Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Dec 19, 2011 10:28 pm Hi all Like many of you I'm sure, I stumbled upon this forum and have become somewhat addicted to following other's building experiences. In turn I would like to do the same and I invite you to follow our blog (link at bottom) where I'll share our building journey and have links to photos and house plans etc. We have spent the past few weeks going back and forth with the builder making changes to the plans of "Bletchely Park" by Plunkett Homes. We would be interested to see what your thoughts are and open to suggestions on how to make it better. Hopefully you'll gain as much from of our journey as we have yours! Cheers Follow our build blog: http://buildingourhomeamongthegumtrees.blogspot.com/ Build thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=53131 Re: Building our new home among the gumtrees 2Dec 19, 2011 11:05 pm Living, your house is DIVINE!!!!! Nothing I would change at all. And I see what you mean about our bathrooms almost the same! How big is your house? It looks MASSIVE!!!! Your kitchen is amazing Re: Building our new home among the gumtrees 3Dec 20, 2011 2:37 pm Thanks chuffy The total area of the house (not including garage, verandahs and alfresco) is approximately 280m2 The kitchen is one of my favourite things about this house. I'm hoping to have a full glass panel along the wall behind the hotplate but it will depend on the cost as it will need to be custom made and thick enough to support the brickwork above. Fingers crossed they will come back to us with a reasonable price... The only other price that is still up in the air (subject to contour survey and levels) is to lower the footings and brickup along RHS of house as it will be right on the building envelope. Bit nervous about getting this cost $$$ - has anyone been quoted for something similar? Also, our rep said that the roof trusses must be steel because of the size of the home - is this the feedback everyone building in Bedfordale is getting? Follow our build blog: http://buildingourhomeamongthegumtrees.blogspot.com/ Build thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=53131 Re: Building our new home among the gumtrees 4Dec 21, 2011 8:13 pm Hmmm, we asked to have steel roofing for fire reasons and were told SPH doesn't do them as they cause too many problems with cracks, movement etc. We didn't look into it further. Half the houses up there have timber. Ours is also about 300m sq so can't see why yours would HAVE to have steel Forgot to say, love how you made your shower in bathroom bigger - wish I'd thought of that! I just saw another house plan that would look great on our block I should stop looking!! Re: Building our new home among the gumtrees 5Dec 23, 2011 3:23 pm Quote: Hmmm, we asked to have steel roofing for fire reasons and were told SPH doesn't do them as they cause too many problems with cracks, movement etc. We didn't look into it further. Half the houses up there have timber. Ours is also about 300m sq so can't see why yours would HAVE to have steel It's a bit strange how builders can differ so much. We were originally against having a steel roof as my parents' home has it and dad reckons it's not as safe to walk on while in the roof space and he believes it affects their phone reception too. Hubby came across this info on steel vs timber, we found it interesting and now feel more comfortable about having a steel roof: http://ownerbuilderadvice.com/steel-frame-vs-timber-frame/ Quote: love how you made your shower in bathroom bigger - wish I'd thought of that! Thanks chuffy, we didn't need a third linen cupboard so it just made sense to delete that one and make the shower bigger. And yes you definitely need to stop looking at other house plans lol, if your hubby is like mine he'd flip if he found out On another note, we are meeting with our sales rep this arvo to sign the preliminary agreement to get the site contour survey etc underway Follow our build blog: http://buildingourhomeamongthegumtrees.blogspot.com/ Build thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=53131 Re: Building our new home among the gumtrees 6Dec 23, 2011 9:44 pm Will have to have a read of that. Or maybe not - not much we can do now and I don't want to regret not looking into it Yay! How did your meeting go?? All signed up? We also have HEAPS of cupboard space (not complaining!) but kicking myself for not extending that shower! Ah well! Hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas Re: Building our new home among the gumtrees 7Dec 23, 2011 10:24 pm It's a good read, well at least we thought so anyway. Not too long either, I'm not much of a reader... Meeting went well thanks, the site contour survey and soil analysis will be done in second week of January. Not much I know, but a start anyway!! Don't kick yourself over the shower, like you said it's only for the kids and the occasional visitor, so no biggie. Plus it's probably handy to have more storage than you think you'll need. Who knows maybe we'll kick ourselves later for getting rid of that linen cupboard Thanks for the Chrissy wishes, hope you and your family have a lovely Christmas too Follow our build blog: http://buildingourhomeamongthegumtrees.blogspot.com/ Build thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=53131 Re: Building our new home among the gumtrees 8Dec 27, 2011 9:58 am Hi Living.... I'm a little late but WOW I am absolutely in love with your house plans!! I especially love where your laundry is - I didn't want my laundry in the middle of the bedrooms (as it may wake up the future kiddies if I am washing at night) but also wasn't too keen on having it come straight off the kitchen and you have solved both of these problems I haven't heard about needing a steel frame roof due to the size of the house. Ours is just over 370 total and its going to be timber framed. I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas, and I can't wait to follow your progress in the new year Our custom Gemmill Home in Bedfordale WA Build thread:https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=53788 Timeline on page 1 Re: Building our new home among the gumtrees 9Dec 28, 2011 7:16 pm Quote: I especially love where your laundry is - I didn't want my laundry in the middle of the bedrooms (as it may wake up the future kiddies if I am washing at night) This was one of my issues too then completely forgot about it until after we signed up for this house! But the kids are away a bit from it and the guest room will only be used a few times a year. As it is, I only do the washing when kids are awake as it wakes them. I remember my ex-stepmum used to put the washing machine on at 8am on a Sat morning when I was a teenager I would never do that to my kids! Living, glad the meeting went well and to getting your site stuff done. Gotta start somewhere! Re: Building our new home among the gumtrees 10Dec 28, 2011 10:08 pm Thanks SB and chuffy, yep the laundry being away from the kiddies bedrooms is a must. In our previous house the laundry was off the kitchen and away from the bedrooms which worked great! The original house plan had the laundry next to bedroom 2 so by relocating it to the other side of the house we could make the bedrooms a little bigger too Quote: I remember my ex-stepmum used to put the washing machine on at 8am on a Sat morning when I was a teenager I would never do that to my kids! My mum used to do the same to my brother and I too but it was payback for keeping them up all night till I got home (at least I can laugh about it now ) Looking forward to receiving the site contour survey results early in the new year so we can make some decisions with the earthworks... I'm expecting that the cost for the builder to build the supporting brickwork along the RHS of the house will be exxy so am now thinking to cut away the rock and fill with sand so the house will be on ground level. By doing this I'm sure there won't be any need for the supporting brickwork nor a retaining wall if we widen the building envelope a little as well. Not sure which way will work out cheaper Hubby says that we may have to build up anyway because of the septics so will need to look into this with the earthworks company. Follow our build blog: http://buildingourhomeamongthegumtrees.blogspot.com/ Build thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=53131 Re: Building our new home among the gumtrees 11Dec 30, 2011 3:45 pm Hello Livingthedream, Love your choice of house, but then I am a tad biased as I build 'The Caufield' by Plunkett last year and the 'Bletchley Park' from the outside is almost identical and from inside there are only a few differences. The Sales Rep, is a super fellow who will always do the right thing by you. I wish you luck on your building journey, Supergran Re: Building our new home among the gumtrees 12Dec 30, 2011 3:56 pm Love that plan LTD! Deemaree Kyndylan Capers: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=46852 My blog: http://www.sufficientlysufficient.blogspot.com/ Re: Building our new home among the gumtrees 13Dec 30, 2011 5:23 pm Hi Supergran and Dee! Thanks to everyone for all your lovely comments about our house plan so far, we have spent heaps of hours looking at it trying to make sure it will suit our lifestyle and beautiful surrounds. It is so reassuring to read your comments Supergran, you must have great taste!! Yes the Caulfield is very much the same as the Bletchley Park. Where did you build if you dont mind me asking? I've so many questions (sorry) - firstly, are you happy with the final product? Did everything run smoothly for you? Is there anything you would change in the house in hindsight? I would definitely love to hear about your build story!! Follow our build blog: http://buildingourhomeamongthegumtrees.blogspot.com/ Build thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=53131 Re: Building our new home among the gumtrees 14Dec 30, 2011 8:00 pm The only thing that I was thinking of later was if you moved the entrance to the master to come off the gallery, then the current alcove entry to the master could become another WIR-his & her robes! Deemaree Kyndylan Capers: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=46852 My blog: http://www.sufficientlysufficient.blogspot.com/ Re: Building our new home among the gumtrees 15Dec 30, 2011 9:08 pm Thats a gorgeous plan! Lovely kitchen my new build thread- Ben Trager https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=89826 my switch build thread (2011) https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=36569 Re: Building our new home among the gumtrees 16Dec 30, 2011 10:54 pm Quote: The only thing that I was thinking of later was if you moved the entrance to the master to come off the gallery, then the current alcove entry to the master could become another WIR-his & her robes! Thanks Dee, great suggestion! But one of the things that initially attracted us to this plan was that the master bedroom was tucked away, we walked through the display and nearly walked out without even seeing it Also, the WIR is huuuuge for what we need, my hubby has more clothes than me Thanks tinkster I had a quick squiz at your thread and loved the pics of your new home CONGRATULATIONS Was only thinking yesterday about whether to stick with the tiles for a splashback in the kitchen or go for glass (I think my original idea of having a long full panel window may look odd because of the rangehood) but after seeing how amazing yours looks I'm definitely going to get a quote on the glass splashback!! I'd also be interested to know how you find the glossy cupboard doors with finger prints - I love the look of them but with two toddlers it might be a nightmare trying to keep them sparkling Follow our build blog: http://buildingourhomeamongthegumtrees.blogspot.com/ Build thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=53131 Re: Building our new home among the gumtrees 17Dec 31, 2011 7:57 am Hello LTD, To answer your questions - A. - we had a 1 acre block in Maddington and this is where we were living before we built (in a very small cottage), so we sought special permission from the Gosnells Council to build our new home next to our old one so that we could stay on the property while the new home was built, then demolish the old place (it is now gone). We have therefore built the house down the block in the same way the display home was built (as you know it was on a corner block so both the fronts which face the road look attractive). This suited us as we have the main front door and verandah now facing out into what is going to be a lovely big garden area and the french doors facing the street - thus giving us more privacy. B. - We are more than happy with the final product - it's wonderful and everyone stops us to say how beautiful it is. C. - The problems we had came with our original Customer Service Rep, not with the build itself (tradies were great). The girl left a lot to be desired, made numerous mistakes and was generally found wanting in many areas. Whist we were with her it was a very stressful time. We eventually got assigned a new girl and she was brilliant. D. - The only thing that I would have changed is the laundry as it is just too small (that is what I liked about the Bletchley Park, the big laundry). Until you have everything in it you just don't realize how small it is. The changes we made were tiny ones really - internally we had 10 lite, french doors put on the lounge (Grand room) & the study as we have a lot of kiddies in and out of our house and they are the two rooms we wanted to be kid free. We also closed in our ensuite and added a door - that's all we changed. E. - My advice is to always keep a diary and write in it the day, date & time that you make contact with your Customer Service Rep by phone OR she contacts you and write down the basics of the conversation as it gives you the power to argue the point, if you are told one thing but down the track the advice given changes (believe me you WILL need to refer to it). Also whenever possible email your CSR - keep each email sent and the reply given in return. Supergran Re: Building our new home among the gumtrees 18Dec 31, 2011 10:32 pm Good advice to all Supergran!! I love your bedroom Living! Like a retreat. Also liked the idea of changing the door but if you don't need the extra space, don't bother! Happy New Year!!! Looking forward to the catch up x Re: Building our new home among the gumtrees 19Jan 01, 2012 3:08 pm Happy New Year everyone! Wow! Thanks for your detailed response Supergran, it's really appreciated Glad to hear that you are more than happy with your new home, although it's a shame about the CSR and all the stress you had until assigned a new one. I guess nothing ever runs smoothly 100% of the time. Great idea about getting a diary and making notes of conversations, will definitely be doing that. Emails are great too, I keep them all!! We have already put doors on the theatre room and now considering putting some doors on the study too as we have two tornado toddlers who I don't want in there! It would also help with heating/cooling the rest of the when these rooms are not in use. Chuffy, the bedroom will definitely be our retreat and strictly OUT OF BOUNDS for the kiddies, I'll make sure of it See you next week x Follow our build blog: http://buildingourhomeamongthegumtrees.blogspot.com/ Build thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=53131 Re: Building our new home among the gumtrees 20Jan 01, 2012 7:49 pm Hi All, First time ever on any forum but as a first time home builder faced with the huge decision that is external selections I will try anything.... My situation is building on a small infill bolck in an established area of 60's/70's brick houses and as such I want a house that is pretty classic and won't scream "built in 2012". The decision on colours is proving really difficult as I have seen some striking homes and colour schemes but I don't think they are well suited to my streetscape. And this won't be my permanent home and as such I am sticking with base range bricks/windows which as you no-doubt know doesn't provide the best options. So if anybody is keen to have a stab at colour advice please comment on my ideas. Brick - PHG Thredbo Roof - Shale grey (keen on a light colour) Gutter/facia - Shale grey Windows - White birch Some combination of above (or not) for garage door and posts to portico I hope somebody has some inspiration. Look forward to chatting. Jo Is it just a report written to give to the bank initially and it is based on what and how your payments are made up for, or is it a full service where they go out and… 2 5593 Hi Suku18 In NSW the statutory required insurances are: 1. HBCF ( Home Building Compensation Fund) - This is if the builder dies or goes broke. But this only covers 20%… 1 2692 "Losers" "humanity" "off time" "your" "top notch" "love symbol" Sounds like ponzo is done using other people's toilets 36 23834 |