Engineers reports, Trees and Holidays

Just a quick update. Spoke with the builder yesterday and again today - follow up (!) - and the Structural engineer report and another (?) are completed, now need the dilapidation report and stormwater hydraulics report (I think). Hmmm not good at focusing on the detail am I!
They also need to get Sydney Water approval for the building over the sewer.

We also got 4 trees cut down yesterday, and the tree people are also clearing the block of crapola for us. It means that the block will be completing clear, ready for building. We inherited a pile of concrete/rubble from god knows who (probably the previous owner - can't remember).

Getting there!!! And it's finally getting exciting.

Oh and we are going on holidays tomorrow! Taking the kids to the Gold Coast for a family holiday. We haven't taken the twins before, and this will be the first time they have been on a plane.

See you all late March!

Bel x x x

Internal colors

Well now I'm on a role with posting again, thought I might as well upload the internal colors.

Again they are similar to last time - just better!!! Ha ha ha

Internal Walls :Taubmans/Bristol Moonriver
Trims/Doors/Ceiling: Illusive White
Kitchen Cupboards: White Gloss poly
Kitchen Bench: QQ Luna White
Kitchen Kickers: White Gloss Poly
Laundry Cupboards: Polytec Gesso Lini (sorry Mich got a bit carried away from white ;) )
Laundry Benchtop: Polytec Snow Fabrini
Ensuite/Powder Room Benchtop: QQ Riverstone
Main Bath Benchtop: QQ Ice
All Bathroom vanities: Designer White
Tiling: to be selected at a later date - but see photos for my ideas :)
Front Doors: Hume XVP11 for Stain
Staircase: Stained handrail and posts - waiting for quote if I have standard black stingers (is that the word ??) or stainless steel. All will be vertical with not fancy ones!!! Plain aren't I?

That's all I can think of atm - Oh had to do all the taps and things, but for me that wasn't very exciting!!! Dad will change over tapware, showerheads, kitchen to a vege sprayer at a later date for me. Thanks Dad :)


Here is all the internals together. Was hard to photograph with the overhead light, and the camera flash. On my laptop it's looking a little pinky, not in real life thank goodnees!!!

Enjoy!!!

External Colors

I had the color selection Thursday where I had to select all external and internal colors and selections expect tiling and flooring.

Thanks to the ever talented Michelle at De Novo Concepts who is fabulous with color, it made the formal selection process a breeze.

It took an hour to run through external and internal selections, with me only having to make a couple of selections on the spot.

Michelle also took the headache of agonising over selections away - I told her it was now her headache!!! (Lucky she has a sense of humour and laughed!!!)

Here are the external selections - similar to first time 'round, but better :)

The picture has come up pretty small - if you click on it, it should be clearer.

Bricks: Boral Blackheath
Roof: Boral Charcoal Grey Striata (sp?)
Mortar: Off white Raked
Gutters, Fascia, Downpipes: Woodland Grey
Windows/Sliding doors: Surfmist
Garage Door: Windspray
Front Doors: Timber stained

I think that's it :)

Enjoy

Bel x x x

New Plans

I am am addict of the great homeone forum http://forum.homeone.com.au/index.php - over the past few years, I've really enjoyed reading people's stories of their builds, and also gained a lot of knowledge, and great ideas to steal!!!

So in my thread, I had a lovely comment from "Jim", who had been following our progress - or lack of there of....and wanted updates on the blog and plans. I feel really excited and touched that someone cares about the drama we have been through - most people see us and say "how's the house going?" OR "got a house yet", but truly don't understand all the shit we have been faced with.

So Jim, this is for you :)

She's not the prettiest house on the street, but she's ours! :)

Ground floor
First Floor

Enjoy!

Bel x x x

New beginnings - again :)

Wow Here I am back! :)

At lot has happened in the past 6+ months. DH and I went around in circles trying to find the best solution for us and our family.

I'll try and reduce the past few months in a paragraph or two........

In a nutshell, we had 2 choices - sell and buy established, or persevere with a build. We shopped around for an established place, but in the end, we couldn't afford what we could build.

So then it was ok - what house/builder do we build??? We decided we just need *a* house on the land, to get out of rental hell, and get some balance in the kids lives - not the *one day new house*

Unfortunately HH didn't work out - very long story there, and we went back to W to say - build a house.

As in all great sagas, it couldn't have been that simple - yep prices went up to build, and we had less money than when we started as rental houses in Sydney are a shocker. So, once we received a revised tender, it was again 2 choices - borrow more money, or slash and burn the house. We chose *reluctantly* the slash and burn option. Had to cut off the rumpus (I cried for days), but ended up reconfiguring kitchen/laundry area which I'm happy with. I'm now over the *we aren't going to have a rumpus for the kids* and figure, they will have their own bedrooms for the first time, as well as several living areas - gee what more could we possibly give them........

So where are we now - well the Section 96 was approved, we had color selection Thursday, engineers reports are being ordered and Construction certificate is on it's way.

Let's get Bel a house in 2010!!!! :)