Doing it again

Thanks mrsdoe. Things are pretty much on hold at the moment as my finances have to be redirected elsewhere.

Also, i'm waiting for my landscaper (aka Dad) to come back and build a couple of steps, small retaining wall and paving out front before i can call the developers landscapers to do my front garden

I was going to whack mine down the side outside the laundry but I've changed my mind. This wall faces North so will get basically full sun and plenty of breeze. Sucks when clothes don't dry within a day!





First home builder - Brightwood Estate, Baldivis.
Celebration Homes. Follow my build here

Haha my phone typing is terrible looking at that last post i wrote

Yeah we will be investing in a tumble drier at some point I think. Right now we put them on a maiden in front of the reverse cycle air con unit with the heater on

I think a fold down clothesline on the corner near our bedroom door out the back is going to be our best spot for a line.

Yep, good idea - does that wall face North?



This photo is where I was going to place a fold down (laundry is between alfresco and garage) but it gets hardly any sun. Photo taken about 12:30pm!




First home builder - Brightwood Estate, Baldivis.
Celebration Homes. Follow my build here

Nah, it's a west facing wall. I need to see how the north wall is with the fence up but there's not much room down that side of the house and it also means walking to the otherside of the house from the laundry. Didn't think about drying clothes when doing the house design

Shame the yard isn't big enough for the classic Hills Hoist!

Speaking of clotheslines, the rental i was in while building had such a small backyard (12.5×2) that the owners put the clothesline on the western side wall of the house which was also the narrowest side.

Even though this side didn't have any eaves, the washing only ever got 1/2 day of sunshine to dry - not an issue in summer but in winter? Forget it.

Also it was awkward because of how narrow the area was. I hated it and began drying my clothes inside on drying racks under the aircon vents.

I don't like hills hoists as they take up too much space, although they can be used as a makeshift pergola if you put a cover over it (like an umbrella) and wind it up high. They also make great swings for kids 😉

Earlier tonight i signed my life away to get solar panels installed. God knows where i'm gonna get the money to pay for them but i'm sure i'll manage

I only like the hills hoist because i have memories of being little and swinging on them 😂 hours of entertainment!

Solar panels will be a must have for us once the bank balance recovers. Hopefully next year sometime

Haha we never had a hills hoist when i was growing up - just the old fashioned lines from one post to another, the type which when they sagged had to be propped up in the centre by a temporary post. Geez i sound really old now😮
Anyhow, never dared swing on them at friends' houses who did have them as tempting as it was

Gosh! Has it really been 6 months and 10 days since i got the keys to my house? Yes indeed. That time literally just flew past.

So, last night i sent off my list of defects for the 6 month maintenance period to the builder. Their area manager will be coming next Tuesday to have a look around. Hopefully they will rectify everything i've picked up.

Also, the estate developer's landscaper is coming around next Tuesday morning for my planning meeting. Apparently, they're not strictly sticking to the plant selection list they sent me. So long as i choose plants that are hardu and waterwise. Yay. Gotta decide which plants i want now.

Last Sunday, my dad dropped off 2 trailer loads of horse manure for my back garden. I emptied one trailer load, now i've gotta do the 2nd trailer.

And he also broughy down a few plants for my backyard too.

Your dad is so nice D

I can't believe you've been in for 6 months already!!!!

Yep, he's been good especially considering he's in his 70's now. I've made it a point not to ask him to help but rather let him decide whether he wants to help.

I'm doing the same with my bf too. So far its working for me without me having to be a femme fatale 😉

Yeah i can't believe how quickly the time has passed - definitely doesn't feel like it.

Still so many things to do & not enough cashflow.


Had a phonecall today to book a time & day for my solar panels to be installed. So that will be happening next Tuesday too.

Just finished the landscaping consultation. Having a red & white theme.

Apparently it'll be done 3-4 weeks after i sign off on the plan, possibly earlier

6mth maintenance inspection completed. Painters, plumbers, general maintenance guys to come back at some point to fix issues raised.

Installation of solar panels is underway too. Just another hour to go - after the boys finish their lunch

Solar panels installed yippee

You can just make them out on the roof & the converter. Apparently this system is ready to go with batteries (when they become affordable).

I went with a 3.78Kw system with 3Kw inverter & 14 panels.

That's great rosemi! Solar panels are deffo on my to do list after we move in.

Did you have many things for the builder to fix as part of the 6 month inspection?

Just about all my ceilings need to be patched and re-painted due to scoring marks on the plaster joins.
Alot of the doors are missing at least one of those buffer stops. And others need to be touched up because the paint was still tacky when the doors were closed so the buffee stops either stuck to the door or left marks. On a couple of the door frames the paint has come off near the hinges.
Outside, lots of mortar joints where there are gaps. This was one of my pci inspection things but which was obviously overlooked.
Then the frames on my front windows have scratches on them from having thw plastic wrap removed which weren't touched up before handover. Also paint on the frames & a couple of spots where the plastic wrap wasn't removed. These were supposed to have been fixed before handover too.

Sounds like a lot but it's mostly just niggly nitpicky things.

Also one of the tradies (think it might have been the guys who installed my nbn) either stepped on the ceiling or dropped something heavy on it when they were messing about in thw roof space 'cos i have a 15cm long crack in my back room ceiling. Luckily the builder will patch that along with the scoring marks in that room.

That's great that it's nothing too serious and all sound like easy patch up jobs.

Ooh, solar! I so want to do that.. but funds.. hopefully one day.

Good to hear they are sorting your issues.

I'm paying for my solar system via certegy. Wasn't planning to get them so soon, but wth.

Power bills will be lower now so the money that would have gone to paying off the power bill will be re-directed paying off the panels.

The builder's contractors are already lining up to come & rectify issues. Two lined up for tomorrow, another on 31st.

I must say Dreamstart Homes/* have been reasonably good from the very beginning. I feel good about giving them a good review.