Building in Fernvale - Pic update!

Hi everyone,

I've been lurking and posting a little bit for a few months now, doing my research and waiting for our deposit to grow, and now the time has finally come! My husband and I want to build the Amity (Adenbro0k) in the Honeywood Estate in Fernvale. Things are not set in stone yet, but I have meetings with both Honeywood and Adenbro0k tomorrow to get some $ figures that will determine our plans further. Hopefully I'm not getting ahead of myself starting this thread, but I should have updates tomorrow afternoon, and hopefully some good news!

As you may know, Campbell Newman has decided to scrap the $7,000 FHOG in QLD, which is what helped us make the decision to build. They have also decided to start a $15,000 first builders grant from next month, so this is when we can realistically start signing contracts, etc.

As far as plans go, here is the Amity (optional plan C with rear rumpus room):



We want to move the alfresco to the side of the kitchen/meals area though, because if we get the block of land that we want the sun will be on that side.

So yeah, will hopefully be back with updates tomorrow!

Okay, had the meetings yesterday, and the block of land we had in mind is perfect! Still on the pricey side, but we reckon we'll probably be able to get the price down by $2-3k. As for the house, it seems the listed price was off by almost $10k, so not sure if we'll end up going with the Amity after all. However, I really liked Adenbro0k's professionalism, and we're currently considering a modified Trenton. Their inclusions really isn't the best though, so that's a bit disappointing. We're arranging a meeting with Cor@l Homes to see what they can offer too, we're considering their Hamilton and Brampton designs.

Welcome to having your own thread!

Good luck with the decisions ...fun but scary I am sure.
All the best!!

Thank you, kiwi! My hubby is a kiwi, btw!

We're really liking Cor@l's Brampton 223 at the moment, and I'm hoping to arrange a meeting with them this week to discuss. I was disappointed with Adenbro0k's inclusions (or lack thereof), so I'm hoping Corl will be better.

This is the flipped Brampton, to suit the orientation of the lot we want, with added alfresco and extra vanity in the ensuite:

[/URL]

thats nice.
do you like it better?

I definitely do, but I had a meeting with Cor@l yesterday, and the things they charge extra for are just stupidly expensive. An alfresco is $8,000, a water tank is $4,000 and a bloody double sink is $1,500! That's just ridiculous to me. So we can't afford that, even with downgrading the house to a Brampton 205.
Meeting with Plantat!on today, but don't have the highest hopes for them either; even though their inclusions are fantastic compared to the other builders, there is still expensive things like landscaping, fencing, site costs and air con that come extra, and with the base prices being quite pricey to begin with, I'm not expecting much.

A modified Trenton (Adenbro0k) seems like the closest to what we want and can afford right now.



I'm also going to speak to Hal1mark today or tomorrow about the All new Vogue 217. That's the cheapest option so far.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

I really wish we could afford the Brampton though, it's so perfect for the block of land we want.

ooow, I like the vogue.
I like how the main bedroom is away, but all the rooms are near each other unlike the adenbrook
it has a bigger kitchen and a totally sep laundry.

and it doesnt have a master bed wall joining another bedroom..DONT EVER WANT THAT!!

good luck, you will find the home the section is suppose to have...within the budget you can afford
and in a few years you can do it all again with a bigger and better house..
dont say you wont, cos everyone seems to get the bug!!

Yeah, I don't mind the vogue, it's similar in layout to Cor@l's Brampton that I love, only a bit smaller and much cheaper. *lol* I talked to Plantat!on and Hal1mark today, they could both do way better deals than Adenbro0k and Cor@l. However, Plantat!on suggested a different design to the one I was inquiring about (Sienna Vogue Q1) because it's much cheaper and the same size, and has most of the same inclusions - the Maya 4.



We'd extend the theatre by a couple of meters, flip it (already done in the above image), move some windows around (already done in the above image, master bed and living), and if possible swap the garage and the Bed 2 + Theatre areas around so that the theatre is facing north and the garage south. The master bedroom is still separated by the ensuite, so that's good too.

So I think the choice will be between these two. Any opinions?

I don't like having minor bedrooms off a living room..or having to go through a living room to use the bathroom. You don't want naked granny coming through while you are having breakfast etc.

I also like a loo with fresh air that the first one has

If it is cheaper though and you love it, then go for it. Just move the ensuite loo cistern so it is next to the vanity. Better use of space.
Instead of on the shower wall.
You will bang your knees on the vanity otherwise.

Others will give their 2 cents I'm sure.

Agree with kiwi re: kids rooms directly off living spaces and the airy loo.

Why do you want to extend the home theatre? Just curious....

So how wide is the block and how deep? Is it rectangular? Any slope? What is the orientation at the rear of the block?

The last design is workable. I personally like the open plan kitchen and living space. I'm not a fan of master bedroom being at rear of house. You could move that alfresco so it ran off the living/dining and put stack doors across that entire wall and take the step out of the wall/stackers. That would make that space feel even more open and spacious.
I would do away with home theatre , move master to the front, put bathrooms back to back with the laundry in between the bathrooms, add 1m into the overall width to create a hallway between living and bedroom entry. There are no dimensions on there rooms either. Not sure if I am making the house more expensive to build though. Given I owner built our place and am across what things cost, the only thing that would cost more would be stacker doors. Reduction in costs would be from putting all the plumbing on one side of the house.
There's my 5 cents....

First of all, I don't understand what you guys mean by "airy loo"...! Please explain! *lol*





The reason for the theatre room, and the extension of it, is because I'm a photographer and I plan on using it as a photo studio. Ideally I need a space 6x4m, so we really couldn't do away with it. The block has the north on the right of the house, and a nice view out to farmland at the back, which is why we don't mind the master bedroom being at the back. My hubby really doesn't want the master at the front of the house because he's worried about the noise from the road waking us up.

Thanks a lot for your points, the plumbing on one side of the house is a really good point that I hadn't thought of. The main thing I don't like about the second one is that there are no double walls between the bedrooms and living areas. However, the second design has bigger bedrooms than the first design. Also, I can't help but feeling like the massive alfresco in the second one is taking up a lot of m2 that could be put to indoor areas. But on the other hand, I really like how it's so long that we'd have it go outside our master bedroom...

Newbie on this site and learning a lot from reading these posts. With your research to date, who do you think offers the best service, I know budget is a key point but will the cheaper house build still offer the best outcome? I'm about to start visiting a range of builders, previously visiting display homes many of the sales reps cant even be bothered to get out of their seats, you just get offered a brochure.

An airy loo is one with an outside window...so you can open it and get some air in !!
An internal loo..unfortunately is always dark and all you have is a fan going full chat.

My other ' thing' is no basin in the loo, but that is cos I see a loo all by itself ( not a powder room) and I see poo on the door handle.

If I could squeeze a basin in there, I would.

Maybe vess meant swap the theatre with master..?
I would def keep it, as they then only have one living room for a 4 bed home, you absolutely need 2.

Now you have slept on it, how you feeling about the designs.?

SafetyFirst; as far as I've discovered from meeting with Adenbro0k, Cor@l, Dix0n, Hal1mark and Plantat!on, Adenbro0k is by far my favourite in terms of customer service and professionalism. They're not a volume builder, they only take on 5 homes a month, and the guy you talk to is the guy to runs the place and does everything (in QLD anyway), so you know exactly who you're dealing with the whole way through. Out of all the builders I've talked to, they are the only ones who have called me back for a follow-up. They are also the only ones who walked me through one of their display homes. Unfortunately, Adenbro0k does very poorly when it comes to inclusions, and once you add everything up, it becomes a very expensive home. Cor@l offers more inclusions than Adenbro0k (but more expensive upgrades), but their customer service and professionalism isn't anything special as far as I've experienced. Dix0n don't have any display homes in QLD, which was a big put-off for me, and although they are very cheap and have lots of great inclusions, their designs (although hundreds to choose from) I found quite simple and unimpressive. Hallmark gave me exactly what I wanted when I went in there, prices for everything we wanted in our house, a fairly accurate quote on the spot - some of the others, especially Adenbro0k were a bit unhelpful with getting together a price list for me, probably because they're expensive, and they were more concerned with selling their work ethics and display homes, which is fair enough (we just can't afford the price). Plantat!on I've heard a lot about - am I right that they used to be Henley? - and most of it bad in terms of build mistakes and delays. They are obviously a volume builder and probably do 20+ homes in a month, so you have to keep this in mind and keep a very close eye on the build I think, to make sure everything goes according to plan. However, in saying all this, Plantat!on is by far the best in terms of inclusions; I'm especially impressed with their inclusions of solar and heightened ceilings as standard in every house, and the only things we really needed to add to our quote was air con and the outside stuff like driveway, fencing and landscaping. Even wooden flooring (one of my musts) they offer as a really affordable upgrade.

kiwi; At this point I'm leaning towards the Planta!ion (Maya 4) design. I see what you mean about the loo, fresh air would be great, so I might ask for alternatives for this. As for a basin in the loo, that would be nice too, but not a must for us. We live in a 1 bathroom house now and the loo (although nice and fresh) is in a separate room with no basin, and we don't really care. Plus, in the new house, we'll mainly be using the ensuite anyway; it's our poor guests (or possible house mates) that have to use the other bathroom!

If anyone can tell me about Plantat!on, that would be great, especially what we have to look out for. When I first started my research, I promised myself only to consider reputable builders without too much drama in their history, but now that we're at a point where we have to choose a house, I'd rather have a house design that I love and deal with the hassles along the way rather than have no hassles but end up with a house I'm less happy with.

Also, does anyone know if a steel frame upgrade is worth the extra money, or if standard is fine? Just wondering because some builders (Dix0n) offer steel frames as a standard and it seems to be the highlight of their sales pitch.

Well, we've decided to go with Plantat!on's Maya 4, but our budget it bursting at the seams. We've had to cut back on a lot of our "wish list" items and prioritise what we really need, and it's still blo0dy expensive!

Even though we'd love to upgrade the façade, we'll probably go with the standard Miller:



Our house will have tile roofing as opposed to the colorbond pictured. I really wanted a wood garage door, but I can't justify spending $1,000 to upgrade it just for the aesthetics...

We've had a look at the electrical plan and will probably only get another 4 double powerpoints, and we'd like 14 downlights, but we will buy these ourselves and get the electrician to install them for us.

We're still extending the Theatre, but possibly only to 5m now as opposed to 5.5m like we originally wanted. We're adding two large windows to the Master and Living, and I'm currently gathering quotes for driveway, turf, fencing and security. I'm hoping we will save some $$ here and there once our soil test comes back (crossing fingers for 'M') and I start getting quotes back on the outside work. I'm currently budgeting $2,000 for fencing (2 or 3 sides), $6,000 for driveway (approx. 60m2) and $6,000 on turf (approx. 600m2). I hope I'm not too far out. I'm really annoyed that the estate covenant require us to have an exposed aggregate driveway as opposed to a plain one; it's such a boring thing to spend money on when you really don't care what it looks like. They also require a 25% roof pitch, which costs us an extra $800, and it will have no affect for us whatsoever.

I'm looking forward to when the budgeting is over and we can start focusing on the fun stuff!

More updates in the next few days, hopefully as land owners by the end of next week!

Ive been busy visiting a few different builders to get some ideas on what we want to build, meticon homes had some very impressive designs but the reality of what they displayed to what you get for the standard build was very unrealistic, sorry to say but wasn’t that impressed with plantation homes and the finish even though there are loads of designs to choose from. I get a feeling that the big volume builders are all about numbers rather than the clients and it probably didn’t help that there was a customer complaining whilst I was there which his comments put me off a bit. Clarenden presented themselves very well, lots of good advice and information, and lovely homes. You are right about Adenbrook, very informative and genuine, great set up, they have a one stop shop, with sales, permit administrators, estimator and building manager all on site, I think I got to chat with most of them about different stages of the build, even the business owner. I’m still undecided on what I want to build but very early stages for me. I still have a few more builders to visit, will definitely follow up with clarenden and want to find out more about their inclusions and specials, plus will arrange a meeting with Adenbrook as they mentioned they could offer landscaping package for $5,000 and a good deal on air conditioning. Happy building.

Well that's good you have made a decision.
Now it is onwards and upwards!!!

Where are you located? There was no landscaping package or air con deal when I went to see Adenbro0k. In fact, they tried to discourage me from getting air con, and they advised me to get landscaping done outside of them as it's very expensive through them (their words).
As for Plantat!on, I know they are a volume builder and I'm not 100% impressed with their service, but at the end of the day, we're getting a lot for the money with them, and the reality of it is that we can't afford any of the other builders if we want a bigger home like the 25sq one we're getting with Plantat!on.

We too had a lot of trouble deciding on a plan but it's a great feeling once you finally settle on one that feels right. I understand about the budget bursting at the seams although we had a loan amount in mind that we felt would still allow us to live a decent life and we have managed to stick to it but we are going to have to pay a few things out of our own back pocket.

My cousin built with Plantation and I don't think I've heard any complaints, only about how big it is to keep clean

Good luck with land settlement.

Thanks, TashnStu! Yeah, I'm still a bit wobbly on the plans AND builders after going through and comparing both quotes. It's so hard! I thought this part was supposed to be easy, and the stress to start when the house is being built! *lol* Anyway, I think I'm just not going to post until we've actually made a decision, just to keep it less confusing. But we are very excited, and I think I'll feel a lot better about it all once we've secured our land and at least we know that's not going anywhere.