Brisbane Build with Dixon

bestspecials · Nov 08, 2017 11:59 am

Just found your thread. So love the idea of living upstairs and bedrooms downstairs. Fantastic idea.
With the higher ceilings, did you end up going for higher doors as well?

Joggles · Dec 10, 2017 2:12 pm

bestspecials

Just found your thread. So love the idea of living upstairs and bedrooms downstairs. Fantastic idea.
With the higher ceilings, did you end up going for higher doors as well?

Thanks! We certainly played around with a lot of designs to get our living area upstairs. We didn't end up going with the higher doors - really I think more to do with additional costs mounting up but so far pretty happy with how it all looks. Although might change our minds about the doors after we're in!

Joggles · Dec 10, 2017 2:27 pm

Hi all,

Finally made it to a holiday break with time to reflect on all that has happened since my last post. The build is certainly well underway; however that mandatory three week Christmas shutdown from December 21 is looming and I don't think we're going to get to the 'enclosed' stage prior to that. Considering the amount of rain we've had though we are actually happy with where we are at. Had a few small issues - paid for a sliding to door to slide in reverse to standard for our garage [to suit husband's workshop set up], organised with window supplier, contacted SS and door was still the wrong way around at last look. Incorrect front door supplied also - but all has now been advised yet again to SS so we are attempting to wait patiently while these things are fixed.

Progress - Frame stage = tick
Roof on
Solar panels now on
Bricking - 95% of lower floor done
Windows - Lower floor complete

We've also been busy deciding on window coverings and purchasing lighting. I'll upload some pics of those soon. Today I thought I'd just photobomb with the build progress!

Frame stageLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Internal stairsYep, they're wet!Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

View from Living RoomLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

AlfrescoBricks ready to go!Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

PGH Savannah BricksHope they look ok!Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Roof on!Colorbond - MonumentLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Brickwork to rearLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Entrance porchLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Entrance porch - with bricks!Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Study windowsLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Laundry sliderPlus air conditioning bits!Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Alfresco now bricked. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Garage SliderLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

gr8ly · Dec 10, 2017 6:32 pm

looks great joggles - loving your windows, plus it makes it look very grand

You'll be getting some nice breezes from the second floor and a lovely view. Meanwhile it must be a relief to get a roof on before the xmas break.

Because of all the rain, we are running a couple of weeks behind, so Im hoping they install the roof on ours before xmas, but looking doubtful at this stage.

ruraldoc · Dec 11, 2017 8:14 am

Wow looking fantastic! that looks like a really sturdy house with the steel!
Can't wait to see your lighting selections.
Hope you get a good finish before the break!

Joggles · Dec 27, 2017 1:30 pm

Hello all,

Thought it was time for an update! This is our progress as of the Christmas shutdown on December 21. We sneaked inside after the workmen had left [yes, we 'sneaked' even though they are building our house - but I'm sure you know what that is like!] - and we discovered . . . walls!

Well at least the basics of them! Finally we could start to visualise the spaces more clearly. So here's another photobomb of all of that! Hope all had a brilliant Christmas and wishing you all an equally amazing New Year of smooth timelines and plans all coming together!

Emerging PorchLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Bricking completed up to roof levelLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Bricking to rear roof levelLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Interior stairsWindow at the top with view! :DLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Slider in garageThey finally changed the door to slide in our desired direction!Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Windows in upstairs living from kitchenScaffolding blocking the view!Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Windows from lounge endYou can see the view a little more over the scaffolding! Mainly the treetops!Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Above bench windows in kitchenHusband peeking! Rangehood and splashback will sit between these. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Master - entry to walk in robe and ensuiteLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Master - windows to the front of houseLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

p.s. By golly those workmen leave a mess!

gr8ly · Dec 27, 2017 7:38 pm

joggles wow! it's all coming together really quickly for you guys. Upstairs looking good! you've had so much progress before the holidays... when do you expect handover? we still have a long way to go.

Joggles · Dec 28, 2017 11:19 am

gr8ly

@joggles wow! it's all coming together really quickly for you guys. Upstairs looking good! you've had so much progress before the holidays... when do you expect handover? we still have a long way to go.

Thanks gr8ly! Yes we were surprised that the bricking and interior walls were done relatively quickly - particularly given the rain we have had. But we are very happy about it! Hope the rest keeps this momentum. Handover - that elusive concept!

We are hoping for the end of March. As a teacher I'm also hoping to move in the Easter break, makes it a lot easier!

I'm sure that you too will be surprised once they start on the framing in the new year how quickly it will all go. My fingers, toes and all else are mentally crossed for you!

On a side note - we just went and purchased a new bedroom suite for our master bedroom. A kingsize bed! Have wanted one forever but we were given a queen suite as an engagement present 28 years ago and we have used it since then. Husband caved when he saw it - a modern twist on the colonial but all in white with a massive headboard and drawers at the end - but it should work with our higher ceilings. We are both vertically challenged so a king probably seems a bit much but these are the things that that dreams are made of - the things we would like that don't necessarily make logical sense!

Joggles · Jan 28, 2018 5:21 pm

Hello again!

Due to the Christmas break it's been a while since my last post and quite a bit has happened in the last two weeks since the builders have been back. Garage door is in, kitchen benches are in, vanities are in. Entrance porch gable and roof almost completed and they've done a bit of site clean. Really they had to, it was getting quite the local tip on our block! You could barely get around! But it's all much better now although their final clean must really be something because they leave behind so much rubbish - including their own personal cast offs! [My favourite has been the two pairs of discarded 'tradie socks' left inside our garage and just inside the security fence!]

So here's a few pics to show where we are at now. We have also just finalised our flooring with Anderson's and I've attached some updated flooring selections.

Hope all is going well with your builds wherever you are and whoever you're building with!

Roof/Gable to front porchNow completed! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅
Interior doors have arrived!Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Basic laundry sinkMatt white cupboardsLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Kitchen benchWhite gloss cupboards and drawers - pepper speckle stone top.Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Bathroom 3 vanityLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Ensuite vanityLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Lounge looking back toward kitchenLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Vinyl plank samples next to kitchen benchKenbrock Aspen WoodLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Vinyl plank samplesDifferent angle and lighting!Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Planks next to carpet for bedrooms.Quest Metropol - Granite.Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Garage DoorMediterranean Caoba timber look.Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

gr8ly · Jan 28, 2018 6:43 pm

It's disgusting how much rubbish and total disregard builders have while onsite. I'm sure if they were working on their house, they would take a lot more care.. We are always finding random rubbish on our lot. It's almost too much effort to use the site bin.

anyway nice progress

... are you already at lockup?

we finally have frames.. although not entirely complete yet. Hoping frames are completely done this week, with the roof the week after. We are moving slowly but its progress nonetheless.

Joggles · Jan 28, 2018 7:16 pm

gr8ly

It's disgusting how much rubbish and total disregard builders have while onsite. I'm sure if they were working on their house, they would take a lot more care.. We are always finding random rubbish on our lot. It's almost too much effort to use the site bin.

anyway nice progress

... are you already at lockup?

we finally have frames.. although not entirely complete yet. Hoping frames are completely done this week, with the roof the week after. We are moving slowly but its progress nonetheless.

Frames! Yay! I know it seems to take an age but we are hoping you [like you too I'm sure] that it will develop a momentum of its own and escalate towards the end of the build. Not quite at lock up but nearly. Getting almost excited and really want to be out of rental but at this stage we will probably not be moving in until the Easter break. Fingers crossed!

Tribe7 · Feb 01, 2018 11:14 pm

Hello Joggles,

Wow your flying along, the progress is fantastic and your colours are coming together beautifully.

Love all your photos it’s so nice to see your having a great build.

Can’t wait to see the next installment.

Joggles · Feb 02, 2018 8:10 am

Thanks Tribe! :-D

We agonised over the colours - as I'm sure everyone does - but it's been rather satisfying seeing it come together. I hear your pain re the delay over Christmas - we were chomping at the bit to get it all going again but it seems like it is finally back on track. Took an unofficial visit last night and the soffits have been done this week but still waiting on the small section of cladding to the front to be completed - hopefully this coming week. Have a lovely weekend! Hope your youngsters have had a brilliant start to school in whatever capacity! Blessings to you! :-D

Tribe7 · Feb 12, 2018 11:10 pm

Hello Joggles,

How is everything progressing? Agree completely about over thinking the colours I’m in that boat with my carpet.

School has been fantastic and the kids are loving being back, I hope you have a great bunch of kids in your class.

Joggles · Feb 23, 2018 11:16 pm

Well as I listen to the rain pouring down, I'm not exactly hopeful for much progress when husband and I go up to the site to check tomorrow. In the last three weeks with perfectly fine weather, they managed to hang the internal doors, put in the skirting and interior window trims and that's about it. We've not been overly impressed especially when we received another letter from Dixon advising that we would have yet another SS - this is our third one. We had hopes that the second would be somewhat more forthcoming with communication and friendly than the first, but aside from an initial phone contact that we instigated, nothing. Finding this lack of communication rather frustrating to say the least. And the new one hasn't made any contact at all. Any time frames indicated on our 'VIP login' page are frequently bumped back and can hardly be relied upon. So much so that one wonders why they would put anything on it all.

Apologies - rant over. :wink:

On a more positive note, realised that I hadn't Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

shared pics of some of our final light choices so here they are. The one above is for the entry.

Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅
The one above is for the lounge area.

Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅
Above is for over the dining table.

Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Above is for the kitchen - there will be two sets of these four track adjustable spots.

Got a slightly industrial look going on. The kitchen four track are actually antique bronze not the black they look like in this pic. Somewhat paranoid that I'm going to see it all together at the end and slap my forehead with the 'what was I thinking' response - but I guess only time will tell!! :lol:

gr8ly · Feb 23, 2018 11:23 pm

think it's common these days to go through a few site supervisors. We are onto our third as well.. Love the lounge light. Any progress is progress i guess.

Joggles · Feb 23, 2018 11:33 pm

gr8ly

think it's common these days to go through a few site supervisors. We are onto our third as well.. Love the lounge light. Any progress is progress i guess.

Thanks gr8ly. :-D

Yes, in the big scheme of things we know it's all going to get there eventually but we are just tired of living in our rental and impatient with the process. I think husband and I are as bad as each other re trying to be patient. :P|

Joggles · Apr 02, 2018 5:13 pm

Hello all!

Finally made it to the Easter break and have a little time to update re our build. After a number of weeks post-Christmas where not much occurred, under the new SS there has been a great deal of progress. We are now technically at 'practical completion' although there's still a few things to do before . . . [insert drum roll] hand over!

There's been a few glitches in the last week, rain notwithstanding, including kitchen benches that needed adjustments to ensure correct placement for our stove top under the rangehood and downpipes that need final connection to avoid more pools of water around the site.

Also still to do:
* install air cons
* install security screens and doors
* driveway and bits of external concreting.

According to our schedule all of this and site clean should happen in the next week - approximately. :-P

But we'll believe that when we see it!

However we understand that the Easter long weekend has impacted upon some of this, so we are attempting to stay positive, although when trying to coordinate a move from one property to another while not having a definite date for handover - it is rather fraught with loads of frustration and an occasional 'gets on my last nerve' tendency to get snippy between us all, husband and two adult children included! :-D

But we can finally see light at the end of the 18 month process of selling our family home, deciding to build, having a failed negotiation with one builder through multiple designs to settle on another builder, again working through a number of designs - to now seeing it all starting to come together! And of course the gazillion decisions that needed to be made between then and now!

We are actually starting to get excited which is a luxury we haven't allowed ourselves for a while! I've attached a few update pics but will throw up a few more once the rubbish pit that is our front yard has been cleared away.

Hope the Easter break has been suitably relaxing and rejuvenating for you all and that the keyword for all your build processes whatever stage you are at is SMOOTH! :-D

EntryRendering to front pillars and up/down lights now completed.Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Vinyl Planks Ending up going with Kenbrock AspenwoodLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

End of kitchen bench and flooringYou can just see the bottom of one of the four large windows in this area. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Lounge area upstairs. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Master Bedroom flooringMetropol Granite carpet - you can see some dusty footprints! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Stair Lights Vinyl Planks here too. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

View from upstairs kitchen, dining and lounge.Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

gr8ly · Apr 02, 2018 5:31 pm

wow! it's all happened really quickly for you joggles - love your staircase and lights, and that view is amazinggg!

You must be so relieved the end is in sight. Building a house is such an emotional and financial toll. Your remaining bits and pieces won't take long at all. So excited for you

Joggles · Apr 02, 2018 5:43 pm

gr8ly

wow! it's all happened really quickly for you joggles - love your staircase and lights, and that view is amazinggg!

You must be so relieved the end is in sight. Building a house is such an emotional and financial toll. Your remaining bits and pieces won't take long at all. So excited for you

Thanks gr8ly! It certainly is a draining process all around. We said after our first build we would never do it again. But here we are! :-D

As a teacher, I'm on school holidays now but we're not likely to be able to move until we have just started the new term. So I will be back at work and husband and children will need to coordinate . . . hang on that doesn't actually sound like a bad plan. :lol:

I think the reality will be afternoons and evenings of Mum coordination of the family troops! :wink: