Browse Forums Building A New House Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - kitchen plan.... Advise pleas 41Nov 28, 2012 3:16 pm Loving the colours fmac!! Our first home... viewtopic.php?f=31&t=60460 Land Dep paid 26/2/12 Site cleared7/12/12 Slab 20/12/12 Frame 25/1/13 Bricks 19/2/13 Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - kitchen plan.... Advise pleas 42Nov 28, 2012 4:00 pm Looking good with the Kitchen, like the draws because they appear big enough to store anything you need them to. I do also like the tiles you have selected, no issues with any of them Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - kitchen plan.... Advise pleas 43Nov 28, 2012 4:02 pm I don't think too many builders work through January, as far as I know they have five or six weeks off at Christmas here. Yes, check out my colour selections on my thread. We did a prestart in 2011 but have changed some things since then, as you do when you have waited for as long as we have! (Settlement was supposed to be March 2011.) As we are building in a rural area I've gone for warmer neutral tones to suit the setting. I'm trying for a country/modern mix and hoping it all comes together. A bit daunting as all the articles say "eclectic" is the hardest to do right. Oh well, we live and learn! Fingers crossed it's full steam ahead in February..! I still can't decide on the bath & ensuite lighting. I didn't want overhead lights but two wall lights each side of the mirror, however, the ones I've seen are either ultra modern or too traditional. Sigh. I hate it when you are standing in your own shadow at the mirror. Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - kitchen plan.... Advise pleas 44Nov 29, 2012 9:12 am Hey fmac, good luck with your prestart tomorrow! Look forward to following your build, we seem to be at around the same stage Hopefully City of Wanneroo is good to us haha. My partner and I actually first looked at Pearsall when we decided we wanted to build, very handy location Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - kitchen plan.... Advise pleas 45Nov 29, 2012 9:30 am Have you moved your sink right to the end of the bench? I think that would work really well. Definitely if you can afford those pot drawers is go for it, they will come in so handy once you have kids! What colour essastone would you like? Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - kitchen plan.... Advise pleas 46Nov 29, 2012 9:56 am Twiggens: i am hoping the council will be quick! I grew up in edgewater so know the area pretty well, i remeber when pearsall was all market gardens, along with what is now madely and darch! Busybusy: Yeah the sink will be at one end to make sure that we have a good stretch of bench, might look symmetrical but I think it will be practical! Also hoping to make the island 1m wide which should be a good bit of space. I'm not looking forward to finding out the cost of changing to pot draws... Will have to wait and see if I can squeeze it into the budget! We are going with the light essa stone, probably new crystal salt or crystal chalk. Going with a very light/white kitchen. Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - kitchen plan.... Advise pleas 47Nov 30, 2012 5:05 pm Made it through prestart... Not exactly what I expected but pretty happy. Will post a longer post explaining later Including a rant about the toilet and laundry tiles!! Need to see if you think I'm being unreasonable!! Won't get the costing till at least Monday so well have time to consider our options!! Was worried we'd have to make final decisions today! Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived per-start 48Nov 30, 2012 7:03 pm Ok so had pre-start this morning. I went in very positive and came home feeling ok. It all started well. We might be able to move our ensuite window which I feel was put in a strange location to begin with, as long as it doesn't require a change leading to resubmission to council, as it has already been sent to them. We have put forward all our changes and should get the costing n Monday or Tueaday which gives us a chance to look through and decide. When we first turned up the consultant said we had to be done by lunch time as she had another appointment, our original letter said it would take 2-5 hours so felt from the beginning it would be a rush.... Were I feel let down is I always had to ask about upgrades. The default seemed to be 'this is the standard. Are you happy' I sometimes felt it was an imposition to show us possible upgrades. It would have been nice at each stage to be shown what our options would be and the costs.... Thanks to my list I think we covered everything. Now to my rather big issue... Tiles... Our original contract had floor tiles though bathroom, laundry and living, kitchen and dining. We decided we didn't want it and went with wood look flooring in the living, kitchen and dining. We had assumed our bathroom/ensuite tiles could be used in the, laundry and toilet. We were informed that we had to pick one of the flooring tiles for the toilet and laundry and couldn't use the bathroom tiles.... Basically we want the same tiles wherever there is tiles and don't think this is a big ask.... They have said they will check but don't think it can be done.... I am now feeling this is something I may need to argue, its at the point I will go buy the tiles myself so we can have the same.... Will wait till costing to see if they assay it is ok, but I don't see why it would be a problem in the first place! Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived per-start 49Nov 30, 2012 7:08 pm And the final one. We were under the impression we could decide between render and brick for the facade at pre-start. On the drive I commented that I'd didn't think we had picked a render colour. Sent an email and informed that would be considered a structural change and require re-submission to counsil and we should have been asked prior to signing contracts. At no point were we ask.... Planing to follow up with the sales consultant and even the counsil to see if this is the case. In the last few weeks we have planned our whole colour sceme around having the front rendered.... Anyone else had this experience? The one plus was we got a credit of $500 for our energy rating.... A little less we need to find to pay for everything! Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 50Nov 30, 2012 8:19 pm Sorry you guys were disappointed! Very strange about the tiles - we were only allowed to have one floor tile throughout! I hope your costings don't come back too high. Our first home... viewtopic.php?f=31&t=60460 Land Dep paid 26/2/12 Site cleared7/12/12 Slab 20/12/12 Frame 25/1/13 Bricks 19/2/13 Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 51Nov 30, 2012 8:21 pm I don't understand why you can't have the same bathroom tiles as laundry and toilet??? What's the reasoning for this? GOODLIFE - Bravo - BUTLER http://getmistyfied.blogspot.com.au Display 20/02/2012 PPA 01/04/12 Prestart: 25/07/12 Settlement: 31/07/2012 Contracts:August Slab 19/11/12 BRICKS 10/11/12 Roof 16/01/13 Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 52Nov 30, 2012 8:25 pm I don't know much about render, but surely it's not that big a deal? People do DIY renders on their houses all the time. You haven't signed final tender yet so you could try to stick to your guns, but there might be some special reason. You'll have to wait for them to resubmit to council as well, if you do end up getting your way. I know exactly how you feel, I'd always planned on having Horizon roof tiles, but come prestart they told me my roof pitch wasn't high enough! Devastating. GOODLIFE - Bravo - BUTLER http://getmistyfied.blogspot.com.au Display 20/02/2012 PPA 01/04/12 Prestart: 25/07/12 Settlement: 31/07/2012 Contracts:August Slab 19/11/12 BRICKS 10/11/12 Roof 16/01/13 Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 53Nov 30, 2012 8:33 pm Strange... Just wrote a response and it didn't post... Tiles... We originally had a tile package including bathrooms, laundry and living/dining/kitchen. They have said we can have the bathroom tiles but apparently have to use the main area floor tiles in the toilet and laundry... They are going to ask if we can use the bathroom tiles. I would have thought only having one tile would have been easier and cheaper... Have to wait and see! Render we have no idea, we aren't in an area with covanents, there are a mix of fully rendered, partly rendered and completely brick houses.... I am willing to call the council to argue this one as our colour choices were based on the render and no one said anything until today!! Though after everything I think the only issue was they weren't proactive in offering upgrades, I always had to ask, if I hadn't been so well informed we would have only had the base level of everything.... Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 54Nov 30, 2012 10:10 pm Plus being rushed through it! I would've told her i don't care how many other appointments she has you are priority number one right now and for however long it takes. Good on you fmac. Stick to your guns. Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 55Nov 30, 2012 10:22 pm Just have to wait and see what happens with the costing! I was really surprised they didn't 'sell' upgrades. I would have though that was a place they would make some money.... I had to ask about little things like upgrading the plastic wastes, toilet, tap.... Not sure any upgrades were offered without me first asking. Also surprised we can't get out gutters/fascia in colourbond... They'll paint it a matching colour but said they don't do it in colourbond. I had to ask and they went and checked... Though I may ask again! Seems a little strange to me! Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - kitchen plan.... Advise pleas 56Nov 30, 2012 10:43 pm fmac Twiggens: i am hoping the council will be quick! I grew up in edgewater so know the area pretty well, i remeber when pearsall was all market gardens, along with what is now madely and darch! Busybusy: Yeah the sink will be at one end to make sure that we have a good stretch of bench, might look symmetrical but I think it will be practical! Also hoping to make the island 1m wide which should be a good bit of space. I'm not looking forward to finding out the cost of changing to pot draws... Will have to wait and see if I can squeeze it into the budget! We are going with the light essa stone, probably new crystal salt or crystal chalk. Going with a very light/white kitchen. Yeah those pot drawers can be quite costly! Our original plan had 9, we took it down to 6 to save money. I have the essastone brochure here and both those colours you've chosen are gorgeous. Sounds like we'll have similar colour kitchens! Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 57Nov 30, 2012 11:08 pm Busybusy we ended up going with the Crystal chalk and the polar white In I think the silk finish, it's a little shiny but not like the gloss... The quote to upgrade was minimal and I think it's a nice compromise between the natural and high gloss cabinets. At this stage it is 3 sets of draws and one of those is to replace the standard set of 4 draws they give you so I am desperately crossing my fingers that is doesn't come in at too much. The large island bench is our priority but hoping I don't have to compromise on the pot draws! Picked some great large handles which are the brushed silver look.... We foresee being in this house for at least 10 years so while well have to compromise on some things hoping not too much! Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 58Nov 30, 2012 11:23 pm Hi, I can't really understand what their issue is about the tiles. Sometimes they are trying to keep costs down because the smaller wet areas need more cuts when using bigger sized tiles, so there is more wastage. In your case, though, not sure if this reasoning could apply? fmac J\. Also surprised we can't get out gutters/fascia in colourbond... They'll paint it a matching colour but said they don't do it in colourbond. I had to ask and they went and checked... Though I may ask again! Seems a little strange to me! It may be something to do with the differences of materials needed for coastal or inland sites? For instance, coastal sites endure salt air and spray so need more resistant materials in these conditions. May be another move to keep construction costs down. From what I understand about render vs face brick, we changed from render to brick and therefore had to get plans re-drawn due to the change in brick size. Something we won't see but it affects their measurements, window placement etc. Or so I was told. Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 59Nov 30, 2012 11:38 pm Treeseachanger: yeah I am hoping when they see we want the same tile throughout they might be happy with it... Just have to wait. We've been advised to email the sales person we delt with, so going to do that tomorrow.... We could render after we build but don't see why we should pay.... And I am pretty sure after the build we wouldn't have to get council approval to render it! The bigger issue is rendering the front was never raised at any point in the process so we assumed it was something to deal with at prestart. Though I feel it is a little like the ensuite window, drafting put it in an odd place compared to any of the similar plans they offer but because we needed to sign contracts to get out finance approved to settle on out block we didn't check the plans off as well as we should have... Though they have said we can move it as long as it doesn't involve a change to roof line etc which would mean we have to resubmit to council, which we have to pay for... *fingers crossed* I don't want to be standing in front of a window, even a frosted one, while showering!! Re: Our small build (NOR WA) - survived prestart 60Dec 01, 2012 4:28 pm Stick to your guns i say Its your house,you are doing them a favour building with them,not the other way around Re the tiles,as long as they are floor tiles i cant see any problem Colourbond gutters is an upgrade with our bulder. Good luck with it all,its a great plan Block bought 1st RBC X! 2nd Ventrua,Keeper! Pstart 18/7/11 Ethwks jan 2012 Slab Bricks- finished 7/6 Roof Trusses 15/6-cbond 21/7 viewtopic.php?f=31&t=41185 Joe, it depends on your certifier but we are noticing the ones we deal with are really cracking down. So i would recommend you follow your approved landscaping plans to… 4 10919 Hi, We're building a double-storey in Perth and I'm undecided with the kitchen sink situation. I'm set on having the main sink with dishwasher in the scullery - and… 0 20893 2 2963 |