Browse Forums Building A New House Re: {Dawn} SE Melb Custom Build - Ever After :) 2481Sep 24, 2017 4:37 pm Feeling stressed out!! Hating my landscaping but feeling stuck ;-; This is my back lawn after 5 weeks.. Still covered in sand, just doesn't seem to be growing. Hate the lillipillies, they are going!! Bunnies love chewing on them. Any suggestions on what to replace them with? I want something to block out the fence, but not overshadow my magnolias. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ My frangapanis are dead.. ;-; will be replacing them when we go plant shopping. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This is the front lawn after 5 weeks. I just watered in and managed to clear some of the sand, so looks a little better.. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The only plant I'm happy with, my maple going wild D I feel like it should have been planted a little higher.. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ My bed with the European pillows D Can't wait till my knot cushion arrives D Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ My little angels D Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Just struggling with the landscaping ;-; Its not what I imagined.. and I hate the paving. It kills me because the inside is looking so good, happy with my colour choices and finally getting in the swing of decorating.. and the outside is bleh! Had a landscaping guy come round and have a look at the turf, he said he reckons its dead.. he lifted up a corner and its basically only growing in the sand, hasn't put down any roots in the top soil. He guesstimated $4.5k to rip up the turf we have put down and put down new soil and turf. I don't have that kind of money for turfing.. I'm just going to have to keep waiting and hope this turf survives and starts to thrive. The paving is driving me crazy.. I just hate it, but dont know what to do.. my dad would be so upset if I told him.. and we spent all this money on pavers!! Plus I can't really afford to have someone come do anything else. I just wish the landscaping was done, feel like I've made a big mess of it!! Re: {Dawn} SE Melb Custom Build - Ever After :) 2484Sep 25, 2017 11:46 am We got the grass from Melbourne Brick, but I don't think it was very good. Looked dead when we got it. I think my dad misunderstood the 'lightly' part of covering with sand.. Hoping it recovers, because I can't afford to replace it. I gave it a good watering yesterday to try and break down the sand a bit. My dad said he'd come over today and take some off, but its pouring with rain.. Re: {Dawn} SE Melb Custom Build - Ever After :) 2485Sep 25, 2017 11:46 am The landscaping will take time, I have faith it will come together. No idea what to suggest for the back plants, gardening is not my thing! I thought your pavers were looking good last weekend! You can always revisit and change it down the track even if it takes a few years. Hopefully with this spring weather we're getting now the grass will pick up, fingers crossed! Re: {Dawn} SE Melb Custom Build - Ever After :) 2486Sep 25, 2017 1:28 pm Landscaping takes time. When the plants grow and fill out it will look better. Give the grass time. Its spring now so things should start growing. Our turf hasnt done much but we havent had rain in 3 mnths, everything is so dry!! Re: {Dawn} SE Melb Custom Build - Ever After :) 2487Sep 25, 2017 1:41 pm Thanks all for the reassurance. I'm a stresshead and its killing me that the landscaping isn't perfect!! Didn't help I had a landscaper here yesterday and was basically telling me everything had to be ripped out and started again... Dad popped by today and we've scraped off about3 wheelbarrows full of sand off the back, so hopefully that helps the grass... I'll just take deep breaths and hope for some sunshine to help it grow. Re: {Dawn} SE Melb Custom Build - Ever After :) 2488Sep 25, 2017 2:41 pm Hopefully with less sand, and some good sunshine and rain, your grass takes off. Re: {Dawn} SE Melb Custom Build - Ever After :) 2490Sep 25, 2017 3:17 pm There are just so many little jobs to do around here (who knew a new house was so much work!!) I made a list XD Cause I like making lists. External Builder to do - Hole in garage behind door - Garage door replaced - Sand and repaint garage walls - Engineering report for garage floor cracks - Remove paint off render - Fix front door (doesn't shut properly) - Missing brick/seal window - Guttering slopes the wrong way and all the guttering is awful - Colorbond/paint touch ups above sliding doors Us to do - Seal/paint garage floor - Clean garage floor (its covered in dirt from when we did the backyard) - Install the switch for the garage door - Pave and retain front - Edge garden - Turf front - Plant out rest of front - Do something with the porch - Screen doors - Sort out that side garden, thinking pebbles and planters - Replace frangapani and lillipillies - Finish off cat run door and tidy up the netting - Finish putting down the synthetic turf in the cat run (and plant out the planters) Internal Builder to do - Painting touch ups - Garage door handle has a gap - Laundry sink leak - Carpet not quite right in spots Us to do - Shower door - Seal mirrors in bathrooms Hoping the grass goes green soon.. and the paving turns out okay.. *fingers crossed* Apparently everyone is coming Friday to finally finish off the paving and turf out the front, I hope so and I hope it turns out okay.. would be nice to have it all done and cleaned up. Apart from the big things apart, inside just need artwork and plants, which will take some time to get right and some more furniture for the living room.. finish furnishing the study.. Nearly there.. Re: {Dawn} SE Melb Custom Build - Ever After :) 2491Sep 25, 2017 6:51 pm We had that issue with grass and sand when we lived in South Coast NSW. Having no money at the time, I bought two trailerfulls of a decent fine mulch that had compost in it - chucked it all over and raked it around. The grass came through and went like a dream, it got all green and lush. Worth a shot on a small patch to see if it works? Good luck! Re: {Dawn} SE Melb Custom Build - Ever After :) 2492Sep 26, 2017 8:31 am House is looking great! Beautiful furniture. Everything takes time to come together so don't be so hard on yourself. Re: {Dawn} SE Melb Custom Build - Ever After :) 2494Sep 26, 2017 11:27 am DIY Cat Run
My DIY cat run is fully installed, though not yet fully fitted out, so I thought I'd share the costs and what we did for anyone looking to do the same thing. I purchased all the netting materials from www.catnets.com.au[url=www.catnets.com.au]http://www.catnets.com.au[/url]. Total price for the netting including all the fittings (except for the metal arches and wood planks at either end) was $400 including delivering and delivery was about 2 days. To put it up, we drilled dynabolts into the mortar along the house side and then ran a wire along them. We then edged the netting and used c clamps to attach the netting to the wire along the house side. On the fence side, we again edged the netting with the provided rope and then hammered it into the fence using u nails. For the ends, we bought some treated pine and hammered the edge of the netting into the wood which was then wedged into place. We had a bit of a mishap, as the gap between the house and fence is about 1.2m and the netting is 1.8m wide.. whoops. So we added the metal arches to remove the sagging in the net. My dad had old cray fish nets which is where the metal came from. He drilled holes to place the metal arches into and cable tied the netting to them. We then cable tied the excess netting to one side all along the fence to give it a neat finish. I installed the zipper door at one end (note the $400 includes 2 doors but we decided to only use one). There's a very useful and easy to follow YouTube video on how to install the zipper door, and given I managed to successfully do it myself I think it is quite easy to do To finish off the cat run I got some synthetic turf (which hasn't finished being laid out as it needs some cutting). I paid $119 for 1x4m from Bunnings, and then my dad found a somewhat similar sized piece for $60 from the markets. To make it fun for the cats, I filled the cat run with outdoor toys and also got an outdoor bench (which will have two plants soon). The bench was $50 from Kmart and quite easy to put together. Later on we will add some sky walks on the house side. For entry into the cat run from the house I have a pet patio door from my laundry. This door is fully secured and lockable. The pet patio door cost $194 from Bunnings (and Dad installed). Pictures below: From inside looking towards the front of the house. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Zipper door Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Other side with no zipper door. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Looking towards the back of house. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ From outside the cat run. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The best part is from the front of the house you can't see it at all, the netting is low vis. If you are looking to put in a DIY cat run after your house is built, I suggest you consider where you are going to put it while designing the house. I picked the long side of the house, and I purposely put my laundry there to make an entrance. As an FYI professional installation of the cat run I was told to expect it to cost $2000+. Re: {Dawn} SE Melb Custom Build - Ever After 😀 2495Sep 26, 2017 11:38 am aloenyx We got the grass from Melbourne Brick, but I don't think it was very good. Looked dead when we got it. I think my dad misunderstood the 'lightly' part of covering with sand.. Hoping it recovers, because I can't afford to replace it. I gave it a good watering yesterday to try and break down the sand a bit. My dad said he'd come over today and take some off, but its pouring with rain.. Re: {Dawn} SE Melb Custom Build - Ever After :) 2497Sep 26, 2017 1:29 pm Feeling better. Finally cleared my paperwork out. Building a house generates so much paper!! Contracts, and loan statements.. but when you move in, the builder gave me a massive pack, and then there was all the instructions and warranties.. and then piles of receipts for my new purchases. I was drowning in paperwork!!! So I finally went through and threw most of it out. Only kept he manuals/waranties for the bigger ticket items that I may need some help using in the future, fridge, washer, etc. I figure out I can handle a kettle XD Finally got my three boxes of paperwork back down to one carry case.. and a short term draw for things I only need to keep for a few weeks/months before I toss them out. *sigh of relief* Re: {Dawn} SE Melb Custom Build - Ever After :) 2498Sep 26, 2017 3:47 pm aloenyx Feeling better. Finally cleared my paperwork out. Building a house generates so much paper!! Contracts, and loan statements.. but when you move in, the builder gave me a massive pack, and then there was all the instructions and warranties.. and then piles of receipts for my new purchases. I was drowning in paperwork!!! So I finally went through and threw most of it out. Only kept he manuals/waranties for the bigger ticket items that I may need some help using in the future, fridge, washer, etc. I figure out I can handle a kettle XD Finally got my three boxes of paperwork back down to one carry case.. and a short term draw for things I only need to keep for a few weeks/months before I toss them out. *sigh of relief* Hahaha, you're just like my husband... I, on the other hand, keep everything for twenty years, at the very least. That cat run looks, dandy, by the way! Re: {Dawn} SE Melb Custom Build - Ever After :) 2499Sep 26, 2017 4:19 pm Oh, your poor husband PP I hate paper! I'd throw it all out if it wasn't like legally required to keep some stuff.. D I really want to throw out my land contract, its HUGE and my broker accidentally unbound it when she borrowed it.. so its got a giant clip on it. Some of the stuff I put in the drawer I'm only keeping because my dad likes to keep looking at the landscaping invoices and telling me just how much its cost him once its all over they are going! Thanks I'm a little proud of the zipper door, since I did it myself this morning. I'm all DIY now! Though to be honest the rough edges and not quite straightness are KILLING me. I just have to remind myself that I saved $1500+ doing it this way. I work with owner, he/she is my man on the ground and I instruct them when to visit the site and take photos and I have other tools in the bag. 4 9667 I am in the same situation, would you be able to give some insights in to this? I am in SA 8 12828 Depends what you're current inclusions are, but we're not including wardrobes and will just use second hand ones until we can save later on to get them built. 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