Browse Forums Building A New House Re: Our First Home - Local Builder 141May 28, 2017 7:39 pm I wouldn't be taking a charge like that on the chin. Hopefully they are agreeable. Me either about smart stone. I called Willis Bros (Gold Coast stone company) they supply stone to a vast amount of project builders and people like me, Blake the sales rep is really good and explained the stone properties and pricing levels. 1. Caesar Stone 2. Quantum Quarts 3. Essastone 4. Smartstone. I asked if the quality was compromised because it is cheaper and he said not at all, it's a great product and they supply a lot of it. I've picked the Astral for my kitchen and Santorini (the Milan range white) for my bathrooms in 40mm. I found the same thing with doors, Hume doors are far cheaper than Corinthian doors but the quality is the same. Same goes with the stone. You might save enough to get everything you want in your build I bet your hubby is shaking every time budgets and motorbikes are mentioned in the same sentence . Re: Our First Home - Local Builder 144May 28, 2017 8:09 pm That's really handy to know Tribe! Tpangas, we used Hebel. I'm not sure on the actual cost, I know it's a bit more pricey than bricks but it's quicker to put up, so with the reduced Labour costs it works out about the same (we didn't have to pay any more) Re: Our First Home - Local Builder 145May 28, 2017 8:28 pm So wise so experienced, oh Tribe7. Shellu, I hope you can make all your desired inclusions work with the budget. Variation fees are mean... Selections are fun. Kind of miss that part but we are happy with our overall selections. no regrets. Follow our first house build here! -> https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=86484 Re: Our First Home - Local Builder 146May 28, 2017 8:45 pm My budget isn't massive so I need to stretch it as far as humanely possible. I found it really interesting about the stone and it's a great way to save coin while still getting a beautiful finish. Other ways to save little bits and pieces is above mount sinks in the kitchen are cheaper, if it's a undermount you get charged more for the hole cut and polishing the edges. Go laminex in the laundry, if your going for high ceilings and your builder wants to charge a fortune for steel lintels above the windows to brick above them ask to have the windows butted to the eave and make them slightly longer it saves a bit actually. Uhmmmm carpet, you don't need the rolls Royce carpet of carpets but invest on the underlay, a good quality 10mm rubber under lay will make a good priced carpet feel amazing. I have 178m2 of carpet and I wanted a great quality but that comes at $70 a m2, my carpet bill was sitting around $12,460 after a really good chat to my Andersens mate James he gave me some education and showed me better ways to spend my money and get a great feeling carpet without the flying out of my pockets. Main flooring, what is the plan?? Vinyl planks are killing it lately and there are some amazing products we are going with a brand called KenBrock and it's excellent quality but not expensive at all. My hubby is toying with the idea of buying a camp trailer, I asked where the budget is for that? He mentioned he knew we had a kitty of stashed savings in a different offset account, he was bluntly told that's the plantation shutters fund and I'll throw a tantrum on the floor with squealing and crying if he even thinks about it. Poor man nearly had to pat my hand to calm me down so yes I know how your hubby feels Re: Our First Home - Local Builder 147May 28, 2017 8:54 pm ruraldoc So wise so experienced, oh Tribe7. Shellu, I hope you can make all your desired inclusions work with the budget. Variation fees are mean... Selections are fun. Kind of miss that part but we are happy with our overall selections. no regrets. Mr T said don't fluff my ego rude man might go hungry this week. The cook will go on strike. Re: Our First Home - Local Builder 148May 28, 2017 9:30 pm My partner just sat down next to me and read through this thread for the first time including the part where I said I may sell his bikes! Ha ha Our budget isn't big either Tribe, so much so that I contemplated creating a thread or not but I am so glad that I did. Selections are really fun aren't they! Our flooring is I guess what you would call a mid-range carpet? It felt fine underfoot though. There are so many lovely selections in vinyl planks aren't there! Re: Our First Home - Local Builder 149May 29, 2017 10:23 am Tribe7 ruraldoc So wise so experienced, oh Tribe7. Shellu, I hope you can make all your desired inclusions work with the budget. Variation fees are mean... Selections are fun. Kind of miss that part but we are happy with our overall selections. no regrets. Mr T said don't fluff my ego rude man might go hungry this week. The cook will go on strike. Hahaha yes GJ Gardner Modified Coolum 277 http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=83643 Re: Our First Home - Local Builder 150May 29, 2017 7:23 pm shellu My partner just sat down next to me and read through this thread for the first time including the part where I said I may sell his bikes! Ha ha Our budget isn't big either Tribe, so much so that I contemplated creating a thread or not but I am so glad that I did. Selections are really fun aren't they! Our flooring is I guess what you would call a mid-range carpet? It felt fine underfoot though. There are so many lovely selections in vinyl planks aren't there! Absolutely vinyl seems to be a great budget friendly choice without the loss in quality feel and look. Tiles are nice but... gosh they can get dear! I think many people go tile if they can get a good promo deal... Our carpet choice in the end was a mid range choice as well. Same plush feel without the price tag for fancy 100000000 pile count. 😝 Follow our first house build here! -> https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=86484 Re: Our First Home - Local Builder 152May 31, 2017 8:48 am aloenyx Tile was standard for me with builder, so I went with it.. I don't know much about vinyl, but it looks great in some of the threads on here. Good luck choosing!!! Or yeah if it's included! Which is nice if it is. Ours wasn't for the main areas. Just wet areas. What did worry us about tile was the slippery worry for kids and wife, she has a bad knee and unstable. More than that possibly the ouch factor if one of the little ones hit their head. Vinyl with wood look is certainly a good alternative to having timber planks.. budget and maintenance wise... But it all depends on what's available at what cost I'm sure in your specific area. Follow our first house build here! -> https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=86484 Re: Our First Home - Local Builder 153May 31, 2017 10:08 pm Sorry for the delay Shellu, My goodness you shouldn't worry about not having a build thread because your budget isn't massive, some times massive budgets produce very average homes. Yes selections are fun, I'm digging wallpaper at the moment. Sounds like a good carpet, I was really determined to have nice carpet this time. I just need so much that's what is killing my budget, 178m2 . Are you finished with your selections now? Re: Our First Home - Local Builder 154Jun 01, 2017 8:06 pm Tribe7 Sorry for the delay Shellu, My goodness you shouldn't worry about not having a build thread because your budget isn't massive, some times massive budgets produce very average homes. Yes selections are fun, I'm digging wallpaper at the moment. Sounds like a good carpet, I was really determined to have nice carpet this time. I just need so much that's what is killing my budget, 178m2 . Are you finished with your selections now? Hey Tribe, So we followed up on the extra charge for the window with the builder. They explained that they don't have a designer on site, their drawings get completed externally. Hence the charge as a structural change means that they are sent off again and the designer charges that amount for a new set of plans. I am happy with this explanation, I'm also really happy with their customer service. So we have accepted the window and the alteration charge. Haven't made any other selections at this stage, I need to meet with their designer but was holding off till we sorted out the window. I will make a few more selections in a fortnight. Have you ever hung wallpaper yourself? I have attached a blurry photo (sorry) of new kitchen window location. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Our First Home - Local Builder 155Jun 01, 2017 9:10 pm Shellu we have a massively tight budget as well I had a similar feeling before I started my thread. But I think it's been great to bounce ideas off other people and at the end of the day everyone on here understands how we are all feeling. I must say that I have people that I know always saying you should have done this or you should have added a meter to your garage to make it bigger, and it's completely different on here! So supportive & you never feel like you have to justify decisions. Super glad we can watch your thread Love the window as well!!!! Our First Home - Local Builder 156Jun 01, 2017 9:17 pm fleabee86 Shellu we have a massively tight budget as well I had a similar feeling before I started my thread. But I think it's been great to bounce ideas off other people and at the end of the day everyone on here understands how we are all feeling. I must say that I have people that I know always saying you should have done this or you should have added a meter to your garage to make it bigger, and it's completely different on here! So supportive & you never feel like you have to justify decisions. Super glad we can watch your thread Love the window as well!!!! Thanks Fleabee, It's so funny because I definitely feel like I am learning from reading your thread! I honestly don't think I have ever seen a more positive online community. It's such a good space to be in. The more I look at the window the more excited I get! Found this pic on Instagram, such a clean fresh look. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Our First Home - Local Builder 157Jun 01, 2017 9:22 pm Definitely think you've made the right move with the window, the plan looks great! It makes the world of difference when they have good communication! Our budget is also veryyy tight! We have a long list of things we'd love to add to our next place, but as our first home I think we've done well with what we have ☺️ Re: Our First Home - Local Builder 158Jun 01, 2017 9:40 pm We too are on a tight budget - you can't let it hold you back though! We are only a single income family and worked hard to even get a deposit! I just found out the bank will only approve our build, so we need to try and save up again for all the things not included. For us this is flooring, blinds, driveway, fencing, lighting, landscaping, air con, tv aerial, letterbox, clothesline, etc. Not sure how we'll do it... praying for a miracle!!! Or maybe I will have to sell my hubby's bikes! Lol Your home will be amazing I'm sure! - B A vue of the pines on the Gold Coast forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=87210 Re: Our First Home - Local Builder 159Jun 01, 2017 9:43 pm shellu fleabee86 Shellu we have a massively tight budget as well I had a similar feeling before I started my thread. But I think it's been great to bounce ideas off other people and at the end of the day everyone on here understands how we are all feeling. I must say that I have people that I know always saying you should have done this or you should have added a meter to your garage to make it bigger, and it's completely different on here! So supportive & you never feel like you have to justify decisions. Super glad we can watch your thread Love the window as well!!!! Thanks Fleabee, It's so funny because I definitely feel like I am learning from reading your thread! I honestly don't think I have ever seen a more positive online community. It's such a good space to be in. The more I look at the window the more excited I get! Found this pic on Instagram, such a clean fresh look. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I wish we had of put a window in now it's going to look amazing Our First Home - Local Builder 160Jun 01, 2017 9:44 pm jmart90 Definitely think you've made the right move with the window, the plan looks great! It makes the world of difference when they have good communication! Our budget is also veryyy tight! We have a long list of things we'd love to add to our next place, but as our first home I think we've done well with what we have ☺️ Thanks Jmart. It's good to know others have a tight budget as well. I think your place is looking great! Bridgetwitch We too are on a tight budget - you can't let it hold you back though! We are only a single income family and worked hard to even get a deposit! I just found out the bank will only approve our build, so we need to try and save up again for all the things not included. For us this is flooring, blinds, driveway, fencing, lighting, landscaping, air con, tv aerial, letterbox, clothesline, etc. Not sure how we'll do it... praying for a miracle!!! Or maybe I will have to sell my hubby's bikes! Lol Your home will be amazing I'm sure! - B A vue of the pines on the Gold Coast forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=87210 Wow Bridgetwitch that's really tough to have to save all yourself. At least you will be paying cash and less interest. Well done for doing it on a single income too. Those bikes sure can add up... We already paid for somfy motors for the blinds. The quote above was purely for “pre-wiring” so the blinds company can install the motors and blinds. That’s why we… 5 16275 "Losers" "humanity" "off time" "your" "top notch" "love symbol" Sounds like ponzo is done using other people's toilets 36 23889 So it looks like we finally have some movement on site! Definitely later than expected, but I'll take any progress at this point. I'll drop by over the weekend to get… 5 27713 |