Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Feb 06, 2014 12:06 am Hi all
We are building in South West Victoria and this is the start of my thread which I will be using preferentially over the blog I have also started. I wanted to make the thread with lots of pictures, which is what I enjoyed when I was lurking the last few years. Some of you may have read my blog and are familiar with the trouble we had this week when a skeleton was dug up on Day 2. Yes you read that right. It is indigenous remains and the elders will hopefully be relocating the bones this week and we will recommence the build. I have had a week of high emotion and have been dealing with elders, Aboriginal Affairs etc etc and I am just relieved to be able to continue on with the build. Im not superstitious or anything however it is actually said to be good luck around here (who knew)! Plus a bit of history for the land. Some have said they would sell and start over but my husband and I are not that dramatic and instead we are planning on placing a beautiful Aboriginal artwork in our living area to commemorate the find. Anyway, on with my show and tell!! These are the plans Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Exterior Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Garage Door Colour Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Outside brick colour - It will pretty much look like the exterior photo posted above. This brick is Austral Praline Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Colourbond Surfmist for the roof, hot water tank, rear garage door Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Front door Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Caesarstone White Shimmer for the kitchen and bathrooms Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Splashback in Dulux Paving Stone Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Our Smeg 900 ml Cooker and Rangehood Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Paint Colour is Dulux White Duck in quarter strength (still nervous about this - I don't want a grey that throws yellow, green or blue - this colour came recommended as a nice grey that is very subtle.) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Our chosen bath Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I don't have photos of the carpet or tiles but they are both a charcoaly (yep thats a word!) colour. Flooring for the non wet and carpeted areas is spotted gum glossy Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Spotted gum Alfresco area Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Thats about all for now. The things I am most looking forward to are the pantry, having a bath (don't fit into the bath in our rental and its gross) walk in robe, laundry with actual space, having a niche to put my shampoo on in the shower (its the small things sometimes) another living area and the kitchen. Hope you enjoy our journey. Re: Bryan & Peterson build in Victoria 2Feb 06, 2014 10:34 pm Your plan looks great. Lots of cupboards which is my personal fetish, can never have too many cupboards! Amazing find on your block, not something you would ever think of happening. Fingers crossed it all goes well from here on in. Good luck with your build. Re: Bryan & Peterson build in Victoria 3Feb 07, 2014 12:38 am Thanks back pocket. Thought I would just make a list of things we upgraded too. It's not everything but the main ones - higher ceilings - carpet and underlay - tiles in wet areas - caesarstone in kitchen and bathrooms(this must be one of the few builders where it's not standard) - WIR, pantry and cellar fit out (the cellar is a partitioned off part of the pantry - will have a glass door to be wine cellar and is completely my husbands creation. He says he wanted a glass door so he could see if I was in there swigging a bottle!!) - spotted gum in lieu of tiles - wider fridge space - door handle - stacker doors to the alfresco - freestanding bath. Someone's always in the bath at our house so I thought this was a good upgrade! - floor to ceiling tiles to bathrooms Gee we signed pages of variations but these are the main upgrades. We had signed up with the platinum series which has now changed name but it already included most of the good stuff. We are also happy that electrical is not in our contract. The electrician meets us for a meeting on site where we discuss everything we want electrically and he can put together the plan with all the costings. BP homes said they weren't interested in making a profit in electrical upgrades and the sparky can charge whatever he likes. Friends who built recently said it was very reasonable and the electrician guy also owns a nice lighting shop in Warnambool so you can pick what you want and have it installed. Planning on upgrading to fans in all bedrooms, alfresco and living, few pendant lights over the kitchen and maybe something fancy in the formal living. We find out on Monday next week if our build is back on for sure so I have fingers crossed. Re: Bryan & Peterson build in Victoria 5Feb 22, 2014 10:25 pm Well we got word yesterday that the build was allowed to continue, and that the heritage overlay that has been applied to the block should not affect the build. We are really relieved. The aboriginal people have had archeologists and the elders at the block for about a week and have successfully recovered the remains. They have been really good to deal with and we are really happy for them. When I visited the block today I saw we had bricks. Yay bricks!! And they have concreted the pylons they dug a couple of months ago. I was a bit worried because the materials were continuing to be delivered on the nature strip even though the build had stopped. Luckily we haven't had any rain as I was worried about the timber. The builder has asked me what we want to do with the pile of soil at the back of the block and initially I thought we could keep it to level out the garden, however it looks a bit scrappy when I inspected it. Full of weeds and bits of limestone. What did everyone else do with their soil? Did you bring in new fresh soil later on for the garden?? Some pics Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Bryan & Peterson build in Victoria 6Feb 23, 2014 10:55 am I'm so pleased for you that the build can continue! It must be a huge relief, especially as at first you were worried that it you did get the go-ahead it might be months and months away. re: the soil - we have a smallish pile in the backyard that we'll be using to fill in around the fence then get some decent topsoil for over the top. In the old house that was on the block, our dog couldn't see us or vice versa so she tended to dig under the fence (and then run through the neighbour's unfenced yard to come and look at us through the front window The quickest fix was usually to grab a big rock from the garden and use that to fill the hole back in so we've got some patching up to do! ~ Anne I used to be indecisive but now I'm not quite sure. Eeek - We're embarking on a knockdown rebuild! Click here for our build thread Our blog: kdrhome.wordpress.com Re: Bryan & Peterson build in Victoria 7Feb 23, 2014 1:09 pm Thanks slightly random. Yeah the elders were excellent. We would have been in trouble if they found anything else when they excavated. Our soil is slightly complicated as an elder has to supervise whenever we disturb the dirt. I'm thinking I'll get rid of the original soil and just use topsoil over it. Ha your pooch sounds clever. Good luck with your back clean up. Re: Bryan & Peterson build in Victoria 8Feb 26, 2014 3:02 pm I did my daily drive by today and things have progressed. Bricks have been moved around and it looks like the charcoal bricks for the front have been delivered. Unfortunately I was locked out so I couldn't sneak in and peel off the plastic! Our SS said brick base layer this week then the carpenter for the stumps and subfloor next week. As I'm going away for 2 weeks shortly, hopefully I'll be amazed at the progress when I get back. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I can really get an idea of how high the house will be off the floor. The horizontal boards along the fence line show the floor level. I am slightly concerned about the neighbour on our South side. When we purchased the block in Summer the block was in full sun and the house was orientated North. It all looked good. Then we visited again in Winter and our whole block was in shade due to the large wall from the house on our Northern side. It was remedied by the builder (and lots of extra $$$) by raising the house to be the same level as our northern neighbour. However, the house on the south side has actually been cut in a little and they will sit very low. When our plans went in they had already signed up for their build and probably don't realise we are going to tower over them. I doubt they would have checked our plans after theirs had already been signed up. Anyway, I know our house is going to block out all of their Northern sun and I'm a bit distressed for them. I remember being a bit annoyed at our northern neighbour for building that way, knowing they would block the next neighbour's light. I guess its just a part of living in an estate. You don't know whats going to be built next door to you, or it could be a massive double story or something. I also have friends who don't care about the orientation of the house and I admit it didn't really bother me but my husband was adamant he wanted some Winter sun inside. Before we committed to raising the house and when we were deliberating about spending the extra money, I did have a good think about it. I thought skylights would have worked really well, and there are some really nice ones around now. Maybe my southern neighbour will consider the same thing? I am thinking of getting plantation shutters down the whole south side of the house so I can tilt them to have some light but not be looking in on my neighbour. Has anyone else been annoyed by what someone has built next door? I really think if you don't want any nasty surprises you need to build on a much bigger block or an acreage. Re: Bryan & Peterson build in Victoria 9Mar 07, 2014 2:22 pm Re: Bryan & Peterson build in Victoria 10Mar 14, 2014 1:55 pm Went by today and the floor is progressing. Was happy to get there when the tradies were at lunch so I didn't have to take pictures through the wire. We are having a back roller door on the garage but it is about a meters drop out the back so we are currently deciding whether to have a ramp or stairs. I would rather have stairs and then on the odd occasion we need to drive through we could just buy those portable ramp things and store them in the garage. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The last picture shows the side of the house which will have the ramp or stairs from the garage as well as the laundry steps. I would also consider a concrete ramp but I'm not sure as the soil seems quite loose and it would be pretty steep? Anyone else encountered this? Re: Bryan & Peterson build in Victoria 11Mar 17, 2014 11:51 pm Cant really believe they put the frame up in a day. After they finished we walked through each room and tried to imagine the size etc. Although at this stage every room looked too small lol
Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The last one is just for fun. My dog who was looking fabulous with the wind in his hair and I think he looked pretty excited at the house too. I was working today and on my own so got to keep doing drive by's. Today has been the most exciting by far. Re: Bryan & Peterson build in Victoria 12Mar 19, 2014 6:43 pm Re: Bryan & Peterson build in Victoria frame almost complete 13Mar 20, 2014 11:21 pm They have really been working non stop at the house. Every day I drive over and there are 3-4 trucks and trades. A flurry of activity!! Here are the latest pictures. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This image shows the roof line Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This is the garage. I have to say I'm not entirely sure why a frame seems to be going where the roller door will go but I'm sure they know what they are doing. I will ask tomorrow though. I know the SS has been there a lot so if someone like me who knows nothing noticed I'm sure its intentional. I'm just curious. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The image above is the hallway, The formal living room is on the right hand side and the bedroom is on the left. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This is the 'kids retreat' which will be a guest lounge room. Also my husband and I both work on call on select nights so if someone wants to watch TV in the middle of the night it's at the other end of the house from the bedroom. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This is the study. I am thinking I will get shutters for this window and custom built cabinetry on the right hand side with a long bench on the left hand side. Will have to see how the $$ pans out. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This is taken while I'm standing in the pantry and the little room in front is the wine cellar. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This is the lounge and meals with the stacker doors which will lead to the alfresco (not yet built). As you can see the house next door is an eyesore. I am thinking of a screen of bamboo or some sort of greenery to blank out the current view. I'm also having thoughts of asking for a variation to put a sink in the pantry. Its not that I want to do any cooking or anything out there - its more that my juicer and blender will be kept in there and it would be easier to rinse them out and leave them to dry there. Hmmm I'm so excited at the moment - can't stop reading interior magazines or get off Pinterest!! Re: Bryan & Peterson build in Victoria - sink in pantry 14Mar 21, 2014 3:30 pm I have wanted a small sink in my pantry all along but DH did not want one. He has friends who never use theirs which I think is a stupid way to make a decision. How other people live has nothing to do with me!! Anyway, I was saying to him the other day how much I would have liked one and he relented. So off I go today to tell the original sales person who will get back to me with a quote. I don't want to be out there doing dishes or anything but I am so sure it will get used. I use a blender and juicer every day and they need to be rinsed and then left to drain. They will live in the pantry so I can do that there. I can let meat defrost in the sink, wash hands, let my heavy pots soak overnight. Plus if I am hand washing anything heavy I would like the option to do it over the laminate in the pantry rather than the stone in the kitchen. I have heard its easy to crack it when you have an undermount sink and the little strip runs between the two. Haven't got the quote back yet but I guess it will be expensive I'll have to make sure I'm running out there using it all the time, lol. The other thing I need to get onto is a water filter for the whole house. The water in this part of the world is so bad it ruins your cup of tea, leaves residue everywhere etc. Someone told me to buy a filter from filterworld on the internet and it can be placed at a central point so all water in the house is filtered. We have a water tank for the kitchen sink but its a small tank and I don't want to get caught out in a drought. Bottled water at the rental we are in now (in the same town) is very expensive so I am sure the cost of the filter will pay for itself in no time. No action at the site today, probably because its raining non stop. Re: Bryan & Peterson build in Victoria 15Mar 24, 2014 2:37 pm I've just discovered your thread (after you posted in mine!) and it's looking great. I LOVE your floor plan - love the WIR and the cellar and the general lay out. Love all the room in the kids quarters. I think the sink in the pantry is a great idea if you have the room for it. I use my kitchen sink a zillion times a day, it certainly wouldn't hurt having an extra. And wow wow wow re the skeleton!! I think what you are doing by honouring it with some aboriginal artwork is a fabulous idea. What a story to tell. I think as long as you have the consent of the indigenous elders in the area, then there's nothing wrong with proceeding with the build, especially seeing as you seem to be doing it very respectfully. Our build thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=69984 If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. Re: Bryan & Peterson build in Victoria 16Mar 25, 2014 12:26 am Thanks Country Home. Yeah we are pretty happy with the floor plan. I'm so excited at the moment and it's great to get a reply. Sometimes I think no one's reading my waffle but then I know I'm guilty of reading a lot of threads and not commenting. Thanks and I look forward to following yours as well. Re: Bryan & Peterson build in Victoria 17Mar 27, 2014 7:31 am I know what you mean! Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to myself but then other times I come back and have a few replies. Keep on waffling! The other thing I've noticed is that the views on these threads always goes up so lots of ppl are probably reading and don't always have time to reply. It is an exciting time!! Our build thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=69984 If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. Re: Bryan & Peterson build in Victoria 18Mar 28, 2014 11:48 pm The colourbond roofing arrived today and they started with the spouting. Have organized my sink so pretty happy about that. All the tradies have been lovely. I showed a friend through the other day and it was quite a thrill to show someone through. She has built a few times and was also baffled about the framing that has been done where the garage roller door will be. Another friend thought it might be a support structure temporarily. But it looks pretty permanent. I'm not asking them as I absolutely know our SS who used to be a builder and has overseen hundreds of houses will be aware. I'll double check when we get our first bill. Here are some pictures. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Bryan & Peterson build in Victoria 19Mar 29, 2014 1:35 am Just found your thread, Love the picture of your dog Re: Bryan & Peterson build in Victoria 20Mar 29, 2014 7:55 am I have no idea about the frame work on the garage door, will be interesting to see what happens. Can't wait for the colorbond moment!! Our build thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=69984 If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. For reference, this is the Austlii reference. 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