Our Ben Trager Build - New photos!

Officially started our journey today, we've owned the block since February and been putting a lot of thought into the build and finally signed on the dotted line tonight, we've been in talks with our sales rep since January and we had a few plans but kept getting more complicated and fancy as we went, before finally deciding this was our first home and we should scale it back a bit and keep it 'simple' (as simple as building a 2 storey first home can be!) and finally we've decided on what we want, keeping to the original design as much as possible with a few 'minor' changes including a 2x3m balcony to take advantage of our rear ocean views, very excited about that addition.

The sales rep we have been dealing with has been excellent and i'm really looking forward to our journey with BTH.

Our draft plans - Bottom floor with the changes I made on paint, we added walk in pantry, theatre, extended alfresco to about 8m long, and double vanity and double shower to ensuite, plus balcony to top floor (eats into activity by 500mm so activity is now 2.8x2.8m pretty much)

The design will also be flipped with the garage on the RHS




Our block (660sqm)



Roughly how it will sit on our block (this is the original design before changes)


And last but not least, our view (so hard to make it look as good as it does in photos!)



Timeline:

20th January 2014 - Offer accepted on block
21st February 2014 - Block settled
3rd May 2014 - PPA Signed
22nd May 2014 - First draft plans received
28th May 2014 - Site Survey carried out
7th June 2014 - First draft plans changed
11th June 2014 - Tiles selected
12th June 2014 - Second set of plans received
18th June 2014 - Third set of plans received
19th June 2014 - Plans signed as final, off to costing
15th August 2014 - Contracts and costing back
19th August 2014 - Pre-start completed
22nd August 2014 - Pre-start costings received
5th September 2014 - Finance approval received for build
11th September 2014 - Plans went to council for approval
19th September 2014 - Updated final plans received and finance documents signed
22nd September 2014 - Council approval received
6th October 2014 - Notification slab booked
10th October 2014 - Earthworks
15th October 2014 - Footings laid
16th October 2014 - SLABBED
22nd October 2014 - Underground services
24th October 2014 - Window frames delivered
14th November 2014 - Bricks delivered
17th November 2014 - Bricklayers!
3rd December 2014 - Plate high inspection, floor trusses delivered
20th December 2014 - Floor trusses installed ready for upper slab
15th January 2015 - Scaffolding complete ready for upper slab
20th January 2015 - Upperfloor plumbing complete
30th January 2015 - upper slab done
9th February 2015 - Upper wall/roof frame delivered
12th February 2015 - Upper floor walls/roof started
20th February 2015 - Upper cladding done
26th February 2015 - Upper floor gutters done
7th March 2015 - Base coat render completed
13th March 2015 - Render completed upper floor
17th March 2015 - Upper floor colourbond completed
19th March 2015 - Lower floor roof timbers delivered
25th March 2015 - scaffold dropped and gutters/facia/eaves painted
29th April 2015 - lower roof frame and electrical run in
13th May 2015 - Electrical wires in and plumbing in, colourbond sheets on site ready to go
15th June 2015 - Colourbond roof started lower floor
19th June 2015 - Plumbing complete and downpipes installed upper floor
29th June 2015 - Colourbond finished and plaster started
30th June 2015 - Plaster/render base coat finished
9th July 2015 - Windows and sliding external doors glazed, insulation throughout
15th July 2015 - White set and ceilings started
22nd July 2015 - White set complete, downpipes were removed from front elevation at some point
30th July 2015 - Upper floor wall/ceiling sheeting
5th August 2015 - Cornices started
11th August 2015 - LOCK UP!
13th August 2015 - Cabinets delivered kitchen installed
17th August 2015 - internal doors, shelving and bath delivered
19th August 2015 - stairs installed
22nd August 2015 - discovered huge water leak in ceiling
26th - 28th August 2015 - Doors hung, shelving installed, bench tops and basins/sinks in, scaffold erected for painting out front
1st - 5th September - tiles delivered, external pipe work, gas connected, ceiling and upper wall painting finished
13-18th sept - bath installed, screed and water proofing started, bottom render pre coat, stair wall finished, tile meeting
24th Sept 2015 - tiling commenced
27th Sept 2015 - discovered tiling laid wrong
1st October 2015 - Front render done
14th October 2015 - Grano done
16th October 2015 - Gloss paint started
20th October 2015 - Soakwells installed
22nd October 2015 - electrical finals started
23rd October 2015 - robe doors installed
3rd November 2015 - paving done
5th November 2015 - Garage door, roof repairs, site clean
11th November 2015 - PCI 1 that was pointless
30th November 2015 - KEYS