After a year of lurking and occasional posts, it is now time for me to start a thread.
October 2009 - John decided that it was time to get a bigger and better house. After investigating what we could afford in loan repayments, stamp duty etc etc, we decided building a new home was the way to go. I found our block of land in "The Point" at Noarlunga Downs, SA.
November 2009 - Found our original house design and fell in love - The Rochester with Hickinbotham Homes. Paid a deposit on the house with them and put a hold on the land. Put our house on the market.
December 2009 - Paid land deposit. Got first working drawings of the house.
January 2010 - Made some changes to the design of house. Got house and land contracts finalised.
February 2010 - Final working drawings of house. Settlement of land delayed to mid march. Sold house.
March 2010 - Moved to my dad's rental house in with my brother. Land settlement delayed to mid April.
April 2010 - Land settlement delayed to June.
June 2010 - FINALLY got land settlement, block surveyed etc
July 2010 - Day before scheduled selections appt, after much hassling, got engineering report etc and variation for $25k, plus informed that we would need 2.4m retaining walls at an approximate cost of $30k+. Suggestions of modifications to plan etc toyed with, selections made.
August 2010 - Options for modifications exhausted as even best case scenario continued to result in minimum $30k increase in costs. Sent contour plan off to multiple builders, interviews with new builders, visiting display homes etc etc. Settled on Modified Regent with Oakford Homes. Paid deposit to Oakford. Withdrew Hickinbotham contract.
September 2010 - Plans finalised with Oakford. Selections appointments with all the suppliers. Final builders interview.
October 2010 - Plans lodged with council. Engineering report received. Footing variations received (UNDER PC allowances - YAY).
November 2010 - Final variations finalised.
NOW - Wednesday did our construction loan application, now awaiting pre approval for this. Rang Oakford yesterday as the council website still said awaiting further information (frame and truss layouts and builders indemnity). They had received framing weeks ago but were waiting on the insurance. Requested they speak to council. Council happy to accept the request for insurance and payment for it as proof until certificate received. So the framing and request for insurance has now gone to council and we are at the building surveyor stage. People next door to us went to surveyor on 28/10 and had final approval by 4/11 so hopeful that things are as quick for us. We were expecting to be IN our new house for this Christmas when we signed up 13 months ago, but alas, not to be. So at least having full approval by this Christmas will be a jolly good start. We have planning approval, encumberance approval and building approval, so just the surveyor and final approval to go. Cant wait for this pre construction journey to end and move forward in 2011 to actually BUILDING our first home (previous house was his, this will be OURS). I am so excited and just cant wait.
Here is my son with or block before they had finished with the filling!!
Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅