Browse Forums Owner Builder Forum Re: Another OB in Perth Foothills...now with floorplan 21Apr 11, 2011 12:55 am sorry for delay I missed your message. PM sent! Re: Another OB in Perth Foothills...now with floorplan 23Apr 30, 2011 2:31 pm OBing certainly has its ups and downs. My FIL is back in action now and my DH has taken a few weeks holiday from work and they are really steaming along with the bricklaying now. It's really exciting! They've finished nearly all of the face brick now and only have the laundry and a few bits and pieces in the kitchen and fireplace left to do of the internal bricks. Then it's on to putting up all the steel for the carport and verandah. We were getting all excited that our roof carpenter would be able to come in 3 weeks time to start putting the roof timbers, and then I learnt my lesson yet again that you never get excited about something until it has been completed! Our roof carpenter rang to say he'd just accepted a job on the mines and is pulling out of the job. 14 phone calls later a mild feeling of panic started to creep in that all chippies in Perth were booked up until about Sept/Oct. Finally I managed to get 3 who were willing to quote and who would look at fitting us in. Very next day one actually sent a quote through, and low and behold its $2500 less than our original chippy! Things are looking promising but I'm still not getting excited. Tommorrow we've got 5 guys lined up to give my DH a hand to lift the big (200kg) T-bar up over the opening for our big sliding doors. Then the bricks can be finished over that opening. I'll be glad when that T-bars up as it's our heaviest and scariest. Our owner-builder journey - viewtopic.php?f=38&t=45187 Re: Another OB in Perth Foothills 24May 18, 2011 2:08 am Just a little update. My DH had a couple of weeks off work and he's almost finished all of the brickwork. Unfortunately he had to go back to work as of yesterday but they've only got a few bits and pieces to do in the kitchen and for the fireplace, plus a bit over some t-bars. He's also put up all the steel beams and posts for the carport and verandah and that's all welded. We've got some guys coming over on Saturday arvo to help lift the last 3 massive steel beams up ready for the roof. DH is hoping that everything will be finished over the next 2 weekends, then we'll be all set for the roof. We can't wait until this part is finished!!!! We're having a bit of a hectic week trying to organise the tradies for the next stages. Our new roof carpenter finally got back to us with a start date and unfortunately he's really busy so he's not starting until 14th June. We're a bit disappointed as it's 2 weeks later than we wanted but at least it gives us time to go through everything thoroughly and make sure everything is ready and right. He takes 2 weeks to put the frame up, plus we're allowing a few days for weather delays so today I booked our roof plumber in to start work on 4th July. Seems so far away. I just want to be able to have my 'colourbond moment' but I guess that wont happen until the middle of July. At least there's one good thing about the drought - no weather delays (think i'd prefer rain though). Now I have to really get off my butt and organise more sparkie quotes as the sparkie we were thinking of using gave us his quote and it's really high. Plus his wife is due to give birth the week we want him. Ahhhh who would owner build. I'll hopefully take some pics this weekend. Our owner-builder journey - viewtopic.php?f=38&t=45187 Re: Another OB in Perth Foothills 25Feb 09, 2012 4:36 pm Hi Tam, just found your thread ... what a beautiful spot, what a ride you've had ... we need some pictures!! Pretty please For info on our build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=43093 Built the McLaren by Dechellis - slab down 22 Feb - handover 30 Aug 2011 - and gardens finished 9 Dec 2012!! Re: Another OB in Perth Foothills 26Feb 10, 2012 12:17 am Hi Mclaren, that was kind of you to search for my thread. I stopped posting on it as just after my last post (May last yr) we had a bad experience with our roof carpenter and I just didn't want to write about it. Then after that I found that I didn't want to post photos as I'm always thinking that next week such and such will be done and it will look better then.... that plus its always a filthy mess! So a brief run down of what's happened over the last 9 months - we had a terrible roof carpenter. I won't go into too much detail but basically he stuffed the whole thing. He originally said it would take 2 weeks but he kept stuffing it up and having to re-do it. After 6 weeks the end was nowhere in sight and the carpenter agreed to knock a couple of grand off his price and not come back. We were just happy not to see him again and my DH spent the next 2 weeks fixing up the whole roof and getting it plumb. We still haven't done the bird boards or finished off the gables but my DH will do that after we've moved in. We then had a great run with our sparkie and plumber doing their rough-ins, and then the best ever plastering team doing the grey render and white set on the walls. Things then slowed down dramatically as my DH and his dad have been doing all the fitting out of the interiors on the weekends. We've tiled the bathrooms, laid jarrah floor boards throughout the kitchen/living/meals and passages, installed the kitchen and painted the whole house. I've tried to find a few decent photos but I couldn't find any decent ones of the bathrooms or kitchen. DH is finishing tiling the kitchen splash back on the weekend so I'll take some of the kitchen then. We're also waiting for the plumber and sparkie to come and do the final fit-off of all our light fittings/switches/taps & toilets. We've been waiting for that since the middle of December but they both assure us they'll have it finished by the end of Feb. In March the shower screens and mirrors and getting installed, floor boards are getting sanded and polished, carpet laid, cupboard shelves fitted and blinds and curtains done. Can't wait until March!! Until then I have to finish painting the spare room and 2 more door frames in the kitchen, then paint and install the skirting boards in the bedrooms so the carpet can get laid. Also have to scrub all the window frames and clean the windows before the blinds can get installed. Here are a few photos, though they're quite old now: Front doors - we're going to stain them jarrah colour and varnish them one of these days Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Getting ready to lay the floor boards on battens Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Floor boards laid Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The rectangular hole in the wall at the back is for a built-in fish tank Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This hole will have a Rinnai Sapphire gas log fireplace in it (currently half installed) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ One side of the kitchen being installed Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Back of the house Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Ugly temporary fence getting pulled down yay! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Our owner-builder journey - viewtopic.php?f=38&t=45187 Re: Another OB in Perth Foothills 27Feb 10, 2012 9:01 am - well done!! After all this time the end is nearly in sight - you have worked so hard - big pat on the back to you, your hubby and his Dad. I love it - esp love the fireplace and the floors - what a big job! Your garden looks gorgeous too! Oh and the front doors are Keep us posted when you have some more pictures to share .... and you've done all that with a couple of kiddies in tow - amazing For info on our build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=43093 Built the McLaren by Dechellis - slab down 22 Feb - handover 30 Aug 2011 - and gardens finished 9 Dec 2012!! Re: Another OB in Perth Foothills 28Feb 22, 2012 9:18 pm Hi TamK, Great work and what a fantastic house in a beautiful setting - sounds like you are nearly there!! You need to give us an update soon. Love to see some more photos when you get a chance. Re: Another OB in Perth Foothills 29Mar 04, 2012 8:21 am Fantastic!!!! It's got to be said of the owner builders in this world - you put in the hard work and reap the rewards. Your house looks wonderful and it's a credit to your husband and FIL !! It's exciting to see the progress from this end but I understand the frustrations and hiccups along the way. Thanks for posting these last few pictures Owner Building on 1800sqm Sanity Intact so far Locked up March 2012 Re: Another OB in Perth Foothills 30Mar 06, 2012 12:49 am Thanks Lynny-jane. I think it's only other owner builders who really understand how much hard work gets put in and how life consuming it is. It's getting really exciting now as all the fiddly jobs get finished off. The last 2 weekends were spent painting skirting boards and puting them in the bedrooms ready for the carpet to be laid. Just have to finish off re-cutting in the wall colour above them and then that's all finished. Our shower screens and mirrors get installed in 2 days (yay!) then next week the floor sander comes and sands/seals our jarrah floor boards. Carpet blinds and curtains get installed the week after that, and somewhere in there DH will finish off the kitchen (put the back bit on the island bench, all the kick boards, attach handles etc). Hope you don't mind photos cause here is a photo overload! DH with his borrowed toy, cleaning up the site http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012016.jpg Bay window in the meals area http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012063.jpg Meals area viewed from the kitchen - have to edit here, the ugly light is just temporary until we find a pretty light that we want to put over our dining table! It's def. not staying! http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012035.jpg View of our backyard viewed out of the bay window http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012067.jpg http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012068.jpg Door to gamesroom with fishtank wall (fishtank will have a jarrah frame around it like a picture frame) http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012037.jpg The incomplete kitchen. Still needs back of island to be attached, kickboards on, handles on all drawers/cupboards, doors on pantry and big cupboard, and protective plastic to be removed. http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012038.jpg Oven is waiting to be installed (gloss black 90cm Ilve freestanding) http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012039.jpg http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012042.jpg http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012040.jpg Front doors finally stained. I did the final coat of varnish today and they hadn't dried yet. They look heaps better in real life, I LOVE them. http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012043.jpg Master bed http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012045.jpg Walk in robe (hard to get a photo) http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012046.jpg Ensuite (shower screen & mirror to be installed this week). Doesn't show up very well in photos. The colour of the tiles and mosaics goes really weird. Window will have a white plantation shutter installed at end of March. http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012047.jpg http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012048.jpg Main bathroom - also looks a bit weird in photos. Tile colours go weird. http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012052.jpg http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012053.jpg Guest's room http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012061.jpg Our games room which for the moment is acting as our storeroom/workshop/dumping ground, and probably will for the next 12 months! http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012074.jpg http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w362/TamK116/March2012075.jpg Our owner-builder journey - viewtopic.php?f=38&t=45187 Re: Another OB in Perth Foothills 31Mar 06, 2012 10:37 am Everything's lovely ... and you're nearly there What a lovely space to live in .... thanks for all the pics! For info on our build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=43093 Built the McLaren by Dechellis - slab down 22 Feb - handover 30 Aug 2011 - and gardens finished 9 Dec 2012!! Re: Another OB in Perth Foothills 32Mar 06, 2012 1:32 pm Hi neighbour you've done a great job... love the house and the location is great - beautiful views... Who did you get to supply the aquarium? Preliminary agreement 23/11 Contract 22/03 Prestart 06/04 - finalised on 30/04 Unconditional approval 10/05 Demolition 05/07 Slab 26/08 Brickwork 13/09-06/10 Roof frame started 07/10 viewtopic.php?f=31&t=32292 Re: Another OB in Perth Foothills 33Mar 07, 2012 12:22 am Thanks Mclaren & Bagheera. My DH is really into fish and has been breeding fish since he was a kid so we were always going to have a big aquarium as a main feature of the house. We actually bought the aquarium about 6 years ago second hand out of the Quokka for about $500. It's huge and weighs an absolute tonne! When we moved to the old house on our current block we had to put it outside as it wouldn't fit in our tiny house and we were worried that it would fall through the old floor boards. I came up with the idea of building it into the wall. My DH has bought a really cool rock backing on it so you can't see what's behind it. From the games room side it just looks like a built in cupboard with solid doors. When you open up the doors you have access to the tank and filters etc. We had the plumber put a sink in there so it's permanently hooked up for doing water changes without the need for hoses running across the floor. It was a scarey moment getting the tank to fit through the hole. Even with 4 guys lifting it they had trouble because it weighed so much. Our owner-builder journey - viewtopic.php?f=38&t=45187 Re: Another OB in Perth Foothills 34Mar 07, 2012 10:25 am wow you should take a close up photo so we can see the details - We want to get a fish tank sometime in the future - and were looking for something bigger but now I think that getting a bigger one will have to be done through professionals... plus we need to build some sturdy frames to support the weights and create the surrounds to look like part of the room... I do like aquariums... they are so beautiful when properly done. What are you going to have around the house as footpaths? We are waiting to save some money and get exposed aggregate. Had pavers before but it was too much work keeping the weeds from growing between them or the ants bringing the sand up in little mounds. Preliminary agreement 23/11 Contract 22/03 Prestart 06/04 - finalised on 30/04 Unconditional approval 10/05 Demolition 05/07 Slab 26/08 Brickwork 13/09-06/10 Roof frame started 07/10 viewtopic.php?f=31&t=32292 Re: Another OB in Perth Foothills 35Mar 07, 2012 3:20 pm We are also getting exposed agg as paths around the outside of the house for exactly the same reasons as you. I hate weeds in paving and the old paving around our old house is full of weeds. That and my DH was planning on laying the pavers himself. It's getting to the point of the build were we've both had enough and we're really loving the idea of guys coming and pouring concrete and it just being done within a week. It's a huge area though so is going to be pretty expensive Our owner-builder journey - viewtopic.php?f=38&t=45187 Re: Another OB in Perth Foothills 36Mar 07, 2012 5:55 pm tell me about - been quoted over $12K for all the footpaths, alfresco, portico, landing outside the Laundry and office You might get the exp agg before me so will keep in touch to see if you get a better deal and they are good enough I'm so tired of sand Preliminary agreement 23/11 Contract 22/03 Prestart 06/04 - finalised on 30/04 Unconditional approval 10/05 Demolition 05/07 Slab 26/08 Brickwork 13/09-06/10 Roof frame started 07/10 viewtopic.php?f=31&t=32292 Re: Another OB in Perth Foothills 37Mar 07, 2012 7:16 pm We're probably 3-4 months away from getting the exposed agg. First the old house has to be demolished (end of April), then the new septics put in and services trenched to the new house, them DH has to do all the stormwater drainage. THEN we can get all the paths poured. We haven't got a quote yet but we're expecting around $15K to get the carport, under the front verandah, and 1.5 metre paths around the house. We're also having a wooden deck out one side of the house so the paths won't go the whole way around. We won't be having exposed agg for our driveway though I'm afraid. The driveway will be 6.4m wide and 26m long! Hate to think how much that would cost!! We haven't decided on the driveway yet but are considering the dark red/burgundy bitumen with cream kerbing to match the colour scheme of the outside of the house. Got no idea how much that will cost. I think we'll be living without a driveway for at least the next 18 months. We haven't had a sealed driveway for the last 4 years so another year or so won't hurt. Our owner-builder journey - viewtopic.php?f=38&t=45187 Re: Another OB in Perth Foothills 38Mar 07, 2012 7:22 pm soooooooo jealous of your house looks amazing!!! Harrisdale backyard finally done! Re: Another OB in Perth Foothills 39Mar 07, 2012 7:50 pm Thanks for saying that Miss_p It sounds really strange hearing someone say that about OUR house as I'm having a love-hate relationship with it at the moment and I'm doubting some of our choices. I think it's just been such hard work and we've got so much hard work still ahead of us it seems like we will never reach the end. Plus living on a filthy construction site for 2 years with 2 young kids hasn't helped. The main thing I'm doubting is our bathrooms. I've always loved blue and white bathrooms and absolutely loved the bathroom we renovated in our last house. Everyone I spoke to talked me out of it with this house and told me to go neutral. Then the tiles sales lady said the floor tiles we chose didn't go with white and talked us into getting ivory. I'm not sure if I really like the end result and I'm pretty disappointed but I am hoping it will look better once we get the shower screens & mirrors, and once we get towels in. I'm thinking maybe some olive green in there would give it a bit of a lift. The white plantation shutters will help heaps too. I love them and I can't wait for it to be installed. I can't wait for the kitchen to be finished either. It's looking pretty crappy at the moment but I do have great confidence that it will look great (well similar to the vision in my head) once its finished. It will also help when we've built the deck and patio area but that probably won't be finished for the next 12 months. Our owner-builder journey - viewtopic.php?f=38&t=45187 Re: Another OB in Perth Foothills 40Mar 07, 2012 10:29 pm From the photos it looks pretty spot on and with the showers screens, window coverings, towels, etc, etc your bathroom will get a bit more definition. I'm suprised to hear that the lady from the tile shop advised on ivory because the floor tile doesn't go with white??? That's a load of .... - white goes with everything... your toilet, bath tub, basins are white It's hard when you go through the process and doubt youself to the point that you stress out. Been there, done that - I had my little moments during the build... especially with the floor tile which we had to re-select - but I'm content now. In the end when everything is done and you live in the house you don't notice these little things... What colour did you use for the walls in the living - it looks greenish or it's just the light/camera? Preliminary agreement 23/11 Contract 22/03 Prestart 06/04 - finalised on 30/04 Unconditional approval 10/05 Demolition 05/07 Slab 26/08 Brickwork 13/09-06/10 Roof frame started 07/10 viewtopic.php?f=31&t=32292 Building Standards; Getting It Right! Don't think they are designed for double brick. WA has a particular way of building and unfortunately that's the way a large amount of sills are finished. 3 4733 Hi, Apologies - I know there is plenty out there on this but struggling to put together the puzzle. We're planning our garage/external laundry to master bedroom and… 0 1184 I am not sure whether Perth has its own way of doing things in regards to this. Most of Perth has class A (sandy soil), except for some areas near rivers or hills. 2 8280 |