Browse Forums Building A New House Re: First Build Experience -GJ 42Jul 23, 2016 12:47 pm Are they LED downlights? If so, 2 is plenty in the bedrooms. I did them in diagonals also so I could add the other 2 later if I want and it looks even to start with. With your master bedroom, maybe check where you will put your bed as I don't want someone turning on the lights while you right under then looking up as they are very bright. We put ours on the foot end of our bed and then used pendant lights to hang down above our bedsides. However we were not going to go with pendants (that become DH's 40th bday present) and just use our bedside lamps like we do now - we rarely use the main light in our bedroom. With your garage hallway - have you thought about 2 way switches? This way you can turn it on just outside the garage when you get home to walk inside and then have another switch near the kitchen to turn them off without having to go back to near the garage to switch it off and walk in the dark back. Otherwise I think it looks fine. Did you want any lights in your eaves for outside lighting? Or using them with a sensor for security? Just a suggestion. ~Shellby~ GJ Bridgewater 203 11/3/2016 - Site Work Started 29/9/2016 - Handover 142 Work Days 6 Work Days Over https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=80174 Re: First Build Experience -GJ 43Jul 25, 2016 5:20 pm Thanks for the input again Shelby We are finally past land settlement! Now to get past build and get things moving along. I'm not sure about pendants, I think my tastes woild change too quick to choose a design and stick with it, so I'll just have downlights throughout. Theg are 10w led downlights according to specifications. Re outside lighting I was just going to go with sensor lights but it would look nice lit up specially will do some investigation into what would work on the front of the house and possibly sides. Do you just use the standard downlights or is there a special outdoor type? Re: First Build Experience -GJ 44Jul 25, 2016 9:57 pm We placed LED downlights in the eaves - same ones as inside. Then we have a small sensor in certain spots to pick up and turn certain lights on. Not the type you see on flood lights but smaller modern looking ones. We then have a internal override switch, so we can turn the lights on and leave them on when we want to go outside or use the backyard at night, then you just switch the normal switch off and it goes into sensor mode. We did this with our current house, but with floodlights. It works great when I get home late and wanting to get clothes off the line. ~Shellby~ GJ Bridgewater 203 11/3/2016 - Site Work Started 29/9/2016 - Handover 142 Work Days 6 Work Days Over https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=80174 Re: First Build Experience -GJ 45Jul 26, 2016 5:12 pm shellby We placed LED downlights in the eaves - same ones as inside. Then we have a small sensor in certain spots to pick up and turn certain lights on. Not the type you see on flood lights but smaller modern looking ones. We then have a internal override switch, so we can turn the lights on and leave them on when we want to go outside or use the backyard at night, then you just switch the normal switch off and it goes into sensor mode. We did this with our current house, but with floodlights. It works great when I get home late and wanting to get clothes off the line. Yes that would be awesome to light up the side walkways of a night when out hanging washing or putting bins out. Will see how our allowances are going for leds We are getting the bathroom made slightly bigger as we have a longer bath put in and was always part of our specifications and told it would fit fine only to be told today it wouldn't and we would have to downgrade. So safe to say we won't be downsizing the bath but the room is being widened to allow for it (at their cost) Re: First Build Experience -GJ 46Aug 03, 2016 10:00 pm We have council approval! Now just waiting for the broker to pick up their game for the final portion of our finance and we can get started on this process. In the meantime thinking about our external colour scheme, we have the actual appointment next week with Gj to see what their options are but we were thinking a dark brick, off white mortar and dark tiles on the roof, for the front door and garage door I am a bit stuck between a white or grey and timber? Timber will be a bit more expensive i think but might soften the house and make it more "rainforesty" but the white would be more modern. I will be planting lots of lush green plants around the front hopefully so will soften it a bit but what are others thoughts on combinations? Re: First Build Experience -GJ 47Aug 03, 2016 10:00 pm We have council approval! Now just waiting for the broker to pick up their game for the final portion of our finance and we can get started on this process. In the meantime thinking about our external colour scheme, we have the actual appointment next week with Gj to see what their options are but we were thinking a dark brick, off white mortar and dark tiles on the roof, for the front door and garage door I am a bit stuck between a white or grey and timber? Timber will be a bit more expensive i think but might soften the house and make it more "rainforesty" but the white would be more modern. I will be planting lots of lush green plants around the front hopefully so will soften it a bit but what are others thoughts on combinations? Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This is a rough guide of colour scheme I was thinking. Re: First Build Experience -GJ 48Aug 03, 2016 10:03 pm Note this is not my house design just an online tool to visualise colour schemes so my plan will be different and gardens and no timber screening on windows Re: First Build Experience -GJ 49Aug 04, 2016 6:35 am Yay for council approval!! I am biased, I love dark brick houses!! So it's looks great!! We are having a dark brick with off mortar. We choose Boral Blue Rio from group 2 and it was about $3500 to upgrade, off white mortar was $1100 to upgrade. We also got a timber look garage door which was $570 from memory. It all adds up quick next thing I knew $20k in upgrades Make sure you take lots of pics of your selections!! I am glad I did because I can't remember take the stuff I chose GJ Gardner Modified Coolum 277 viewtopic.php?t=83643 First Build Experience -GJ 50Aug 04, 2016 6:39 am I love dark bricks too My personal fav is dark bricks, timber front door and garage door, and then if you're using another feature colour somewhere I would use that at 1/4 strength for the eaves(only of its a light colour though!). Just so that the whole theme ties together. And I'm a huge believer in matching roofing colour with the fascia and gutters too Cannot wait to see your selections!!!! Re: First Build Experience -GJ 51Aug 04, 2016 7:27 am charlibear Yay for council approval!! I am biased, I love dark brick houses!! So it's looks great!! We are having a dark brick with off mortar. We choose Boral Blue Rio from group 2 and it was about $3500 to upgrade, off white mortar was $1100 to upgrade. We also got a timber look garage door which was $570 from memory. It all adds up quick next thing I knew $20k in upgrades Make sure you take lots of pics of your selections!! I am glad I did because I can't remember take the stuff I chose GJ Gardner Modified Coolum 277 viewtopic.php?t=83643 Waah didn't want to have to spend a lot to upgrade was there much choice in the standard range of bricks? Re: First Build Experience -GJ 52Aug 04, 2016 7:30 am fiat10 I love dark bricks too My personal fav is dark bricks, timber front door and garage door, and then if you're using another feature colour somewhere I would use that at 1/4 strength for the eaves(only of its a light colour though!). Just so that the whole theme ties together. And I'm a huge believer in matching roofing colour with the fascia and gutters too Cannot wait to see your selections!!!! Thanks Fiat not decided as yet on colours I guess it depends whats available, they said its the wattyl range but bunnings didn't have any paint cards of theirs so grabbed all the ones I liked from other ranges so hopefully they are similar or can make it up? Re: First Build Experience -GJ 53Aug 04, 2016 7:32 am Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ When I played around on the colourtech tool I liked this design cause it looks kind of girrafe like in the brick colours! My partner doesn't like it though and generally I'm not a fan of brown after living in too many boring rentals. So trying to keep it greys and whites so I can accesorise with colours. Re: First Build Experience -GJ 54Aug 04, 2016 7:37 am There was a grey brick called grey stone, we liked it but we like the blue rio more GJ Gardner Modified Coolum 277 viewtopic.php?t=83643 Re: First Build Experience -GJ 55Aug 04, 2016 7:40 am Inside our tile choices were these from when we went to the tile place originally but are booked in for the actual choices next week so they may change. Specifically the bronze tile feature I liked it but now I'm second guessing it as it will age quicker... Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: First Build Experience -GJ 56Aug 04, 2016 7:44 am So in the main bathroom will be the same grey floor tile as throughout the house, white wall tiles and the marble look hexagon tiles on the front of the bath and in the shower niche. The vanity will likely be gloss white with ceasarstone top, I wanted a light grey but they weren't sure on cost when I was there so will see when we go in, otherwise will be a white speck one like oceanfoam. Kitchen again depends on ceasarstone but will be gloss white cupboards, probably subway tiles colour dependent on the benchtop. Main house grey flooring tiled and bedrooms and media carpeted in a dark grey plush type. Re: First Build Experience -GJ 57Aug 04, 2016 7:48 am Thanks Charlibear we will probably go with the base range if theres similar styles we arent set on a colour but trying to keep the budget reasonable. This is our first house but most likely not our forever house so keeping figures down not to overcapitalise on the house but doing some main things like bigger wir, corner stacker doors, increased back living space, stone benchtops, extra linen etc Re: First Build Experience -GJ 58Aug 04, 2016 9:35 am A little late to the game here but I am also building a GJ in Townsville. I have to say we were able to modify ours several times without any issues, however the plan was pretty much how we liked it so we just tweaked it here and there by pulling out under the eaves and making our bedroom a tad bigger. We also had a small tile allowance, $25sqm however we also had an allowance for feature tiles in our budget of around $1000 as we didn't want to come unstuck during selections. We are actually vinyl planking the majority of the living areas so the tiles are for the three bathrooms, the pantry, patio, porch and kitchen splashback. The cheapest we found were on special offer for $33 in Beaumont however, as the company here pay a local interior designer to take you shopping she has links to all the shop assistants and provides a mass amount of sales. She walked in and asked if they could do the $33 tiles for $25 and there were no issues. Our flooring budget for vinyl was $65sqm however we ended up paying $70sqm however they should have been $79sqm. Carpet was our biggest issue we had $120per broadloom meter and ended up getting the childrens for $110 (basic carpet). But we overspent (didnt even dare look at cost). In total we ended up with a bill of around $1200 for extra flooring costs but we will pay that seperate to avoid 20% extra the builders have to charge if it goes through them. Have you signed contracts with GJ as if its anything like here where they need sales they should be working for you, not the other way round. We knew we'd overspend so did our selections prior to applying for finance and added in extra allowances so we didn't have a shock. Even with additions prior to this we ended up with a $4000 variations bill. Re: First Build Experience -GJ 59Aug 04, 2016 5:18 pm Thanks Townsvillebuyer, yeah we have signed contracts already, didn't get to see any selections, allowances etc until we got the contract and then they werelike thats it and yes we have a range. Went to the tile place they use and spoke with their designers who said the $25 tiles they do for $20 but thats all really. So maybe next week at the actual appointment they will give more benefits?.. Carpet, paints n brick no idea on selections or prices as they are done in gj office which we've only ever been to sign the contract so more like a workplace not somewhere you can just go visit to check it out Re: First Build Experience -GJ 60Aug 08, 2016 8:53 am So the brokers boss met with us to apologise for all the issues that have occurredand advised us because of the delays the banks first valuation expired so they ordered a 2nd one with a different company which came back lower by about 15k! So now they are trying to get them to revaluate and add some extra on there, he said he got gj to go in 5k and they will get them up 5k and then take some of the original brokers pay from bank to pay some and we come up with 1k. They wouldn't say timeframes or estimate for the process from now just that they'll call with an update on Wednesday. Frustrated because of the issues we had with the first guy being lazy we now have to deal with something that could have been avoided and is now costing us time and money. And considering we started this process months ago I just want to get started already, I recalculated the 32 week build time as per my contract and thats now looking like April 2017!! We'll never get there at this rate and theyre dragging out the time that we have to pay rent and the mortgage seems like a waste especially now to pay it as we can't do anything with the land. Can anyone give me some hope based on their experiences? 😩 So it seems like they just take on a lot of projects to get the cashflow for their own builds. COULDN'T AGREE MORE 14 45500 3 51784 I apologise for any confusion, but your understanding is correct. We approached our situation differently based on advice from… 11 54392 |