Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Sep 08, 2012 4:53 pm Hi Everyone, I've only been reading the forum for a few hours but I'm inspired to start a thread, for advice mostly! About us...both 23, high school sweethearts getting married on 3 November - will have been together for nearly 8.5 years. Our block of land (800sqm) settled on our 8th anniversary, 23 July. Progress has been slow (we signed the original contract on 4 April) due to our finance brokers being hopeless and the bank not helping much either! The prior owners of the block charged us penalty interest because we had to keep extending our settlement date becuase the bank made so many stuff-ups, costing us an extra $2000. We are still trying to have this refunded. We signed the house contract on 17 April, so we were eligible for the $10,000 QBBG plus the $7000 FHOG. We put this straight into the mortgage. Due to all the delays, our home isn't even in council yet - hoping it will be in by next week. Our block has been cut/filled and soil tests completed. We are meeting with our colour consultant/interior designer this coming Thursday, and I'm VERY confused! Still trying to decide whether to go neutral grey/charcoal/white etc or add in some special touches, which of course will date. How did everyone else make this decision? I'm thinking we won't be in this house for more than 5-7 years, as I already have so much I want to change, but our budget is so tight at the moment we can't do anything that is not already within the included price. Since it is our first home, it is quite small and basic (213sqm), but hope to put some special touches of our own on. We also have an 8.2x4m pool, so we were hoping to be in the house by Christmas to use it, but doesn't look like that will be happening now! I will try and put up some pictures of our plan and colours we are interested in, once I figure out how! Edit: Think I've figured out the photo thing, let's see if this works. If I've done something wrong, feel free to let me know! Plan: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Pictures of block: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Room schemes I like: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ 1st build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59376 *New*-2nd build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=70324&p=1154282#p1154282 Re: Where do I start? First home owners building in QLD :) 2Sep 08, 2012 5:26 pm Hi Stellabella, you sound a little like me when my husband and I built our first house. We were in our early 20's too with a limited budget. This time around we're a bit older with still a limited budget and still unsure about what we picked. Where abouts are you building and is it with a major builder? Re: Where do I start? First home owners building in QLD :) 3Sep 08, 2012 6:02 pm We are building in my home town of Gympie - 45 mins north of Noosa. We moved to Noosa when we were 17 and rented there for six years, but had to make the (tough) decision to come home to own - there is no way we could have done it in Noosa, where the prices of everything would have been at least doubled and the land half the size! We are building with a local builder. My parents built their most recent home with the same builder (10 weeks total!) and were quite happy - they've built with four different builders and these guys are their favourite - so we've gone with them too. Things we are still trying to decide on: colour! Interior and exterior; whether to upgrade to a timber-look garage door (I can't imagine anything else suiting ); whether to tile one wall in the bathroom and ensuite to the ceiling - we can't afford to do all four - amongst many other things! Stelle 1st build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59376 *New*-2nd build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=70324&p=1154282#p1154282 Re: Where do I start? First home owners building in QLD :) 4Sep 08, 2012 6:16 pm hi and welcome. is north the blue arrow? maybe a window in the north wall of master so light can come in in winter and go down your hall? but i like your bathroom colours, I have grey and white..love it. just keep it really simple, very classic feature tiles..ie silver glass etc that wont date if you intend to sell in 5 yrs, rather than brown stones etc good luck, I wish you all the luck in the world!!! Re: Where do I start? First home owners building in QLD :) 5Sep 08, 2012 6:17 pm oops, when I enlarged the plan the blue arrow is over the bath..but isnt when it is a thumb nail! i havent been drinking, honest where is north, was maybe a better question?! Re: Where do I start? First home owners building in QLD :) 6Sep 08, 2012 6:24 pm Lets see if I can explain where North is, should be interesting since I'm not good with this stuff! If you are looking at the plan: north will be in the bottom right hand corner; if you are looking at the second picture of the block, it is pretty much facing north. Hope this helps?? The pool will be in the area just out from the back door of the bedroom, pretty much where there is an empty rectangle we don't have the actual site plans yet - only met with the builder and pool builder Friday on site to discuss. Stelle 1st build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59376 *New*-2nd build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=70324&p=1154282#p1154282 Re: Where do I start? First home owners building in QLD :) 7Sep 08, 2012 6:46 pm so where the edge of the alfresco is, or the NUMBER 2 on the page (where the writing is)? if so DONT put a window in the master nor -west wall!!!! Re: Where do I start? First home owners building in QLD :) 8Sep 08, 2012 6:59 pm Yes! That's right. I wanted that wall as more of a feature wall anyway (was going to have wallpaper there and on another wall, but quoted $1500 so that's out - probably better to just have paint anyway), thinking of getting some removable wall stickers instead. I'm thinking a silhouette skyline of New York City - as we got engaged on top of the Empire State Building - so would be something special for us, and can then be removed for the next owner 1st build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59376 *New*-2nd build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=70324&p=1154282#p1154282 Re: Where do I start? First home owners building in QLD :) 9Sep 08, 2012 7:43 pm We did the Paris skyline as we went there on honeymoon. ( it wasn't as expensive as it sounds...we went for a weekend, from the uk) it's a decal I have in my kitchen. You could wall paper yourself. I did one wall at the end of my hall..well my neighbour did and I held the roll, cost me the price of the roll. ( which I only used 3 drops!!) So yeah, do a wow wall...decals or wallpaper. Good call. ( I got mine from dinodirect.com as they do free postage and in the currency of your country. Skyline Cost $10, they have London, Paris and new york) Re: Where do I start? First home owners building in QLD :) 10Sep 08, 2012 8:48 pm Wow only ten weeks to build! Even though we have both just had site cut I think your going to blitz us. Noosa is a beautiful place, we recently went there for a couple of days and ate fish and chips every night at a takeaway near us but yes I can imagine it is pricey for property. Re: Where do I start? First home owners building in QLD :) 11Sep 08, 2012 9:26 pm Thanks so much for that Kiwi, that website is amazing! Tash, I dunno - we are not even in council yet. Mum's place only took 5 days in council but my cousin who also built around here took 6 weeks, so who knows! They weren't building with a local builder though so that may have had something to do with it. Our builder didn't have much going on at that time so focused on Mum and Dad's, but I think they've got a few more projects on now. I would also like to thank this forum as it helped me discover Studio M which is amazing! Has given me a much better idea of what I'm after colour-wise now Stelle 1st build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59376 *New*-2nd build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=70324&p=1154282#p1154282 Re: Where do I start? First home owners building in QLD :) 12Sep 09, 2012 12:45 am On a side note, we are currently living with my parents until our house is built (not ideal since they downsized with this house thinking myself and my sister had moved out for good!) - this house is just under a year old. Would anyone be interested in photos? They've gone for a lot of brown shades, and very country style Stelle 1st build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59376 *New*-2nd build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=70324&p=1154282#p1154282 Re: Where do I start? First home owners building in QLD :) 13Sep 09, 2012 2:15 pm sure, why not..we love pics! Re: Where do I start? First home owners building in QLD :) 14Sep 10, 2012 3:51 pm I will try and get some pictures this week/weekend and post them up I’ve just heard back from the consultant I’ve been dealing with, our soil tests have been done and our plans are currently with the engineer being finalized. They anticipate it will be in council early next week – yay! She’s also gotten back to me with quotes for the things I asked for: only $275 extra for the timber-look garage door, so DEFINITELY doing that! And $450 and $530 respectively for tiles to the ceiling in ensuite and bathroom. I’d say that’s a definite ‘yes’ too! One other thing we are looking to change is the location of the door to our main bedroom. If you look on the plan, it swings back and the wall only goes halfway along it, so we’ve asked them to move the door slightly further down the hall so the door can swing back and be latched onto a wall. They’ve sent through a plan with this changed, so I’m just waiting to hear back if there is any extra cost to do that at this stage or if it will delay anything, otherwise we’ll go ahead with that too. Looks like we will finally get some rain here soon, after nearly two months without a drop – it can rain as much as it wants in the next few weeks while our application is being processed by council, but after that I’d appreciate a bit more dry weather Stelle 1st build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59376 *New*-2nd build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=70324&p=1154282#p1154282 Re: Where do I start? First home owners building in QLD :) 15Sep 10, 2012 5:22 pm i noticed that too, but couldnt be bothered to say anything! ha ha i was thinking it would give you a slightly bigger feel to your room, cos your door doesnt go into the room, just the 'hall' but figured you would know that and obviously liked it like that! NOT Re: Where do I start? First home owners building in QLD :) 16Sep 10, 2012 7:00 pm Haha! Mum had noticed it about a week ago but I was just waiting to hear back about what they are going to do I agree, it will definitely give the room a different feel, bit more of a retreat somehow, not that I really have anything to retreat from Stelle 1st build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59376 *New*-2nd build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=70324&p=1154282#p1154282 Re: Where do I start? First home owners building in QLD :) 17Sep 10, 2012 7:34 pm life.................once you start building!! Re: Where do I start? First home owners building in QLD :) 18Sep 12, 2012 12:07 pm Haha, very true! We are meeting with the colour consultant tomorrow so I will put up some pics of our colours once we've decided (and pics of Mum and Dad's when I get around to taking them!). For now, here is a link to our builder's website, showing the original plan for our house which we changed around a bit. http://www.stirlinghomesqld.com.au/1386 ... loor-plan/ Stelle 1st build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59376 *New*-2nd build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=70324&p=1154282#p1154282 Re: Where do I start? First home owners building in QLD :) 19Sep 13, 2012 9:52 pm Ok, we did our colour selection today but I forgot to take photos, so will update with pics of those on the weekend. For now, here are some pics of where we are currently living - my parents'! The house is just under a year old, built by the same builder as we are using. They downsized and are going for a small, 'country style' - lots of browns, not my thing! Mum would be horrified of me putting photos up of her house in such a messy state but oh well Kitchen: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Bathroom: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Lounge: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Laundry: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Ensuite: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Dining: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Front of house: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ 1st build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=59376 *New*-2nd build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=70324&p=1154282#p1154282 Re: First home owners building in QLD :) - Pics of current h 20Sep 13, 2012 9:59 pm Your parents house looks great, the builders have done a great job. I especially like the exterior and the bathrooms, very classy cabinets in there. 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