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Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA
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Author:  mrsdoe [ Oct 04, 2016 3:03 am ]
Post subject:  Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

After lurking for awhile I thought it was time to start my own thread and share our second building experience!

First time around we built with Affordable Living and found the whole process pretty average, they weren't keen to have owners involved and took next to no responsibility for quality. We sold up after six years to move from SOR near Mr Doe's family and build a larger house NOR closer to my family. This time around we're building with Express Two Storey, Ventura Group's newest offshoot specialising in double storey builds. We've just been through pre-start and are finalising our upgrade selections while our mortgage broker deals with the bank to add some structural changes to our mortgage which Express let us add at pre-start rather than having another meeting beforehand. So far they've been very accommodating and we got some great inclusions because we signed up before they officially started advertising plus all the staff we've dealt with have been very helpful and happy for us to be on-site meeting trades and being involved when the time comes which is a great change from our first build already.

Our first house was a 3x2 on 561m2 and we are not gardeners so this time around we are building 4x2 + study on a 379m2 block with the aim of having as little yard maintenance as possible. This makes us very happy! :D

This is our block 12.62m frontage x 30m depth plus nice and flat so site works are minimal:



Edit -- Final draft of house plans:




Author:  mrsdoe [ Oct 04, 2016 3:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

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External Selections (colours from the 15m frontage Tranquility display)
Bricks - BrikMakers Shale
Roof - Colorbond Surfmist
Gutters, fascia and cladding - Wallaby
Texture coat - Storm Front
Front door - Corinthian Infinity INF4G painted in Surfmist
Garage door - Centurion Settler profile in Surfmist
Window/door frames - Crisp White
Pavers - Vistapave Granite in Arctic

Author:  mrsdoe [ Oct 04, 2016 3:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

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Kitchen Selections
Cabinets - Laminex ColourTech painted cabinetry in shaker profile, upper/lower wall cabinets in Polar White and island bench in Tornado
Benchtop - Essastone in Crystallite (looks more white in person, photo looks very grey)
Splashback - 300mm x 100mm white gloss subway tile with grey grout
Cabinet handles - Kethy knobs and drawer pulls
Tapware - Bastow Georgian mixer

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Wet Area Selections
Cabinets - Laminex Polar White
Benchtops - Essastone in Crystallite to ensuite/bathroom and Laminex Basalt to laundry
Floor, skirting and wall tiles to all wet areas - 300x300mm Belga Grey with matching grout for a seamless look off the floor and up the shower walls like in the ensuite inspo photo
Laundry, bathtub, ensuite and bathroom splashbacks - 400mm x 200mm matte Creta White



Flooring - Silver oak laminate to main floor
Carpet - Quest Rushcutter in Starlight (upgraded) to theatre, bedrooms and stairs on gold underlay (standard)
Skirting boards - 67mm WA Federation to master bedroom and main living area, study and hallways
Blinds - White timber venetians to bedrooms and theatre

Author:  ms_prez [ Oct 04, 2016 2:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

Hi MrsDoe, your colour choices are beautiful. Can I ask what program you used to create your mood boards, been searching for something like this for our build.
Looking forward to following your progress. ::

Author:  mrsdoe [ Oct 04, 2016 2:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

ms_prez ms_prez
Hi MrsDoe, your colour choices are beautiful. Can I ask what program you used to create your mood boards, been searching for something like this for our build.
Looking forward to following your progress. ::


Thanks ms_prez :) your plans look great, nice big house!

I used the Morpholio app on iPhone, really easy to use and great to visualise how everything I've chosen will hopefully come together

Author:  ms_prez [ Oct 04, 2016 2:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

Thanks for the info. Definitely will be downloading it.



Author:  tdk14 [ Oct 04, 2016 6:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

Love those choices! I've chosen almost identical with the Belga Grey, Creta white, polar white, Basalt and similarly white Pure Cloud essastone :)

Author:  mrsdoe [ Oct 04, 2016 11:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

tdk14 tdk14
Love those choices! I've chosen almost identical with the Belga Grey, Creta white, polar white, Basalt and similarly white Pure Cloud essastone :)


Thanks tdk14 :) I originally wanted Caesarstone in Calacatta Nuvo which is a white with grey veining to mimic marble but it was a $6,100 upgrade cost above our builders standard Essastone range so we stuck with the standard Cystallite since we've got so much grey through the house the dirty greyish white colour of it doesn't bother me since it won't look out of place and it was a good cost saving for us but the nice clean Pure Cloud will look great in your place. Do you have a thread I can follow?

Author:  emzz [ Oct 05, 2016 12:59 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

Wow love your plan and selections! Can't wait to see this come to life



Author:  mrsdoe [ Oct 05, 2016 2:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

emzz emzz
Wow love your plan and selections! Can't wait to see this come to life




Thanks emzz, I'm dying to get our final plans back and settlement to go through so the build can get started!

Author:  tdk14 [ Oct 05, 2016 9:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

mrsdoe mrsdoe
tdk14 tdk14
Love those choices! I've chosen almost identical with the Belga Grey, Creta white, polar white, Basalt and similarly white Pure Cloud essastone :)


Thanks tdk14 :) I originally wanted Caesarstone in Calacatta Nuvo which is a white with grey veining to mimic marble but it was a $6,100 upgrade cost above our builders standard Essastone range so we stuck with the standard Cystallite since we've got so much grey through the house the dirty greyish white colour of it doesn't bother me since it won't look out of place and it was a good cost saving for us but the nice clean Pure Cloud will look great in your place. Do you have a thread I can follow?

Wow $6k! That was the cost of adding another room to our house! I dont have a thread just yet as I'm still in very early stages, but keep your eyes peeled ;p

Good luck and looking forward to following your build! :)

Author:  emzz [ Oct 05, 2016 3:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

mrsdoe mrsdoe
emzz emzz
Wow love your plan and selections! Can't wait to see this come to life




Thanks emzz, I'm dying to get our final plans back and settlement to go through so the build can get started!


This was the worse stage of the whole build waiting for everything to be settled and approved!

Hopefully it goes nice a fast for you!



Author:  mrsdoe [ Oct 05, 2016 10:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

While little Miss 4 was home unwell today and sleeping I spent most of the day emailing back and forward with our builder and and have finalised all our selections so we've been sent off to drafting this afternoon :D

Our final list of additions ended up being:

Structural Changes
- 5m x 1.2m attic storage space behind master bedroom WIR
- Store space with solidcor door at rear of garage
- Increase windows of bedrooms 2-4 from 16c to 25c height

Electical Changes
19x additional double GPO's
1x externally rated GPO to alfresco
5x additional light points
15x conduits with wall boxes (Mr Doe is an electrician and will be installing network cabling to all rooms, CCTV and intercom after handover)

Pre-Start Changes
- Ceiling height tiling to ensuite shower recess
- 500mm x 300mm tiled shower recess to ensuite shower
- Glass shelf to downstairs shower
- Semi-frameless shower screens to both bathrooms
- Upgraged shower heads to both bathrooms
- Bermuda (concealed tiled) floor wastes to both bathrooms
- Extra tiling labour for laying floor tiles as wall tiles in showers, mitred edges throughout home and laying kitchen subway tile brick bond
- Plumbing to fridge recess
- Downlights in kitchen overhead cabinets
- Laminex ColourTech painted cabinetry to kitchen in shaker profile
- Extra benchtop and tiling to laundry
- WA Federation skirtings to master bedroom, main living area and hallways
- Delete aluminium venetians to whole house and use 50mm Duragrain venetians to bedrooms and theatre
- Upgraded carpets to theatre, all bedrooms and stairs
- Upgraded front door and internal door handles

Author:  mrsdoe [ Oct 14, 2016 4:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

Unconditional finance approval received :D

Author:  nicjam [ Oct 14, 2016 6:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

Congrats on the unconditional approval!

We're through Ventura as well, just waiting on pre-start. Lots of fun and games trying to lock down colours etc...

Do you mind me asking the costs quoted for additional power points and conduits with wall boxes? I'm wanting to run network cables as well and not sure if it will be cheaper to get a sparky to do it after the build or not?

Author:  ms_prez [ Oct 14, 2016 7:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

Woohoo, that fantastic Mrsdoe.


Author:  mrsdoe [ Oct 15, 2016 7:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

nicjam nicjam
Congrats on the unconditional approval!

We're through Ventura as well, just waiting on pre-start. Lots of fun and games trying to lock down colours etc...

Do you mind me asking the costs quoted for additional power points and conduits with wall boxes? I'm wanting to run network cables as well and not sure if it will be cheaper to get a sparky to do it after the build or not?


Thanks nicjam, trying to choose everything is a huge job! Good luck at pre-start :)

We were charged $73 per conduit with wallbox and $51 per double GPO.

Author:  nicjam [ Oct 23, 2016 1:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

mrsdoe mrsdoe
Thanks nicjam, trying to choose everything is a huge job! Good luck at pre-start :)

We were charged $73 per conduit with wallbox and $51 per double GPO.


Thanks mrsdoe, good to know. Will be interesting to see if we are quoted the same.

Author:  Lchorro [ Dec 09, 2016 1:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

Hi MrsDoe,

Great to see someone else building with Express Two Storey...we are too!!
How is the build coming along? We have just sold our house Hocking and now building in Eden Beach (jindalee) :z:

We have just done our prestart.. exciting but so nervous at what the bill will come in at ::study::
Looking forward to hearing about your journey

Author:  mrsdoe [ Dec 10, 2016 12:14 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Express Two Storey (Ventura Group) build in Hocking, WA

Lchorro Lchorro
Hi MrsDoe,

Great to see someone else building with Express Two Storey...we are too!!
How is the build coming along? We have just sold our house Hocking and now building in Eden Beach (jindalee) :z:

We have just done our prestart.. exciting but so nervous at what the bill will come in at ::study::
Looking forward to hearing about your journey


Our earthworks were supposed to start today (we're going to take a look tomorrow!) and slab due to go down late this coming week. Very excited!

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