Pergola - stage 2

LATEST PROGRESS ON THE PERGOLA

• Roof sheets installed
• Timber battens started
• Blueboard rendered

Pergola - stage 1

Finished the main pergola structure

Gardens and water feature are coming together

Alfresco deck

Finished the deck!!! Spotted gum decking used to tie in with our floors inside

Next project .. pergola

Post moving update

Well we have officially been living in the house for the past 2 months !! It has gone so fast

There is a lot to report so here are a few pics of what we have been up to:

Front landscaping is well under way (a whole lot of turf and not much else). The letterbox, feature side fence/gate and porch deck have been completed. Gardens are yet to come

Light fittings went in over the Easter weekend (thanks Dad)

Dining

Kitchen ( note the missing pendant which came broken in the box so we are awaiting the replacement)

Stairs

Due to a delay in the manufacture/delivery of our carpet it wasn't installed until the week after we moved in which was a bit of a pain but we got a pretty good deal so didn't make too much of a fuss.

The blinds have been going in in stages. We only have the upstairs living rooms and unused bedrooms to go



The bulk of the work has been happening out the back. The most obvious addition is the pool which is getting very close to completion. Excavation, concrete shell, plumbing, electrics, waterline/coping tiles are finished.

The coping is 'light grey' granite and the waterline is done in 'anthracite' ceramic tile both from the Pool Tile Company in Newstead. The glass pool fences were installed this week we are still waiting for the aluminium fence at the end before the certifier can inspect and issue our safety certificate (fingers crossed we pass first go - I hear they are very strict) Then the pool guys will be able to come in and do the pebble crete so we can fill er up! and test out the equipment.

The big hole behind the pool (in front of the pool equipment) will eventually house a feature wall and water feature - this is still a fair way down my 'to do' list

All our boundary fences are in. I have also done some timber framing for the retaining wall against the rear boundary, a couple of planter boxes and some bench seating behind the pool area. These will eventually be clad in timber.

I had to wheel barrow 30 odd tonne of soil and road base in to get the levels right so that we could have the concrete slab poured where we will eventually have our timber alfresco deck and granite courtyard floor tiling. We will be able to make do with the raw concrete for a while as it has really helped reduce the dirt being walked inside. I also had the concretor install the stirrups for our future pergola adjoining the alfresco area.

Handover and flooring

Well it has been a very busy week since our handover last Monday. Its is a very nice feeling to have those keys in hand. Overall we are quite happy with the house a few little defects came out of the handover inspection but they should all be rectified by the end of this week.

Since handover I have had a solid week of laying our timber floors. I still have a bit to do but have taken care of the larger part of the work - Boral silkwood 'spotted gum' 100 m2 in total (note to self .... pay someone else to do it next time)

This is the week of the big move!!!

Handover eve

After a week of bank hassles (they wouldn't issue the check until the site clean was finished) we finally have a cheque in hand ready for handover 8am tomorrow morning!!!

We called out to the house yesterday to do our own final defects check but the painter was still in there working away so looks like we will have to do it on the run tomorrow. None the less it was still the nice to see the house without the rubbish pile and porta loo out the front.

Note the painter having a rest in the garage :-)

Close up of our driveway aggregate

While we were out there we ran into the neighbour who had officially moved in that morning. They have installed the Boral 'Spotted Gum' floors that we are having and they looked great so we are quite happy with our selection. It is going to be a massive week for me installing our floors downstairs, with 100 m2 to lay this might take me a while :-) good thing i have the week off work.

Bring on 8am tomorrow!! 

Driveway

Well we have a driveway !! Has been a bit touch and go with the weather but once again the builder has managed to come through with the goods.

Electrician has been and finished of his work, the window service has been completed and the flyscreens installed.

The final clean is booked for Friday in readiness for our 8am handover on Monday!!!  (subject to the bank getting their act together that is) Cant wait !!!

Driveway

Finishing touches

Getting close now!!!

Since my last post we have had the shower screen added to the ensuite, the stair wall repaired and timber capping added, the rendering and painting finished, plumbing finished, mirrors and kitchen splashback installed. Also thousands of minor defects have been rectified so most of the little dots have now gone.

Not much to go....  the electrician still has a bit to do, a few handles have to be added to the kitchen and the driveway has to go in. We are also still waiting on our whirly birds.

Cant wait to see it all clean next week!



The painters are getting ready to move out!



Timber part of stairs have been stained

Practical completion

Well this morning we received the date for practical completion!

So at this stage (depending on how quickly the bank can get things sorted) will will be finalising our account and getting the keys to our new home on 28th February (i.e. 2 weeks from Monday!!!)

Sooo much to do before then! Cant wait!!

Lights, sanitary hardware, shower screens and more

So the end  of this week has seen the following:

• sanitary hardware installation i.e. towel rails, toilet roll holders
• shower screen installed in main bathroom - we still don't have the frame less screen in the ensuite
• more electrical work with most of the lights points going in - we are not going to get PH to install our proper light fittings, we will do these later on
• more plumbing work including the connection of the rain water tank
• the gas meter and telstra box have been installed
• the gloss coat has been applied to the doors and trims
• tiles have been installed below the ant capping to the feature columns, they have also started grouting these - very happy with the dark grout and edges

They have also started on correcting the defects there are hundreds of little green and red dots around the place highlighting issues. I am very pleased with how thorough they have been.

Shower screen to bathroom

Powder room

Bathroom WC

 

Towel ladder to ensuite



Tiled feature columns

 

Lots of batten light fittings

 

The garage is first room to be cleaned properly - note the mountain of skirting I will have to put in once the timber floors are done downstairs



Rain water tank with warning stickers

 

Utility connections

This week we have also decided on our carpet and the company to do the installation.

Plumbing and electrical

A quick mid week update. Getting so close!!!

The plumbers and the electricians have been busy here are some pics.

HWS connected - hopefully they have enough pipes :-)

 Sanitary fixtures and taps have been installed !


Powder room



Bath installed



Shower in main bathroom (with rain shower)



Ensuite

Wardrobes and linen shelves and hanging rails have been installed. They will do for now but we will have to replace these with something a bit better later on.

Bed 1 WIR



Typical bedroom wardrobe


Switches and power points have been installed. We don't have lights yet but they must be on the way as the electrician asked me some questions about them early this week.

Looking toward stairs



Clipsal 'saturn' light switches

The site has also been tidied up so the mountain of soil that was in the backyard is no more!


Cleared backyard


They have started to stain the front door. Quite happy with how it is looking.

Door is a bit hard to see behind the garbage pipe

AK ran in to the new neighbours before I arrived today and they were given their handover date 2 weeks ago (they only have another 10 days to wait - so lucky). I might start putting the pressure on Plantation to see if we can get our handover date as well.