Browse Forums Building A New House 1 May 08, 2008 12:53 am I've got one week until our colours appointment. I feel like I'm running around like a headless chook.
We're building the house so my Mum can live with us (oh, and she's paying for now), and everyone has left all the choices to me. Normally, that's the way I like it. Problem is, I feel like I'm running a fine line between getting what we need/want and trying not to overspend. Plus we just got hit with all the BASIX stuff we need to change - that alone is over $6,500, not including the items that say "By Owner" (pool cover, timer for pool pump, clothesline etc.). Who did you bounce your choices off? When did you feel happy with all the choices you made? It's causing me major insomnia (as you can see from the post time). It's got to get easier. Judie Re: Did you ever feel overwhelmed? 2May 08, 2008 7:28 am Judie Who did you bounce your choices off? When did you feel happy with all the choices you made? A number of people on here have posted up pictures of samples, colours, designs & fittings for others on the board to discuss. It may help in your case, as positive feedback from the general community here can probably go a long way in re-assuring you that you have made the right choice. You'll also get professional feedback from those in the know on here too. Re: Did you ever feel overwhelmed? 3May 08, 2008 9:48 am My husband is totally sick of all things house, he tells me that whatever I choose he'll be happy with but I agree, the responsibility is overwhelming.
That's where this place is great, people who are interested and willing to give advice and listen to your concerns. Re: Did you ever feel overwhelmed? 4May 08, 2008 10:00 am I guess we were a bit fortunate that we could decide things like colours, tiles, curtains cabinets during construction. So the good lady wife and I would head off to say the tile shop on a Saturday morning and grab some samples and go to the house and check them out in the different rooms. Same with the taps, basins, door handles, appliances etc, we chose them during construction.
Likewise with the cabinets, we met the cabinet maker on site and designed all of them including the kitchen, bathrooms etc also the colours and finishes. Obviously we’d done some homework before hand. I can understand the pressures of making these types of decisions in a very short space of time, and not being able to physically look at them in the environment. Good luck, I’m sure you’ll end up with a great place that you’ll be very proud of at the end of it. Re: Did you ever feel overwhelmed? 5May 08, 2008 10:01 am I certainly know how you feel. We're not "detail oriented" people. We point at something, and say we want our house to look like that, and then hope someone can go and make it happen. But unfortunately no one can or will!
We've been ok with practical things, because its simply a matter of saying, a) do i need it, b) does it need to be done now or can it be done later c) does it fit in the budget. But where we found it got tricky was answering questions like, "which shade of white do you want the walls?' If you are faced with too many choices, try and narrow it down before you try and pick. If you walk into a tile store and try and pick a tile without knowing what you want, you'll never get anywhere. Try and narrow down what is important to you before you go. Colour, style, materials you should be able to choose before you even walk into a tile store. We made a checklist of everything that was important before we started looking... that way you don't get distracted by other options once you see them. If you get overwhelmed by a lot of choices, just try and reduce the set of things you're choosing between BEFORE you go looking Alan and Thuy in Melbourne Building a second time! Re: Did you ever feel overwhelmed? 6May 08, 2008 10:47 am Particularly when choosing the item (before the tender) and also colour. But i found out sometime we stress our too much (as my tiler told me). At the moment i am confused what colour to choose for our wall ....keep everything white or give a little variation... Re: Did you ever feel overwhelmed? 7May 08, 2008 10:49 am Rachelle My husband is totally sick of all things house, he tells me that whatever I choose he'll be happy with but I agree, the responsibility is overwhelming. That's where this place is great, people who are interested and willing to give advice and listen to your concerns. Rachelle, you just hit the nail on the head as to why Homeone is so great Paula Re: Did you ever feel overwhelmed? 8May 08, 2008 12:41 pm Hmm it's hard to know how to answer. Yes, I get overwhelmed. I'm going through all this on my own and I'm also trying to stick to a budget. I do bounce ideas off my mum, but she lives 5 hours away so when I'm "bouncing" it's all verbal - I can't just show her what I'm talking about.
Once all the decisions were over, I had a couple of months of relaxation - it was up to the builders to do their jobs now. But as the build approaches an end, I am finding that I'm starting to worry again... what if it's not finished on time and I've already applied for my annual leave, what if they don't fix the things they have to, what if my brother in law changes his mind and can't help me move anymore. I'm now just trying to narrow it down to the things I have to worry about now. I've made a list of the things I need to do before handover and I'm working on getting through that at a leisurely pace. Like you, I'm suffering from insomnia. I can get to sleep fine but I wake up at about 3.30 and just lay there thinking about things. Most of the time it's not even that I'm worried, I'm just thinking about what the furniture will look like in the house, how the driveway will look, what am I going to do with the gardens, etc. Given that you do have other people who will have to live with your decisions (which I imagine feels like a big responsibility), I'd suggest telling them how you feel and asking for some assistance. And, as others have suggested, HomeOne is a great place to come to if you're confused about what to choose, or just feeling frustrated with the whole process. Received keys to my new home on 16/5/08 Re: Did you ever feel overwhelmed? 9May 08, 2008 1:22 pm We are completely detail-oriented by nature - but it's been pretty easy so far to make decisions on things.
Thanks to all the homeone reading, our CSR is completely in awe/annoyance of how many questions we ask about everything and anything After 4 years - we're in! Re: Did you ever feel overwhelmed? 10May 12, 2008 1:21 pm I would suggest to calm down a bit Julie, don't let your emotion drives your decision... it's a looooooooooooooooooooong process and needs lot of time and careful planing and patience. In my opinion just a few more indoor plants and you're done. It's already a lovely space, you've managed a classic style without being too cluttered and that creates a… 1 19551 No the fireplace doesn’t work. It’s been enclosed. I’m not sure what was removed, as it was done quite some time ago - well before what I can see with photos online… 2 11585 Looking to start the journey of becoming an owner builder in SA. Feeling pretty (overly) confident on the building and construction details, but really struggling to find… 0 8419 |