Browse Forums Building A New House 1 May 25, 2012 12:38 pm I finally feel confident enough that we are going to go ahead with this builder that I can finally start my own thread. It's been a bit of a whirl wind, going from a custom build (realising that was too expensive), then going to a double storey (realising that was too expensive) to a single storey. Just a bit of quick background info, we bought our block in the Providence Estate in Greenvale in September 2011 and it settled in December 2011. We picked the Lexington Lux Q1 for several reasons. It fits on our block and still leaves a decent amount of backyard, we got a really good "feel" when we looked at it and all the rooms are a decent size. We have gone for the "Classique" Facade with Part Render (Estate Requirement) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ We have so far been through the process of doing our colour selections and we had our Tender Appt on Wednesday, and surprisingly with all the structural changes and upgrades we made it still came below our budget! Here is a pic of our "modified" house plan The structural changes we made were: * removed the bath and side window in the ensuite and put in a “Man-robe” * Relocated the main WIR door to behind the door to the Master bedroom (so we can still utilise that wall in the Master Bedroom for tall boy etc). * Extended our butlers pantry to line up with the wall of the WC (making Butlers pantry 470mm deeper * Extended the Linen in the laundry to go the whole length of the wall. * Inserted a additional Linen closet in the back hallway * Extended the “nib” (the little thing that breaks up the entrance foyer from the living) to match the one on the same wall as the study (this is so we can put in a door down the track, if we wanted to). Surprisingly the structural changes didn't come to much, under $2K (we must've had a good estimator). What is costing us a nice $20K is the "foundations & footings", plus things like connections, earthworks, coucil requirements & estate guideline / convenant requirements are adding on another $10K. Re: Our H3NL3Y Lexington Lux Q1 Build - Colours & Upgrades 2May 25, 2012 1:11 pm Colours & Upgrades We had our colour appoint on Thursday 10th May - what a nightmare! I thought I had gone in "prepared", but after another visit on the Saturday after our appointment, and a very lengthy email to our admin person this is what we decided on, this also includes our upgrades etc. External: Bricks - Boral Jarrah (would've LOVED Daniel Robertson Red Blend but couldn't afford it) Mortar - Natural, rolled Render - Arava & Russian Toffee Roof Tiles - Bristile Designer in Phoenix (black) Gutters & Fascias - Ebony Downpipes - Merino Aluminium Windows - Merino Garage Door - Slimline in Colorgrain Caoba Front Door - Double Door stained in Merbau *6 junction boxes for future outdoor lights Internal Walls - Beige Royal Quarter Ceiling - Lexicon Quarter Woodwork & Doors - Beige Royal Quarter Tiles - Grey Polished Porcelain (Cat 3) with Alabaster Grout to whole house except for Master Bedroom, WIR, Study, Bedrooms & Theatre. Carpet - we will be doing ourselves. Architraves / Skirtings - Heritage Cornice - 75mm Cove *Flyscreens to all openable windows *Aluminium sliding door to back in Merino *Double cylinder deadbolts to laundry, garage and garage/ internal access *upgraded to 5 star heater *ducted vacuum Room by Room Master Bedroom *privacy lock *moved entrance to main WIR Ensuite Vanity in Nocturne Oak Laminex with Cocoa Fudge (Cat 2) CaeserStone Wall tiles - Gloss Ivory with Alabaster Grout *added doors to ensuite *vanity option to have 3 draws *privacy lock *manrobe *frosted window *extra powerpoint on otherside of vanity (could only be done bc we moved the bath) Study *added doors to study Kitchen Kitchen cupboards in Hazelnut Wood Crystal Gloss laminex with Ice Snow (Cat 1) CaeserStone Splashback - Hogs Bristle *Underbench oven with draw underneath *Double sink *Overhead cupboards *Microwave Tower *2x sets of 3 uneven pot draws *3 even draws ILO microwave space *Cold water tap in fridge space Butler's Pantry *sliding cavity door *removed all shelving (we will fit out ourselves) Laundry Cupboards in Laminex Nocture Oak with Laminex Natural Quartz Benchtop Wall tiles - Bone White with Alabaster Grout *extended Linen to whole of wall *Benchtop with Broom Cupboard *High doors to linen cupboards *soundproofed common wall between Laundry & Bedroom 2 *double trough Dining *door to dining / rear hallway Hallway *extra Linen with highdoors Bedrooms *high doors to wardrobes Bathroom Vanity in Nocturne Oak with Cocoa Fudge (Cat 2) CaeserStone Wall tiles - Gloss Ivory with Alabaster Grout *privacy lock *frosted window *added heating duct Powder Room Cocoa Fudge (Cat 2) CaeserStone Wall tiles - Gloss Ivory with Alabaster Grout *soundproofed common wall between Powder room & dining room *privacy lock Theatre Room *soundproofed Almost forgot, here are a couple of non-chargable changes we made during our Tender *relocated garden tap from side of house (near laundry) to back of house *relocated heating duct in Bed 4 which would've been right over child's bed to near the window (like the other bedrooms) I'm pretty sure that covers everything... Re: Our H3NL3Y Lexington Lux Q1 Build - Providence - Greenva 3May 26, 2012 2:36 pm Got our Colour & Upgrade appointment next week, must admit going in a bit blind to it all, due to currently residing in Perth. Missus has been over to Melbourne plenty of times and has a 'rough' plan. We're building the Lexington Q2 with the front 'flipped' due to the building covents. Gone for the upgrades. Classique Facade with wood mouldings & face brick to piers. Colourbond roof - err.....I thinks it's cobolt blue is something like that, basically a 'gunmetal' colour - sorta (same but different). Got a side Alfresco - plan change to suit block. Cornerless sliding doors to Alfresco. Raised Ceilings. Extra width garage (include window). Mirror sliding doors to bedrooms 2, 3, & 4. Butlers pantry window. French doors to study and theatre room. 5 Star heating upgrade (had a fireplace but got rid of it). Refridgerated cooling. Ceaserstone benchtops. Luxury Electrical Pack. So, the actual colours and finetuning of fittings et al will be next week, so don't quite know what to expect, but should be fun with a few angry glares from the missus. Re: Our H3NL3Y Lexington Lux Q1 Build - Providence - Greenva 4May 28, 2012 8:55 am Hi Reccymech, have you started your own thread?? Would love to see your plans! Yes the colour appointment can be very interesting, in my opinion 4 hrs is definitely not enough. I had all of my Laminex and bench top colours picked out before we got there, so I thought I was pretty organised since they are a pretty big feature. It was the tiles that killed us though... we felt so rushed that we just picked any. I went home that night and dreamt about tiles because I wasn't happy with what we had chosen. So we went back to Cosham a couple of days later and it took us TWO HOURS just to pick our floor and wall tiles. Re: Our H3nl3y Lexington Lux Q1 Build - Providence - Greenva 5May 28, 2012 9:10 am Picture of our Exterior & Interior Colours As a recap Bricks - Boral Jarrah Mortar - Natural, rolled Render - Arava & Russian Toffee Roof Tiles - Bristile Designer in Phoenix (black) Gutters & Fascias - Ebony Downpipes - Merino Aluminium Windows - Merino Garage Door - Slimline in Colorgrain Caoba Front Door - Double Door stained in Merbau These are our Original Interior Colour Selections (I didn't take a picture of our new selection, as I was so over it by then). The things that have changed from this picture are our floor & wall tiles and kitchen CaesarStone colour. Walls - Beige Royal Quarter Ceiling - Lexicon Quarter Woodwork & Doors - Beige Royal Quarter Tiles - Grey Polished Porcelain (Cat 3) with Alabaster Grout Kitchen - Crystal Gloss Laminex in Hazelnut Wood with Ice Snow Benchtop and Hogs Bristle splashback Bathroom / Ensuite / Powderoom - Nocture Oak Laminex with Cocoa Fudge CaesarStone & Ivory Gloss wall tiles with Alabaster Grout Laundry - Nocture Oak Laminex with Natural Quartz Laminex Benchtop and Bone White tiles with Alabaster Grout (wall tiles are the same as in the above picture) Re: Our H3NL3Y Lexington Lux Q1 Build - Providence - Greenva 7May 29, 2012 3:09 pm wow PolkaDots - impressive house like ours! Follow JK's Lexington build: http://thehotdogdog.blogspot.com/ Roofing: 22/11 (current) Frame: 9/11 - 21/11 (9 days) Slab: 3/11 (1 day) Trenching: 26/10 - 2/11 (5 days) Contract Signed: 4/10 Re: Our H3NL3Y Lexington Lux Q1 Build - Providence - Greenva 8May 30, 2012 11:19 am Reccymech Well, this Friday - 1st June, the magic happens. Going to Cosham. Already, sorta got the colours & fittings squared away. Will give an update once it's done. Good Luck!!! Don't feel pressured by the time constraint... it's your house and your money, just make a second colour appointment if you have to! ruby22 - I've been following your build thread and blog - was very jealous about your bricks, if our tender just came in a couple of $K's less we would've got them. P.S. - I think I remember you saying you got a free driveway out of them? how did you negotiate this?? Feel free to PM me. Re: Our H3NL3Y Lexington Lux Q1 Build - Providence - Greenva 9May 30, 2012 7:30 pm I'll PM you Follow JK's Lexington build: http://thehotdogdog.blogspot.com/ Roofing: 22/11 (current) Frame: 9/11 - 21/11 (9 days) Slab: 3/11 (1 day) Trenching: 26/10 - 2/11 (5 days) Contract Signed: 4/10 Re: Our H3NL3Y Lexington Lux Q1 Build - Providence - Greenva 10Jun 04, 2012 8:25 am Reccymech Well, this Friday - 1st June, the magic happens. Going to Cosham. Already, sorta got the colours & fittings squared away. Will give an update once it's done. So... how did it go?? Re: Our H3NL3Y Lexington Lux Q1 Build - Providence - Greenva 11Jun 06, 2012 5:56 pm I'll try and be brief, sorta like an Executive Summary as follows: Externals: Austral - Homestead Redgum Mortar joints - Off white Alu Windows - Merino Garage Door - Colourgrain Classic Cedar Front Door - Dark Oak Roof - Sheetmetal - Monolith (sorta gunmetal) Flashing/capping - Jasmin Brown External Paint (Dulux): Front Door Frame - Hog Bristle 1/4 Door/s (timber) - Dark Oak Eaves - Natural White Render - Corral Decorative Mouldings - Self destruct AlFresco beam/s - Monolith Internal paint (Dulux): Walls - Hog Bristle Ceil/Cornice - Natural White Skirtings/Architraves - Hog Bristle 1/4 Internal Stained Doors - Dark Oak Kitchen Finishes: CaesarStone - Creme Brule Base Cabinets - Bronzeworks Overheads - Satin Heartwood Bathroom & Ensuite: Base Cabinets - Bronzeworks Caesarstone - Linen Tiles/Splashback: Splashback - Coral on Starfire Wall Tiles - Stone Ivory (Glazed Porcelain) Floor Tiles - Mocha (Glazed Porcelain) Timber Floor - Pyrenees Oak Carpet (Cat 3) - Classic ........and breathe in. Brief I know, but gives you some idea of what we went with. Re: Our H3NL3Y Lexington Lux Q1 Build - Providence - Greenva 12Jun 13, 2012 2:28 pm Reccymech I'll try and be brief, sorta like an Executive Summary as follows: Externals: Austral - Homestead Redgum Mortar joints - Off white Alu Windows - Merino Garage Door - Colourgrain Classic Cedar Front Door - Dark Oak Roof - Sheetmetal - Monolith (sorta gunmetal) Flashing/capping - Jasmin Brown External Paint (Dulux): Front Door Frame - Hog Bristle 1/4 Door/s (timber) - Dark Oak Eaves - Natural White Render - Corral Decorative Mouldings - Self destruct AlFresco beam/s - Monolith Internal paint (Dulux): Walls - Hog Bristle Ceil/Cornice - Natural White Skirtings/Architraves - Hog Bristle 1/4 Internal Stained Doors - Dark Oak Kitchen Finishes: CaesarStone - Creme Brule Base Cabinets - Bronzeworks Overheads - Satin Heartwood Bathroom & Ensuite: Base Cabinets - Bronzeworks Caesarstone - Linen Tiles/Splashback: Splashback - Coral on Starfire Wall Tiles - Stone Ivory (Glazed Porcelain) Floor Tiles - Mocha (Glazed Porcelain) Timber Floor - Pyrenees Oak Carpet (Cat 3) - Classic ........and breathe in. Brief I know, but gives you some idea of what we went with. Very nice! you must be glad it's all over! Re: Our H3NL3Y Lexington Lux Q1 Build - Providence - Greenva 13Aug 08, 2012 1:53 pm PolkaDots Reccymech Well, this Friday - 1st June, the magic happens. Going to Cosham. Already, sorta got the colours & fittings squared away. Will give an update once it's done. Good Luck!!! Don't feel pressured by the time constraint... it's your house and your money, just make a second colour appointment if you have to! ruby22 - I've been following your build thread and blog - was very jealous about your bricks, if our tender just came in a couple of $K's less we would've got them. P.S. - I think I remember you saying you got a free driveway out of them? how did you negotiate this?? Feel free to PM me. Just a VERY delayed update for those of you who were following this thread. So we went to Henley back in June to negotiate some freebies. We would've been happy with a driveway or aircon or a discount of some sort. After an initial "NO", and threats by us of pulling out, and two weeks of speaking with our Admin girls manager, Henley came back with.... NOTHING!! They let us walk away from a $294K tender. So now, our block of land in beautiful Providence is up for sale (which makes me sad) and so is our current home. With a second baby on the way in January, we are quickly outgrowing our 2 bedroom home and my 3 door Hyundai Excel. We thought it best to buy something established for now, so we could also afford a new car. In the end our build (including land) would've costed us close to $600K NOT including all the stuff that needed to be done after handover. So for now... our dream home will have to wait... Re: Our H3NL3Y Lexington Lux Q1 Build - Providence - Greenva 16Aug 13, 2012 11:29 am ch0p how much of a deposit had you given them to get to this stage? and are you able to get it back? We had already paid about $3K and no, we couldn't get it back. tengals wow, such a shame. what promo, inclusions did you already have in the deal? how did it compare to other builders prices and promo's/inclusions etc? When we signed, the promos we had were the Sumitomo and the $40,000 of upgrades, (which when you ask me didn't really include any "Luxury Upgrades" except for the Cesear Stone bench tops and tiled shower bases), all of our upgrades weren't included in the Promo, i.e. overhead cupboards, pot draws, high ceilings etc. Looking back we probably would've been better off with one of the promos that I know Big M have had when you get to choose what upgrades you want up to a certain value. Re: Our H3NL3Y Lexington Lux Q1 Build - Goodbye Providence 17Oct 15, 2012 1:55 pm We sold our land in Providence and settlement is on the 2nd November. It makes me so sad knowing that we aren't building anymore, and any glimmer of hope I had, had disippaited when we signed the sales contract. I had started putting together a photobook of our build and the development of the Estate. I have pictures of my almost two year old running around on our block which I had planned on framing and putting in our hallway... I know it's for the best, I know I shouldn't look back, but I can still be sad about a crushed dream can't I? Thank you so much everyone. This all makes a lot of sense. I guess when you talk to a builder who butters up everything to look very polished, you get to start believing… 7 17629 of course there are legal avenues. You've already mentioned it. Sue them. I find it odd that lawyers wouldnt be willing to take on the case, given CCT evidence and… 1 23787 "Losers" "humanity" "off time" "your" "top notch" "love symbol" Sounds like ponzo is done using other people's toilets 36 23922 |