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Well it has come time to stop stalking and start posting on my own topic, I'll be starting a blog shortly with the whole process but I'll start here with a cutdown version
My DW and I started out looking for an established home around the Narellan area (NSW) mid last year and as we looked we were raising our price to find something that we liked. We look at a few near new homes but at the asking price though we could just build our own.
Most land in new housing estates were about 30 metre's deep so would leave us with a smaller house than we wanted or small backyard. Then by chance after putting an offer on a place (that was rejected) we were out at Oran Park dreaming about a new house checked out the land sales office and noticed that a 18 x 32 block from the release 2 weeks prior was still available. After researching the block and contract the only issue was 2 doors down the neighbour has a large Electricity box in their land. This caused no issues to the block we liked and we currently live a similar distance from one of these boxes so deposited on the land.
Moved to the Builder selection stage and last month and after about 3-4 weeks of tender changes and negotiation signed up with Allworth Homes to build a version of their Langford Design with modification to the Master Ensuite and WIR to make each larger and add depth to the garage. (Plans to be posted once they come back)
For the past 4 weeks we have been on a brick hunt, we started by choosing bricks via the websites of PGH / Austral / Boral but on visiting all the brickyards and reading some posts here found they were all bricks that were coated and could have issues durring the build or down the track with chipping. Lucky we had some full colour bricks we liked.
This weekend we had the selections down to PGH Gravel & Mocha (almost the same colour) and Austal Earth & Topaz, after some house stalking we have selected the Mocha. We went past the display homes as well and our builder has put a new render on one of the homes that we really like so they are getting back to us with the colours today.
Below are a few pics, the bricks, render and a pic of a house that was constructed with the Mocha brick:
Brick pic from PGH site
Render
Finished Mocha House
Now we just need to decided on:
Racked or Flush morter
Roof tile - Monier Horizon (
http://www.monier.com.au/Tiles/Show_5.aspx)
Gutterring
Fascia
Garage Door
Window Frames
Front Door
Any suggestions on colours that would look good would be a great help
Should have posted that we will be getting the name of that render colour this week (Thursday or Friday)
I'm thinking:
Racked or Flush morter
Roof tile - Monier Horizon Oregano
Gutterring - Woodland Grey
Fascia - Surfmist
Garage Door - Woodland Grey
Window Frames - Surfmist
Front Door - No idea
Well had a call on the way home from the Developer and Land Registration will occur in the first week of May but our builder can submit plans to Comply & Development (Landcom) between now and then to get them approved an ready to submit to the council on Registration.
Need to get my Landscape plan sorted out, I was going to do it myself but have not idea about plants etc so might have to get a professional on it.....
I had selected pearl grey bricks (same style different colour) I wanted to go flush mortar but was strongly recommended to change to rolled (or ironed) mortar which we did. I would recommend doing this
I'll add that to my list of things to check with the builder tomorrow, I was told Flush or Raked at a meeting we had and remembered about rolled about a week after (my Dad was a Bricklayer by trade) and remember going to work with him and raking or ironing the joints
Keep forgetting to ask when I talk to them
I think the surf mist and woodland grey will go great with those bricks
Look forward to following your build
Been on Holidays so have not been on the Internet to update anything
Land Registration should be this week
My DW has thrown out some of the colour selections bricks and rendering is the same but changed the roof tile and a couple of the Colorbond ones:
Brick - PGH Mocha
Render - Wattyl Urban Grey
Roof tile - Monier Horizon Caper
Gutterring - Woodland Grey
Fascia - Windspray
Garage Door - Ironside
Window Frames - Windspray
Front Door - No idea still
So dvestate, have you put down your deposit and started the tender period?
Had my plan meeting today...... 2 mistakes, things that I was VERY specific with and double checked because I figured they would be stuffed up
One the plus side the single door on the garage is now part of the Std facade for my place so I get a refund for that and they quoted me for a 'H1' slab and looks like I only need a std 'H' so save some $ there too. I'm hoping that me insisting that everything provisional and slab being priced at worse case is going to work out for me
Need to finalise our external colours this week so once the plans come back next week and if they are OK I can submit them to to Landcom...... Need to get my Landscape plan happening
Colour options are being juggled atm...... looking like Woodland Grey might be taking a holiday...
Brick - PGH Mocha
Render - Wattyl Urban Grey
Roof tile - Monior Horizon Barramundi
Gutterring - Ironstone
Fascia - Windspray
Garage Door - Ironstone
Window Frames - Silver Pearl (Trend)
Front Door - No idea still
Well it looks like the hand brake is going to be pulled on progress shortly as Registration of the land was meant to be last week but the DA is yet to leave Council and then it has to be sent to LPI which will be 2-3 weeks
I've decided to start a Blog for the build, I'm back dating a heap of stuff to keep track the process from start to finish. Once things get started I'll post info into both areas
My house blog
OK, need to make a decision by Monday..........
Raked or Rolled/ironed joints on the brick work?
I like the look of Rolled but not sure the brick (PGH Mocha - Pic above) is suited to rolled...
dvestate, it looks like the picture of the house you posted with mocha bricks has rolled joints and that looks nice, are you able to go and check that house again?
I don't like raked myself it allows moisture to sit on the top of the bricks and soak in.
Rolled keeps the water running down the wall
I went out today and the place in the picture is very shallow raking.... Walked around a few streets out there and they all have either flush or raked....
I would prefer rolled but from having to do that job when i was a kid rolled depth and finish can easily vary depending on mortar consistency, pressure
May have a conversation with my Dad about it tonight
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Hey dv, I thought they only offered raked or flush at Allworth.
I asked the question and was told I can have rolled just write it on my sheet
Grabbed my plans Friday had a quick look (2nd redraw), the front entry pier was now as I'd asked and the Bed 1 Entry door was now flush on the wall instead of indented into the Entry hall.
Took them to a family function on Saturday to show my Dad and he asks me "Why is that nib wall so big, what a useless space"
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r223/dvestate/campbellplan.jpgWhen they moved the Bed 1 doorway they forgot to move the other side..... So had to wait until today for the Sales Office to confirm they had stuffed up and the plans will now be reprinted (Version D now) so we can finally sign them off and get the Approval process happening. So by the end of this week it will have been 3 weeks for plan changes and everything that is being changed is stuff I tried to map out before they even began to draw them....
Yay FINALLY my plans are done with no mistakes!!!!
I'll scan them up tomorrow, happy they are done and will be getting all the paperwork done on Thursday to start the approval processes