Browse Forums Building A New House Re: KDR Adelaide - Sekisui - Advice for contract signing? 101Sep 30, 2014 11:05 pm (Mostly) final plans: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Main thing to change is the kitchen. We wanted an island bench with half no cupboards to use as a dining table. It was supposed to be one flat span of bench top so it looked like one bench and tied in well with the kitchen. They came back with this: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ We decided we should go straight to the kitchen company to discuss what our options were. Our SC and the colour selections consultant had both said this was possible and the SC said to call them directly and speak with the designer doing our kitchen. I did that and he didn't want to know me, refused to make an appointment. I explained to him what I wanted but I am still not sure if we are being told our options entirely. They have this in their display rooms: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ which is more what we wanted but we just don't like the steel legs as I am wanting more of a traditional/vintage look and I think they make it look a bit too modern or industrial. I asked the kitchen guy if we could have wooden or laminate legs, he said no, it had to be metal, couldn't have an end panel either, despite that being on the original design. It is a bit frustrating! We have the arborist report which is positive. Two big hurdles to go now: council approval and finance approval! Re: KDR Adelaide - Sekisui - Updated plans and kitchen dilem 102Oct 01, 2014 2:55 pm Finallt found a picture of exactly what we want, but with different colours. White for the legs and cupboards with white valencia top. I have sent it off to my SC to discuss with the kitchen company. The guy yesterday told me it was not possible to have anything other than metal legs, well the table/bench below doesn't have metal legs!! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: KDR Adelaide - Sekisui - Updated plans and kitchen dilem 103Oct 01, 2014 6:25 pm I guess it depends on what the kitchen supplier has available as options but you would think that they would be more flexible. Hope you can get it sorted, I love the second pic I would also think you could fix it to how you like it after handover or not get sekisui to do it but another kitchen place after handover but granted that is not ideal. Do you know what kitchen place Sekisui uses? Re: KDR Adelaide - Sekisui - Updated plans and kitchen dilem 104Oct 01, 2014 6:26 pm Oh and you could also go back to the sales person, they might be able to talk with the kitchen designer and get it sorted... Re: KDR Adelaide - Sekisui - Updated plans and kitchen dilem 105Oct 01, 2014 11:14 pm Oh what a great idea with the table/bench. I'd never have thought of that. And the bench table in that picture is gorgeous. I so hope you can get something similar. They've been so happy to do what we've asked here in nsw (granted just for standard house plan changes), fingers crossed they let you achieve what you want. Re: KDR Adelaide - Sekisui - Updated plans and kitchen dilem 106Oct 08, 2014 9:03 am I totally meant to come back and reply, but just.. didn't with the long weekend and being crazy busy. I really love our table/bench idea! I hope that the kitchen company can come through with it. They charged us $3500 for the design they came up with due to the extra benchtop and structural support, so they should be able to come up with something that we like within that price range, surely? My only worry is that the picture above looks like the whole kitchen is made with 'real' wood, 2pack maybe? But we have laminate cupboards so it might be harder to do the legs with laminate? We wouldn't have thought of it either cat-dunc! Our meals/family area is (almost) square, and the door to the outside is on the side, so wherever I thought of putting the dining table in that space seemed to be in the way of a walkway and would annoy me. I left space for it next to the kitchen, but then the kitchen looked off centre and weird. I saw a picture of a bench like this on a planbuild in Brisbane thread, and thought it would solve that problem! Our dining table just ends up a dumping ground for all our mess anyway, but we do need one as we have a 2 year old so we try to eat together as a family at the table every night, Our SC said she has sent the picture above off to the colour selections consultant who will liaise with the kitchen company (Farquhar kitchens). Re: KDR Adelaide - Sekisui - Updated plans and kitchen dilem 107Oct 11, 2014 9:58 pm I'd be very surprised if Farquhar couldn't do that Bobbin. They market themselves in the premium league. If they can't come up with anything, they need to rethink who they are! Good luck Re: KDR Adelaide - Sekisui - Updated plans and kitchen dilem 108Oct 15, 2014 11:58 am Well, we signed the contract over two weeks ago. We have until next Tuesday to make further changes without incurring a variation fee, according to the contract. All other changes prior to contract signing had been made and returned to us within about 10 days. When I spoke to the SC last Friday she said we should receive the new plans and pricing 'within a week or so.' When I expressed concern that we only had until next Tuesday to make changes, and we wanted to be able to review the plans and pricing before requesting further changes to ensure that they would work with the new plans and not be over budget, she assured us that we would not be charged the variation fee on any non-structural changes. But... the selections consultant said we would, and the contract says they can, so I can't rely on that. I am going to email her tomorrow morning and put my concerns in writing and get her to make the promise in writing. It is so frustrating, we were really impressed with the service they were giving us until we received the last lot of plans and pricing back. Since then they have pressured us to sign the contract and then taken their sweet time making the changes we have requested! In other news, council application has been lodged. Eeek! I am a bit worried about getting approval as we have a 9.9% incursion into the tree protection zone at the back, have a boundary build (garage only) and our front setback is 4.5 metres for the house and 5.9 for the garage, but our (only) neighbor is more than 2 metres further back. Re: KDR Adelaide - Sekisui - Waiting... 109Nov 02, 2014 8:21 pm Just wanted to say I've read up to date now hehe Re: KDR Adelaide - Sekisui - Waiting... 111Nov 03, 2014 9:07 am Hi Cat-Dunc! So the deadline for making changes without an admin fee as provided for in the contract was Tuesday 21 October. We hadn't heard anything from them so I sent a terse email to my SC, BC and the sales manager for SA asking for the SC's promise that there would be no admin fee at all until we were happy in writing. To their credit they did give us that. BUT, despite having asked our SC for the updated plans and pricing a few times after signing the contract, and telling her that we wanted that before considering if we would make any further changes, we were told by the sales manager that the estimating department hadn't started working on the changes as they were waiting for the 3 week period for us to make any more changes to be up as they didn't want to have to go back and make more changes after. Grrrrr... their communication within the company doesn't seem to be the best. We received the plans and pricing on Friday 31 October. But apparently Farquhar are having problems with matching the kitchen bench table legs to the laminate, or something, so I need to call them personally to arrange an appointment to discuss our options.. you know, what I tried to do at the start of October and was brushed off. No news from council yet. The earliest we would hear will be about mid December I think so we might not actually get council approval until next year. I'm a bit over it all to be honest. I even went to look at an open house yesterday! Re: KDR Adelaide - Sekisui - Waiting... 112Dec 21, 2014 7:28 am I understand you when you said you went to an open inspection for an established house sale. We did the same! And really, really liked the house ... Were seriously considering it; especially as it was such EXCELLENT value. Had everything we needed and wanted plus a lot, lot more and it was all done. Hang in there, sounds like you're building will be ready to start in the new year Re: KDR Adelaide - Sekisui - Waiting... 113Dec 21, 2014 10:03 pm Hi - Found your thread thru TomCat I see you are building in TTG council - so are we and not too far from you We have submitted plans to build with Simonds a two storey called Harcrest, very large family home. Stage one of our plan is now complete - sell our current large 4-5 bedroom family house and move into a small temporary home whilst we build. Selections were completed last Monday and apparently we have already had pre approval from the council (yet to be confirmed but with xmas now here and holidays we are hoping the council dont take too long - we want to demolish a home on our block (stage two) end Feb when the rental tenants contract is up and dont want to sit on an empty block for any longer than a month!!) Then onto stage 3 the build! At this stage our block seems straight forward (no gums!! although setback and an easement are annoying we have managed to squeeze the home on) I look forward to following your build. I will maybe during my holidays start a thread then you can follow me too Re: KDR Adelaide - Sekisui - Waiting... 114Dec 27, 2014 6:44 pm Tomcat: I think it will be about March-April for building to start. We still don't have a final price and plans, 3 months after signing the contract, as they don't have prices for the kitchen yet. Once we get that and finalise the price, we have to do finance. Aussie pam: I look forward to having a look at your build. Which suburb are you building in? Well, we came home from spending Christmas in Loxton yesterday and found a letter waiting from the Council. We have planning consent! Not DA yet but I am not worried about that. Planning consent I was really worried about as we are bending the rules a bit. The planning consent says that we need to choose "natural and earthy colours to preserve the amenity of the area." Good thing we chose cream bricks, paperbark render and gray colourbond roof at selections months ago. Next hurdle: finance. I am a bit worried about the valuation as our house is in the top bracket for our suburb and I have not seen any truly comparable houses for sale in the last 18 months in our suburbs. The houses are all old and large, or small new houses on small blocks. We will have a large new house on a large block. Re: KDR Adelaide - Sekisui - Waiting... 115Dec 28, 2014 3:29 am Oiyoiyoi ... What a process huh! We're building in TTG council area too (Golden Grove). The house. Looked at was in Highbury overlooking the linear river park. Great views too. Can't wait to see your build stray Bobbin. And Pam's too Re: KDR Adelaide - Sekisui - Waiting... 116Dec 28, 2014 9:41 pm Ohh good to see the council were relatively quick (ohhh I hope they are as quick for us) We will be in Modbury North just off Ladywood - sounds very close to your build Bobbin. Good luck with the valuation - sucks!! We just sold in TTG and had a house that wasnt comparable to the average - try getting real estate agents to listen is bloody hard but not as hard as young chicky babes who dont understand solid brick vs veneer, block size of over 1000sq, 5 bedrooms, huge tiled pool etc etc - they just wanted to compare with what had sold over the last year regardless of whether it was simialr or not! Can you tell that was an issue for me!? TomCat where abouts in Golden Grove? - a new area or have you found an elusive piece of land? Hope you all had a great festive break and are ready for an amazing 2015 Here is my link - viewtopic.php?f=31&t=75103 Re: KDR Adelaide - Sekisui - Waiting... 117Dec 28, 2014 10:43 pm That's insane Pam. Your old place sounds great. Though I understand you wanting to get a smaller patch of dirt. I just read your first post in your new thread (yay!) Your block is the same size as our block. The house we are in now is 800 sq meters and we just aren't making the most of it. We're in Parkwood, off Bicentennial Drive, right next to Golden Grove Primary School. Re: KDR Adelaide - Sekisui - Airconditioning? 119Jan 06, 2015 9:39 am I am changing my mind about AC again! Originally we wanted ducted RC. But when the cost of the house came back a bit more than we were expecting, we compromised and decided we would get a split for the living/dining/kitchen area and install ducted RC later on. But realistically, I know that we won't be in a position to do that for at least 5-10 years after we build, as we are intending to have another child after we build and money will be tight while I am on maternity leave/return to work part time. Our daughter is a hot and sweaty kid. When she had naps in our old house (admittedly in QLD, but even here sometimes) she would wake up bathed in sweat, even with a fan on her in the bedroom. I am worried about our next child being the same and not being able to nap during summer in the bedrooms. Also, we currently don't use AC much at all. We have a wall system in our lounge room at present, and it is turned on for maybe an hour or so when the temperature outside reached 38+ degrees. Our house is nice and cool. However, we have trees all around our house at the moment and all of them but our significant gum tree will be cut down during the site clear, so our new house will probably not be as cool. I get hot and cold easily. I can't stand cold airconditioning. I have to wear jackets at work at the moment. We used our airconditioner quite a bit during last winter, but our current house has numerous gaps under doors, windows that don't close, plus all the shading from the trees, meant that it was cold and draughty in winter. I am hoping that the new house with less shade and no draughts (hopefully) won't be as cold in winter, so I can just rug up at night and not need heating. We have NEVER used any type of heating and cooling, other than fans in summer, overnight. So now I am considering ducted evaporative. We are in Adelaide so have dry heat during summer. I have read so many mixed reviews about evap though. Any thoughts? Re: KDR Adelaide - Sekisui - Airconditioning? 120Jan 06, 2015 11:11 am Lots of our family have evap systems and they are happy with them. I think the new systems are better. Mind you they did have it on all full blast to get it cool during the 38 degree plus days. We have refrigerated which does not have to work hard but cost is a big factor with initial outlay. Personally I think you would be happy with evap, much better than nothing! Although I would say the best thing you can do is orientate your windows as much as possible. Minimise west/east as much as possible and put big eaves/verandah over them if you have to have them. Our living area has north facing windows and it is lovely sitting there even on a day like today. Also I am home with kids like you so the home has to be comfortable, not so big a deal if you work full time. We tried to include as much as we could in our loan because like you we knew cash would not be available for a long time. Have you got heating included? I would prioritise that over cooling. Winter and running heating is usually the biggest energy bill for most people... Hi, I am looking into doing a KDR in Melbourne and am contemplating using Kialla Homes. I am looking for feedback on them from others who have built with them. 0 13736 |