Frames

It was pouring down and I didn't expect anything.  Went by, poor carpenters, no wonder they get paid so much!

Slab stage completed!

Things are moving faster than I expected.  So fast that I didn't have time to get a pre slab inspection!

14 May 

Retaining walls completed - much higher than I expected.  Not quite sure how I'm going to do the access for next door.

21 May

Some piles of stuff

23 May

Pre slab prepartation

24 May

Concrete poured!

Finished slab!

Bit worried though as it's been raining A LOT

Excavator

According to next door, there's some action!

Still some delay with building permit - surveyor wants my retaining wall to be engineered.

Contracts signed

Contracts finally signed!

I was getting so stressed leading up to it that I got stomach pains.  I think it was the amount of money that I'm spending. Plus the added unexpected costs.

Had to sign it early Thursday morning before work as it was coming up to Easter, and I was flying off to Perth.

Things I'm not to happy about
- The builder included most of the things that I thought were already included, except for front door stain.  Because of that, I ended up having to pay for the building permit.
- I regret not asking to round of the final figure.
- It's also a lengthy build time of 11 months.

But oh well, it's done and dusted.

Can start moving.

Buyer's regret

I'm having major buyer's regret with my Asko cooktop.  I shouldn't have done a spur of the moment purchase - it's been very costly.

As beautiful as it looks, it's not worth the extra cost, especially as I don't cook!

Extra costs that I didn't realise about getting an induction cooktop
- $380 for getting 32Amp power supplied to the induction
- $2k as I now have to get 3 phase power (due to also having refrigeratred cooling)
+ long term extra running costs with 3 phase power
+ going $2.5k over what I was going to pay initially for a cooktop

That's nearly $5K extra!!!

Sob.

I also found out that it has a scratch.  I don't think I really checked it properly - it was under the paper.

Sob.

EDIT: I was able to return the cooktop due to the scratch - pfew!

Bricks

My colour scheme is grey, brown, white.

So I went to Brickworks in Lynbrook to check out the bricks.  They have all their bricks outside so it can be visited even when they're closed. 

I was looking for a grey, brown brick. Couldn't be Austral Industrial Iron as that was the brick next door. 

I found Daniel Robertson Maddox which seemed to have the brown grey colours.

Another one I looked at was Austral Industrial Char.  Quite dark.

I was also looking at the cheaper Austral Pepperwood or more expensive Hawthorn, however they seemed too brown and I'd used Hawthorn in my first house.

I spoke to my builder and found out the Maddox would add approx $4000, Industrial $1500.
Was this worth it?

I went to have a look and some houses and found the Maddox looked overall brown, and not worth the extra cost.

Leaving me with the Industrial Char.

However I didn't like it if it was overall too grey.
This was going to be my inspiration, but I also wasn't sure if it was too standard.

So I made an appointment at Brickworks for a colour selection consultation.  Wasn't quite what I expected or that useful.  Firstly the lady didn't introduce herself, then I found out that the colour consultant was away and she was filling in, and finally she didn't give me any advice as to what colours to go with.  It was meant to be 1.5 hours, and ended up being 40mins.  There was limited render samples, and so I ended up with this.

I still had reservations that it might be too grey, but was going to leave it.
Then I looked across, and found these bricks, that had just come in the previous month.
Austral Black Rock and Austral Yering - the brown/grey brick I was looking for!

Austral Black Rock

Austral Yering

Hmm... choices choices. Unfortunately it's too new and I can't look at any houses.

Austral Black Rock

Austral Yering

Still also waiting on contracts.. not happy

Demolition completed

I was getting concerned as they'd started removing things on Mar 12 and then it had stopped. So wasn't sure if they'd got the demolition permit.

Anyway, today the house is gone!

And so is the fence.. Doh!

Not sure what happened... They were meant to keep P's fence, but instead they removed it all, and his house and garden are now exposed.

He's put up temporary tarp.. Hopefully the wind doesn't blow it over.

Not sure when to complete the fence.
1. Now
2. Wait until end, in case I decide to build the retaining wall on the boundary and fence on top of it. Also I need to make sure there is a gate between p and my house.