Alex's first home build: Keys!!!!

Yeah they are all fixable things! The electrician probably isn't good at re-plastering haha

Otherwise things seem to be going well for your build!!

Looking great!! Hopefully those few things get fixed quickly for you. How lucky are you living that close to the beach!

I just spoke with the CL. Unfortunately things aren't going to be as quick as I had hoped (I think because of the weather, but they haven't used that as an excuse).

Based off the flooring company indicating they were installing this Friday and that I was hoping the builder would want my money before the end of the Financial Year I was hoping to have keys by 1st July.

From the looks of things, the paving will be complete this week (possibly to Monday), with the site clean and flyscreens going in next week. The flooring is then booked for w/c 15th June, so the PCI will most likely be the week after (w/c 22nd June).

The annoying thing is that my partner is going overseas on a girl's trip on the 5th July, so I was hoping to have moved the majority of the stuff into the garage by then so I could have everything set up for when she got back. Might have to do all the moving a bit later now.

Aw Alex that's unfortunate - but it will happen and there is not long to go so get excited! Can't wait for the photo updates!!!

Dropped passed yesterday and the paving had been completed (well almost, should be finished today) and the house had been cleaned inside.

The painters have been there today doing the gutters and fascia etc, and hopefully should finish the second coat and the render this week, providing the weatherman is correct.

Because I am impatient, I called the blinds and flooring suppliers directly to "check that my payment had been received", while also probing about installation dates. The blinds go in Thursday and the flooring next Tuesday.

From what I could see through the window, the doors had been hung (with the exception of two) so I can't think of much else that needs to be completed. Current list is:

Paving - Today
External Paint - This week
Blinds - Thursday
Flooring - 16th (next Tuesday)
Electrical Final
Fixing up the loose brick and holes in the mortar, ceiling and plaster
Flyscreens

The list is getting shorter and shorter every day!

Paving and painting have been finished. I was really worried about the brown render. We initially chose it to match the roof, but then everything else was a Grey colour scheme. I'm really happy with how it turned out. The gutters are actually Grey, but look Brown with that render.





We have tentatively set PCI for Thursday next week. That's only 8 days away!!!

Looking great! I like the colour you went with. Good luck for PCI on Thursday!

Awesome!! Yay for PCI! Can't wait to see more photos!!!

In what appears to be an unprecedented move, the builder has moved PCI forward to Wednesday morning.

In less than 36 hours I will have completed the PCI. Fingers crossed for keys before School Holidays start on the 5th July. Its a bit of a press, but hopefully the builder can at least let me in to paint once the specific PCI list is settled. Their reason for not allowing me to seal the walls pre flooring was because previous clients have splashed the ceiling and blamed it on the builder etc. My reasoning says if its not on the list at PCI stage, its not their problem (not that it should be in the first place).

PCI went really well this morning. The supervisor is pushing to get things finished before he has surgery in the first week of July. Sucks for him, but works well for me. There was still some painting to be finished and the flooring had a defect so they missed a room and need to come back on Monday to finish off. Other than that the list was mainly plaster and cornice touch ups.





















Based on the supervisors expectation, we may have keys next Friday!

That looks pretty amazing! Congrats on PCI!

When do you think you will get your keys?

Great about PCI! Great photos too, looking good!

Booked in for final inspection and keys on Tuesday the 30th June. Just in time for the new financial year

Awesome! Yeah amazing Alex! Can't wait to see you moved in

Woohoo...Keys...that sounds great!

Big day yesterday! The builder just managed to squeeze handover in before the new financial year.

Earlier I intentionally didn't name the builder, just in case I needed to have a big whinge about them down the track. But now that I have the keys, I am happy to tell people I built with Affordable Living Homes. They were really good, the small issues that I did have were posted above, but all issues were resolved, so I am happy











The fun didn't last long - straight into masking up and sealing/painting

Congratulations Alex, sorry I have not been around to see this! Amazing news and I hope you are enjoying your lovely new home!

Huge congrats on the keys!! How exciting and the house looks great.

Would you mind letting me know how much you spent on paint when you finish?

Thanks guys. I have been extremely busy with the painting, installing downlights and power points, moving all the furniture from the storage unit into the garage (and managed to get some in the house), putting together flat pack furniture etc. Its frustrating that I now own a garage, but I still had ice on my car this morning because I can't fit it in the garage yet!

I'll have to get some of the paving done over the weekend, we have the air con being installed on Tuesday (oh how nice it will be to have a source of heat again!).

Hopefully I will have some photos of the completed product soon.

With a single coat on only 4 rooms left to go I estimate that I would have used about 25L of oil based sealer, 35L of paint, 40 manhours and almost all units of sanity that I had when I started. I was able to get the paint at trade prices from the painter who did the external painting, so about $80 per 10L tin ($560 ish total). Still beats the $6k I was quoted.

We luckily have a painter in the family who has said he can get us paint for 40% less than retail so that's great, wow I had estimated $2000 so under $1000 sounds good!! Phew more money to spend on furniture