Ever onwards......

I've spent a busy morning arranging carpet and window cleaners for the rental we will be moving out of-because of the time of year they are flat out and with the public holidays for Christmas & Boxing Day being the Monday & Tuesday after Christmas, we have had to book them both for Wednesday December 29th-the same day that we have to hand back the keys! Here's hoping that nothing goes wrong! ;-)

We have also contacted the phone company for the landline-because they need this much time to get connection sorted.....

Our water tanks have had the opportunity to be collecting rain- I think that I may possibly be one of the few people in the area who is happy about the weather-as long as our septic isn't held up!

Tiling has been grouted, towel rails & toilet holders installed and painter should be starting this week. All in all there isn't actually that much to be done- so fingers crossed that all goes to plan!

Garden is burgeoning-and the corellas have discovered the corn-which has now been decimated! Grrrrr...

We are both now back at work-much to our mutual disgust!

Home stretch....

Yesterday His Lordship and I spent the day up around the Hamilton area, visiting waterfalls, lunching and then visiting a friend. This was a rare day for us, because it's been 20 years since we have had time just to ourselves! With the Princess on exchange in the UK for 2 months it's just the two of us-and even more rarely, we both have annual leave at the same time! :-)

I normally don't take time off during a term, but his leave has to be set months in advance and this was an opportunity to do some things together!




After a really relaxing day we came home via the house and were excited to find 4 watertanks-delivered a day ahead of schedule! Also, the tilers had commenced-yay!

Below:Photo of tanks (very,very white-my choice that I have to live with!)

Today we went out to mow and spray in the orchard and whilst there the tilers asked me to come in to confirm about the feature tile in the bathroom- so of course I took the opportunity for some photos!

Below:Kitchen floor tiles-the same tiles are used everywhere except the ensuite and the laundry wall

In hindsight...

It has been pointed out that perhaps some of my posts do not reflect enough of the positives of our build......I had always planned that the final post on this blog would contain what we are really pleased about with this house; but to be fair, maybe it's time that I did list a few! :-)

Those of you who have followed right from the beginning will remember that one of the reasons we decided to go with NBG was because of the reputation of the local builder in this area. His Lordship has been in Home Loan Lending for more than 10 years in this district and I deal with over 500 families every week at work- so between us we have heard a LOT of stories about various companies!

Every person we have ever spoken to about our builder has always said the same thing- he builds a good house! Now it is our turn to say the same!

We have had inclusions with our home that are extra costs in most others-eg: laminate backing on the kitchen benches & a TV antenna to name a couple-these are in addition to the package you get with NBG.

He has had to wear costs of items that are not his fault-eg: the linen cupboards were drawn incorrectly on the plan by the draughtsman, which has resulted in custom built cabinetry being provided- a win for us!

As I said in the last post, it is not mistakes and errors that stay with you- it is how they are dealt with and in our case the builder has ALWAYS ensured that our queries are dealt with satisfactorily.

As has been pointed out, blogging is a powerful tool these days ( and you need to be careful with your posts- I had listed the brick overhang with too many zeros....aaargh! Fixed to read 60mm instead of 600mm now!)-and I do wish this one to reflect that we are excited to be moving into the home being built for us!

Musings...........

After a conversation tonight, I thought that it was worthwhile posting why we started this blog. With family and friends spread across not only Australia, but the world, in this day and age blogging is the easiest means of contact and is as common as writing letters used to be in days of old....we live in an age of technology and it's advances are rapid. Blogs about building are commonplace.

This is the 4th time we have built a house-and this is to be our forever home. We chose the company because of the reputation of the local builder and the value they provide compared to others. In fact, we have recommended the company to a number of other people.

Each time there have been various frustrations and moments of excitement. Each house has been delivered by the contracted date and mainly of a good standard. Items that needed addressing have been in a timely manner.

As someone who has worked in administration for many years, the thing I find hardest to bear is when we are told that things are to be done-but then are not! For whatever reason, when things are not happening as discussed then communication is vital! With so many of our friends building-this seems to be a common thread of conversation.......whether it is the initial salesperson, the Site Supervisor (with bigger companies) or any other designated contact person-if they maintain communication then fewer frustrations are felt.

Building a home is a huge financial commitment- and the pressure of delays at times can cause immense stress. In our case, we are paying nearly $400/week rent for a house which is far too small for our needs-plus having to meet interest payments on a mortgage (which grow with every progress payment). With one partner working 10 to 12 hour days to meet this payments family life is impacted on.

I am aware that some people in the building industry involved with our house have read this blog. I knew that this may be the case when it was commenced. I have ensured that the posts are factual and reflect our experience- those about to commence the building journey need to be aware that the reality of the industry is that there is a lot of work for a limited number of tradies. Delays will be part and parcel of the whole progress-the end result is what will matter.

If that makes others uncomfortable, then so be it. Word of mouth is the biggest promotion any company can have-and therefore anyone dealing with clients (as I know in my own work) needs to work hard at keeping any reasonable client happy.

As I have constantly stated, each aspect completed has been of a high standard. There are some issues that will be addressed and/or rectified before we move in-again, that is part of the normal process.

I have been asked would we go back and start again if we were back in August 2009- the answer would be a resounding yes!

What you gain on the swing...

Today has been one of those days where it feels like whatever you gain on the swing you lose on the roundabout...

The kitchen is nearly completed, but due to an inability to gain promised access to the house, the curtain measureup has had to be rescheduled AGAIN! Next time, I will go out there an hour prior so that if the promised workers are not at the house I can go into town and collect a key...this further delay means that our roman blinds and drapes for the kitchen & meals will not be ready by Christmas...

The septic is yet to be installed-it was supposed to have been done last week but they have hit a boulder! It was supposed to have been smashed today, but you guessed it-nothing done! Until the septic & stormwater is done, the termite retic can't be installed. Until the termite system is installed the slabs for the pergolas can't be done...etc, etc....

Anyway, some photos: Below: Nearly completed kitchen cabinetry

Below: The ensuite floating vanity (River Cherry horizontal grain)

Below: The kitchen bench back

Closing in on the kitchen!

It's been a mixed week...the plasterers & brickie finished on Tuesday.......and then things came to a screaming halt! Apparently there has been a "minor" issue with the kitchen-our kitchen was placed on lower priority some weeks back (according to the kitchen company) and nobody told them that it needed to be installed this week (imagine my rolling eyes here...). Ergo, we received a call from them Friday morning-which resulted in me going in there and confirming a couple of things whilst they began manufacturing it (this company is fantastic and impressed me no end with their professionalism and communication). It is now scheduled to be installed on Thursday 4/11.......

Above: Computer image of our kitchen specs.

We have had our measure up done for the front security door and also the pergolas for the alfresco and dogs bedroom!





As well as kitchen going in, this week SHOULD see the architraves etc done, whilst the plumber is supposed to have trenches done for the septic and storm water by the end of the week.......

I can almost taste it....

We must be almost to contracted end date-because our build has had tradies swarming over it! :-)

Cornices are up, brickie will be finished tomorrow, plumber will be digging trenches for septic & stormwater and tanks will be delivered soon!

Builder has said that we will have handover by mid December-YAY!

I love getting plastered!

On Monday we received good news from thebuilder-we will definately be in the house for Christmas!!!!! YAY!

The brickie is near done (a dna beautiful job it is too!) and the plasterers have started today-it's not lunchtime here yet and they are already half done!

The builder also confirmed that the insulation HAD been installed at the wrong house-seriously, how do you install insulation at the wrong address????

We have busily organised security door, curtains, alfresco installment and chosen the wood heater and hearth colourst with everything planned for the week commencing December 2oth and are also looking into getting Solar electricity installed- it would be another cost on the mortgage, but would mean that we wouldn't have any electricity bills-an important consideration in an entirely electric household....

Tiny steps in the right direction...

Thank God for our phenomenal brickie! If it wasn't for the pleasure we take in his outstanding work, this whole process would become more & more frustrating! Nothing has been done on the inside of the house......nada! However, knowing that the brickie finishes our job and moves to the one down the road makes us believe that the workers on that job (currently installing their insulation etc) then come to ours.....although today the plumber was at that job trying to do work that should be done prior to insulation going in....which makes me think that the insulation was actually meant for our place which is totally ready!

Anyway, some photos:

Above: Main bedroom wall-N-W end of the house

Above: The back of the house showing the sliding door to the ensuite and the triple window of His Lordship's study.

Above: Snow peas have sprouted!

Another brick in the wall....

The brickie continues his superb workmanship unabated! We have a shower niche and spa installed inside the house and a TV antenna has appeared on our roof!

We will be getting our wood heater through the builder after he arranged for the girls in the office to get us a price. Fully installed via the builder, the model we want ( Clean Air medium console)will be at least $700 cheaper. That's $700 I will be able to spend elsewhere!

The brickie's return....

singing:Dance everybody, make it hot in this party, don't stop -move your body JUST DANCE EVERYBODY!

Can you tell that I'm a wee bit excited? The brickie is BACK! Not only is he back, but......he's also been busy!

Deliveries were also the order of the day-with our spa bath, external doors,metal battens and some plaster board arriving!

Oh where, oh where can our brickie be?

Since my last post our brickie has managed to work one solitary day.....he work is outstanding, the weather has been fine, but there is not much progress! I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the fact that the garage wall on the Southern boundary overhangs the slab by 60 - 70mm! Our builder has reassured us that it will be fixed (it has to, to be legal...) by either installing a steel beam or pumping more concrete in...

What I fail to understand is how this sort of thing happens!

In garden news, over the past week I have hung the gate on the chook yard and planted a LOT of seeds! I'm experimenting with planting by the Moon with this lot-and this week was favourable for those plants which produce their crops ABOVE ground. Next Monday & Tuesday is when those crops producing BELOW ground are favoured- so I'll be out there planting carrots, radishes, beetroot, swedes etc....

Bring on the bricks!

We received an unexpected call from the builder on Thursday to let us know that the brickie would be commencing our place! Our build was bumped up the brickie's list because another project has a delay on their bricks arriving-bad luck for them but fantastic news for us!

In the rough....

Well, the sparkies have roughed in and the plumbers have been back and fixed their cockups, as well as doing the additional work required prior to plaster...all movement in the right direction!

Green with envy....

Not a lot has been happening on the build site, what with the roofing guys yet to fix the one piece of Colorbond that they cut too short and then installed...also, the house was supposed to be wrapped days ago and hadn't-yet the place next door (started 6 weeks after ours with another builder was roofed,wrapped & windowed over the past couple of days...).

So today when I went out I was pleasantly surprised to find some action! :-)

The plumbers were busy fixing up the mistakes they had made with the pipes and the pre plaster framers were in there as well-the sparky should be there early next week!

Sexy,sexy Surfmist!

Ta Da........

Our Surfmist roof was installed today-and we are really, really happy with how it looks!

Above: Standing on the road looking towards the house front...

Below: His Lordship's "colorbond moment! " :-)

Above: Looking towards the entrance from the driveway

Here's hoping we are just as happy with the finished result! ;-)

Follow the pinkish brick road.....

Since my last post a week ago, progress has been maintained! Late last week the battens were placed on the roof trusses and on Friday the Surfmist Colorbond was delivereed-yippee!

Yesterday His Lordship and I erected the posts for the chook pen....wire will be done over the next few weeks as we have decided to wait a bit longer to actually get the hens.

Then this morning our bricks (Boral Beaumonde) were delivered! As I wasn't expecting them until the end of the week it was a pleasant surprise! :-)

What do we have here?

Well hello there blog buddies! Just a quick update & pics of where we are at....

As of today, frame is completed (other than the small matter of a doorway that is in the wrong spot...), windows are going in and the sun is shining!

All going well we should have our Colorbond roof on by week's end!

Upwards and onwards....

The frame is gradually getting completed-main roof trusses are on but the garage component is yet to be done. The past few days has seen the younger guy working alone until early afternoon when he gets some help.....this morning he's up on the trussess applying the metal bracing to the roof.

On another note, I was very excited this morning to see my first spear of asparagus poking it's head up!

The rain in Spain...

Yep, that's right people-it's raining here today (Wednesday August 4th)! Mind you-it's only the 4th day since site scrape that is has actually rained....

No work has occurred over the past 2 days-even though the weather was OK-lets see how the rest of the week goes.

However, our shedding is complete and this morning I started to move my gardening parphenalia out of my car and into the long awaited shed! :-)

Trussed,wet and ready to shed!

After the deluge on Sunday night, I was doubly glad that I had finished all the trench edging in the orchard.....

Today we had the roof trusses unexpectedly delivered! When we were told that they were delayed I assumed that it would be a week or so until they showed up! Now, I would be estatic if when I go out there tomorrow the plumbers are relocating the pipes and the framers are finishing up.......Also on the action front today, we have had the boys from Your Backyard erecting our chook shed and garden workshop! Now all we need to do is build a secure yard around the chook house and then we can go get the girls to live in it!

I tell you it wasn't me- I was FRAMED!

That's right loyal and faithful followers-we have been FRAMED!

Our neighbour said that the framers were there until around 7pm last night!

It looks good- two doorways are in the wrong spots, but the boys are going to fix them (they didn't have the final set of plans rolling eyes!)

It does look like the builder is going to set a cracking pace now that we actually have the slab down!

Above: The front of the house, looking towards the Main Bedroom

Above: The rear of the house from the Northern corner of the backyard

Slab anyone? How about getting framed?

Yesterday (44 days since site scrape) we finally had slab pour! This was not without it's frustrations, as on Tuesday when I arrived at the block and found no action the builder told me it was because the concretors couldn't get a concrete pump! Yet right next door-at that very moment, a concrete pump was being used to pour their slab (only 10 days after site scrape!). Now, call me crazy, but surely the pump could have been booked to use as soon as that job was finished-considering that our block is 15km out of town? Especially on a glorious sunny day?

Obviously too logical! However, our slab was poured and it didn't start raining until 4 or 5 hrs later....

I was surprised this morning when I got out there to find our frames being delivered! The builder had told me that they were made and as soon as he could get the slab on the ground things would get moving....so as soon as the slab is cured off we go!

Waffling on...

Today sees trucks and tradies every where in our street! The concretors are busy boxing out in preparation for a slab pour (which will probably be Monday so that they can have the site down the road ready as well...) and I was there when the waffle pods arrived today!

We can't get the sheds up intil the slab is down because the backyard access is blocked from the set out & string lines etc still required until the slab is down.....