Second Story Frame - Tick!

What a productive week! If only all weeks were this productive whilst building a house. We are not the proud owners of a double story framed house, complete with windows, doors, roof frame and garage frame.

So exciting.

The carpenters were amazing, balancing on the frames with ease. Dad and I got to watch the roof be put in place with the crane yesterday afternoon. What a sight! I actually didn't really want to watch the guys balancing in case of an accident (!) but Dad told me they "do it all the time".

I sent Dad up the carpenters ladder to get piccies of the first floor. I went up as far as my head so I could just see around, I just couldn't work out how I could get off the ladder and onto the first floor without going ar$e over!

I'm really happy with how everything is turning out - room sizes feel pretty good (you can always go bigger). I was always worried that the rooms would be small and pokey, but so far so good. Guess that feeling could change once plaster goes on.

Spoke with the builder to see the next few steps. Next week is plumbers rough in (boring). Week after brick delivery, then week after brickies start. I got some story about large brickie teams being in short supply - which I have heard from the H1 forum - but all well, I knew the progress would go in bursts. I'm still hoping we'll have lock uop by Christmas. We might be pushing it now.

Also trying to finalise the electrical, and I'm trying to plan a trip to the tile place soon.

Pictures as of yesterday - so none yet of the roof frame!






Kids bedroom
Another kids bedroom

Yet another kids bedroom (yes too many kids!)
My WIR (notice I call it mine! Poor DH)
Upstairs area from top of stairs

Is it a bird, is it a plane - NO! It's a frame!

Ha ha sorry laughing at your own post title is quite sad isn't it!

I'm still at work, but a little birdie (well a close girlfriend who happens to live in our street) told me we have a second story frame!!!!

Typical that I'm have sooo much work on I won't get home until dark tonight, so no pictures just yet. Double typical that Dave and the kids will see it all before me.

All well - still doing my happy dance :) Sooooooo excited to see it!!!!

Bel :)

Go away rain and where's my frame

Just a quick update - well there is none. Darn rain - are you kidding. We have had such wet weather in Sydney - typical when all I want is progress progress progress.(And typical weather for a long weekend and school holidays!) *Hmph* Needless to say we do not have a second story as yet, but it does seem there was some work completed. They have in filled the non window areas with plywood type stuff, and the ground floor roof/2nd story floor looks to be further along.

Huuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrry UP!

Bel :)

Oh and I better get to those pictures hey. Hmmm let me see if I can go and get a few for your viewing pleasure.

Completed Slab pictures
Looking from front corner diagonally to kitchen

How's that for some drop edge beams! The indent is the internal access from garage to entry up about 7 steps.

Standing at the front door

The garage

Of course we had to have a tap photo!

These are the external drainage grates we have everywhere that cost a small fortune. At least they aren't detention pits I guess.


Timber!!! One big jigsaw puzzle that turns into a house!


Utilities connected up the driveway to next to the garage.

Looking from the top of the battleaxe.

Kitchen

Looking from the front doors down past the stairs and out the back to the meals/family.


Kitchen window - sink under. Great spot to scream at the kids when they are in the backyard! You think I'm kidding don't you!!!
Study - hard to photograph so just took a picture of the window!


Family - at other end of kitchen.
Lounge/dining looking from family to front of house.


Hmmm must get some updated pictures!

Bel :)

Framed and other developments!

Hey guys,

Gee it's been nearly a month between posts again. So slack I know. I haven't even been on my beloved Homeone forum so don't feel too bad - it's not just the blog I'm neglecting.

Well lots has happened (as you would hope) with the build.

First I had to pay the council for the privlege of opening up the road. Another $800 not budgeted for. *rolls eyes*

Then we had all the external drainage (stormwater grates etc) installed......it that the right word?.........then all the ultilities. It was fabulous just to see a tap with running water! They had also installed up the driveway electricity, with our own power pole, water, gas, telstra etc. Very exciting and I don't think I've seen so many trucks and tradies on the block at once.

Then we had a few more dramas. I had a computer crash and was not online for 3 weeks (no email, internet, nothing) It was a laptop crash, and as the laptop I use is my work one, I had to wait for them to come to a solution before I had access to these again.

Finally I gained access to email remotely for a day, and saw a note from the builder needing me to clear the excess soil off the block, as they were waiting to deliver the frames. Oh gosh why didn't someone call me? It was partially my own fault - I had explained to the builder that they were to email me (you know, to always have it in writing). So with me not getting the email, then having to organise the removal of the excess dirt, we had pushed the frame delivery back a few weeks.

But the great news is we are now the proud owners of a first floor with joists, with a view to a second story hopefully by the end of the week.

The carpenters worked until about 4.45pm last night and are just powering through. We went down this morning to see if any of the second story is up, but not yet.

And the other great thing is that the builders timeframe of delivery has been spot on. As we are a battleaxe, there isn't room to store the frames etc. So we had a delivery of the ground floor Monday, Wednesday we received the second floor, and we must be on track to recieve the roof for Friday.

I must say this has been the most exciting part. Walking through the house with walls, you finally get to see those plans come to life. Remember this house isn't on display, so we weren't able to walk through, and we made so many changes it was a little leap of faith. God I'm loving my storage already! Only one area I don't know what I'll do with. But hey, I'm sure I'll work it out.

And to top it off - I received the 2011 Ikea catelogue in the mail today. Now I'm furnishing the house!

Oh I promise pictures when I get them off the camera.

Cheers
Bel :)

San Francisco!

Ok, so this post has nothing to do with building houses - but Dave and I had such a fabulous time in San Francisco, I thought I'd share some of the millions of photos I took.

I'll let the pictures do the talking.............


A rare photo of the two of us together in the Palace of fine Arts (it was in the movie "So I married an axe murderer")
Moi with the Bay Bridge in the background.

Moi again in Union Square - leaving my heart in San Francisco!


Why we were there in the first place - St Francis Yacht club (in the distance) who hosted the sailing regatta Dave was in.


Coit Tower

Such a beautiful city with architecture to die for! We couldn't believe that on the most average of streets you would find amazing houses. This row of Victorians was on a walking tour I did.

Golden Gate Bridge under fog


Golden Gate Bridge with sunset (beautiful *sigh* this was actually from the sailing club)


Dave and I did this "Go car" tour with our friends Noddy and Sue (Dave's sailing partner and wife). The car is basically a 2 person moped. It was an absolute blast, and the tour with a GPS guide, was informative, had great directions, and was so much fun. This would be such a hit in Sydney.


Golden Gate Bridge on a sunny day! We saw dolphins swimming in the water under the bridge.





A fabulous diner we stopped at, for coffee and breakfast whilst on the car tour. A really great little stop, perched on a cliff, with a stack of history to boot.


Southies for you - the Painted Ladies. Oh and the one on the far left is for sale. About $4 million USD a taxi driver told us.


Goooooooooooo Giants! Yes we went to the Baseball. I loved it so much. Not so much for the game itself (bit like watching cricket), but the people watching - fabulous! They won!!!!

Dave's boat (he's in the middle) - actually an 18ft skiff, the Yandoo. Why we were actually there, thanks to the generosity of Woody and Kerrie. You are both amazing people - thanks :) The boys finished 3rd overall - a great result.

To good to be true

I knew it! I've been waiting for an email from the new tile place for the "codes" that are included in the builders range. This meant I could go to Bankstown (close to home) to have a look/see and get an idea of the range.

Just received an email. Urgh. It's off to Norwest I go (not close to home). Apparently they don't have the ranges at Bankstown.

Hpmh.

Knew it was too good to be true!

Bel :)

Progress is the sweetest word

So can you believe it, I still haven't taken more slab pictures. Just. Haven't. Had. A. Chance. I actually can't believe it myself - I was going to get down there to take a few on the weekend, but we had washed out cricket (but ended up with a mate over for Jack), birthday present shopping for the twins (4 on Friday), work, grocery shopping, work, and then Father's Day, it didn't happen.

Anyway, it looks like we will have a continual stream of trades on site for the next few weeks (I guess as long as the weather is ok and the moons align). This week we are booked in for external drainage, and next week the frame will be delivered.

Gee I hope we have rain free weeks for a while.

I'm doing the electrical appointment Thursday. I'll be dropping Jack at school, and then off to Penrith we go! Then it'll be back for school pick up, and then into Randwick for a specialist follow up. I'm not sure how I'll survive the day - it'll be tears all round no doubt!!!

I still haven't completed the tile selection either. I had been putting it off, knowing other friends experiences of the discontinued tiles. I also really don't like DL as a tile store. Anyway it looks like the builder has gone into partnership with another tile place, who of course are at NorWest. But the good news is they have a showroom at Bankstown, so I can go there for a look see, before the actual selections.

That's it for the moment - it's going to be a hectic week!

Bel :)

I believe the term is conslabulations!

Finally! And I've done the "the slab looks tiny" thought process more than once since yesterday. I keep telling myself a house of 34 squares is not tiny, especially since we are upgrading from 10-11 squares.
Will have to get some more photos in the next few days - I've got 2 friends of Jack's coming over for a play after school this afternoon, then tomorrow busy trying to get Hannah and Tommy's birthday present - without them knowing what I'm doing (They turn 4 next week). Then Friday work. Boring. Don't they know I need to take photos of concrete!!!!
Yesterday when I took these photos my girlfriend came with me. Whilst taking them, I said to her, how many photos of concrete is enough before it's a bit silly. She thought 10. I refrained from telling her I'd already taken more than that!!! (And she built 5 years ago, so should know better!)






Completed - well almost ;)










And this was my favourite part of getting the slab. The tradies were so good about us being on site - they said to me - it's your house. When I explained I had heard horror stories of not being allowed to watch the major progress points - he said, well we have nothing to hide, go ahead and take photos. I took them throughout the day, and by late afternoon, they were still there. The kids wanted to see what all the fuss was, and I wanted to sneak in their initials in the slab. They were all still there (well 5 of the 8 guys who were working on the slab) finally sitting down having a beer/smoko break, which they said was the first of the day. (I hope it was with the beer anyway!). I asked if the kids would be able to put their initials in the garage floor - they couldn't as they hadn't gone over it with the machine - but then proceeded to find me another spot to do it, and helped me get them around the side! Their words - we didn't see anything. Love 'em!


Jack holding the nail which he used to write their initials!