Just give me a #@$% house!

Hi All,

It has been about a month since I've updated the blog - I've been busy with "stuff". You know the type of thing - kids, DS sleep problems (which we now have a diagnosis Yippee), me trying to find a new job, the list goes on!

Anyway, as you can see from the posts title, I'm getting so frustrated with this whole process.

Let me summarise what's happened in the last few weeks.

After we received the sketches, a few days later we got these - the revised sketches drawn up properly with our changes. I still am happy with these plans, and think we'll have a house that is a bit different.Might not be to everyone's cup of tea, but works for us and the block!!

Front Elevation


Ground Floor


Upstairs Floor



So like I said we were happy with the design, and the Sales guy wanted to meet with us the following week to discuss plans, revised costs and going forward.

In that meeting he came to our home after hours - I thought it was just because he didn't want the twins wrecking the display again :) lol! DH told me to give the guy a break and he is just trying to offer some service. Hmmmm I'm too cynical! Anyway what was presented was all good, in budget (just) and we agreed to sign the paperwork to go to tender.

Anyway that was a couple of weeks ago, and Mother's Day weekend, Dh was on the block trying to clear the 2m high weeds, and a surveyor from Huxley turns up to do levels. Great - somethings happening we think. Even though I had supplied 2 other builders levels, as well as the DA that had been previously approved, and everything else except costings.

Well on Monday I called to find out where the tender was, (why do you have to chase them Grrr) and to find out where we are at, and to organise to go through the display home up at Fern Bay (just past Newcastle on the way to Nelson Bay). I wanted to go to Newcastle on Wednesday, as DS was at school and goes to a friends in the afternoon (no pick up), and Mum could have the twins.
No, couldn't do it - they have a sales meeting in Sydney, so the local rep is here. Hello, can't ANYONE else show me the darn house. So annoying and I let him know it. It is so hard to organise no kid time to do stuff like this, I was soooo pissed off.

Then the sales rep announces that he needs to see us as there has been issues with the laundry and the levels. Ummm what's the problem I say - the laundry is about 2m off the ground!

So what ended up happening was that he came over again to show us the problems, and explained that the designer/architect when drawing the house used the levels that W had on their drawings, but when H did the levels they differed and there way of fixing the laundry off the ground issue was a set of steps to the backyard. Not ideal.

Then we started asking the sales rep about the whole design philosophy. Wow I know more about building than he does, either that or he's told not to say anything! I understand we have a difficult block - but our reason for going to H in the first place is because they building split level homes. They should have experience in this!!! Grrr. Basically it looks like they have taken natural ground level from the back of where the house would be, and built forward. It means we have a full split, and massive cut and soil removal. We tried to ask why this is the case, he couldn't answer. So off we went the next day to head office again, to sit with the designer/architect to do the design properly and to discuss levels/design better.

It seemed to me that they had a design that didn't really work, and instead of redesigning, they tried to come up with quick fix solutions.

They meeting was heated, but hopefully they understand we are not idiots and understand more than they think.

Also, looks like we will have half spilts, should suit the land better. You know, the fall over the building platform is about 3m. It is quite a bit, but isn't that why you have split level homes?

Will keep you posted. Hoping to have new sketches and a tender this week.

Had to share this picture with you - it reminds me why I'm on this journey (It is a couple of months old but who cares!) . We are coming up to 2 years since we sold the last place :(




Bel :)

Draft Plans - yippee!!!

What an exhausting day!!!

I love the plan, very different to what I thought though. I was under the impression they would create from scratch, but they ended up modifying/using the basis of the house we liked which is the design we liked in the first place!!!!

They have suggested a full split, not a half split between levels, meaning the downstairs is a full flight of stairs. We had thought we would have a trilevel - 2 story at the front and the back level in between if that makes sense. This HH think is the most cost effective way for our block, rather than the half split. Fair enough I say. I just wasn't prepared for that!!!

When we were there, we added the study/workshop/MPR/walk in linen/reconfigured the kids bedrooms. I didn't get softcopys of the plans, "E" drew the revisions in front of us.

So here they are!!! Really quite hard to see - I've added some text so you can make sense of them!! Can't wait for you all too see them. Let me know what you think - and any suggested changes.

I love the kitchen - hated the last one! I love the raked ceiling in the meals/living - hopefully will be that 'wow' factor.

It's exciting again.

Edit - Can't work out the photos - if you click on them they will open up so you can see them.
Edit again - trying to fix photos

Too many phone calls in one day.......

Yesterday was the phone call day from hell. Besides the huge amount of personal calls (!!! it is school holidays...) I had two phone calls that floored me, for different reasons.

The first was from Westminster Homes Michael Thurecht, General Mgr of the new home builds. Well that caught me out, my MIL and SIL and her troops had just arrived, my kids were screaming with excitement, and my mobile rings. It was a very interesting call, the cynic in me just says he is fishing around the "not yet signed a contract with Westminster, but has approved plans" people to see what business, if any, they will retain. I actually enjoyed talking to him, was very frank, and stayed calm (this is a biggie if you don't know me personally!). I told him we were shopping around, because at the end of the day, I just want a home built for my family. We talked about the administrators meeting, and some of the calls he has had, and I explained that you knew to expect that (don't cry poor me to me!). So I give him credit actually calling people, but he did want to gauge whether we were jumping ship.

The other call was late afternoon, I had just pulled into a girlfriends driveway - she needed to have wine with someone, while she fed her 3 kids, so thought we might as well do it together! My kids just jumped out of the car, while I was speaking with the sales rep "J" from Huxl3y homes. He wanted to advise that the first set of plans were ready, and E the architect/designer wanted to present them to us on Saturday if possible. Yes please. "J" said the plans look really great (well he isn't going to say you know - they look shit) but I did get very excited! So somehow on Saturday we need to get DS to 2 games of soccer locally, and get everyone to Homeworld at Kellyville by 12noon. Hmmm. Mum is still o/s with my sister, so Dad offered to help out with the kids but I'll see if a friend can take DS for the arvo. Then he will just have the twins, hopefully he can take them for a milkshake and a play in the park and we should be cool. Worst case he can just chuck them in the car and drive them around for an hour!!

Will keep you all posted!

Bel

Progress Update - Yes we have progress!!!!

Well I received an email this arvo from the Sales rep from Huxl3y homes saying that the draft plans are nearly ready and they'll be in contact very soon!! I'm pretty excited to see what they have come up with.

Oh, better tell you what has happened in the last few days to get to this point.......

Over the Easter break we decided that we would go ahead with the initial deposit and see what they came up with in terms of plans. We will receive floorplans, elevations, facade options etc. They also use CAD so I'm assuming that we will see a computer generated walk through. Better check. We had negotiated a lower deposit price that was a more suitable amount, so we thought we might as well bite the bullet and get something started again.

Will let you know how we go!!!

Options Options Options

Yes we have options!

Over the past few weeks we have been in discussions with several other volume builders. Some have been helpful, others not so.

We went to a meeting with the salesman and designer from Huxl3y homes yesterday. They have quite a few floorplans that are split level that suit our needs and budget. However, the designer on looking at the block, council restrictions and our needs, thinks doing a custom design should be the way to go. I've always been wary of this option. However after the last few weeks, I am a lot more open to it.

It see it this way now - we get a house designed for our block, for our needs, on a volume builders budget. Sounds better already! They showed us the price per sq meter charge sheet, so we can build a home similar in size to the previous one, but will have rooms that we dictate (ie goodbye formal dining - don't need it).

The designer also talked about block orientation, something that wasn't even looked at prior (to be fair to W, they were just trying to get a house on the block!).


Looks like we might have a home that is quite different to the 'standard' volume builders home. By that I mean split levels, some living areas substanially forward of the garage etc. The blue shows roughly the old footprint of the house on the land, and the red is what was discussed yesterday. Using the block better :).

Lets hope it works out! I'm getting a little bit excited again!

Starting again

Well we have started the process of looking for a new plan/builder. There have been a lot of positive reports that Westminster will trade out of trouble, I just can't trust them anymore. I almost feel like a betrayed lover.

I'm such an educated buyer of a home this time - in so many different ways. I understand our block and it's limitations, understand our Council and it's quirks (wall articulation etc), understand our budget meaning I can look at a base price and know if we can afford it.

So we are looking around for that house and builder. It's still going to be what can we build on our block in our budget that suits our needs. But we are another day closer to the dream.

B xxx

Frigging hell

Ok I'm allowed to say this as I've had the 48 hours from hell.

W3stm1nster Homes are having cash flow problems, and will know by the end of the week if they are to continue trading.

Arggghhh, I've spent hours crying over this - yes I'm an emotional person - I don't think this blog explains the full extent of what we have gone through in the past 18 months. It's basically been a waiting game, and we thought we had an end in sight.

So, what will we do.

I personally don't know how the Bank's extending the builder more credit will help with their problems. Isn't it robbing Peter to pay Paul??? Interesting enough on the ASIC website, someone in the company has either jumped ship, or joined. I'm guessing jumped ship to try and protect their assets before they go under.

Dave and I will look at all our options now.

Maybe because we are far more knowledgeable this time around, the process won't be so drawn out.

Hell at least this might be the catalyst to get rid of this terrible rental.

Oh, and themax - I might even get a builder that uses Dulux paints!!! (A bit of humour in a shit time doesn't hurt anyone)

Will keep you updated.

B x x

Edit - doesn't a few hours make a difference. They are officially under the control of an Administrator. Will post an update soon. Apprantely we will be receiving an email direct from the Adminstrator this afternoon. Off to check emails.