So we get a call Monday this week and are told that the brick we chose has production issues. Now we need to re-choose another brick or face a 4 week delay. :((( Our SS has his preffered brickie ready and so we went off to look at bricks again - god knows what kind of brickie we may get if we delay!
Well alls well that ends well, as we are now getting our first brick choice which went out of production before we went to colour selection at Hopetoun. Nubrik have some of this brick still in stock and so we are thrilled that the replacement brick is our initial choice which we love, love, LOVE!
YAY another silver lining in this so far wonderful adventure!
Thursday, 15 December 2011
Monday, 5 December 2011
SOOOOO much has happened....
Plumbing roughed in
Oct 26th the site start was made official and they began with a site scrape. Then the slab was laid and we got the first bill! Since then the frame has been constructed - and I mean constructed - on site with a very skilled and professional crew. Next the gutters and roof tiles went on and the lower half was wrapped.
Today the plumbing was roughed in and we're only at day 40!!! Mind you we have now paid over half the house price to PD and so porter Davis are certainly benefitting from their quick start. We are told that by Xmas we will have over half the bricking done. PHEW!! Seems to be a whirlwind of action - certainly as we watch this house rise literally from the dust.
Can't tell you how happy we have been with our Porter Davis house build. EVERY person we have dealt with at PD or Hopetoun has been professional, courteous and pleasant to work with. Tiny errors have been made but PD very obliging to fix those. Our builder friends have been impressed with all that they have seen and the tradies that PD use have been very complimentary in their review of working for PD and the quality of materials that PD supply them to use in their work.
The house sits beautifully on the block and PD have kept the site clean. neighbours are also pleased with them which will make returning to the hood a little easier. lol!
Brickie starts on Dec 12th; can't wait to see the bricks up!!!
PS. Looks like we are weeks ahead of the Metricon home behind us that started co-incidentally on the same date. YAY PD!
Friday, 30 September 2011
Our colours: Homestead red, Woodland grey render, CB Monument for garage door, front door, gutters and down pipes, surf mist windows and woodland grey mouldings..
Similar colours and concepts in a nearby unit...
CV - contract variations!
OMG I have read, re-read, and re-read again the contract and YET i still find errors!!! I am gob smacked to realise that the flooring is listed incorrectly, as in the colour is WRON WRONG WORNG!
How can this be at this point in time??!! How many more items are listed incorrectly that we haven't picked up??!!
Rule no. 1 - you cannot have rechecked the contract details yet enough times! It does help if two are on board in the checking tho - Reading this rob? hint, hint!
So far I have been really happy with the money we have spent on xtras such as mouldings around the facade windows, a gas fire in the lounge, loads of down lights inc LEDs, soft close cupboards/drawers, the extended living areas, awning windows, caesar stone, loads of sliding doors, an extra driveway and an xtra carport for the boat or kids car as they grow up!!
So far i am really happy we have chosen the colours internal and external that we need. I have second guessed the render - woodland grey and the colour bond accessory Monument that we have for doors and down pipes, gutters and facias. Will post a pic of a house that is most similar to the colours we have chosen - I drive past it every day to take kids to school and it re- assures me of our choices in all different lights and weather!
How can this be at this point in time??!! How many more items are listed incorrectly that we haven't picked up??!!
Rule no. 1 - you cannot have rechecked the contract details yet enough times! It does help if two are on board in the checking tho - Reading this rob? hint, hint!
So far I have been really happy with the money we have spent on xtras such as mouldings around the facade windows, a gas fire in the lounge, loads of down lights inc LEDs, soft close cupboards/drawers, the extended living areas, awning windows, caesar stone, loads of sliding doors, an extra driveway and an xtra carport for the boat or kids car as they grow up!!
So far i am really happy we have chosen the colours internal and external that we need. I have second guessed the render - woodland grey and the colour bond accessory Monument that we have for doors and down pipes, gutters and facias. Will post a pic of a house that is most similar to the colours we have chosen - I drive past it every day to take kids to school and it re- assures me of our choices in all different lights and weather!
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Waiting, waiting, waiting....
It's driving me insane NOT to have started as yet!! Reading all the other BLOGs and seeing their progress has me Green with envy! C'mon council!!!! Aaaargh!!
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
I was wrong!
After colour selections we were really happy - for at least two days. Then I began to second guess myself and so yes, it was back to the displays to check and recheck some of our choices..... I can only compare this feeling to being like when your baby starts sleeping thru the night then STOPS and you go back to getting up at all hours all over again - excruciating!
Happily though, I can report that it was worth all the effort to feel really happy about our colours. I was even known to stealthily walk up to a non display home, with similar colours to what we have chosen, to compare my colour swatch with their downpipes! What the neighbours thought of this crazy lady, as I pushed through the shrubs down the side of this house I'll never know! (ps. I did knock first but no-one was home!) Thanks again Hopetoun girls for all the advice!
So then we went to sign the contract (read life consuming document) - I was petrified but hubby was non plussed. He signed the contract and was happy to have any changes we wanted to be noted in a contract variation - to be drawn up after we signed. "It's done this way all the time" he informed me! Well I wasn't so sure and wanted everything in writing. I wanted the variations finished before the cooling off period as after that I felt we would have no leverage!!!! Rob (hubby) wasn't fussed. He had faith. I was betting I'd be wiping that smugness off his face very soon after BUT I was wrong! Yes, a first time for everything I think. Lol
Even after the contract was signed we have found Porter Davis have been amaaaazing. They have worked with us in detail on the variations and we have found them to be very honest and professional - adjusting all that we felt to be fair and more via the contract variation. I worry that I am spruiking this too early - it's the pessimist in me - but I just can't tell you how amaaazing they have been in seeing fair and honest solutions to some of the queries we have had or changes we requested. Did I mention Amaazing!! Well done to the team at NarreWarren Office - not sure I can mention names but there are a few involved and we think they are Amaaazing!!
Again, we are loving our Porter Davis Experience
PS. On a sad note: Due to the unusual way we are hooking up to the sewer line (house too close to the easement for the usual way) we now need two more planning permits! This will mean an Oct start now NOT september! Lucky our housemates love us and we love them but I am just keen to see our house finished!! Never was good with laybyes either! (Hhmm! Patience my dear!)
Happily though, I can report that it was worth all the effort to feel really happy about our colours. I was even known to stealthily walk up to a non display home, with similar colours to what we have chosen, to compare my colour swatch with their downpipes! What the neighbours thought of this crazy lady, as I pushed through the shrubs down the side of this house I'll never know! (ps. I did knock first but no-one was home!) Thanks again Hopetoun girls for all the advice!
So then we went to sign the contract (read life consuming document) - I was petrified but hubby was non plussed. He signed the contract and was happy to have any changes we wanted to be noted in a contract variation - to be drawn up after we signed. "It's done this way all the time" he informed me! Well I wasn't so sure and wanted everything in writing. I wanted the variations finished before the cooling off period as after that I felt we would have no leverage!!!! Rob (hubby) wasn't fussed. He had faith. I was betting I'd be wiping that smugness off his face very soon after BUT I was wrong! Yes, a first time for everything I think. Lol
Even after the contract was signed we have found Porter Davis have been amaaaazing. They have worked with us in detail on the variations and we have found them to be very honest and professional - adjusting all that we felt to be fair and more via the contract variation. I worry that I am spruiking this too early - it's the pessimist in me - but I just can't tell you how amaaazing they have been in seeing fair and honest solutions to some of the queries we have had or changes we requested. Did I mention Amaazing!! Well done to the team at NarreWarren Office - not sure I can mention names but there are a few involved and we think they are Amaaazing!!
Again, we are loving our Porter Davis Experience
PS. On a sad note: Due to the unusual way we are hooking up to the sewer line (house too close to the easement for the usual way) we now need two more planning permits! This will mean an Oct start now NOT september! Lucky our housemates love us and we love them but I am just keen to see our house finished!! Never was good with laybyes either! (Hhmm! Patience my dear!)
Internal colour selections
At this point I will add this post without completing it as I am going to update on the progress since...
Colour and Electrical selection - finally!!
Wow! What a day! The Hopetoun girls were amazing - this has been the first time since our sales consultant that we enjoyed our "Porter Davis experience". They were so patient and considerate - made our experience really pleasant as we were quite dreading it all really.
Unfortunately we were 30 min late due to the fact my son who has broken his leg also broke his arm yesterday (yes!!!) so we needed to get him to a friends house to be looked after. We had done our home work - we thought - visited Hopetoun and displays every weekend we could manage. Suprise suprise we still had some areas we hadn't really considered such as the laundry colours and we still made some colour changes to BIG areas such as render and kitchen cupboards. Thanks to the advice of our consultants.
We didn't upgrade too much in the colour stuff - door locks were probably the biggest chunk. (still went went around the four grand mark tho!!) Electricals were a killer : we went for LED down lights at $150 a pop and after 31 downlights downstairs alone it's no wonder we come in around the ten grand mark in upgrades. #@*#$!! How do the others do the six grand mark i wonder?! Perhaps the extras came in the form of home theatre wiring (read: NOT the units) and internet /data/tv wiring for the six, yes six TV points?!!
We are very excited about the colours we have finaly chosen - mostly! I say mostly as we were never entirely wrapped in the red brick (a bit too orange) and were worried that the brown brick would date as did the seventies "mission brown". So after much much deliberation and many rural visits to addresses of the brick we had chosen ( ie: past Cranbourne) we decided as neither were particularly bad and neither was particularly perfect we would go with the red brick and save around $1800 in the Cat two upgrade that the choc brick required. This was particularly re-inforced as we found out the off white mortar was $1400 upgrade!! (Amazing the details we have had to consider)
Biggest tip: the colour you choose for the windows should not only be considered in the facade but also in the interior colours!!
So here goes: (pics to follow) will make sense to Porter Davis buyers...
External
Brick cat one: Austral homestead red gum
Raked Joints with off white mortar
Render to portico and Mouldings: Woodland grey
Garage door : Colourbond Monument
Front door Colourond Monument
(back rear cement sheet : Shale Grey)
Alfresco beams Colourbond monument
Roof tiles Sambucca ( black)
Down pipes and gutters: Colourbond Monument
Eaves: white
Windows Surfmist
Door glazing: Desert Sand
Door handle: Nexion Vision Glide Lever Polished chrome
phew.... will post internals list next time as this is already a huge post.
Unfortunately we were 30 min late due to the fact my son who has broken his leg also broke his arm yesterday (yes!!!) so we needed to get him to a friends house to be looked after. We had done our home work - we thought - visited Hopetoun and displays every weekend we could manage. Suprise suprise we still had some areas we hadn't really considered such as the laundry colours and we still made some colour changes to BIG areas such as render and kitchen cupboards. Thanks to the advice of our consultants.
We didn't upgrade too much in the colour stuff - door locks were probably the biggest chunk. (still went went around the four grand mark tho!!) Electricals were a killer : we went for LED down lights at $150 a pop and after 31 downlights downstairs alone it's no wonder we come in around the ten grand mark in upgrades. #@*#$!! How do the others do the six grand mark i wonder?! Perhaps the extras came in the form of home theatre wiring (read: NOT the units) and internet /data/tv wiring for the six, yes six TV points?!!
We are very excited about the colours we have finaly chosen - mostly! I say mostly as we were never entirely wrapped in the red brick (a bit too orange) and were worried that the brown brick would date as did the seventies "mission brown". So after much much deliberation and many rural visits to addresses of the brick we had chosen ( ie: past Cranbourne) we decided as neither were particularly bad and neither was particularly perfect we would go with the red brick and save around $1800 in the Cat two upgrade that the choc brick required. This was particularly re-inforced as we found out the off white mortar was $1400 upgrade!! (Amazing the details we have had to consider)
Biggest tip: the colour you choose for the windows should not only be considered in the facade but also in the interior colours!!
So here goes: (pics to follow) will make sense to Porter Davis buyers...
External
Brick cat one: Austral homestead red gum
Raked Joints with off white mortar
Render to portico and Mouldings: Woodland grey
Garage door : Colourbond Monument
Front door Colourond Monument
(back rear cement sheet : Shale Grey)
Alfresco beams Colourbond monument
Roof tiles Sambucca ( black)
Down pipes and gutters: Colourbond Monument
Eaves: white
Windows Surfmist
Door glazing: Desert Sand
Door handle: Nexion Vision Glide Lever Polished chrome
phew.... will post internals list next time as this is already a huge post.
Monday, 1 August 2011
Demolished!
So now we are officially homeless! Our home of 14 yrs has been completely destroyed and in a matter of three days. Whelan the wrecker have been great in getting the job done; no neighbours were upset in this process which is a huge bonus as we hope to move back there some day soon!
Its an amazing process to watch as your home seems no more than leggo or matchstix as it tumbles down. The operator of the bull dozer(?) commented that "she went along peacefully"! So 10 massive truck loads later and she is now down the tip. I wasn't as upset as I thought I might be - perhaps the delays gave me time to get ready.
The delay was due to the tree. Porter davis advised us at tender that the tree had to go - I was very dissapointed at first but lets not have that get in the way of progress! We applied to council to have it removed and expected long delays to ensue. Fortunately I was reading the abourists report and the council vegetation protection overlay specs one evening and discovered that our tree was exempt - JUST!- as it was not over 10m as specified by council but rather 9.8m. You can be lucky huh?!! anyhow council agreed and the application was refunded. Yay me!
So now we move to another soil test and hope to hell the site costs remain the same. The electrical and colour are a 10 days away and we still haven't decided on the brick! Contract is 10 days after that and then all being well - A SEPTEMBER SITE START!!! Wouldn't that be wonderful she dreams...
We had chosen our brick - only to find that it is now no longer produced - stupid EPA shut down the manufacture of high energy needing bricks - but I so love all those burnt looking bits. Bugga! So now we think we will go choc brown brick as the remaining red bricks are very monotone and thus in our opinion very pedestrian! Worried a dark brown two storey may not have much definition; may look like a big brown blob?
Found the carpet we liked on the weekend - thought it was too easy - as it turns out we were lead astray and the carpet is not a Porter Davis selection and so now to talk to the supervisor at Hopetoun. Don't like our chances tho!
Sooo many decisions still to come but we (after visiting many displays) are defining our preferences. More colour profiling this weekend - our last before colour selection. I hope the consultants are good at Hopetoun is all I can say as we may need heaps of help!!!
Have decided not to go with the ducted vacuum and to just buy a really good second vac for the upstairs. Some have suggested the ducted vac is cumbersome, the hose can damage the walls and suction isn't brilliant. So think we will put the savings of $2000 to other things like clear glass splash back as the green glass tints the paint colour on splashback.
Its an amazing process to watch as your home seems no more than leggo or matchstix as it tumbles down. The operator of the bull dozer(?) commented that "she went along peacefully"! So 10 massive truck loads later and she is now down the tip. I wasn't as upset as I thought I might be - perhaps the delays gave me time to get ready.
The delay was due to the tree. Porter davis advised us at tender that the tree had to go - I was very dissapointed at first but lets not have that get in the way of progress! We applied to council to have it removed and expected long delays to ensue. Fortunately I was reading the abourists report and the council vegetation protection overlay specs one evening and discovered that our tree was exempt - JUST!- as it was not over 10m as specified by council but rather 9.8m. You can be lucky huh?!! anyhow council agreed and the application was refunded. Yay me!
So now we move to another soil test and hope to hell the site costs remain the same. The electrical and colour are a 10 days away and we still haven't decided on the brick! Contract is 10 days after that and then all being well - A SEPTEMBER SITE START!!! Wouldn't that be wonderful she dreams...
We had chosen our brick - only to find that it is now no longer produced - stupid EPA shut down the manufacture of high energy needing bricks - but I so love all those burnt looking bits. Bugga! So now we think we will go choc brown brick as the remaining red bricks are very monotone and thus in our opinion very pedestrian! Worried a dark brown two storey may not have much definition; may look like a big brown blob?
Found the carpet we liked on the weekend - thought it was too easy - as it turns out we were lead astray and the carpet is not a Porter Davis selection and so now to talk to the supervisor at Hopetoun. Don't like our chances tho!
Sooo many decisions still to come but we (after visiting many displays) are defining our preferences. More colour profiling this weekend - our last before colour selection. I hope the consultants are good at Hopetoun is all I can say as we may need heaps of help!!!
Have decided not to go with the ducted vacuum and to just buy a really good second vac for the upstairs. Some have suggested the ducted vac is cumbersome, the hose can damage the walls and suction isn't brilliant. So think we will put the savings of $2000 to other things like clear glass splash back as the green glass tints the paint colour on splashback.
Monday, 20 June 2011
We're Out!
So it took us two weekends to move out. We used the long weekend to move all our personal stuff to our new home and the next weekend we moved the furniture to storage. In between we packed all other stuff into seventy odd boxes to store at my parents. We were very organised with stuff ready to go but it still took the removalists six hours for two destinations, half an hour apart - they worked hard and were very professional. We paid $800. PHEW! Hard work but so proud of all we achieved.
So now we are settling in at the Dalys. We are planning a garden/house sale next weekend of all the stuff we have left behind. We have gone with Wheelin the Wrecker to demolish. Hope to have that happen July7&8. We are the second owners of this home and co-incidently I ran into the first owner last weekend and she gave us her blessing wit our plans to demolish. Very sweet of her!
Next Friday we see the tender; this is when the site costs will be revealed and we are very very nervous. We need to come in under our 30,000 budget!! final contract on July 24th - after we have demolished - are we mad?!!
We have looked at several homes similar to ours, we are confirmed that this is the house for us and I am finally allowing myself to get a little excited. Two Caymans are in our area with different facades - I drive by both quite often and will probably be arrested for stalking soon. Have met both owners and picked up some tips.
So now we are settling in at the Dalys. We are planning a garden/house sale next weekend of all the stuff we have left behind. We have gone with Wheelin the Wrecker to demolish. Hope to have that happen July7&8. We are the second owners of this home and co-incidently I ran into the first owner last weekend and she gave us her blessing wit our plans to demolish. Very sweet of her!
Next Friday we see the tender; this is when the site costs will be revealed and we are very very nervous. We need to come in under our 30,000 budget!! final contract on July 24th - after we have demolished - are we mad?!!
We have looked at several homes similar to ours, we are confirmed that this is the house for us and I am finally allowing myself to get a little excited. Two Caymans are in our area with different facades - I drive by both quite often and will probably be arrested for stalking soon. Have met both owners and picked up some tips.
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Last minute jitters
SO what are we doing? Is there enough storage? Will we be happy with only one main living area that is also where adults will congregate when entertaining? Looked at more display homes today that confirmed what we have chosen suits us!! Happy days!
Have to say we have already blown the budget and haven't included driveways, electricals or brick upgrades!! Finally feeling a little more excited rather that daunted tho so thats a great feeling.
Soooo, what can we share that will be useful to others?
Look at heaps of displays and then look again - what we thought we wanted originally has changed sooo much. Ask questions , ask questions and ask more! Sales people are there for that very reason!!
We are tossing up between chocolate bricks and red bricks - currently the red bricks are a little in front as we think they don't date as much! We have seen the red bricks with charcoal accessories and black front door and it looks very smart! Brown bricks are very popular at present tho!
Sooo much to do - pack a gazillion boxes, sort thru the crap, move most of it into storage and some to my girlfriends house. Then choose colours, flooring, carpets, and more. Still chasing council for vehicle crossing approval, apparently there is an electrical pit for underground power that we haven't budgeted for - $2500 - what else is in the unknown!!
We are putting sliding door to the theatre - then it can be soo much more than just a theatre. We are putting in double sided gas fireplace between family and out door area. This will be nice inside and be a good area to dry off after outdoor spa. I am not sure on pantry - how is this best used for food storage?? We will build a bar into the rumpus.
Sooo much to do....
Have to say we have already blown the budget and haven't included driveways, electricals or brick upgrades!! Finally feeling a little more excited rather that daunted tho so thats a great feeling.
Soooo, what can we share that will be useful to others?
Look at heaps of displays and then look again - what we thought we wanted originally has changed sooo much. Ask questions , ask questions and ask more! Sales people are there for that very reason!!
We are tossing up between chocolate bricks and red bricks - currently the red bricks are a little in front as we think they don't date as much! We have seen the red bricks with charcoal accessories and black front door and it looks very smart! Brown bricks are very popular at present tho!
Sooo much to do - pack a gazillion boxes, sort thru the crap, move most of it into storage and some to my girlfriends house. Then choose colours, flooring, carpets, and more. Still chasing council for vehicle crossing approval, apparently there is an electrical pit for underground power that we haven't budgeted for - $2500 - what else is in the unknown!!
We are putting sliding door to the theatre - then it can be soo much more than just a theatre. We are putting in double sided gas fireplace between family and out door area. This will be nice inside and be a good area to dry off after outdoor spa. I am not sure on pantry - how is this best used for food storage?? We will build a bar into the rumpus.
Sooo much to do....
Sunday, 22 May 2011
Pre signing
So we think we like the Cayman 41. It's not perfect but then nothing we saw was! We will be signing up with Porter Davis next weekend! ( Read: What are we thinking??!! Are we capable of doing this??)
We are adding the rumpus/ grand alfresco but modifying it so the alfresco is smaller and the rumpus bigger - hubby wants a bar! We are taking the princess en-suite option on Br 2 and adding a metre to the garage width. Still tossing up on facades still altho we do want a balcony! All in all tho we have added 100k to the initial price!
My main concern is that there is not enough storage!
We are moving in with dear friends; our family of five joining their three - hope we are all still friends after it! Ten months is a long time!
We will have a lot to store but also am having a house/garden sale for the rest of the stuff. Two quotes to demolish from Wheelan the Wrecker ($11,500) and Demolition Depot ($10,900). Any comments on either company? (Note:Wheelan have allowed us to keep some of the kitchen appliances etc.)
So the journey begins...
We are adding the rumpus/ grand alfresco but modifying it so the alfresco is smaller and the rumpus bigger - hubby wants a bar! We are taking the princess en-suite option on Br 2 and adding a metre to the garage width. Still tossing up on facades still altho we do want a balcony! All in all tho we have added 100k to the initial price!
My main concern is that there is not enough storage!
We are moving in with dear friends; our family of five joining their three - hope we are all still friends after it! Ten months is a long time!
We will have a lot to store but also am having a house/garden sale for the rest of the stuff. Two quotes to demolish from Wheelan the Wrecker ($11,500) and Demolition Depot ($10,900). Any comments on either company? (Note:Wheelan have allowed us to keep some of the kitchen appliances etc.)
So the journey begins...
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