Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Sep 07, 2012 12:00 am Hi anyone popping into this thread Not sure I should be starting a thread with my husband and I having trouble understanding computers and really having no idea what we are doing building a house. Buuut I have found everyone else's building blogs, threads so helpful that it's time to pass it on (it'll be fun right?). This is our second time building although the first time around we were much younger with limited funds and we pretty much kept everything standard except for a few minor add ons to the kitchen. It was with a local builder and we were really happy with how the house turned out. We had zero problems so it has been a shock to us to read that building can be such a bumpy road. This time however we have decided to build with Metr!con ( they have just recently opened up a display home in Toowoomba) as price and inclusions won out, although looking back now if we had of had the time to really research and weigh everything up I'm left wondering if a local private builder would have been that much more expensive. But no looking back now, for good or bad we go forward with Metr!con. Quickly going back, we bought an acre of land at the end of 2010 start of 2011 (around then) just outside of Toowoomba after not being able to find any land in town suitable. We then sold our house around easter 2011 and we have been renting ever since. Bank loan and valuation was sorted out within a week but everything else has been a long drawn out process and we thought we would never see the day where anything would ever happen on our block, really mostly down to our indecisivness but all of a sudden we are starting and I don't feel ready I feel nervous and sick when I think about how much money this is costing and the numerous issues that can arise but I'm sure you have all felt like this too? So that is our back story, we had a bit of activity yesterday and today and I will post tomorrow with hopefully a house plan and maybe if I can manage it a photo of our block. Also maybe some colour selections although the term "colour selections" is quite laughable when applied to this house. Timeline 6/9/12 - Site start 8/9/12 - Site scrape 19/9/12 - Slab 18/10/12 - Frames started 24/10/12 - Frames completed 6/11/12 - Entrance fix up complete 13/11/12 - Roof on 14/11/12 - Wrapped and whirly birds 15/11/12 - Solar and hot water 16/11/12 - Windows and front door 27/11/12 - Plaster started 28/11/12 - Fireplace installed 5/12/12 - Cornice fitted 6/12/12 - Architraves and internal doors started 7/12/12 - Bricking started 19/12/12 - Render and build out of exterior walls started plus eaves Christmas Break 2/1/13 - Weatherboard started 8/1/13 - Lining to ceiling done 9/1/13 - Tiling started 17/1/13 - Cornice finished to entrance and render to bottom of weatherboard started. 01/02/13 - Painting all finished. 14/02/13 - Kitchen finally arrives. 15/02/13 - Kitchen & Pantry installed http://buildingourhouseofgreyandwhite.blogspot.com.au/ Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59344&p=923522#p923522 Re: Our House of White and Grey - Toowoomba 2Sep 07, 2012 9:53 am So here are some pics of our block of land. It is one acre in size in an estate outside of Toowoomba. There are currently about six other houses going up and still another section being developed. Some of the blocks are quite slopey with beautiful rural views but ours is not to bad but we don't get those views. It is H type soil and faces to the west, I know right it doesn't sound like it has much going for it but thanks to Homeone I realised the important thing was to have most of the important living areas facing north and none of our outdoor areas facing west and thats what we have ended up with. [img Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ ][/img] My husband is standing at the end of our land boundary. Re: Our Grandview 37 Metr!con Toowoomba 3Sep 08, 2012 6:07 pm I am trying to figure out how to follow your thread so I can keep up with everything Nice size block too! 1st build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59376 *New*-2nd build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=70324&p=1154282#p1154282 Re: Our Grandview 37 Metr!con Toowoomba 4Sep 08, 2012 6:36 pm click 'subscribe topic' top left... then it will be emailed to you when there is a reply etc, or click 'notify me' or something when you click 'post reply' after you have written something we have an acre too...where is toowoomba? qld? how exciting!!! i felt sick too..all that debt. but debt is good, if it goes up in value!!!! good luck Re: Our Grandview 37 Metr!con Toowoomba 5Sep 08, 2012 7:34 pm It will be great to watch your build. We are also building just outside Toowoomba and had a contract ready and almost signed with Metr!con but have ended up going with a local builder. Plans are due out of Council shortly and the block will be cut in 2 weeks. Can't wait to see some pictures of your progress. Once I figure out how to post pics I will start a thread of my own. Good luck Re: Our Grandview 37 Metr!con Toowoomba 6Sep 09, 2012 7:55 am Quote: kiwi we have an acre too...where is toowoomba? qld? Kiwi Toowoomba is on top of the Dividing Range (sounds flash hey?) and about an hour and a half from the outskirts of Brisbane, we get a bit chillier here being on top of the swanky sounding mountain. Aah Stellabella you found me! Yeah the block might be a little too big. Hi Nes173, great to hear from someone in our area. I think you made the right choice going with a local builder and it sounds like we are up to a similar stage in our builds. Who are you building with? Yes start your thread so I can follow, to upload photo's I have just been using photobucket. Well after a meeting with our SS thursday morning we were told that we would have the site scraped before this Monday. I was a little sceptical but my daughter and I took a ride out to the block today and the site scrape was in progress and just to think we only just got a sign and a dunny last week. Will post a pic of it hopefully all finished. Out of the four people who are going to be living in this house only myself and my 12yr old saw the momentous occasion. My husband is in SA trying to make some dough to pay for all this and my eldest is having a sleepover, even I felt a little blaze about it I must admit as it's just taken soo long to get here we're all a little worn out. Anyone else felt like this? Anyone else building in the Toowoomba area? Re: Our Grandview 37 Toowoomba 7Sep 10, 2012 10:52 pm Drove out to the block on Sunday and site scrape has been completed. I'm really happy with it, it's nice and flat which is why we bought this particular block. The septic tank is due tomorrow and we are due to have our slab poured next Tuesday, so at the moment it's go go go. Once slab is poured though we were told by our SS to expect a delay of around three weeks for frame as the company who does the frames is flat out at the moment keeping up demand. Had a few last minute regrets, panic about my selections all of which I'll go into detail about in another post. I am sure every woman out there understands, just when you think you're done, you start thinking of all the things you should and shouldn't have picked. It made for a stressful weekend on top of vomiting 17 year olds and little ones dance performances aaand a husband away. Re: Our Grandview 37 Toowoomba 8Sep 10, 2012 11:28 pm [img ][/img] Pheew! I have been uploading images from photobucket and suddenly it has stopped working for. Anyone have any ideas why. I know to copy to the image code at photobucket and then when I post to press Img but it wouldn't work??? Anyway I have opened up a imageshack account. I hate it when things don't work. Up above is a pic of our site all nicely flattened. Re: Our Grandview 37 Toowoomba 9Sep 13, 2012 9:55 pm Yay! Looks great. Any further progress at this stage? So exciting! 1st build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59376 *New*-2nd build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=70324&p=1154282#p1154282 Re: Our Grandview 37 Toowoomba 10Sep 13, 2012 10:05 pm Ha, you and I were posting at similar times. We have had a small amount of progress and I promise I will post about it tomorrow but can you believe after having a pretty dry couple of months it has been raining here tonight, it has stopped for the moment and hopefully it stays that way. Re: Our Grandview 37 Toowoomba 11Sep 14, 2012 2:45 pm Oh no! Still no rain here, hopefully enough to green everything up there for you and then that's enough lol. 1st build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59376 *New*-2nd build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=70324&p=1154282#p1154282 Re: Our Grandview 37 Toowoomba 12Sep 14, 2012 3:20 pm look forward to following the build. how did you go with the valuation i am curious on this process as its the bit i am most worried about Initial Deposit 28/09/2012 // Prelim Contract Signed 25/11/2012 Selections 21/1/2013 to 23/1/2013 // Contract Signed 22/2/2013 Site Start 21/5/2013 // Slabbed 30/5/2013 Re: Our Grandview 37 Toowoomba 13Sep 14, 2012 8:25 pm I can relate to the slowness! We are building with Coral not far from you - infact we were looking at a block in the same estate as you lol We decided to save a bit of money and downsize to a 1/2 acre. We are also at a similiar stage to you - we've just come out of council, and will begin the build in 4 weeks time I look forward to reading about your build Building our first home - Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=60033 Re: Our Grandview 37 Toowoomba 14Sep 14, 2012 8:30 pm Looks exciting, I look forward to following your build! Do you have plans to scan / show of what you're building? Building the Ascot 35 with Carlisle Homes in Pasadena Estate, Clyde VIC My build thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59776 Re: Our Grandview 37 Toowoomba 15Sep 14, 2012 10:36 pm Wow, how lovely of you all to reply . Gristy - I was sooo worried about our valuation too but only because I kept reading here on the forums of so many people being undervalued otherwise it never would have been something I would have worried about. I kept telling my husband (Stu) to expect bad news. Our story is we bought the land, took out a second loan on that then sold our house a few months later enough being that we paid out the block but left a few thousand still owing to keep the loan "open". The loan application took only a few days with the valuation coming a few days later, seriously the easiest thing ever. That's really all I can tell you, never saw what they valued it at or anything and all we got was a "yep valuation passed". Anyone in my area who would like to know the name of the guy we go through are welcome to Pm me. Wish I could help more as I know it is a huge stresser but you know when it's running smoothly you don't stop to question it. Reindeer - So are you in the Toowoomba area as well? Yes we are building in the Highfield Ridge Estate after giving up on waiting for the land at Cotswold Hills to open up. If in Toowoomba I imagine you have been in Coral's new display home, really love it. 1/2 and acre sounds just right, do you have a thread? Yes the admin part is a neverending nightmare, it just takes so long. Hi Andystar - Yes I will try and load up some scans of my floorplans and elevations. I am feeling a little flat about the floorplan and the frontage, we wanted to make it wider but I talked my husband out of it as I didn't want a bigger mortgage. This is not my dream house but it is the house that we can afford. Re: Our Grandview 37 Toowoomba 16Sep 15, 2012 6:47 am The last time we were at the block was Tuesday and our septic tank was installed and we had lots of little grey round patchs on our block, Piers??. We also had a delivery of mesh. Not the most exciting of posts but we would be in the s**t without it We live around 10 to 15 minutes away so I am keen to get out there today to see what is happening. I heard on the news there is supposed to be a thunderstorm Monday but I hope that Brisbane as the slab is scheduled to be poured Tuesday. I hope it's one of those quick afternoon ones. [/img] Re: Our Grandview 37 Toowoomba Septic is in 18Sep 15, 2012 9:57 am Yes we are building out at Meringandan, so not far from you or Toowoomba We loved the highfields ridge estate, but in the end decided with a smaller block, and it's sewered too which was a bonus lol We did intend to build the Stradbroke (corals display home) but we saw another display house from coral called the casuarina and it's perfect for us Hope the weather doesn't affect you too much! Building our first home - Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=60033 6 11528 Thank you so much for the effort. We will use it to talk with builder. We also had idea of building duplex instead and seeking suggest ions. viewtopic.php?f=31&t=106744 11 13817 Hi VK, I am now retired however I have stood beside over 300 owner builders in the past 18 years that have successfully built their own homes. First of all a building… 10 22606 |