiling batts in waiting and the sliding door frame in.



BELOW, how exciting to see the bath frame in - lots of wires all over the place.

It is great to see the full size of our yard now, although the scaffolding still doesn't allow us to start planning in ernest our garden and landscaping.

Such a mess on the nature strip! Ah dear!

I am assuming plumbing comes next, followed closely by plaster - how exciting!

Oh So Wet!

We went down to visit today, the battens are on the roof ready for colorbond but it just seems to RAIN SO MUCH!  It has been sitting on the yellow tongue so long now that the seams are starting to bulge, i have no idea what that do about it but we won't be able to lay floorboards unless it is flat :( Hopefully it goes back when it dries or worst case they sand it for us before we take over.

It is quite disheartening at this stage to see it all so wet, but i am hoping it all turns around soon and it starts looking more like i would hope.

I am happy with the colours we have chosen, the Woodland Grey is great! It was looking a little blue in some pictures which had me concerned the ironstone had gone on instead, but no it is all good!

ALMOST to Lock Up

It was very exciting to see the brickwork has been almost completed!  A little down one side and a little at the front.  So nice to have the brickwork above all the windows, it is surprising how such a seemingly small thing just finishes the house off in such an appealing way.

The floor is still mostly a pond and the dripping through the under floor insulation is still disturbing... but at least i know if i ever spill anything it can't do any worse that what has already happened!

The gas line has also been attached, just no meter yet!

The idea that we will be moving in a few months is finally sinking in!!

WINDOWS!

Drove up today to what looked like BLACK WINDOW FRAMES!!! I almost had an heart failure, until i realised this was just the protective tape and the actual colour was exactly what we had chosen :) PHEW!

 So exciting to see all the sisalation on and the scaffolds up for the brickies. Next week should see a real attack on getting us to lock up! All going well Lock-up should be complete around the end of July! I really need to start pushing for an end date after that!

 The rain has been a real issue, with puddles on the floor and holding up works. We did have to choose to build over the winter... although it feels REALLY wet, the weather bureau reports only average rainfalls this winter, so it is just my impatience making it appear that it is raining more than usual >.< 

We have a combination of awning windows and sliding window, we were not too fussed what went where at the end of the day windows of both kinds have favourable features.

Family Room

Kitchen Splash back

Front.

Floor Coverings Chosen

We actually chosen flooring months ago, it just slipped my mind to blog it ;) We went with Carpet Call in the end, their fully installed costs were just so much more competitive! We chose a beige solution dyed carpet (looks warner than the picture) and a spotted gum look floating laminate floor board (which is also warmer than the picture)

Frame stage complete

The roof trusses are on! The brickies have started on the entrance, door frame in, and the side if the house. Still no windows on site and with the weather due to rain all week it is not looking good. (i was just thinking 'but I haven't heard any rain yet, they nay get a day today' when sure enough it started!) Again the rain in that flooring makes ne more then a little worried about the condition of our floors and under floor insulation... Only time will tell I guess.

Floor and Frame!!

Things have really taken a big leap for us this week with the Floor, under-floor Insulation and Wall Frame going up! This is such an exciting stage as it is the first look at the feel of the flow of the house and the size of the rooms! As we have never seen a display house of this plan it has been a real leap of faith for us to build this house from just the plans.

We  were ecstatic at the views from our windows, facing southwest  around to Northwest - the view of the weather moving over Melbourne and the Baw Baw Ranges to the North is going to be such a plus!

The size of the living and the family rooms was a really pleasant surprise, we had anticipated smaller living areas that we actually have.  There is a lot to plan in terms of decking, paths and driveway, eeeeep! I sense the bills will just keep floading in!

 Fig 1: Looking from the corner of the kitchen you can see the Bedrooms, Bathroom and Toilet.

 Fig 2: Garage, gotta love the dry access!

Fig 3: Main Bedroom from the front of the house, on the left is our front door. 

Fig 4: You can see the Fence line where the neighbour's garage is to be built, our side yard!

Fig 5: Our Living Room and Dining - the kitchen starts on the very left!

There was some water build up on the insulation under the floor, once the roof is on this will have an opportunity to really dry out before the floor coverings go on!  I have some concerns about the yellow-tongue will all the rain we have had (with another 30mm expected overnight) about the state of the flooring before the floors go on.  I guess a really good inspection to ensure all the joins are even before allowing tiles to go on and a good clean beforethe carpets go on will be in order.

The finish still seems such a long way off!

Assuming another week for the roof, a weeks windows... they would go in over a day you would thing (but they are not on site as yet), 2 weeks for the bricks (plus wet weather) I would hope to see Lock up by the end of July we would hope!

Then it always seems to slow right down, with sparkies and plumbers, plasterers and painters, tilers and fitters, cabinet makers and carpenters. We had originally hoped for a May finish, then a July, then a September. I am now calling October!  We have now not had a place to call our own for 17 months, October will have seen us living with the parents for 20 months... the kids have shared a room and hubby's parents have given up half their house for us: it is time!

Joists and Bearers!

Well we are slowly getting there! They had to knock a layer of bricks off for some reason... who knows why, I am guessing it has to do with tying the brickwork into the carpentry, but honestly i have not idea really.  We are excited that we get a better idea of our view now and the underneath of the house is starting to feel like a room!

An the delays just keep coming!

Well after 2 weeks hold up we should be back on track next week!  Although with the weather the way it has been it would have been little use even if the delays hadn't happened.

The variation for the fact that the house is actually 400mm higher than the initial plans indicated have been approved by the council and signed by us!

The carpenters should be there next week and the frame should be up by the end of the week, weather permitting! :)

Base Stage Complete

We finally go to second base!

Naturally the bill comes in the SECOND the stage is finished! Hopefully this means things will begin to speed up ever so slightly. With tomorrow being the first day of winter (thanks for pointing that out Master 10!) we are... now how does the song go... 'Wishing and hoping and praying' that the holds out until we get through the next stage.

                                           Base Stage complete: the Yellow tongue and beams
                                           have arrived.


Wood has arrived for the floors and we are hoping to have that complete by the end of next week!

More pictures to come after we have visited on the weekend! Current pictures courtesy of my sister-in-law who lives around the corner!

Base Station

We ended up choosing a whole new brick from another manufacturer, Boral came to the rescue and provided bricks within 3 days of ordering!  But WHY OH WHY is it RAINING SO MUCH?!?!??!? The quagmire that was our block leaves anyone who walks on it an inch taller with red mud stuck to their shoes.  Will be investing in gumboots for the kids in the next few weeks!

                                                   Our new brick choice: Kurrajong, from the
                                                   Horizon Riverside Range.

 We are extremely happy with the alternative choices we were offered from the builder!

The height is far higher than we had first expected, we are ecstatic at the height we will have under the house, it is a full size ceiling meaning we can utilise the space under the house as both a rumpus and storage!!

                                            There is a full height door to the under house space!

Our view is going to be fantastic, we will be able to not only watch the sunsets every night, but see the glow of Melbourne in the distance and watch all the crazy storms roll over the hills and even a peek around the corner to the Baw Baw ranges.

To top it all off, I will be able to see my sister's house from my kitchen window! Talk about handy :)

We are equally pleased to discover the garage is not going to be as far down the hill as we had first expected due to the build up, the driveway costs have just reduced considerably from our first estimations.

                                           The Garage

We are expecting to have stumps in by the end of next week and I am hoping the garage slab too!

Once the stumps are in, the floor will go on and then the builder will be asking us for money! BLAH, but then there will be frame and roof and at least then the weather will not matter quite so much!

We are getting excited about the prospect of finally moving into our own home. We moved in with my inlaws 16 months ago and truly I have forgotten what is like to have my own place.

I will keep you posted!

Brick Delays

Everything was looking like smooth sailing... until the bricks didn't arrive... then they didn't arrive a week later... or a week later or 2 weeks after that...

Bricks were due to arrive February 21st and now, April 24th, we are hoping the NEW BRICKS we have chosen from Boral are due any day now!  Turns out Austral had kiln issues and the wait on the bricks of our choice is indefinite.

We have now chosen Boral bricks - Kurrajong.  We are extremely happy with this choice!

It's all a go!

Well here we are February 2012, what a road it has been to get here!

After weeks of chasing quotes on driveways, fences, landscaping, stat. decs etc, our home loan application has finally been APPROVED!

Now it is all happening! Permits are being applied for, levies are being paid and money is flying out in all directions (mostly to the builder gladly!)

We were very unhappy to find out the builder expected us to cover the bond on the asset protection while they were building (a council footpath insurance) - but I am extremely happy to say the builder has agreed to put up the bond while I only pay the actual permit (no-refundable) charge.  Another potential stress avoided! Imagine trying to recover costs if they do damage to council property!

I will get pictures up as soon as we break soil...although with the house 1.25 hours away it may not be as regularly as I would like :)

Hanging out for the start date!