Page 5 of 11
For the sake of budget at this stage we went with carpet since the bedroom and sitting room at the top are also carpet. In the future I'd like to swap out the carpet for stained timber treads with tiled risers something like this:
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Wow that's different! Don't think I've ever seen that option before. What a lovely feature it will be!
Went out yesterday to find the majority of cabinetry and benchtops installed but only managed to take this photo of the laundry before I discovered the kitchen and got distracted.
The whole house is looking really good except the kitchen which has totally gone gone to **** over the last two weeks while our registered builder was on holiday. Luckily he's back this week and I've got tile meeting with the supervisor tomorrow since there's a huge amount of problems in this one area which need to be addressed. I've had a stress headache since yesterday when I saw it (and maybe had a bit of a meltdown!) but I have now done up a detailed list so I can cover everything off tomorrow without missing anything.
Issues with kitchen:
- Ceiling/cornice out of level above kitchen bulkhead/pantry (visibly so and we've confirmed by checking ourselves with a level and tape measure)
- Missing bulkhead to fridge recess still not completed
- Kitchen cabinetry is not the Laminex ColourTech painted shaker profile doors, drawers and panels we've paid for, they have installed standard flat laminate doors and panels etc
- Pot drawer under oven has been reduced to unusable size (literally about an inch deep, you couldn't even fit a frypan in there laying flat)
- Kitchen layout shows three sets of double door uppers with six evenly sized cabinet doors to match lower cabinets (exactly as per the display our home is based on also), this has been altered for middle cabinet to be significantly larger than outer two cabinets causing loss of storage space and uneven appearance
- Section of cabinetry carcass at rear of oven recess is snapped
- Metal beading to RHS of kitchen wall cabinets dented during cabinet install and plaster gouges in this area
- Patched slab from pre-lay relocation out of level and still no resolution offered despite our request for them to grind the slab before flooring install based on the advice of our registered builder who has confirmed the level in this area only is not what he would consider acceptable
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http://tinyurl.com/jlykgph
That's no good Mrsdoe! Everything seemed to be going smoothly.
I'll have to keep an eye out at our tile meeting tomorrow as now you've got me thinking about things I'll need to pick up on.
What the heck Mrs Doe?! That sounds terrible. How can they get the cabinet product so wrong and change the layout of your cabinetry? I am assuming you signed off on internal drawings that showed the cabinets in the sizing you wanted as per the display home? Boggles me how the could just change it!
I don't even know how they've managed to get it so wrong, the layout drawings were all signed off and exactly the same as the display home except that we replaced the built-in pantry with a door into the walk-in pantry instead. We made multiple trips to the display home before finalising everything including opening all the cabinet doors/drawers and checking the available space to make sure it was suitable so it's frustrating that they just change it and don't say anything. The only thing we were told awhile ago is that the make/model of the built-in rangehood had changed from a Westinghouse to a Smeg but they didn't tell us that made any difference to the kitchen. I'm just really stressed and upset by the state of it right now
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Of course you are! Do you really think it is the different rangehood that has changed things? It still doesn't seem right. To change the sizing of the cabinets would require revised elevations which you would have had to sight and approve. If you haven't then I'd been standing your ground and demand they fix it as per what you're signed off on.
Our 37sq Custom Hamptons Inspired Home:
http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=86931
Of course you are! Do you really think it is the different rangehood that has changed things? It still doesn't seem right. To change the sizing of the cabinets would require revised elevations which you would have had to sight and approve. If you haven't then I'd been standing your ground and demand they fix it as per what you're signed off on.
Our 37sq Custom Hamptons Inspired Home:
http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=86931I'm not quite sure really! I had the meeting with the supervisor and they're agreeing to fix everything EXCEPT the overhead cabinets. He's saying the outside cabinets will have a pair of 240mm wide doors and the inside two will have a pair of 480mm doors and "you won't even notice it once they're on". Suffice to say we're not happy with that and had a look with our registered builder today and will be approaching them again on Monday because that is going to look ridiculous and doesn't match the design drawings. I even told them if there was a reason the cabinetry had to be the way it is that I would be happy with four 480mm wide doors rather than 6x smaller evenly sized doors but didn't have any success with the supervisor, he just dug his heels in and I feel he had no intention of working with me on that front. It's a shame because the build has been so good so far it's silly to be stubborn over such a small issue when it clearly doesn't match the designs and nobody would be happy with mismatched sized cabinet doors, I've never seen a kitchen like they're suggesting!
In better news the bathroom vanities look great, all the water proofing has been done to a great standard according to our registered builder and the tiling work started today and will finish mid-week this week. The tiler was lovely and very thorough, he thought of absolutely every little detail and confirmed everything with me so I'm very confident his work will look great
Follow our build with Express Two Storey (Ventura Group):
http://tinyurl.com/jlykgph
This still all sounds strange to me!! As I said earlier, they legally have to provide what is in the contract drawings. It doesn't sound like they have even given you a reason why they have changed they layout.
If he's gonna be like that, I'd be saying sorry but we aren't going to accept/take handover of the house until the kitchen is done as per the specifications. So you are just wasting everyone's time as you going to have to rip them out again.
Glad to hear though everything else is going well, especially the tiles. This is one of my biggest worries. I plan to meet ours on site so we can confirm how they will be laid and also if possible do a dry lay first.
Our 37sq Custom Hamptons Inspired Home:
http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=86931
This still all sounds strange to me!! As I said earlier, they legally have to provide what is in the contract drawings. It doesn't sound like they have even given you a reason why they have changed they layout.
If he's gonna be like that, I'd be saying sorry but we aren't going to accept/take handover of the house until the kitchen is done as per the specifications. So you are just wasting everyone's time as you going to have to rip them out again.
Glad to hear though everything else is going well, especially the tiles. This is one of my biggest worries. I plan to meet ours on site so we can confirm how they will be laid and also if possible do a dry lay first.
Our 37sq Custom Hamptons Inspired Home:
http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=86931Unluckily for them I can be very stubborn and given all the money we've spent upgrading the kitchen I don't want to settle for a sub-standard product so it's going to be easier to fix the cabinet doors than argue with me
Surely your tiler can do that, ours laid all the tiles out in every room and confirmed everything from the location of drains on the tile to where cut tiles would be put and how I wanted the lines of the tiles to correspond off the floor and up the walls of the showers. It was good because he thought of things I wouldn't even have thought of and laying everything out made it much easier to visualise.
Follow our build with Express Two Storey (Ventura Group):
http://tinyurl.com/jlykgph
So today has been a successful day! The builder has agreed to make the changes to the overhead cabinetry doors to install four evenly sized doors at their expense and agreed we should have been advised and signed off on the plans after they requested a variation to change the rangehood model. We've been told the reason the pot drawer has virtually disappeared is because the oven model we chose is 25L bigger and therefore higher in dimensions than the other model they offer. They have offered to change it and fix up the pot drawer as we should've been told about the difference this would make but we're going to stick with the same oven so we don't have mismatched appliances and would prefer not to use Technika which is the other option as we're not keen on that brand. Feeling relieved we've come to a workable solution though
Stopped by this afternoon and tiling is well under way, the missing kitchen bulkhead has been installed and driveway and alfresco paving laid which we weren't expecting!
Laundry with spaces for washing machine and dryer under the bench
Downstairs bathroom
Ensuite shower recess in progress
Kitchen backsplash (no doors yet as the correct doors/panels need to be made!)
Follow our build with Express Two Storey (Ventura Group):
http://tinyurl.com/jlykgph
So today has been a successful day! The builder has agreed to make the changes to the overhead cabinetry doors to install four evenly sized doors at their expense and agreed we should have been advised and signed off on the plans after they requested a variation to change the rangehood model. We've been told the reason the pot drawer has virtually disappeared is because the oven model we chose is 25L bigger and therefore higher in dimensions than the other model they offer. They have offered to change it and fix up the pot drawer as we should've been told about the difference this would make but we're going to stick with the same oven so we don't have mismatched appliances and would prefer not to use Technika which is the other option as we're not keen on that brand. Feeling relieved we've come to a workable solution though
Stopped by this afternoon and tiling is well under way, the missing kitchen bulkhead has been installed and driveway and alfresco paving laid which we weren't expecting!
Laundry with spaces for washing machine and dryer under the bench
Downstairs bathroom
Ensuite shower recess in progress
Kitchen backsplash (no doors yet as the correct doors/panels need to be made!)
Follow our build with Express Two Storey (Ventura Group):
http://tinyurl.com/jlykgphMrsdoe, yes it's the same tile we chose, Belga grey. It looks darker in your photos than in the colour room, is it brighter in real life? I'm wondering if perhaps we shouldn't have done the entire bathroom in tiles? Yours looks great as walls are contrasting.
This is great news!!! See what happens when you stick to your guns!
So pleased for you and great to see some progress. Everything is looking great, especially the tiling ☺
Our 37sq Custom Hamptons Inspired Home:
http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=86931
Yayyy great news you got it all sorted without TOO much hassle or back and forth... good you stuck to it!!! It all looks great and I LOVE the subway tiles
we chose the same so it's good to see it in other builds too!
The house is looking great mrsdoe! Amazing how quickly it's all coming together! Great news on the kitchen cabinets being fixed up!
Also we had the same feeling about Technika as you. Chose to stay away from them after reading some reviews.
So today has been a successful day! The builder has agreed to make the changes to the overhead cabinetry doors to install four evenly sized doors at their expense and agreed we should have been advised and signed off on the plans after they requested a variation to change the rangehood model. We've been told the reason the pot drawer has virtually disappeared is because the oven model we chose is 25L bigger and therefore higher in dimensions than the other model they offer. They have offered to change it and fix up the pot drawer as we should've been told about the difference this would make but we're going to stick with the same oven so we don't have mismatched appliances and would prefer not to use Technika which is the other option as we're not keen on that brand. Feeling relieved we've come to a workable solution though
Stopped by this afternoon and tiling is well under way, the missing kitchen bulkhead has been installed and driveway and alfresco paving laid which we weren't expecting!
Laundry with spaces for washing machine and dryer under the bench
Downstairs bathroom
Ensuite shower recess in progress
Kitchen backsplash (no doors yet as the correct doors/panels need to be made!)
Follow our build with Express Two Storey (Ventura Group):
http://tinyurl.com/jlykgphMrsdoe, yes it's the same tile we chose, Belga grey. It looks darker in your photos than in the colour room, is it brighter in real life? I'm wondering if perhaps we shouldn't have done the entire bathroom in tiles? Yours looks great as walls are contrasting.
The photos were taken later on in the afternoon so there wasn't heaps of natural light but I don't think they're that dark. Full height tiling should be fine because there's a lot of variation in the tiles with lighter bits through them and by the time you add in cabinets, tapware, shower screens, towels and accessories to break in up it should be fine I think!
Follow our build with Express Two Storey (Ventura Group):
http://tinyurl.com/jlykgph
Thanks guys it was a big relief!
Follow our build with Express Two Storey (Ventura Group):
http://tinyurl.com/jlykgph
Dropped this afternoon to take a look at the finished tiling upstairs and found that the garage door has been installed and they were installing the ducted air conditioning. Looks like someone had an oopsie and fell through the upstairs man hole though
Follow our build with Express Two Storey (Ventura Group):
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Opps indeed!! What colour is your grout Mrs.Doe? Hope I've picked the right one for the Belga grey tile!!! Looks brilliant!
Shower looks great. Wish I'd thought of adding a niche.
Shame about the manhole but should be a quick easy fix at least.