Week 27 - Summary

Monday 21/5 - Sunday 27/5:

For all intents and purposes, the house is pretty much done! And it feels ready too with all the fencing, port-a-loo and rubbish cage gone as well, and the site scraped clean.  The place looks exactly how we planned it to look, so we're very happy campers!  Great job PD!

But, can't crack out the bubbles just yet (and Leanne will have to wait a fair bit longer too)... there are still a few more jobs to get done along with the post-PCI touch ups. Then we can sign off with PD, and get into the jobs to make this house our home.

The work this week saw the site cleared, the termite barrier installed (something I completely forgot about in my list), and the splashback fitted.  This was the last item to go in that represented all the 'personal choices' in the build and the one that was probably done with least confidence.  Trying to pick a colour which will look different against the glass and surrounding joinery / stone was quite difficult.  We were persuaded to change the colour from Spritzig Half to Bosco Blue by our colour consultant. It's come up alright... just needs to grow on us.

We also got a new Building Coordinator.  Our old one finished up, which I had an inkling of because there was no contact for a few weeks. Anyway, the new one seems pretty good.

The mirrors went in on Thursday, which basically finishes off the bathroom and ensuite, and the flyscreen doors went in on Friday.  The rest of the flyscreens still need doing.

Our SS has been through the house and put little stickers where things need touching up, which will be in addition to whatever our Independent Inspector comes up with on Wednesday and whatever we come up with at PCI on Friday.

Here are the jobs that still need doing:

* Mirrors
* Splashbacks
* Showerscreens
* Render Colour Coat
* Facade Painting
* Telstra Lead-In
* Gas Meter
* Flyscreens
* Site clean
* House clean
* Termite Barrier
* Facade lights
* Linen closet shelving

From a defects perspective, this is what needs attention so far:

* 2 blown downlights (entry & theatre)
* 1 of 2 fluoro tubes to be fitted in garage
* Damaged door handle and scuff plate (from brick washing acid)
* Kitchen pot drawers still at mismatched heights
* Alfresco flood light should be a double (only a single fitted)
* Ensuite external door handle needs replacing
* Stained mortar on facade
* Laundry trough replacement
* General paint touchups, mortar blowouts, and a couple of rough plaster joins

Splashback in!

Ensuite Mirror

Bathroom Mirror

Facade - still needs painting and downpipes

Finally get to see it without the OH&S stuff! Love it!

Upcoming dates:

30/5  - Independent Inspector

1/6    - PCI

8/6    - Planned handover

15/6  - When we reckon we'll get handover

18/6  - Floors & Fencing

21/6  - Blinds

22/6  - Wardrobes

25/6  - Concrete

2/7    - Move in

3/7    - Turf

Week 26 - Summary

Monday 14/5 - Sunday 20/5:


Not sure what corny line to start this week's post with, but the message is, 'nearly there!'


All work is traveling along nicely for a 1 June PCI, and our Independent Inspector is booked in for Wednesday 30 May.


We haven't had much communications from PD, unless we call them for something, which is a little disappointing, as there are a few question still outstanding.  Our SS wanted to gauge our flexibility on keeping the plastic laundry trough as it is apparently quite hard to change, but we're going with the Stainless Steel one for many reasons. Not sure why it's so difficult to swap over, but I guess that's not really our problem.


The downpipes around the house were connected to stormwater, but there are still downpipes to be fitted on the facade (only 1 of the 3 is in), and all 3 will require painting. The colour coat of render went on (Dulux 'Time Capsule') and looks fantastic!  Can't quite get the full picture on the facade as parts still require painting.  The house also got cleaned which has made a big difference to the windows, benches and sinks, and the gas meter was fitted.


And last, but not least, the showerscreens went in over Friday and Saturday.  We upgraded these from the standard Stegbar Softline style to their Grange semi-frameless ones...  well worth it!


So from the 'high-level' list of things remaining from last week:


* Mirrors
* Splashbacks
* Shower screens
* Render colour coat
* Facade painting (it was stopped when they realised they had a leak)
* Telstra lead-in
* Gas Meter
* Flyscreens
* Site clean
* House clean


We've finalised the landscaping plans (will post details during the week), organised the concreters and nearly sorted the fencing.  The furniture for the new house is on track for delivery and the floors, wardrobes and blinds suppliers are all booked in!  It's going to be a very busy 2 months, with a few weeks to settle in before bubs is due!


A door was left open on Friday night, so we were able to get in and take some pics...

Facade almost complete. Downpipes and some painting to go.

Facade - reverse angle :)

Ensuite almost complete - just need mirror.

Soooooo can't wait to use this :)
Massive kudos to the tiler.

Kitchen looking good. Love the Island Bench.  Splashback in this week 

Shot from Kitchen back through the house.

Laundry, waiting on proper tub.

Alfresco area now completed.

Sunlight changes the colour a lot!

Which bright spark thought it would be clever to drill the door stop into a $4000 door?!

So... cleary not much to go... hopefully next week's post celebrates practical completion!

Week 25 - Summary

Monday 7/5 - Sunday 13/5:

Getting excited now...!  The house is in the final stages of completion...!  Our BC gave us a PCI date of Friday June 1 and a Handover date of Friday June 8.  No problem with 1/6 - this is very achievable, but reckon 8/6 is pushing for it to be completed properly.  No rush for handover here, and no interest in having to chase them up for things for a month after.

Good number of trades made it through this week and got their stuff done.  The worst part about all of this, is the fact that we can't get in.  Every door is well and truly locked at the end of each day. So the photos that we can share with you this week are the ones Leanne got when she dropped in last Wednesday (her regular day off).

The tiler finished up on Wednesday after getting some extra tiles for the Laundry splashback return, and finishing off the grout.  Very happy with his work.

The garage door went up on Tuesday and adds a new dimension to the facade. The brand is not what is contracted (AGD Fineline Timber FX) but is an Eco Garage Door instead.  Obviously one company's definition of 'Walnut' is different to the next, so we're uncertain how much difference there is and if it matters.  So we're looking at the door at different times of the day in various light to come to a consensus. So far I'm tipping we're happy to keep it.

On Thursday the plumbers came through and installed all the taps, toilets, shower bits and front downpipe.  The portico was re-sealed on Friday, and the carpenters also filled in the small gaps above the bathroom window and rumpus doors and the brickwork.  Door furniture was also done on Friday (handles and stops - yes, we've bought some nice replacements from Bunnings).

So... very high level, we have the following to go:

* Mirrors
* Splashbacks
* Shower screens
* Render colour coat
* Facade painting (it was stopped when they realised they had a leak)
* Telstra lead-in
* Gas Meter
* Flyscreens
* Site and house clean
* post-PCI activities

Main Bathroom shower

Couple of tiles missing on hob. Waiting for plumbers to connect the bath.

Laundry

Trough to be replaced with Stainless Steel tub

Nice big shower!

The door stops we bought from Bunnings, but less shiny

Garage Door...  looks a lot lighter in direct sunlight

Week 24 - Summary

Monday 30/4 - Sunday 6/5:

Slow and steady this week, with the tiler settling in and working his way through the house. The tiled areas aren't extensive (wet areas + Laundry splashback) so we're a little surprised that we're not finished yet.  But - credit where it's due - the tiler is so careful and methodical with his work that we're happy for him to take as long as he needs. Our SS called on Monday morning when the tiler turned up to make sure the tiles were all good and how we wanted them laid and blended (the colour and veining in the tile varies significantly).

The cabinetry was also replaced with Crystal Gloss, so tiling could continue. Finally.

The sinks were installed in the Bathroom and Ensuite, and the Laundry trough was done too, but is in white plastic instead of Stainless Steel.  We weren't sure what to make of this (is it better or worse?), but have decided to contact our BC and ask for the stainless steel one. The heating and cooling ducts were also fitted off this week, and the holes for the rangehood were cutout - which we assume is due to the splashback guys coming through for a measure up.

The tiler also locks up the house every night, so we haven't had a chance to get any photos, but grabbed a few through the windows. If we get a chance this week, we'll post them up.

The return wall still needs to be done.
Not enough tiles were supplied. Floor done.

Plan for next week:

Finish tiling
Splashback
Garage Door
Plumbing fit off?

Week 23 - Summary

Monday 23/4 - Sunday 29/4:

I think it's a finishing line that we can now see... As more of the tasks get crossed off the list, without a commensurate defect list, the time to call the place our own is fast approaching!

All the electrical fit off is now complete, and all in the correct spots.  Only a couple of things left to do:

- 1 of the 2 fluoros in the Garage is missing (they've fitted off a junction box instead).
- Speaker cabling at the rear of the Home Theatre has not been fitted off.  Little holes cut out only.
- 2 downlights blown (1 x ensuite, 1 x home theatre)
- Alfresco has a single flood installed instead of a double

For the amount of electrical stuff we got done, this ain't bad. One niggling issue from the rough in was the location of the light switch for BR3.  Check out the plans I've reposted below showing where it should go. When they ran the cable, it was to the left hand wall after the door was opened. Not convenient at all,  thanks to the timber framing stopping it from going in as planned. We hated it, but we understood why it was moved.  However - the guys fitting off were different to the ones who roughed in, and they have fitted the switch in the right location.  Dunno how they did it, nor do we care - but we're rapt that it's in the right spot!

Aside from lights and power, we also got ducted vacuum points and the smart wiring completed. The tiles were delivered on Monday, and they've supplied the right ones... not that there is much to get wrong.  The waterproofers also came through on Tuesday and 'blued' up the shower recesses and bath hob.

We pushed PD a bit this week on a couple of outstanding items that don't seem to be getting the necessary action.  In particular, the cabinetry in the Bathroom and Ensuite hasn't yet been replaced. The stone benches are fitted on top, and with tiling ready to start - the ease in replacing them diminishes, which I can see ending up as a refund to us for the Crystal Gloss finish, because it's too hard to change.  On Friday we were told that the cabinet makers had been through to work out how much needed to be done in the shop compared to what could be done on-site.  This is to fix the finish, align the pot drawers and overhead cabinets.

We also want to change the rangehood model.  The one we chose initially was the Blanco BRC90BX, but we want to swap it for the BWC90X. PD have confirmad that the power spec is the same, and they were just verifying dimensions (which we've done and it's the same). Pics below.

So all in all, a productive week... and we're finalising fences, driveway and landscaping.

Final electrical plans

Tiles delivered... not many to just do the wet areas

Study

Master BR.  This light will be going here.

Lounge lights

From Kitchen, looking at Dining, towards Entry

Waterproofed Ensuite shower

Alfresco, with fan to go where batten is

Single flood in side yard.  Should be double.

Wiring for Theatre.  There is an HDMI cable in the wall
that we'll pull through later.

Services cabinet in garage all wired, aside from Foxtel

Original rangehood (BRC90BX)

New rangehood (BWC90X)

Plan for next week:

Heating and cooling vents

Tiling

Cabinetry fix

Week 22 - Summary

Monday 16/4 - Sunday 22/4:

The painting and timber staining were done this week... Happy days!  The workmanship is superb, and we are struggling to see any defects in glancing light, especially in the front entry way.  The colour has come up a treat, and the staining of all the timber in Ash Brown is good too. We have noticed some 'clean up' marks on the architraves from the stain, which will have to get attended to. One sore point is how the front door and frame look in comparison to the rest of the timber. All the windows are a consistent colour, but the door and frame look very different. Not sure what our options are, as our SS put it down to the different types of wood - which we understand - but it's looking a bit average. There must be something that can be done to even it out.

On Friday, a plumber was back on-site to fix the drainage problem we have above our portico. Many weeks ago we had an issue with water on the internal garage wall, and last week there was water flowing down our front door (on the outside) after some rain. We raised the issue in early March with PD, and it was explained away as loose roof tiles which were now 'fixed'. Then last week - missing flashing was the reason.  When we went past the house on Friday evening, the lining at the bottom of the portico was all removed and it seems that the guttering and flashing was redone. The entry point to the down pipe which was meant to connect to the guttering above the portico was now fitted, but the cutout in the portico lining doesn't line up properly. I appreciate things can go wrong during construction, but they need to be fixed appropriately when raised, and to be honest, I'm a little bit over the BS on this matter. I've asked for a proper explanation... guttering and water drainage is a big deal! We'll be instructing our Independent Inspector to take special note of this area when it comes closer to handover.  Rant over.

In other news, the wardrobe guy came and measured up on Thursday, and we had our blinds appointment too. As we were reviewing drape colours for the Theatre Room, we had the carpet sample out, the couch fabric, and the drape, when we realised that the couch colour we had chosen was too light. So we got on the phone to the place making it to see if we could change the colour...  he called us back and by the skin of our teeth we were able to change it. They were about to cut the fabric! Everything else went to plan and we've selected a colour for all the Romans (cannot recall the exact name, but it is an 'oatmeal' colour if that helps), a colour for the shutters (Walnut and 90mm blades with clearview opener), and a dark charcoal/brown drape for the Theatre Room with a 200mm full wall pelmet. We've left the 2 bi-folds, the Foyer window and Laundry door without coverings.

We're also getting quotes for fencing and driveways, along with finalising our landscaping plans. We reckon we'll be close to PCI in about 4 - 5 weeks, and we're in no hurry to move in, so we won't be taking the house with anything left to fix, aside from the appliances. The handover point will be fairly and squarely in PD's court.

Monday 16/4 - Wednesday 18/4:

Timber windows stained, just waiting on the coloured render...

Friday 20/4:

Destruction...

Portico before. Note missing down pipe point.

Portico after the plumbers attacked it. Broken nogging and all :)

Hopefully this gets sealed up quickly, before any birds find this entry point.
Note the varied stain colour on the door / door frame.

Plan for next week:

Electrical fit off
Ducted heating / cooling fit off
Tiles!

Week 21 - Summary

Monday 9/4 - Sunday 15/4:

Back in gear this week, and seeing the colour on the walls has been the best thing since getting the walls plastered!  We're happy with our colour selection, and the paintwork has been of fantastic quality... well worth the wait...

By the middle of the week, an undercoat had been applied, then colour to the entire house.  The doors were painted and re-hung too.  On the outside, the downpipes and meter box have been painted in c/b monument.

In addition, all of our stone benches were delivered on Tuesday, and they look excellent!

Very happy with the week's work, after the few slow ones that we had.  The painter should still be around for another week to finish off the inside, all the timber staining and the facade features - looking forward to all that happening.  Hopefully we can then crank straight into the tiles, electrical / plumbing fit offs etc.

Kitchen with cabinets looking a bit yellow thanks to plastic coverings.
40mm Mink Caesarstone across back bench and pantry.
40mm Organic White to the Island.

20mm Mink Caesarstone to Ensuite.
Cabinets still to be changed to Crystal Gloss finish.

20mm Mink Caesarstone to Laundry. Peruvian Clay cabinets overhead.

20mm Mink Caesarstone to Bathroom, also on wrong cabinet finish.

Family room, looking lovely in Wattyl's 'New Pearly Gates'.

Living area painted, with timber still to be stained.

View of entry way... love the amount of light that comes in.

Close up of the colour.

Plan for next week:

Finish painting inside

Sand and stain timber

Paint facade features