Hi all,
I hope you will find our build thread interesting and helpful. I have been stalking the forums for the past few months whilst we have been planning and planning and planning our first home and building new! Whilst I have not made comments or otherwise on any of your blogs yet, I have been grateful for all the stories, dramas, tips, and shares in helping us understand some of the ins and outs of home building.
But it has all begun now. We have broken ground - lets call today B+2 -. And as the title implies, we are looking to have the house finished before our second child is born (and at least that is what one of us will be praying for!). We are building in Stanthorpe, which is probably a different location to most of the houses have been built on H1. This perhaps will give some people a different perspective on house builds in a regional/rural area.
We have linked up with local guys, Dixon Homes New England (DHNE), who are franchisees of Dixon Homes. The team there have been great so far, with hardly a major hiccup to date. Being first home builders, I think we have given this whole experience so far a lot of benefit of the doubt but we have not run into any major issues with the process so far. There are few local builders but we are hoping DHNE will come through with an awesome build!
Let us hope that the building part will be just as pleasant and great as the service in the preparation and contract phase has been!
TIMELINE and DATES:
01/07/2016 - began to look in earnest for our first block of land!!
at the same time, began to look at house designs that would fit our needs (more details on this in subsequent posts!) We have a big house in mind so needed to find land that would fit... that was a bit of a struggle in our area!
30/09/2016 - BABY day! (the day we found out we were having another baby!) and at the same time, it got real... need to find a new place to live pronto!
07/10/2016 - offer placed on a 1/4 acre plot with some dream features - in a cul de sac, near the creek but elevated from flood level, town views, and two kids playgrounds nearby
11/10/2016 - offer accepted and contract stage for land with real estate
16/10/2016 - first modified home design plans visualised within the block!
19/10/2016 - home loan application submitted! eek!
27/10/2016 - conditional approval
25/11/2016 - unconditional approval!!
05/12/2016 - finalised quote and contract stage for house with builders
20/12/2016 - after some delays with land settlement due to financing and conveyancing delays, land finally settled!!
20/12/2016 - and on the same day, DA submitted!!
22/12/2016 - Christmas lockdown..
03/01/2017 - council reopens!
16/01/2017 - DA approval!!
27/01/2017 - authority to commence construction issued by bank!! and the anxious wait for ground breaking begins!
09/02/2017 - ground breaking!! (B-Day)::party::
HEATWAVE HALTS WORK! Stay safe and hydrated people!
STAGE 1: RETAINING WALL
16/02/2017 - council connects water meter and sewerage
18/02/2017 - family GC trip - and feature tile quest!
28/02/2016 - retaining wall started!
03/03/2016 - retaining wall finished!
STAGE 2: FILL
14/03/2017 - started Day 1 of fill? (we only saw the fill being put down over weekend)
RAIN RAIN RAIN!!
17/03/2017 - Day 2 of fill?
MORE RAIN RAIN RAIN!!
29/03/2017 - Day3-4-5 FILL DONE!?
LONG DELAY FROM CYCLONE WEATHER
causing wet ground on site
10/04/2017 - finished FILL...
STAGE 3: SLAB
12/04/2017 - started foundation work!
19/04/2017 - piers and footings done
EASTER BREAK IN BETWEEN
AND ANZAC DAY...
27/04/2017 - SLAB DONE!!
STAGE 4: FRAMING
03/05/2017 - frames delivered
04/05/2017 - work started!
10/05/2017 - WALL FRAMES DONE
11/05/2017 - TRUSSES STARTED
12/05/2017 - NEARLY DONE...
16/05/2017 - roofing steel delivered!
19/05/2017 - DONE
STAGE 5: ROOFING
23/05/2017 - started!
26/05/2016 - waterproofed roof! Essentially done except a few gutters missing.
STAGE 6: ROUGH-IN
30/05/2017 - wrapping started and done! BABY VICTORIA BORN!!
01/06/2017 - windows sited!
03/06/2017 - BRICKS CAUGHT ON SITE!!
05/06/2017 - plumbing started, BABY AND MUM HOME!!
07/06/2017 - electrical appointment done today, some more roofing being done today, possibly tubs installed today??
09/06/2017 - bathtubs INSTALLED! AIR CON TUBING INSTALLED! PLUMBING essentially DONE!
12/06/2017 - ELECTRICALS DONE!! (was done over the week, with touches here and there)
STAGE 7: BRICKING
14/06/2017 - STARTED!!
14/06/2017 - GYPROCK started!!
17/06/2017 - progress check and walk-around, all looking good!
26/06/2017 - HALF-WAY WITH BRICKING and PLASTERING!!
10/07/2017 - nearly done bricking and plastering. A few cornices left and the window bricks left
STAGE 8: INTERNALS & FIT-OUTS
7/7/2017 - doors delivered!
10/07/2017 - front door up! Some electrical being done too. Internal doors and frames started!
20/07/2017 - garage doors up, kitchen and sewing benches in!!
24/07/2017 - waterproofing done!!
STAGE 9: TILING & PAINTING
26/07/2017 - TILERS ON SITE!
04/08/2017 - TILERS finished WET AREAS and MOST OF KITCHEN (just the pantry to be done)
07/08/2017 - PAINTERS started
15/08/2017 - PAINTERS finished!
31/08/2017 - checked the house today, Electrical fit out all done except for pendants, kitchen pieces installed, showers mostly installed, wardrobe doors in, waiting on flooring...
05/09/2017 - Floors starting! fly screens in.
08/09/2017 - FLOORS DONE
15/09/2017 - DOORS FINISHED
16/09/2017 - 20/09/2017 As there was no action we cleaned up all the tradie rubbish around the lot.
21/09/2017 - Topsoil mound redistributed and front driveway started with form work
22/09/2017 solar panel system installed
26/09/2017 alfresco concreted
27/09/2017 driveway and front portico done!
1st week October - had new fridge and new washer delivered, AC system installed! More topsoil pushed around. And it rained!!
2/11/2017 - FENCE IS FINALLY GOING UP!!
9/11/2017 - FENCE DONE.. letterbox and clothesline are done!
INSPECTIONS
9/11/2017 - Plumbing inspection done
10/11/2017 - Council inspection done
13/11/2017 - pre handover walk-through
15/11/2017 - Valuer inspection
16/11/2017 HANDOVER!!
Thank you for following our journey!