Fairmont Homes - Northridge Estate SA

Hi PBN,

Glad to hear from you PBN. Thank you so much for the information.

We have included all the things except storm water, paving, landscaping, floor covering. Now need to get from other vendors for this. Before that we need to concentrate on material selections. How you guys go with material selection? How much price would be extra if we go for material rather than standard?

Regards,

Hi Rajan

As per PBNs post it will mean that your footings will have to go deeper and hence may cost more. I believe if your footings cost is fixed then you should be ok as mine was fixed and I didn’t get charged anything extra for my footings. I was told the only time we would be charged extra was if they dug into for the trenches and there were large boulders to be removed or other items.
I’m with you on the lengthy process. As soon as you receive your job number for your build I would call and book ur selections in as that was a 4 week wait for us to be able to get both appointments on the one day.
I just received an email with my 6 start rating approved so have booked fbi for next friday! Once that is done I will have to sort out the bank which I had already prepared most of the stuff for. Hopefully that process is quick for me as I have been really organised in getting that side of things ready.
After land settlement it took 6 weeks before anything happened again. I was starting to lose hope lol but one day we received a letter then it kept coming
All good ask as many questions as needed! I am new to all this too so can only tell you based on what I know so far

Welcome back PBN! I was wondering how everything was coming along as I noticed 3 houses between your land and ours had their foundation done!
27k! I wish I had that budget for my selections but we went with what we couldn’t change later and left a few things to do later on when we have money ourselves.. we felt so overwhelmed at selections and it was so tiring! But it’s done and dusted now time to think bricks and roof colour and garages etc
Final interview next week for us!

Hi Both,

You guys are awsome!!!!

Hi Rajan,

We were pretty anxious before the selections as it'll be our first home. We visited the showrooms multiple times before our selections to minimize taking last minute compulsive decisions. Try to negotiate with your consultant about snagging bathroom/kitchen & free aircon bonus. For the selections, it really depends on your preferences and budget. I would recommended upgrading things that will add value to your house in the long term and things which will cost more if you do it yourself at a later stage like extra TV points, power points, Gas point in the alfresco area, water provision in the fridge panel., extra data points. As for value added additions, we went for an upgraded front door, internal/external insulation, lots of storage space, fan provisioning in each room, and stone benchtop in kitchen, both vanities, & laundry. We also upgraded the standard sink to a large double under mount sink.

Hi tina,

Thanks, it's good to be back. Yea, how quick is everything moving for everyone else ,except us. It's a lot of money but I consider it well spent, hopefully. How did your selections go?? Our's at Pickard went fairly quick although we did went back and changed the sink at a later stage as we opted for a stone bench during our kitchen selection. Supreme kitchen selection went on for 2 days, which was great as we exactly got what we wanted out of the kitchen.
Just a suggestion, kindly prepare your electrical plan beforehand as you will most likely have to do it during your final builder's interview. It's kinda strange as I was reading some older Fairmont build threads and they all had a separate electrical appointment. Also they may say that you cannot make any changes after your final interview, but you can as long as they are just cosmetic changes. We made a couple of changes in relations to window and fascia colors and they agreed with no fuss.

Have you chosen your facade colors? We chose the following:
Roof/Gutters: Gully
Fascia: Dune
Window Frame: Black
Bricks: Grampian Blue (Throughout, no render)
Mortar: Charcoal

We ended up spending 2.5 hours at pickards and 3 hours at supreme.. then I emailed them and made some changes the next day haha it’s so overwhelming cause you have to picture everything together and you don’t really know til it’s done! The stone bench was out of our budget so we are going to change that ourselves down the track 😔 was very sad about that but our build was already so expensive so I had to make a few sacrifices! In saying that we did include lots and lots of storage cause that’s really important and we upgraded our sink to the bigger one as well and our front door too

Going to work on our electric plans this wkend and send it off to Fairmont.. we already did a rough sketch of what we wanted in each room it’s just finalising it and sending it off and you are right they did use to have appointments with engineers for the plans but seems that process has changed! Kinda sucks cause we aren’t electricians or engineers so we are just putting things where we want them and not knowing if it’s right!

I am still so undecided with my facade! Have been looking but it’s hard once again to picture everything.. I tried using that tool on the Fairmont website but the colours aren’t true to what they really are so we were thinking of going for a walk through lightsview to have a look at other houses for inspiration!

How much did you have to pay to upgrade the mortar to charcoal? I saw the Grampian blue bricks they look good!

Hi Guys!!

I am already nervous about the selection. You guys did a great job. Can we go at supreme kitchen and pickards before Fairmont tell us to go?

Footing cost inclusive soil removal: 25500 Fixed price for us.

Thank you for the information guys.

Regards

Hi Rajan,

You can go to Pickards and Supreme Kitchens as many times as you like before your actual selections appointment. We did this as well and it really helped us on the day as we knew what we were getting ourselves into and had a fair idea of what we wanted and what we did not want

I would encourage you to do this cause it is extremely overwhelming with the choices and knowing what you have to play with will help! The people there are nice and must get it alot just let them know that you are building with Fairmont and want to have a look and they will show you what range you can look at.

I also went to PGH and Austral Bricks (in Golden Grove) to have a look at their brick colours too. These choices are made at the final builder interview so you can go there last

If you have a budget to work with, my recommendation would be to consider what you can "do yourself" and change after you move in and what would be "too hard to do" and go with those upgrades. Keep in mind that you also need to incorporate additional costs at your FBI including termite treatment, additional power outlets (including outdoor waterproof outlets), additional TV points, additional light points etc. If you want to know the costs for any of these let me know and I can let you know.

Hope that helps!

Thanks,
Tina

FYI rajan674 and pbn84 if you want to track your council application and approval process you can click here to look it up

Don't search for Yutika Drive Enfield though. I had to search for Grand Junction Road Enfield and then sort by applicant name so that all the Fairmont ones were together to find our application. It then had Lot ## Yutika Dr next to it

rajan674 your one probably isn't on here yet if you haven't settled the land yet but once everything gets started you will be able to find your application details for council approval here

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the information again. I will go there by weekends. I think it is builders responsibility to do termite treatment. Termite treatment is included in our quotation form. Please ask with your consultant. Please forward me the additional cost Tina, Hopefully, the below article is useful for you guys as well.

I found these list from homeone , have you guys seen it?
This was mad by steely Dan , very very handy, I don't even know lots of this stuff :

Site works and administration:
• Keep diary of all dates once construction starts and all notes of conversations, emails, costs etc with builder in case something needs to be discussed and clarified
• Don’t get builder to do everything just what can’t be completed post build. Save 30% mark-up on items like carpets, floor tiles, wardrobe shelving, paving, painting, fireplaces etc
• Ask for excess sand to be removed from site if not required
• Shop around and compare inclusions between builders, if you want something that isn’t offered by one you may be able to get it included or at least find out the price difference
• Visit builders selection rooms before signing contract to find out what is included and how much it costs
• Ask council/builder for refund of kerb/path damage bond if it has been paid
• Apply for stamp duty refund if built within guidelines and timeframe
• Check you haven’t paid land tax on improved land
• Ask bank how much they value your property once completed
• Find out land value from the Valuer General
• Check builder doesn’t bury any rubbish on site
• Obtain all warranties, instruction manuals, serial numbers for all products installed in the house from the builder
• Ensure copies of your plans and personal details are not dumped into skip
• Make sure contract reflects that the start date is the date that work commences onsite and not the later date after provision of evidence of funding.
• Check that contract only allows for rainy days being claimed before roofing is installed and only if there has been more than 5mm of rain.
• Make sure you know the fall/slope of your land, the flatter your lot the less site costs you’ll incur, most site costs go to cut and fill as well as building retaining walls. Most volume builders won’t build on sites with a fall greater than 3 metres.
• Check the orientation of your block, if the front is north facing then ideally your living areas should be in the front of the house with the bedrooms on the cooler east side, if the rear is north facing, best location for living area is at the back.

House:
• Install frames on open doorways in case you want to install doors later
• If you can’t afford to install a door in certain areas and rooms, install a fastwall lintel so it’s easier and cheaper to install later
• Do any doors come with security locks?
• Ask what locks are keyed-alike so you don’t end up with multiple keys to lock up doors
• Are door stops included and installed?
• Consider installing a secure internal door from garage into house instead of lightweight non lockable standard door
• Consider rebating external stacker/sliding doors so that the door sill is flush with the concrete slab and there is no ledge
• Check what type of timber the external doors are made of, as cheap timber will warp after being exposed to elements after 12 months, consider using fibreglass external doors instead
• Upgrade carpet underlay
• Can skirting boards be laid by builder after handover if organising own flooring installation?
• Check building specifications contract about skirting for tiles, floor tile is sometimes counted as skirting tile and builder will only tile skirting to 200mm, if you want full height skirting you may need to pay extra
• Do you have fly screens and window locks?
• Check all windows open in preferred direction
• Check which windows are fixed and which ones can be opened, important if you want cross air ventilation
• Check location of windows is exactly where you want on final plan before signing off
• Check all windows are the same (sliding/awning) and from the same manufacturer so you don’t have two sets of keys
• Check ceiling height in alfresco is high enough if you want to install a ceiling fan
• Check material used for ceiling roof in alfresco is for outdoors and not indoors
• Think about location of water tanks, clothesline, bbq, shed, vege patch, letterbox type
• Perhaps include letterbox in building contract, if you want to build one after handover consider materials and ask builder to leave any leftover bricks behind
• Insulate west wall for radiant heat with glare-shield or something similar, no need to do whole house
• Install or extend eaves
• If you want passive heating/cooling and the rear of your house is north facing, locate veranda/pergola/alfresco to the side and not the back, preferably the west side as extra shading to the house from the sun
• Keep your floor-plan shallow, the sun can’t penetrate more than 4 metres through standard 7 foot windows if you want lots of natural light and you don’t want to install skylights.
• Check the location of the crossover matches the location of the garage for the house you want to build, while you can reverse the floor-plan it may impact negatively on your energy efficiency if your living areas are on the opposite side to where you want them to get the most sun and light.
• Double glaze north facing windows
• Check location of outdoor taps
• Check location of downpipes
• Check location of manhole, in relation to ducted heating if it is too close to all the big ducts then you can’t access any other part of the roof space

Electrical:
• Install as many power points and tv points as you can, it’s cheaper now than later
• Install power point in hallways for vacuuming.
• Install power point near cordless phone
• Install power points on internal back walls for external lighting, sensor lights etc
• Consider installing extra power points in garage for second fridge and dryer
• Consider double power point installed in front eaves for Xmas lights
• Consider power point in ceiling cavity can be useful for Christmas lights along roof perimeter
• Consider power points in the floor for table and floor lamps so you don’t have to run extension leads across the floor and behind furniture
• Remember external power point to connect pump for water tanks or along internal wall closest to tanks
• Provision for power and lighting in shed
• Install power points on kitchen island
• Consider power point in broom cupboard if you have rechargeable dust buster or vacuum cleaner
• Install electrical conduit under driveway or path to provide 12 volt electricity for garden lighting
• Check heights of power points also so they suit your needs eg. wall mounted tv
• Install door bell, important if you have a big house and living areas at rear of house
• Check location of light switches, if installing double doors where none existed originally ensure the light switches aren’t hidden behind doors when opened
• Check that light fixtures also includes the light globes
• Install light and power point in walk-in pantry
• Install outdoor light near clothesline
• Make sure electrical cabling allows for batts insulation to external walls
• Allow extra tv points and power points in main living area so you can change orientation of the room and position of the tv
• Consider external lights around perimeter of house so wiring goes through the bricks
• Light switch inside access door from garage into house so you can turn on hall light before entering the house at night
• If not installing ducted heating/cooling install lights in the ceiling cavity with light switch next to manhole opening
• Install household surge protector at meter
• If you have under bench microwave, consider installing an extra power switch at nearest power point so it can be easily switched on/off to save power
• Move electrical switchboard into garage or under stairs in two storey house for easier access
• Install single GPO in meter box for reticulation system
• Install lots of conduits from ceiling cavity into internal wall, you don’t need to connect them all and the electrician can install blank plates ready for future use when needed
• Add a conduit for phone and tv cable for Foxtel installation, if it’s on a cavity wall there is no problem if it isn’t it’s a real pain.
• Install conduits in single brick external walls
• Install junction boxes to run outside lights, 5 downlights under eaves are equivalent to same power usage as two exterior lights
• Consider external light switches in alfresco
• Install junction boxes instead of lights if unsure of light selections
• Consider installing outdoor tv point

Services:
• For ducted vacuuming measure the distance between ducts on the plans to ensure the hoses are long enough to reach the entire house or invest in a longer hose
• Provision for water tap in fridge recess for future proofing
• Alternatively don’t install water tap behind fridge, install it inside kitchen cupboards instead and just cut a hole for the water line later, installing tap behind the fridge might not leave enough depth for the fridge to fit in the recess
• Check site for closest gas point, water point and phone conduit, builder will use the closest path to connect these services which may not be what you want/expect.
• Insulate cold water pipe and hot water pipe.
• Provision for split air conditioners if installing later, think about location in relation to external walls
• If installing a split system air conditioner, run a separate circuit from the indoor unit to a junction box on external wall for the outdoor unit and an interconnecting cable between the two units.
• Install capped water point and power points to the roof if you intend on getting evaporative cooling installed later
• If installing evaporative cooling, run in the PVC drainpipe for excess water in brick cavity at pre-lay
• Consider exhaust fan in the laundry or openable window
• Check the location of ceiling vents for heating and cooling in bedrooms so they aren’t directly above occupants heads when beds are moved in
• Provision for grey-water collection from laundry, baths and showers if not connecting straight away
• Consider zoned heating so bedrooms and living areas are on separate lines
• Lay a 4” PVC pipe under driveway before it’s laid so water pipe can be laid for reticulated water to front garden
• Consider floor drainage holes in laundry, bathroom and kitchen. Makes cleaning easier and handy if appliances flood/leak.
• Check drainage for backyard, ensure drains connected to downpipes
• Install extra outdoor taps for backyard as garden hose is often not long enough to reach entire space
• Install outdoor gas point
• Pre lay any stormwater pipes under paving, paths and driveways, saves digging up later
• Consider pre-laying the toilet vent PVC pipe in the wall cavity so is not visible other than outlet through roof
• Install hot water system as close as possible to kitchen as that is where you use small amounts of hot water the most

Kitchen:
• Check size of fridge recess as most Korean fridges Samsung, LG etc are 900mm wide which is standard width of recess, ask to increase to 1000mm to cover all brands.
• Check dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, fridge, microwave spaces will fit the models you want
• Check height of rangehood so you don’t hit your head when cooking over stove
• Check depth of fridge recess
• Get adjustable shelves in kitchen cupboards for different sized items
• Useful link if you want those soft closing drawers and want a more affordable option http://www.tim-and-tina.com/

Bathroom:
• Think about window size in bathrooms, big windows make bathrooms feel cold
• Frosted windows on toilets/bathrooms
• Check which way shower doors open and stipulate door opening direction in contract for all doors (entry, pantry, wardrobes, shower, internal)
• Ask for tiles to be cleaned and sealed in wet areas so grout doesn’t stain, especially around toilet bowls
• Check location of taps in shower so you don’t have to retract arm through the water after turning hot water on
• Wall mount bathroom taps saves water pooling around taps and easier to clean
• Consider installing an open shower recess instead of shower cabinet
• Consider adding glass-shield to both sides of shower screens
• Consider nib walls between shower recess and vanity
• Think about where you want a medicine cabinet?
• Do you want privacy locks in bathrooms?

Bedroom:
• Think about sliding doors for built in robes, not just for saving space but also so you’re not restricted on placement of furniture
• Delete all shelving for walk in robes and built in robes if sourcing own shelving after handover and ensure clothes rails aren’t installed as well
• Consider increasing width of built in robes, standard width is 500mm which catches on clothes when closing door
• Check line of sight when people walk in front door and master suite door is open

Laundry:
• Check that laundry trough has bypass drain
• Consider pull out or pull-down ironing board in laundry for quick ironing jobs
• Drying cupboard in laundry, install heating duct in cupboard to dry clothes
• Lots of linen cupboard space
• Ventilation in the laundry and a sliding entry door, easier when sorting through clothes

Living Areas:
• Check measurements of furniture, allow 12mm for render on walls and don’t forget floor coverings as well when calculating width/height for recesses, alcoves etc
• Ask for wider openings to passageways than the standard, makes it easier to move furniture without having to pull them apart, scratch or bump into corners
• At framing stage, take photos of walls in all rooms before gyprock goes on so you know location of studs and noggins for later
• Remember curtains and carpet reduce echo in large open plan areas
• Install sound insulation in internal walls
• If you love hanging lots of pictures, photos etc get builder to install an extra row of nogging so you have a solid row of wood to hang from instead of plasterboard
• Consider installing doors to close off open plan areas, provides greater flexibility when kids get older

Garage:
• Consider installing manhole in garage so tradesman can do all the work from inside the garage and not the house
• Check height of garage door in case it needs to be raised for 4WD vehicles and hatchbacks
• Consider workshop/storeroom on side of garage, allows extra room for opening car doors, storing bicycles rather than paying for shed later
• Ensure driveway is cut into the gutter where it joins the road so car doesn’t touch the bottom when pulling into driveway

I had family over from overseas so kinda rushed into electrical plan , although now I am planning to add few extra light , power points directly through the contractor sparky. Geez!! wonder why wouldn't they want us to have a electrical appointment with a proper electrical consultant who actually knows about stuff.

I really liked the look of the charcoal mortar with the chosen brick, and how it would compliment the overall facade, paid like $700 extra for opting it.

Hi Rajan,

You can visit the selection centres as many times as you like. You can have a mini pre selection at pickards, the ladies there will show the standard range which you will need to choose from, and will give you a selection form which lists all the choices. You can take pictures of the items you like and browse their collection at your leisure.

At supreme kitchen, we dealt with the consultant named "Shweta" , very knowledgeable and can provide valuable suggestions.

Like Tina, I would suggest you to visit them pre selection to confirm your choices beforehand as you may feel rushed during the actual appointment , especially at Pickards.

We also have fixed footings, although at 28000, which I think is a lot of money.

Hi Tina,

Thanks for sharing the link.
We received our full approval on the 16/07/2018.
You may use it to check what kind of houses are coming up besides yours, especially if you are building a single story and planning on getting a solar and then you find out there will be double story houses on either side.

Hi Tina & Rajan,

following on from Rajan's earlier post about Termite treatment being included in the contract, I assume that will only be for the footings. We had to pay an extra 1500 during the builder's interview for the complete termite protection sheeting. We Below is the link: (DPC homeguard)
http://fmcaustralasia.com.au/our-products/homeguard/sheeting/

Hahaha i am guilty as charged! Our house is double storey but we are on a corner.. neighbour is a single storey so they might not be happy with us! 😳

Yup I contacted our sales consultant about the termite treatment awhile back and he told us the following:

For your knowledge termite upgrades have 2 options being termite resistance treated pine frame $8.50 per sqm (add the upper/lower levels and garage sqm together then times by 8.5) or Homeguard DPC sheet plastic to the slab perimeter at $21 per meter (add all the external lengths of your home ie front/rear/side lengths together & times by 21

We are going with the sheet plastic too

hehe, I would be more concerned about our immediate neighbors building a double story. Luckily Lot 28 is single story build, although to our right is still not developed & released so still in the dark what's going to happen there.

Hi Both,

I have not got any brochure for Pickards. What we normally choose from pickards?

Regards,

You won’t get the brochures until later on down the track after you have signed off on your house design and you receive your footings engineering report etc. you haven’t settled land yet so it is awhile away but in the meantime you can go to pickards in mile end and supreme kitchens in Pooraka to look at the range. You will be able to look at doors (internal and external), kitchen things, bathrooms/toilets, tiling for wet areas and outdoor etc at pickards
Supreme kitchens will be your cabinetary for kitchen laundry and bathroom, bench tops, storage etc