Hi, I figure that after months of lurking it’s probably about time that I share my building journey with any of you who are interested. It is our first home and after years of renting (we have a really really good deal going with some family friends) it was a rather nerve wrecking decision to make but now that we have taken the leap I am really getting excited about the prospect of owning my own home
I am building with my sister because neither of us can afford to build on our own, but because of that we weren’t eligible for Keystart, because we aren't a ‘couple’, and together earn’t about $3000 over the ‘single’ application limit
(stupid government regulations). But anyway it did narrow our financing options to 1 so it was decided and we are building a ‘Flute’ home with Homebuyers Centre in Baldivis ‘Mode’. I must say that so far everything has gone pretty smoothly we now have a slab I only hope that the rest of the build goes as smoothly.
It was a couple of months after we started the process that I discovered this forum and I have been a daily lurker ever since, it is exciting to see the progress on everyone’s homes and I have learnt so much as well.
~~Lethe~~
Timeline:16/3/13 – Signed PWC with Homebuyers Centre (Paid deposit for house)
23/3/13 – Paid deposit for land
26/3/13 – Appointment with Resolve Finance (Bluebay)
24/4/13 – Loan Application Signed
27/4/13 – Received Prestart File
16/5/13 – Loan Approved
11/6/13 – Loan Settlement
12/7/13 – Titles Received
23/07/13 – Prestart Appointment9/8/13 – Received plans & addenda for review (had a few minor things to fix, position of electrical sockets & feature tiles etc)
15/8/13 – Corrected plans received and signed / Received a proper site plan
19/8/13 – Added paving variation to site plan
9/9/13 – Received Building Permit 23/9/13 – Contacted by Client Liaison
27/9/13 – Tap
1/10/13 – Site works started
14/10/13 – Soil Compaction Test
17/10/13 – Footings Poured
18/10/13 – SLAB!!!22/10/13 – Soakwells delivered
30/10/13 – Soakwells installed
1/11/13 – Window frames delivered
5/11/13 – Bricks delivered
11/11/13 - Brickwork started 29/11/13 - Brickwork completed
11/12/13 - Roof Frame started13/12/13 - Roof Frame Completed
6/01/14 - Plumber & Electrician laid cabling and pipes, water connected to house.
17/01/14 - Roof Completed - Colorbond 22/01/14 - Internal Render Started
28/01/14 - Internal Render Completed & External Render Started
31/01/14 - External Render completed
31/01/14 - Ceilings installed
5/02/14 - Cornices installed
7/02/14 - Plaster / White Set started
14/02/14 - Plastering Completed
20/02/14 - Windows installed
21/02/14 - Lockup 25/02/14 - Kitchen & Bathroom cupboards installed
27/02/14 - Ceasarstone Benchtop and kitchen sink & bath installed
4/03/14 - Tiles delivered / preparation for tiling begun
6/03/14 - Ceilings, doors, door frames & gutters painted / mirrored BIR doors installed
7/03/14 - Carport concrete poured 10/03/14 - Floor tiles done!!
13/03/14 - Downpipes fitted, paving & paving sand delivered
15/03/14 - Tiling Completed17/03/14 -Rangehood installed
19/03/14 - Gas stove & hot water system installed
19/03/14 - Internal Plumbing Completed
20/03/14 - Electrical Done
26/03/14 - External Painting Completed 28/03/14 - Cleaning was done
30/03/14 - Blinds installed
31/03/14 - Timber Laminate Flooring installed
1/04/14 - Flyscreens & Door handles installed
2/04/14 - Carpets installed
4/04/14 - Carport door installed
10/04/14 - Paving started & PCI date set
11/04/14 - Paving completed
22/04/14 - PCI 7/05/15 - Handover
Here goes my first attempt at adding photos...
House Plans
Electrical Plans (because our Father is an electrician
)
Elevation
As you can see it is a very small cottage block, but it is fine for the two of us despite our Mum having conniptions over the size of the kitchen
Yay it worked this time
We are building in
The Mode (the development behind Masters) we have a nice view overlooking the shopping centre
It is actually the perfect location for us which I would love to say that we had planned it all but we pretty much lucked into it.
Ok now for our external selections:
Roof: Colorbond - Shale Grey
Bricks: Austral - Collie (The only exposed brick in our entire house is the pillars of the carport)
Paving: Boral MasterPave - Charcol
Main Render: Solver Surfmist
Secondary Render: Solver Charcoal
Gutters: Shale Grey
Fascia & Downpipes: Surfmist
Window Frames: Pearl White
Our Internal Selections
FlooringLiving Areas & Kitchen: Timber Laminate - Spirit Oak
Bedrooms: Carpet - Kazakh
TilesFloors: 200x200 Rocell - Carbon
Walls & Kitchen Splaskback: 200x400 Lanka - Gloss White
Feature tiles (which run horizontally down our showers and vertically in our kitchen splashback) 600x100 Botanica - Winter. I love this tile it was the first thing that I chose for my house and we basically chose our whole colour scheme based on it.
Benchtops & Cupboards
Our Kitchen bench is Ceasarstone in Jet Black and Our cupboards are Laminex - Blackened Linewood
The bench in the bathroom & ensuite is Laminex Squareform - Basalt with the cupboards also being Blackened Linewood
~~Lethe~~
Thanks guys
Building Update:
I went away for a couple of days and the bricks got delivered
Our Timeline so far:
16/3/13 – Signed PWC with Homebuyers Centre (Paid deposit for house)
23/3/13 – Paid deposit for land
26/3/13 – Appointment with Resolve Finance (Bluebay)
24/4/13 – Loan Application Signed
27/4/13 – Received Prestart File
16/5/13 – Loan Approved
11/6/13 – Loan Settlement
12/7/13 – Titles Received
23/07/13 – Prestart Appointment9/8/13 – Received plans & addenda for review (had a few minor things to fix, position of electrical sockets & feature tiles etc)
15/8/13 – Corrected plans received and signed / Received a proper site plan
19/8/13 – Added paving variation to site plan
9/9/13 – Received Building Permit 23/9/13 – Contacted by Client Liaison
27/9/13 – Tap
1/10/13 – Site works started
14/10/13 – Soil Compaction Test
17/10/13 – Footings Poured
18/10/13 – SLAB!!!22/10/13 – Soakwells delivered
30/10/13 – Soakwells installed
1/11/13 – Window frames delivered
5/11/13 – Bricks delivered
Our building journey so far in pictures
First there was a hill
And the hill had a peg
Then one day the hill was turned into this...
My little sis standing in front of our gate
~~Lethe~~
From your mouth to God's ears
My problem it that I drive past my block on my way to and from work (it's on my way) and I know that there is no one there today
. I also have seen other houses in the area have their bricks 3-4 weeks before the brickies start. I think I should probably find a another route and only drive past once a week but I know my curiosity will always get the better of me
~~Lethe~~
Thanks nully
Exciting news!!!! While i was expecting to have to wait a week or two before the brickies started especially as we don't have a power-box yet. They surprised me by starting today with a single course of bricks around the perimeter of the slab, I am so happy right now