Metricon - Chelsea 37

About to soon commence on the M Chelsea 37. with the Pagoda Facade

Upgrade from 33 square Chelsea to 37


Standard floorplan:



Outside View (our plan is flipped so garage is on left hand side):



Upgrades:

Externals:

* Cat 2 Classic Coal roof tiles
* Full Size 1200mm Door (no sidelight)
* Full brick infill above Windows/Doors
* Tasmanian Oak coverage to Portico
* Wood infills above Pillars
* Cedar wrap around bedroom 3
* Wooden Windows to Bed 3
* Wooden French Door to Bed 2 with landing outside room
* Concrete landing (to be tiled after handover) under Portico
* Garage Door in Contemporary Finish coloured with 'Monument'
* Similar colours to Pillars of Pagoda facade (note: Metricon do not recommend dark colours on render due to cracking etc. They will NOT warrant the work if its cracks
* Everyday Living - Leisure Bricks (they wanted $15K for a Cat 9 brick that we loved, tell em their dreaming)
* Black Matt Windows around house (where not wood)
* Wood colour is Charcoal across all Tasmanian Oak
* Full Wood rood coverage to Outdoor Room and Bricks
* Provision for outside Fan
* Cold water outlet and Gas Point on Outdoor room for full outdoor bbq



Internals

* Fully integrated Butlers pantry, with door that opens to Leisure room (with extra UM Sink and Shelving)
* Cat 1 Casarstone to kitchen and Pantry with Undermount Sink
* 900MM Franke Upright SS Cooker (integrated with oven and cooktop)
* 450*450mm tiles throughout house except bedrooms
* Bedrooms have Cat 3 Carpet with Purple Underlay
* Sitting and Family room Projection Screen wall
* Provision for Fireplace in Sitting Room (their option was in excess of $14K for a fireplace!)
* Frameless White Glazed doors to all robes
* Floor to ceiling tiles in Main Bathroom
* Freestanding Bath in main bathroom
* Window on top left hand side of Bed 1 removed (increase of wall space)
* Wine rack added to side of Fridge space
* Changed from 3x drawers to 2x large pot drawers on LHS of kitchen
* Additional Power Points to all areas (to be honest the standard design has a suprisingly large amount of them, and only $55 each additional)
* CAT 6 networking to all rooms and living areas, double ganged (a total of 20+ ports), I'm a IT Network admin so plenty of toys to play with
* Upgrades to Semi Inset sinks in all bathrooms
* Additional pendant lights in Bed 1, bed 3, powder room and 3x across top of bench in kitchen
* Additional linen cupboard between Master and Laundry space (as much as we love the plan, the storage space in the house is somewhat...lacking)
*Increase in Height to 2.55m. Originally was going to go with 2.7m but budgetory constraints means we had to drop back. (its around 6K just for the height increase, not including the extra to brick/doors etc)
* 90mm cove cornice to all areas


Finshed plan is somewhat like this:



Building on a 670m2 block, we are just on the edge of the allowed house vs land ratio, it wouldn't want to be any bigger or we wouldn't pass CDC

All plans have been finalised, just waiting on a start date now. Apparantly (though with all the spin they weave I don't know if this is true) they should be able to start relatively soon as the plans have been mostly approved (yet I don't see anything on the Council DA tracker )

Once things get underway, proper pictures will come

The whole process so far, whilst being tiring has actually been pretty good. The only main issue I have had with M so far has been cost of upgrades and also the time to get Variation pricing back, theres a real lack of urgency on their part which is odd..

Where are you building?
I am building the 33 in Brisbane construction started about 5 week ago can"t say construction has gone smoothly at all.
Will have to start a blog and we can compare standards or lack off.

Building in Oran Park, NSW

Construction hasn't started as yet, but fingers crossed it goes smoothly. We haven't massively changed the design etc around and the block we have is nice and flat and free of issues, so hopefully no massive site problems.

I love the Chelsea design. It was my favourite for years. Can’t wait to see your build. Is Bed 2 going to be a home office with those doors?


Building our first custom dream home. https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?share_ ... are_type=t

Nah it will be one of my siblings rooms, he's a smoker so it will be good for him to just be able to pop out when he wants one, plus its the 2nd biggest room and he has alot of tech and PC stuff so needs the extra space.

OK so we have hit a bit of a snag...Ill run this buy anyone seeing this to see if anyone has been in the same situation.

When the block of land was purchased both purchasers went in 50/50 as tenants in common, pretty normal proposition.

Problem is, the building contract only has Party A on it and not Party B, now CDC are having a hissy and want the titles to be changed to reflect only Party A having ownership over the Land. Problem is to do any kind of alternation to the Title not only causes legal issues potentially it also raises the spectre of Stamp Duty (which has already been paid in full, with no excemptions) on the land.

I've since gone back to M to request that instead of the Title being changed that the Contract is amended to suit, so far haven't heard back.

All the legal advice i've received says the same thing, from Department of Lands, through to Lawyers and Conveyencers, it much better to change the contract instead of the Titles. I will be digging my heels in over this one and not budging, I wont change the Title to suit M.

Stupid thing is, we asked about the Contract being in 2 names and was always told its not a big deal to add another party later, not to mention M have had in their possession the Titles and Section 64 cert etc for the last 6 months, now on the eve of approval it suddenly becomes an issue. It seems M'd due diligence is severely lacking and they are simply trying to palm off their ineptitude to us...

Not sure if anyone has been in a similar situation?

Never mind! All got sorted with a Deed of Assignment.

Called their bluff and they folded. Now the approval should be done in a few days and hopefully construction starts soon.

Some pics of the land:

Final CDC approval came through today. M just now need our block cleared (theres 3 pallets of roof files from a build next door) and fingers crossed they can start Construction.

I'm really hoping they can get the slab down before Xmas so it gets a really long curing time, but I won't be counting my chickens

Final plans have all been signed off and all final variations done.

Handed over the block to Construction yesterday, apparently M's tradies come back middle of Jan when they will start cutting and forming etc. (fingers crossed)

3 weeks or so and the fun begins!

Update 2018:


The block has had a haircut!










Plumbing and surveying is due to happen over the weekend and early next week.

Slab frame up and pour is 'supposedly' to be end of next week.

Met the SM today, really honest guy (in fact so honest if his CM was there he'd probably be getting a stern talking too hahaha), remains to be seen how he will go but he seems good so far.

Make sure the plumber gets his pipes in the right room. You don"t want one in your front bed room like me and the toilet in wrong position. (not happy)
Good Luck

Already got my independant inspectors booked. Im also only 5min away from it, so will be going there every day

I've memorised that plan so well id could probably build the thing myself blindfolded...

How that happened with your's is very bizzare indeed...

Update 18-01

Nearly first full week, so far the following:

* Site leveled and cut
* Temp fencing installed and toilet
* Piers drilled and filled with concrete

Counted over 55 piers, amazed there are so many.

Hopefully we didnt hit rock (our SM never called us and said we did) as we have a $5K provision for slab works if needed. Naturally like to get this back if we in the clear.

Hoping by the end of week/saturday, plumbing and electrical slab work is in and the slab formation is done. The slab itself I cant see being done till next week.

Some more pics:

Todays efforts

All waffle pods and rio installed

And were off to a great start.....not

Slab was supposed to get poured late last week, didn't happen.

It got moved to Monday, go up there 10min ago, and again...nothing.

No phone call, no update, nothing. Not happy Jan.

Slab party anyone?

Congrats. Make sure you get the inspector to check the Concrete slab is level and poured within tolerance.

It might be an extra inspection but if the slab is not level, You’ll have a ton of issues, especially with flooring installation.

Already done, inspection booked for tomorrow

Update:

So we have half a frame up now, no roof truss has been put on yet.

The majority of the house frame got done over a week ago (Saturday week) and since then nothing.......They are however missing the frame for the projection wall in the main living area, and the framing for the sliding doors in the sitting room. They have also knocked out noggins left right and centre for no reason (my inspector will have a field day over that one). I will give them one things, and that is the sides etc of the frames are dead straight and aligned, so a small positive.

We were told they were supposed to put the roof work on today, again...nothing.

One of the suppliers has also decided to drop off one of the over $6500 bifolds, and just leave them exposed to the elements, no plastic covering, nothing over the glass, no protection at all. The frame was left in the garage area, but half in a pool of water.

Kinda getting over it already, its not so much the fact that nothing is getting done, its the 'it will be done this day' and yet nothing happens that drives me up the wall.

If those bifolds get damaged from the weather, we wont be accepting them and M can replace them. As usual the left arm doesnt know what the right arm is doing.

Another day another lost opportunity....

Tuesday was supposed to get the roof truss on, nothing.

Spoke with SM, was told that it would happen Thursday. Go up there, nothing again.

Has the hide to tell us on Tuesday to 'not go up there'...umm I don't think so. We are only 5min away and will be there every damned day.

Can only hope they go there this afternoon, but I seriously doubt it.

Not happy Jan.

How hard is it to do what you say?