My Mainvue Amalfi 428

Hi all, I've finally decided to start my own thread as the commencement of my build will hopefully start in the coming weeks.
I've read a lot of your posts which have been extremely helpful along the way so thank you! Hopefully I can now in turn help someone else.

I'm building the Mainvue Amalfi 428 in a new estate in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. The land will settle in the coming days, so keen to get started as soon as possible. I'm a first time buyer and builder so any advice I can get will be great. I had my colour selection a week ago which was all very straightforward due to the being fairly well prepared. Was out of there in under two hours. Pretty much had everything picked before walking in.

A few upgrades/colours off the top of my head:
- Vista facade with part render
- Increase ceiling heights to 2720mm
- Square set cornices throughout front part of house (stops at back hallway)
- Sliding door to ensuite
- Evaporative A/C (half price thanks to a promotion the weekend I signed up!)
- Close off Butlers Pantry and add shelving
- 40mm Caesarstone kitchen bench with drop down sides
- Grand Alfresco
- Timber windows to front facade
- Move in pack with driveway etc
- Shower niches to both bathrooms
- Windsor translucent internal doors with timber frame
- Chose the truffle concept board - monument colourbond roof, fascia etc. Rich chocolate to timber.
Can't think of others, but few little upgrades with carpet underlay, tiles etc.

I have decided to remove the WIR fitout and do it post handover.
My tender and contract is coming up next week and I have a few questions for anyone:
- Does the slab normally have a slight step down to garage or flat. I've heard the step down is recommended.
- Should I raise the timber stackers due to increased ceiling heights?
- Was there a lot of unexpected costs presented at tender?

I'll try and post some photos of colour selections when I figure out how to.
Thanks in advance for any help.

I've been told by the few builders we visited that a step down is a must, it stops things like oil/car waste from leaking into the house if there are car issues (or I guess if you knock something over in the garage).
Even if you aren't going to use this room as a garage (which we aren't) you still need that step down.

We're fine with the step down so it was funny how many builders pointed out that it was mandatory. Must be a popular question!

Okay let's see if this works
- Timber laminate floorboards, Sabal Shade
- Carpet, Andrew - Cat 1 with top underlay


Flooring with kitchen colours


Truffle concept board

Must be a mandatory thing down south? As most builder's (at least here in qld) don't bother with the step down at all. Concreters usually stuff it up anyhow.

Love the truffle colours!

We have chosen very similar colours and up grades. We decided to do flooring after handover but I really like that laminate in your pic. Which one is it.
(We opted for the garage step down, i think it was about $450 ish

We have a stepdown only to meet the driveway gradient requirement. It was my understanding that it wasn't a requirement in QLD, like Roomeat says.

I'd probably recommend making the stackers taller with your increased ceiling height but it is purely an aesthetic thing, so up to you if you want to spend that money to make it look slightly nicer when most people probably won't notice

Are your site costs fixed? That is usually the big tender surprise.

I have fixed site costs so glad to hear there may not be any massive surprises at tender (fingers crossed).
The laminate floor is Cat 2A Sabal Shade from Hynes group - is a lot lighter than I thought I would pick. Originally was going to have a lot darker floorboard but the kitchen is going to be a lot of white, so may have not looked as good.
I received the drawings of the house yesterday which shows a very slight step down in to the garage which I'm happy with.
All starting to come together which is exciting. Can't wait for them to actually start.

We increased about $20k from quote to tender, but $12k of that was retaining and the rest was upgrades to kitchen appliances etc that we chose in colours. Good luck!

Maybe that Sable Shade flooring is an option for mainvue only as we definitely didn't get shown that option. I really like it.
Our price from quote to tender increased $48k but that was 90% site costs for us

I found the flooring at Cosham on display so hopefully would be for Henley or Mainvue. Looks different in different lights. Originally wanted real timber or bamboo but just couldn't justify the costs. Next house!

Ok thanks - I might have to head down an have another look, we did our colours in sept last year so I may have just not seen it then

Just saw the Sabal shade flooring is on display at the PD house in Wollert. Might go check it out before tender next week to see it on a larger scale. Fingers crossed I don't change my mind

Hey mlb18.
We are building an amalfi 428 too! Should kick off in June.. land titles in May.
You sure upgraded slot! We've done much the same but no grand alfresco and we went with the Milton façade. We upgraded the HWS to a chromagen eternity instead of solar hot water and the rest of your upgrades are pretty similar to us.

Looking forward to see how your build comes along.

Thanks joshd. We might be racing each other to the finish. I've signed tender and contracts this week and looking at a June start too. Thankfully everything in tender came in as expected. Didnt have to ditch any of the items I had upgraded thankfully. Really didn't want to part with that grand alfresco! Still working about whether the tiles etc that I have chosen will look okay, but too late now.

Hi Mlp18,
Great to see another amalfi 428 in the making. Me too building the same house and would be starting soon.. Would love to share and learn from each other's experience. It's you, me and Joshd building the same house.

Looking forward to see how all of our houses turn out then! We got word from the developer that titles are about 4 weeks away !

Made the decision to upgrade the height of the front door which I hope will look okay. Didn't cost too much which I was surprised about. Still a few weeks away from site start. Can't wait to see it start as all my neighbours are past frame stage and I'm getting jealous.

Nice yeah we did the same, same for the stackers to alfresco too.. Wanted all the doors to match

Got a nice surprise today when I drove through the estate. My developer had given the wrong measurements of the fall of my block, therefore somehow I was going to be charged higher site costs. Turns out the developer is fixing it. Great! Extra money now for my electrical appointment!