Hi everyone,
First home builders here building with GJ Gardner in Riverstone Crossing. Our land has settled and we've now signed our build contract.
Our rear boundary sandstone retaining wall is underway and photos will soon follow
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Edited to add plans, colour selections and timeline
Floor plan
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Upgrades from standard Rosewood 225
- Increased the ceiling height to 2590
- Upgraded the front door to 1200 wide
- Relocated the kitchen and dining
- Increased the size of the island bench
- Added a splashback picture window
- Upgraded rangehood to undermount
- Added additional cupboard above undermount rangehood
- Upgraded the sink
- Changed the door on the pantry to a cavity slider
- Added a cold water tap to the fridge area
- Added waterfall ends to the island bench
- Reconfigured the master bedroom
- Added a Hollywood WIR
- Doubled the size of the ensuite
- Added a double vanity to the ensuite
- Reconfigured the ensuite and increased the size of the shower
- Added a shower niche to the ensuite
- Reconfigured the media to increase the width
- Reconfigured the garage entry
- Extended the alfresco slab and roof (pergola to be added after handover)
- Added a gas connection to the alfresco
- Changed the back doors to a stacker door
- Extended bed 2 and bed 3
- Added a whirly bird
Colour Selections
External
Roof: CB Basalt
Gutters: CB Windspray
Fascias: CB Shale Grey
Main Render & Cladding: CB Surfmist
Bed 1 Surround: CB Windspray
Garage: CB Shale Grey
Windows: Aluminium 'Precious Silver'
Front Door: Corinthian WINWS 4G 1200 (upgrade)
Front Posts: Merbau
Timber infill to Porch: Stained Timber (Merbau)
Driveway & Porch: Exposed Aggregate in Tuxedo
Kitchen
Bench top: Caesarstone Ocean Foam with waterfall ends to island bench (waterfall ends were an upgrade)
Cupboard doors: Laminex Snowdrift White in Gloss finish
Feature doors: Laminex Sublime Teak in Riven finish to front of island bench & upper cabinets above oven
Sink: Seima Acero SKS-005 Top Mount Stainless Steel
Splashback: Window splashback behind oven; Black Gloss Pressed Edge 100x300 subway tiles to bench between pantry and microwave tower
Oven/Cook top: Omega 900 electrical oven and gas cook top
Range Hood: Smeg under mount (upgrade)
Dishwasher: Omega
Main Bathroom
Vanity top: Squareform Laminex Fresh Snow in Spark finish (we would have loved stone...)
Vanity doors: Laminex Sublime Teak in Riven finish
Basin: Tapaz round counter top basin 016680 (upgrade)
Tapware: Alpha mixer (upgrade)
Bath: Seima 1675mm (upgrade to longer bath)
Tiles: Stella Grey 450x450 in Matt to the floor, Stella Grey 450x450 in Gloss to the walls (will be doing floor to ceiling tiles)
Ensuite
Vanity top: Squareform Laminex Fresh Snow in Spark finish (we would have loved stone...)
Vanity doors: Laminex Sublime Teak in Riven finish
Basin: 2 x Tapaz round counter top basin 016680 (upgrade)
Tapware: Alpha mixer (upgrade)
Tiles: Argyle Stone Graphite 450x450 in Matt to floor and feature wall; Stella Grey 450x450 in Gloss to the remaining walls (will be doing floor to ceiling tiles)
Laundry
Tub: we chose to go with the standard tub and will do a fitout after handover
Splashback: Classic White Gloss 300x450
Internal
Walls: Dulux Snow Season Half
Architrave/Skirting/Doors: Dulux White on White
Carpet: Rushcutter Evening to bedrooms & media (upgrade)
Tiles: Stella Grey 450x450 in Matt
Timeline
June 2016
25th - Received Masterplan for Riverstone Crossing & several packages by Coral
26th - Viewed our lot and met with Coral
27th - Put land on hold
28th - Received first tender from Coral
30th - Met with Mortgage Choice for preapproval
July 2016
2nd - Met with GJ and received draft tender
3rd - Picked up contract from Stockland to pass to Solicitors
4th - Received revised tender from Coral, decided to go with GJ
6th - Preapproval certificate from Mortgage Choice
9th - Signed! $5,000 deposit on the land, $3,000 deposit on the building contract with GJ
August 2016
4th - Loan approved
September 2016
14th - Land registered
27th - Land settled
October 2016
8th - First load of rocks delivered for retaining wall
11th - Signed build contract, work on retaining wall commenced
19th - Valuation ordered by bank
21st - Retaining wall and excavations to side boundary completed
November 2016
2nd - Conditional finance approval
3rd - Formal finance approval
December 2016
5th - Escalated submission of plans to GJ General Manager
7th - Plans back from private certifier (need to move house back)
8th - Paid 5% deposit
15th - Plans submitted to council
16th - Tile selection appointment
20th - Colour selection appointment
January 2017
24th - Electrical appointment, SF contractor next door damaged retaining wall
25th - Building approval received
February 2017
7th - Bank provided letter of commencement
11th - Paid invoice for extra tiles for bathroom & ensuite
17th - Covenant approval received from Stockland
22nd - Site cut
March 2017
1st - Energex connection to lot
2nd - Underslab done, pods & steel delivered
Week 1
6th - Slab poured
Week 2
14th - Frames up
15th - Rain
16th - Roof trusses
Week 3
20th - Gutters & fascias (rain)
21st - Scaffolding for roof (rain)
22nd - Roof started (rain)
23rd - Roof battens (fine)
24th - Bath delivered (fine)
Week 4
27th - Roof finished, doors & windows delivered
28th - Electrician on site, wiring started
29th - Electrician on site, wiring finished
30th - RAIN RAIN RAIN
31st - Front door put in, windows started, plumber on site, bath put it
April 2017
1st/2nd - DIY acoustic insulation to media, laundry and ensuite, added yellow tongue & extra beams in roof
Week 5
3rd - Hebel delivered
4th - Hebel started
5th - Hebel finished, plaster boards delivered, CSD to pantry installed, support for towel rails added
6th - Plasterboard to roof, garage, ensuite, laundry, bed 2, 3 & 4, activity room, main bedroom and back hallway put up
7th - Plasterboard completed, gas point to alfresco, niche raised, extra support for TV in living and media
8th - Plasterer onsite (joins)
Week 6
10th/11th - Plaster board patch work
12th - Architraves put up
13th - Sanded plasterboards, cladding & plaster for eaves delivered
14th - Public holiday (Easter Friday)
Week 7
17th - Public holiday (Easter Monday)
18th - Cladding to WIR, eaves everywhere except porch and part of garage
19th - Eaves finished, porch completed (including timber infill)
20th - Garage door put in
21st - Waterproofing to bathroom, ensuite and shower, holes cut for powerpoints and switches throughout, extra wiring for dishwasher, render paint and bathroom/ensuite and laundry sinks delivered
Week 8
24th - Base coats of render done, kitchen, bathroom and ensuite cabinetry delivered // damage to laundry ledge
25th - Public holiday (ANZAC day)
26th - Kitchen, bathroom and ensuite cabinets installed, pantry shelving added, bathroom and ensuite sinks installed, render completed to house except for bed 1 (different colour), internal doors and frames delivered // no wiring to microwave, damage to bottom corner of bulkhead above fridge
27th - Internal doors hung (except media & linen double doors), most door and window frames put up, holes cut in ceiling for light fittings (except kitchen)
28th - Lock on front door
May 2017
Week 9
1st - Public holiday (Labour day)
2nd - Skip emptied (no trades on site)
3rd - No trades on site
4th - No trades on site
5th - No trades on site
6th - Remaining internal doors hung, remaining door and window frames put up, CSD to pantry hung, man hole put in, shelving to linen cupboard and robes* // shelf to main bedroom WIR to be removed (as per specs)
Week 10
8th - Skirting to house, shelving in WIR removed, front door handle put on, tiles delivered
9th - Stone bench tops* and kitchen sink installed // overhang to island bench not per variation, other bench top in 3 pieces with silicone joins
10th - No trades on site
11th - Painter on site
12th - Painter on site, patch work to damage above fridge
13th - Down pipes installed
Week 11
15th - No trades on site
16th - No trades on site
17th - Met tiler on site, ensuite floor tiled
18th - Tiles to house except front of bath, skirting to toilet, skirting and splashback to laundry, under the dishwasher space, window wall in ensuite // not enough tiles
19th - Grout done
Week 12
22nd - Bulkhead finished in kitchen
23rd - Met SS on site
24th - Painter
25th - Painter
26th - Painter
Week 13
29th - Painter + toilets, tap ware and shower rails delivered, internal doors fitted
30th - Painter + appliances delivered (dishwasher, range hood, oven and cook top), extra tiles delivered (supposed to be last Monday), interior painting finished, front door stain finished, stain to timber posts and infill above porch completed
31st - Fans to bed 2, 3, 4, alfresco, media and living installed, lights to kitchen and living installed, powerpoints added to microwave, fridge, bench area next to pantry, living and media, cold tap added to fridge area, light switches added for kitchen, lounge and media
June 2017
1st - Exterior painting to cladding, down pipes and eaves, spotlights, gimble lights to eaves in front of timber posts and 1 light in front of garage installed, outside powerpoint and gas meter connected, remaining internal powerpoints and light switches added (except powerpoints to bathroom and ensuite, light switch to ensuite, data & TV points), smoke detector to bed 4 and hall still to be added, remaining tiling completed to kitchen area under dishwasher, bathroom, ensuite, and toilet skirting, some skirting to laundry, laundry splash back and skirting to be finished, grout still to be done, fan to master bedroom added, toilets in // ensuite toilet cracked
2nd - Ensuite toilet replaced, powerpoints and light switch added to ensuite, light installed in garage, hole cut for powerpoint to island bench, data point to activity, lights finished, gas connection for oven // gas connection to be checked
Week 14
5th - Smoke detector to hallway and bed 4 installed, powerpoint to island bench, tv point to living & media, switchboard to power box
6th - Grout to ensuite
7th - No trades on site
8th - Laundry tiles to skirting and splashback, raised tile to laundry floor replaced, laundry tub installed, main bathroom shower screen, taps, mirror, bath tap, rangehood installed, ensuite shower screen (no door), shower connected and taps installed
9th - Builder's 'clean', driveway cut, ensuite mirror installed
10th - Shelf to ensuite shower, grout to laundry, vacuum & clean
Week 15
12th - Flyscreens
13th - Met SS onsite, carpets put in (rain)
14th - Rain
15th - Driveway and exposed aggregate to front porch laid
16th - No trades on site
Week 16
19th - Met SS on site for PCI, trades also on site fitting door handles, towel rails, toilet roll holders and WIR hanging rails
20th - No trades on site
21st - No trades on site
22nd - Painter on site, touch ups inside and bed 1 surround painted
23rd - Driveway sealed, skip emptied, front yard scraped
Week 17
26th - Tiler on site, finished grouting, still to replace chipped tiles and fix uneven tiles
27th - Original handover day
28th & 29th - Minimal trades on site, touch ups
30th - Handover!
July 2017
Post Handover Week 1 / Week 18
5th - Garage service technician out to fix the garage door, cabinet makers in to replace vanity top and basin in main bathroom // new basin cracked.
Post Handover Week 2 / Week 19
10th - Letterbox moved to correct position, fence started
11th - Fencer on site, NBN connected