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This is our first build (and thread), so slightly excited / nervous about the whole thing... Anyway, thought we'd give it a go..
We're building with RedInk, in Lake Coogee Estate. Bought our block almost a year ago now, but had some hiccups along the way (Hubby lost his job, we got married, had a baby... You know, the usual) But now we're finally back on track...
This is our plan ATM. Our block is an usual shape, with a 10m frontage, 31m straight right side, 31m back, then a left side that shoots out like a triangle... Awkward. Thankfully the guys at RedInk were great and helped us maximize the block's potential...
So yeah, hopefully I'll be able to keep updating with plenty of pics and positive experiences... Let me know what you guys think..
Post subject: Re: First Build - Lake Coogee - RedInk
Posted: Dec 09, 2011 4:32 pm
Loyal Member
Joined: 26 Sep 2010 Posts: 53
The plan looks good! Can't think of what else could be changed! Are your plans in council yet? I need to start my thread too.. maybe you can post your selection of tiles etc when you get a chance? It's always fun to exchange design ideas!!
_________________ July 2011 Signed up with Redink Sep 2011 Titles for Land Dec 2011 Plans approved by council 30 Jan 2012 SLABBED!
Post subject: Re: First Build - Lake Coogee - RedInk
Posted: Dec 09, 2011 5:59 pm
Junior Member
Joined: 28 Nov 2011 Posts: 26
Thanks Geste!
Our initial plans had been submitted and approved before we got to PreStart, so now RedInk are just waiting for us to sign off on the changes we've selected before submitting an amendment to the plans. We're not in a great rush tho.
Im currently searching Ebay from top to bottom for all my tapware fittings. Have worked out we'll save about $3K by purchasing them ourselves, so I think its worth the time (I hope...)
I'll post up the photos of our tile selections, along with the tapware Im thinking of... Opinions and views are very much welcome!!
Where abouts are you building? Is this your first time also?
Post subject: Re: First Build - Lake Coogee - RedInk
Posted: Dec 12, 2011 2:40 pm
Loyal Member
Joined: 26 Sep 2010 Posts: 53
Hey FT...
Yeah, we are first timers too.. building in Cockburn. You've got a nice size block there! How much backyard do you have left. It looks like the sides (with the slat edge) isn't very accessible or is that because you haven't placed the house to scale. We haven't got much as we've got a 550 block and we have maxed out the permitted living space! Anyway, on a seperate note.. I chanced upon a house building in Baldivis.. saw the way the conduits were cut out for the room lightings... was not impressed. It was all curved/irregular . Should have taken a picture... maybe I will tonight and post it on the forum to get some feedback.
_________________ July 2011 Signed up with Redink Sep 2011 Titles for Land Dec 2011 Plans approved by council 30 Jan 2012 SLABBED!
Post subject: Re: First Build - Lake Coogee - RedInk
Posted: Dec 12, 2011 3:06 pm
Gold Member
Joined: 05 Sep 2011 Posts: 718 Location: Baldivis
Where abouts will you put your washing line? It is hard to see if you would be able to walk between the house and the fence to where there is a solid wall to put the line on, or will you have it free standing in the front of it? House plan looks great! What are you having for your flooring in the living areas, rest of house? Love your essa stone and feature tiles...they will look stunning with the choices you have made!
_________________ Building The Samui with DA Homes in Baldivis Building Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=50924
Post subject: Re: First Build - Lake Coogee - RedInk
Posted: Dec 12, 2011 6:25 pm
Junior Member
Joined: 28 Nov 2011 Posts: 26
Thanks Tink, CC & Vans!! We're pretty happy with the way it all finished up. Took many a late night emailing back and forth with our sales rep to get it all in without losing too much backyard space.
The house is actually set back 1m from the fence line on that angled side, so is still accessible. Just my photo that makes it look ridiculously close. Putting the washing line in that small triangular shaped area leading out from the laundry. Its actually 3m from the fence to ensuite wall, and approx 4m from laundry door to fence. (Fingers crossed enough room for a free standing line) The rest of the house is having carpet in bedrooms, theatre and study, and we're laying 600x600 polished porcelain tiles in the main living area and hallways.
Post subject: Re: First Build - Lake Coogee - RedInk
Posted: Dec 12, 2011 6:34 pm
Junior Member
Joined: 28 Nov 2011 Posts: 26
Hey Geste,
Our block is 624m2.. We needed/wanted the biggest block available as we have two little ones who need their running space. We live right next to a park ATM, so the thought of moving into a place with no backyard was slightly terrifying! My kids need to be free... All sides are accessibile, its just my photo that makes it looks too close.
Was it a RedInk build you saw in Baldivis?? Im not a full bottle on the electric side of things, so you'll have to excuse my stupidity here, but are you talking about where they would put the face plate / light switch plate? I'll have to check your picture out if you post one...
Post subject: Re: First Build - Lake Coogee - RedInk
Posted: Dec 12, 2011 6:42 pm
Junior Member
Joined: 28 Nov 2011 Posts: 26
Oh, and our back fence is 6m from the house, and 30m wide... The wall of bedrooms 2 & 3 are 6m from the fence, so Hubby wants to use that area for his shed. The right (straight) side has a width of 2.5m from the fence to house, and is 12.5m from garage to alfresco. Hubby is a mechanic, so thats going to be his new car park for all the cars he's collected over the years... (Much to my delight)
Post subject: Re: First Build - Lake Coogee - RedInk
Posted: Dec 13, 2011 4:32 pm
Loyal Member
Joined: 26 Sep 2010 Posts: 53
Hey FT,
wow, that's heaps of space 6x30m to run around...
I think we've picked the same ensuite floor tiles (the black ones)...
I read you managed to cut down the added cost from $46K to $20+?? That's an achievement! Did you take out all the tiling work?
No I haven't started my thread yet .. and will do so when the building starts I think! It looks like my slab down will be around end Jan at the rate things are going! No confirm dates yet tho.
BTW, how do I post a picture? It was raining too heavily yesterday.. didn't bother to drop by that house to take a picture of the electrics. Yes, it is a Redink build in Baldivis. I was talking about the part where the wiring is placed through the wall from the roof to reach the switches. In order to hide the wiring, they have to cut into the wall/brick.. I think that's what they call a conduit? It was terribly done! But I have nothing to compare it to.. so I'm not sure if that's just industry standard?
Will try to post it tomorrow.
_________________ July 2011 Signed up with Redink Sep 2011 Titles for Land Dec 2011 Plans approved by council 30 Jan 2012 SLABBED!
Post subject: Re: First Build - Lake Coogee - RedInk
Posted: Dec 13, 2011 9:16 pm
Gold Member
Joined: 22 Jul 2010 Posts: 1179
no - conduit is when you have requested them to put electrice wire in a sort of tube. otherwise they just cut the bricks, put wire there and do plastering on top of that. For conduit, they cut the bricks, put tube there and then do plastering on top of that. you can ask for blank conduits at prestart so that they can be used to have foxtel or internet wire etc later on.
Post subject: Re: First Build - Lake Coogee - RedInk
Posted: Dec 14, 2011 11:23 am
Loyal Member
Joined: 26 Sep 2010 Posts: 53
Hi CC.. yeah I saw the conduits(with the plastic)... they were ok. Still crude looking though. I guess I was expecting the areas where the bricks were cut into to be straight .. it was really jagged and curvy in some areas. Anyway, had a look around other builder's finish product with electrics and it seems they are all the same. I guess that's the standard to expect then.
_________________ July 2011 Signed up with Redink Sep 2011 Titles for Land Dec 2011 Plans approved by council 30 Jan 2012 SLABBED!
Post subject: Re: First Build - Lake Coogee - RedInk
Posted: Dec 14, 2011 12:32 pm
Junior Member
Joined: 28 Nov 2011 Posts: 26
Heya Geste,
Geste wrote:
I think we've picked the same ensuite floor tiles (the black ones)...
(Black, Rustic Rectified, 300x300??) I love them!! I wanted to keep a very "stoney" look to the bathrooms, hence the stone listello... Couldnt have shiny tiles in there, would of looked out of place. Our wall tiless arent polished either. Again, wanted to keep a very "natural" look I guess??
Geste wrote:
I read you managed to cut down the added cost from $46K to $20+?? That's an achievement! Did you take out all the tiling work?
We actually kept the tiling. $5K wasn't too bad of a price for what we got done, and I dont think we'd save a whole lot of money subbing it out. (Well not enough for all the hastle of calling around, making sure the tiler could fit into RedInk's schedule.. Buying all the tiles ourselves etc etc) We did get rid of Sisaltion, Stacker Door, Soakwells - Which was $13K just there!! I also got rid of all the small upgrades like toilet roll holder etc etc.. We can do all these later if we really wanted to. I also decided to supply all my own tapware. And thats saving us about $5K.
Geste wrote:
BTW, how do I post a picture?
I use Photobucket.com for my photos. You need to sign up for an account with them (free), upload your pictures to that account, then use the [IMG] code it gives you (copy and paste into here)... Pretty simple once you get the hang of it.
Geste wrote:
I guess I was expecting the areas where the bricks were cut into to be straight .. it was really jagged and curvy in some areas. Anyway, had a look around other builder's finish product with electrics and it seems they are all the same. I guess that's the standard to expect then..
Hmm.. Guess maybe its hard to do a straight cut on an already laid brick?? As long as it doesnt impact on how the finished plaster looks, Im sure it'll be ok. Especially if most builders are on the same par??
Post subject: Re: First Build - Lake Coogee - RedInk
Posted: Dec 16, 2011 5:45 pm
Loyal Member
Joined: 26 Sep 2010 Posts: 53
Hey FT... I was shocked by the 40K we've spent so far.. but it was just so difficult to cut things out .. I have yet to add in the hardwood flooring, carpets, window treatment, additional electrics and landscaping.. I'm sure they'll all add up easily to another $50K. Sigh...
_________________ July 2011 Signed up with Redink Sep 2011 Titles for Land Dec 2011 Plans approved by council 30 Jan 2012 SLABBED!
Post subject: Re: First Build - Lake Coogee - RedInk
Posted: Dec 19, 2011 5:21 pm
Junior Member
Joined: 28 Nov 2011 Posts: 26
It definitely all adds up in the end!
We also have the additional cost of flooring (tiles and carpets), window treatments, interior painting and the backyard to somehow try and budget for...
Are you doing all of these things privately after handover?
I think Hubby is going to be one busy beaver on his 1 week home...
Post subject: Re: First Build - Lake Coogee - RedInk
Posted: Dec 19, 2011 5:59 pm
Silver Member
Joined: 25 Oct 2011 Posts: 291
hi first timer. we are also building with RI. weve already 'spent' 23k on changes and we havent even been to prestart
we will also be doing the floor covering, window treatments and painting after handover. [luckily we have a friend who is a painter and a relly that is a tiler.]
Post subject: Re: First Build - Lake Coogee - RedInk
Posted: Dec 22, 2011 9:43 pm
Junior Member
Joined: 28 Nov 2011 Posts: 26
GardenofNeedn-58 wrote:
hi first timer. we are also building with RI. weve already 'spent' 23k on changes and we havent even been to prestart
we will also be doing the floor covering, window treatments and painting after handover. [luckily we have a friend who is a painter and a relly that is a tiler.]
have been enjoying following yr thread too.
Hey GoN! Yes, the "little" costs all eventually add up, dont they??
We are lucky in the sense that we're living rent free at the moment, so even when the house is complete, we can still take our time to get everything finished before moving in... Much rather paint etc when there are no floor coverings or furniture to worry about!
Now that we've entered the silly season wont have much to update the thread with, but fingers crossed come 2012 everything will be full steam ahead!! (I hope)