Custom Build (Armidale): Moved in update

Edit for easy reference:
Land Cost: $50,500 private sale.
Builder's Tender: $193,000
Other PC items we supply: ~$20,000

External Colours:
Roof: Colorbond Wallaby
Walls: Colorbond Monument
Garage Door: Colorbond Dune
Stained Wood posts and door in Teak.

Plans:







Progress:
Settlement- April '13
Council- July '13
Contracts- December '13
Earthworks- December '13 (Pics Pg4)
Slab- December '13
Frames- January '14
Trusses- February '14
Roof- February '14 (Pics Pg 5)

congrats on the land the design looks great

I'd love some advice on our facade colours. Bit different to a lot of you because I'm using colourbond for both so I'm using the industrial options from the colourbond visualiser, not the residential ones. I want shale grey on the roof (I think council will have a problem with surfmist) but I can't decide on a wall colour. So far it's a toss up between
Windspray:



or Pale Eucalyptus



If you have other combos you think would work I'd love to see them. I'm trying to keep it as light as possible and I'm going to have quite a busy garden once I'm through (kind of cottage-y garden meets native garden)

Just showing off some of the mountain views from our block, they're not much but I was pretty impressed. Fingers crossed we hear from the bank soon.



And here is my partner in his bunnings uniform and a friend of ours having a good squiz while I take a photo of the block.

block is fantastic
love both the colors but also wondering about a blue color like deep ocean i think would look nice against the grey but this is only me

I have thought about that but I wanted to keep it as light as possible (to reflect heat) but still not too boring or shed-like. Also almost all the houses I've seen that use colorbond are in deep ocean! Probably because it's a great colour and usually looks awesome, but I don't wanna be just one in the crowd .

I was thinking we could break it up with maybe some timber panelling at the front or something. What do you reckon?

The valuer has now taken two weeks to determine if our block of land is worth 50,500 which is 8500 less then the lowest price of the nearest other free blocks. This really shouldn't take so loooong!

We seemed to wait forever for our valuations so I feel your pain. It seems int he beginning we are doing a lot of waiting!

Love the idea of windspray for the walls.

and having the timber features would be really nice

I know that they visited the block a week ago so I really just can't imagine what they have spent a week doing. Mysterious valuer things. Thanks for commenting guys, was feeling a little lonely but then nothing's really happening with the build yet! I think windspray is my choice too. A more neutral backdrop for greenery.

We have been granted land finance! So excited. Called the solicitors and they are going to get everything organised and started and we are able to start getting plans ready! Definitely needed this to happen today! I need to stop using exclamation marks.

Wondering if people can help me decide on what kind of bricks to use in the two walls I'm doing reverse brick. This is behind the kitchen and in the lounge room. So I can have these http://www.australbricks.com/au/nsw/Pro ... de;-Bricks and then paint them white. Or http://www.australbricks.com/au/nsw/Pro ... olourbrick which are $300 cheaper per thousand but at the same time, lose a bit of the BRICK look. While that may seem good, I don't want it to look like I'm trying to hide the brick because that might make it look tacky or something. I can't plaster over it or it loses it's thermal properties. Thanks if you an help!

the first bricks are the nicest

Some bathroom selections: tiles!
The floor tiles for the bathroom ( and hall, lounge and kitchen)



The shower floor


Subway tiles for shower walls and bath, possibly also vanity splashback.


I don't know if I want to have a border tile on the subways or not.

Been working on my plans and elevations in sketchup. My builder thinks I can submit my own plans to council but part of me still wants to get a draftsman. Can't decide if it is worth the $1500. Anyway it's been fun getting some 3d plans on my block.

The layout



The view of the front


The view from the back


What I love about sketchup is the ability to determine the shadows at different times of year in your part of the world and how they react with your building. I now know that my areas of highest thermal mass will be in direct contract with the most light possible through the windows I have. Thank god! It's so good to have peace of mind that I am able to achieve what I wanted with my plan and block.

Not sure that anyone's that interested but we signed the mortgage papers today! Woo. So settlement is on schedule for the 3rd April. Hopefully we will have plans ready for council by then and can actually start not long after that!

Lmille32, Have you got any recent photos of the wall and roof cladding? I'm using Surfmist on my roof, and still unsure on the walls. Was thinking Windspray but not sure if it will be a bit too dark? Windows are Anodic dark grey.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

Thanks in advance!

congrats on the mortgage
not far now for settlement next week Yay
how long does your council take for approval
are you getting complying or full

` wondering if you go surfmist on the walls and the windspray on the roof as the windows are the dark grey just a thought

Hi everyone,
Long time since I've been on here. We just got our very nearly almost finished plans! https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9vO_9s ... RDcDA/edit
Super excited! These should be finished by the end of the week and then will be sent off to the engineers. That shouldn't take too long either as they designed the footings for the previously proposed building and I have the engineering notes for that. With any luck we will be building soon.

I have rethought our colours and I'm thinking of going a little bit out there with them, no one likes boring. This is what i've come up with in the colorbond simulator. It will soften a lot with the amount of landscaping I'm planning on developing and the sculptural elements I want to use. I think bold colours will be important to make it feel more permanent next to the kit homes and things that are in the street. I think the Loft colour in particular adds sophistication.

Getting excited again now! Thankfully, because I've had a broken leg for 2 months now and I need some cheering up.