I've been following your journeys so I thought I would start to share my own experience. My wife and I are building the Metricon Merricks 38 Peninsula (43sq after modification) in QLD. Below are a list of my modifications and selection at M-Studio:
Modification to the Standard Plan1. Switch master bedroom to rear. Extend upstair's rear wall to add 3mx4m WIR for the wife, a small WIR for me, and parent's retreat. This turned the plan from 38 to 43 SQ
2. Extend garage by 0.5m and add roller door to garage rear
3. 2.7m ceiling downstairs and 2.5m upstairs. All internal doors raised to 2340mm high
4. Add shower to powder room
5. Add provision for fireplace in living room and gas point for fireplace
6. Add corner stacker door to Outdoor room, rebated the tracks, and removed post at the corner
7. Add corner butt window looking into front study (to get a hybrid Peninsula and Como facade)
8. Open stringer staircase. Provision to built an in-wall aquarium under the stairs after handover
9. Changed sliding windows to floor to ceiling awning window with no transom (similar to Sovereign 50 at Upper Comera)
Selection at M-StudioFacade1. Full render, Axon clading upstairs and tiling to both front piers (to meet Covent requirement)
2. Atura Baramundi tile and a-line ridge (for a flatter roof) with Sarking underneath
3. Whirly bird and vents
4. 1.2m wide x 2.4m high pivot door (WINS) with clear glazing on side. Got mortise lock but took credit for door handle. Will install door handle post handover as I want a 1.8m long handle
5. Caboa Slimline door with remote (seriously why is automatic garage opener still an upgrade in 2016)
Kitchen, and Butler Pantry1. Extend island to 1.4x2.5m. Caeserstone Alpine Mist 20mm with waterfall sides. Cabinets on both sides of kitchen island
2. Organic white 20mm on kitchen rear and Butler Pantry bench tops
3. Overhead cabinets with glass panel
4. 900mm gas stove
5. Appliance tower in Butler Pantry
6. 2PAC (whisper white) with deep reverse beveled panel and soft close throughout
7. Cold water tap to fridge space
Ensuite, Bathroom, and Powder1. Fully frameless shower (with no door)
2. Rail shower head
3. Additional rain overhead shower head, and freestanding bath in Ensuite
4. Wall mounted vanity
5. 2 PAC (whisper white) with deep reverse beveled edge panel with soft close, and Organic white (20mm) stone benchtop
6. Tap mounted on mirror
7. Stylus Banksia cistern with soft close lid
8. Show tiled to ceiling and shower niche
Electrical1. Ducted vacuum
2. Ducted aircon (included as part of ultimate house warming promotion). Extra aircon controller
3. Upgraded to gas HWS after adding third shower in powder room
4. Cat 6 cabling throughout (the cost of this was highway robbery from Stratus)
Things For Post Handover1. Driveway
2. Fence
3. Retaining wall
4. Carpet and tiles
5. Upgrade light batten throughout to LED downlight post
6. Install fireplace in living room
7. Decking in outdoor room and front portico
8. Landscaping
9. Pool
Very good upgrades looking forward to follow your journey. All the best. Please post floor plans .
We put our first deposit with Metricon back in October 2015 with a price lock for 1 year. We selected Metricon Phoenix 38MR because we were looking for master in the rear as we have good view towards the rear of our Lot. Builders nowadays have limited choices of plan with a master in the rear. Unfortunately we had to drop the Phoenix when Metricon's drafting dept couldn't move the ensuite in order to make the WIR larger. We visited Merricks 38 display home at Sunshine Coast and fell in love with it.
We took our time with the process as we locked in our prices for a year till September 2016. Locking in the prices was a good move because Metricon had 3 price increases between our initial deposit and contract signing. We also got the Ultimate Home Warming package for free (as a special offer to put the initial deposit by end of October 2015). The package included $35K M-Studio spend and 8 zone Fujitsu ducted air conditioner.
Our SC was absolutely fantastic. She was always upfront with the prices (including prices of M-Studio items which you normally wouldn't get to know the price of your selections until after the M-Studio appointment). She understood our wishes and put realistic provisions for siteworks, electricals, and tiles such that our final contract price (including variations) was $3000 less than the preliminary contract. Yup. Saved $3000. PM me if you want a referral.
Our land was supposed to settle in August 2016 which meant we had to get all paperwork done with Metricon before the end of the price lock in September. However the developer was delayed due to an error by one of their subcontractor who built a retaining wall on council land instead of my Lot. The developer ended up buying the land under the retaining wall from the council and adding it to my Lot which increased my Lot size by 12m2. This change resulted in 3 month delay on settlement while the developer went through the council processes.
That's where my CSC stepped up. She got my price lock extended without any penalty so I wasn't affected by the price increases. My CSC was a gem. She would reply to my emails within an hour and never dropped the ball.
I had a bit of drama with getting council approval for a minor alteration. Council wanted the neighbour's consent before approving it but the developer wouldn't handover the neighbour's contact details citing privacy. I had to wait for the land to settle before getting the neighbour's contact from council. It was sorted in the end.
My site work started on 7th December 2016. My site manager is pretty good. He managed to schedule everything and lay the slab (and send me the invoice) right before Christmas shutdown.
Overall, I am extremely happy with Metricon's admin process. My advise to you is to try to include everything you want in the preliminary contract including M-Studio selection items. The reason is when base price increases, so does all prices of modifications and M-Studio items. For example, I visited M-Studio during the preliminary stage and added the shower head that I wanted in the preliminary contract. During M-Studio, I added an additional shower head which costed $20 more than the price of the same shower head in the preliminary contract. I found the same issue with stacker doors which increased by $130. Pricing department later honoured the old price when I protested. Remember that it's always easier to remove items if you don't want them.
Congrats your Build sounds fantastic! Looking forward to following your journey.
What exterior colours and tiles have you chosen?
Love the huge WIRs in your master! Great idea.
Great floor plan, I really like your changes and the upgrades! Will be following your build:-)
Nice, another QLD Metricon build! Where abouts are you building?
Nice, another QLD Metricon build! Where abouts are you building?
I am building at Brookwater.
Nice, another QLD Metricon build! Where abouts are you building?
I am building at Brookwater.
Nice! Lots of Metricon Display homes out that way.
Nice! Lots of Metricon Display homes out that way.
Absolutely. I just saw Metricon's tweet that they have opened a new Metricon display home at Brookwater called Allure 48 with void over front door and dining area. The floor plan looks interesting. I will check it when I visit my site.
NabeelC | Metricon Merricks 38 |
http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=86276
Squeekkkk!!!! I got framed. Metricon elves have been busy
How exciting! That view looks amazing! ?
I want to take a picture of all the frames for record so that I know where the studs and noggins are. Does anyone have any tips on how they keep the photos so that they are easy to reference later?
NabeelC | Metricon Merricks 38 | Queensland
http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=86276
I want to take a picture of all the frames for record so that I know where the studs and noggins are. Does anyone have any tips on how they keep the photos so that they are easy to reference later?
NabeelC | Metricon Merricks 38 | Queensland
http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=86276Number the walls on your plan the number the photos to match. Note that they may change parts of the wall cut some out put extra timber etc.
Received the frame invoice. Only one issue with frame which will be my next post. Need your advise on that.
View from the family room in the back to the front doorView out the rear from the family roomPicture window in kitchenPicture window from the master in the rear NabeelC | Metricon Merricks 38 | Queensland
http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=86276
Issue with framing. Need your advise.
I put a 1.5m niche next to the front entrance. The purpose of the niche is to make the stud walls 1.5m apart so that I can install an aquarium flush with the wall similar to below
The other side of the niche is the garage which is where I will put the filtration systems etc.
The issue is the framers put up a second stud wall which is back to back with the stud wall of the niche. The stud on the back wall are smack in the middle of the niche which means I can't install the aquarium. See picture below.
Should I make Metricon fix the back stud wall now? It's a load bearing wall which is bearing the weight of the roof. Will they charge me $1500 admin fee? Should I refuse to pay the admin fee because I have email trail specifically asking the studs to be 1.5m apart and I told them I would be installing an in-wall aquarium. Will it cost me less than $1500 if I get it done by a contractor post handover?
NabeelC | Metricon Merricks 38 | Queensland
http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=86276
Do you have the plans to share? If you have enough in emails then you could discuss it with SM quickly to see if they are happy to just do it for you without all the admin.
Do you have more pictures of the area to share? Love the idea problem for me was that my garage is a step down one so it would have been really high in the garage! Also be careful of the weight on the slab make sure the rack for the tank has weight spread out.
My Journey
H1 thread |
viewtopic.php?f=31&t=77665
Do you have the plans to share? If you have enough in emails then you could discuss it with SM quickly to see if they are happy to just do it for you without all the admin.
Do you have more pictures of the area to share? Love the idea problem for me was that my garage is a step down one so it would have been really high in the garage! Also be careful of the weight on the slab make sure the rack for the tank has weight spread out.
I will talk to my site manager and see what happens. I will keep you posted. I do have enough email with my requirement and their acknowledgement. If only I knew that 140mm frame means two 70mm back to back, then I would have gotten two niche back to back. Lessons learnt. Good tip about the weight. I will be sure to put the aquarium on wide planks to spread the weight.
Here's my plan. The niche for the aquarium is under the stairs (stairs is open stringer). Also more pictures of the niche from different angles.
The niche from the garage sideThe niche on the planMy planNabeelC | Metricon Merricks 38 | Queensland
http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=86276