Completion Date - 21 October 2010

On the way back from the picture taking session this morning I called the Customer Service Officer to ask my vague "what's happening question?". The response was that the kitchen pack had been received and has been passed onto Construction. I was put through and left a message for the Construction Assistant. I did say that I knew work had commenced just to put them on notice because I want a completion date.

She called back to say the Site Supervisor has been delegated, and is therefore the best contact for any future queries, but that she would email through the timeframe and details.
Instead of having one SS, there is two, as Camden is currently being picked up by the Southern Highlands team, and they job-share. Whether this is a good or bad thing remains to be seen.
The completion date is apparently the date from the end of the 20 day period, so that is still 21 October 2010. But she acknowledges they have been able to commence two weeks early so construction may be earlier if possible, but as the weather has not been great we also have to be prepared for rain.

So a quick check of BoM reveals:

Forecast for Wednesday
Fine and sunny. Light to moderate westerly winds.
Precis:  Fine. Sunny.                 
City:          Max:   15  Parramatta:  Max:   15
Terrey Hills:  Max:   13  Penrith:     Max:   16
Liverpool     Max:   15  Richmond:    Max:   15

UV Alert:  Nil , UV Index predicted to reach 2 [Low]

Forecast for Thursday
Fine. Mostly sunny day, cloud increasing later. Light to moderate
westerly winds.
Precis:  Fine. Mostly sunny.          
City:  Min:    7  Max:   15
West:  Min:    1  Max:   15

Friday    Chance late showers.
City:  Min:    7  Max:   16
West:  Min:    1  Max:   16

Saturday  Fine.
City:  Min:    9  Max:   16
West:  Min:    3  Max:   16

Sunday    Fine.
City:  Min:    9  Max:   15
West:  Min:    4  Max:   15

Monday    Chance showers.
City:  Min:    9  Max:   16
West:  Min:    4  Max:   16

Tuesday   Fine.
City:  Min:   10  Max:   18
West:  Min:    5  Max:   18

So looking at other bloggers, I think I may have a slab by end of next week?

Evidence of Cut & Fill

Pictures to prove I wasn't seeing things!

Note: I love that the neighbours landscaper doesn't understand that her land stops at the garage wall and kept going with the grass. Oh well once I know what it is, if it is ok it can stay!

13 days of 20 and CUT & FILL

Tonight I went to a friends house for dinner who lives in Harrington Park, and being only 5 minutes around the corner to Spring Farm I thought I'd have a drive by. I know deciding to do that at 9.30pm in Camden when the night before got down to -3 degrees might not have been the smartest idea when really all I thought I was going to have a look at was the neighbour who is nearing completion, a friend building nearby, and another SF-blogger-I'm-watching's progress.

But woo-hoo! When I got there, I thought "ooh the lady in the Peach Palace will move in this weekend" as her front yard landscaping appears finished. The next thought was "some bastards dumped his dirt on my land" followed by a few more expletives and how could I convince Camden Council to foot the bill on the basis that whoever dumped it pays rates, and to make me pay to remove dirt twice would be unfair. But then, there in the misty darkness, with my rubbish night-vision, my mind said "what's that?" and it dawned on me that there was evidence of overall earthmoving on the block! So I swung the car around, mounted the kerb with my headlights pointed at the block, and yes people... WE HAVE BEEN CUT AND FILLED!!!

So tomorrow morning with new gumboots and trusty camera in hand I shall return to take photo evidence of this historical moment, and then call bloody Allworth and play dumb and ask them if anything is happening to see what the response is. Because ladies and gents, I may be naive, but as far as I understand it today is day 1 of 105, otherwise known as the 15 week build period.

The other purpose of contacting Allworth will be to establish what is to be done with the dirt, because if they would like to cart it away for free they can knock themselves out. Otherwise I specifically instructed them previously it was to be dumped in the front yard as I anticipate in order to have it level it will need to be retained, and I am not paying for more dirt to fill the yard when I have perfectly good stuff there right now.

Stay tuned - this could start to become very interesting!

10 days of 20 and counting

The kitchen pack arrived two days ago on Wednesday and went back in the big red box yesterday, so should have been received at Allworth HO today. And today is also day 10 of 20, so hopefully that is a good sign for work to commence by the end of next week as most other bloggers have start dates around the middle of the 20 day period.

The kitchen pack was a pathetic excuse for a waste of time as the layout is predefined and allows for no variation, so my consent really is pointless. I held back from including a note about how the layout could be improved for efficiency and increase storage. But since I have a blog I can share with anyone who reads that in a U shaped kitchen, where one edge is a breakfast bar, by locating the fridge and the cooking appliances to the long wall, say on the left, and the sink to the bottom of the U, and the drawers and dishwasher to the bar side - you should have sufficient corner access on the left at the intersection of two walls. The trick to increasing space is that under the bar, you may have enough space at the intersection with the sink to have spice and condiments cupboard, bottle rack, or teatowel hanger, something not too deep. Then on the reverse of the bar under, the leg area, you can accommodate two extra cupboards at either end of the bar straddling the dishwasher, as the drawers are not as deep as the bar is wide, and the usually dead space in the corner is easily accessible. You can even have concealed fittings using a magnetic push system if handles there do not appeal. I have even seen the corner accommodate extra deep pot drawers. So if being down on your hands and knees doesn't appeal to you it is something to think about.

7 days of 20 and counting

I spoke to the Customer Service Officer late last week and have to say I'm not happy about learning about things only because I ask. I rang up to get a sense of when we will be contacted to find out a start date as I have been reading other blogs were home-owners are being given last minute warning that construction will start (or in some instances no notice as in one instance where work commenced on the weekend).

Well lucky I called because now I can expect a pack in the mail about the kitchen layout and that will provide the details of who in the Construction team is allocated to the project and they will be able to answer any future questions (code for don't call me again, you are someone else's problem now). Thanks, that's awesome, has it already been sent because as before we have problems with the high school kids from down the road knocking off interesting large mail that is left poking out the box...? No, it was completed the Tuesday after the public holiday and therefore should arrive in a weeks time.

I'm not holding my breath for tomorrow. And is it just me but why does something that was "completed" not automatically make its way into the great service we have here called Australia Post, who I am sure can get it here the following day, as they normally do...!

The good thing to note is when driving around Spring Farm on the weekend, as I most often do to check out the neighbours progress and such, is the amount of tradie work going on due to the good weather. So fingers crossed I am extended that level of service when my time comes, but again I won't be holding my breath.

YAY - Letter of Commencement 10-06-10

Well after waiting most of yesterday I was about to head off to Westfields at 3pm when the Mortgage Broker called to say I could collect my letter and the letter for Allworth and deliver the letter to Allworth rather than wait for it to arrive in the mail, which may have meant the price increase would have applied.
So I am very pleased to announce that at 4pm I left the Allworth Head Office building at Parramatta having passed the letter onto the Customer Service Officer.
20 days people! They have 20 business days to commence and then 15 weeks to complete (God willing), so we should have movement on the patch of dirt by 8 July 2010.

Still waiting on the Commencement Letter 3

I received a phone call from Allworth yesterday asking where we are at getting the letter of commencement when usually it should have been available within a few days. Read earlier posts if you do not know the answer to this. The problem however is that a price rise is scheduled for 15 June, being next Tuesday, which will affect the price by approx $2,000. Don't you love it! They've mucked us around a number of times to date, but when things happen outside our control we get penalized.

I let the Mortgage Broker know that the letter needs to be issued this week as Monday is a public holiday and then Tuesday is the first day for the price rise. He called me last night to let me know that CBA has prioritised my file for today and that the letter should be issued by close of business. He also asked would I be able to collect the letter from the HO in Parramatta and take it to the HO of Allworth, which is also in Parramatta, as the builder's copy will probably go in the mail and will probably not be actioned until Tuesday. So I've agreed to do this and currently I am waiting for a phone call to head off, but I am guessing it might not be until tomorrow.

Still waiting on the Commencement Letter 2

I was advised by the Mortgage Broker late last week that the JP who witnessed some documents used a middle initial in his signature, but failed to refer to the middle name in his printed name - WTF! This is apparently holding up the commencement letter from being issued. I mean seriously, refer to the other documents where he has signed and you would be able to compare the signatures and I know that somewhere along the way he did print his complete name. So word to the wise - dot you i's and cross your t's.

The dog has also been very antsy due to the continuous wet weather as she loves to have a good run around and play fetch, but her big paws churn the earth up when it is this wet. So to abate her boredom I took her for a drive out the Spring Farm and had a look at what progress has been made in the last fortnight. Our peach neighbour appears to have internal linings up and her doors are either hung or waiting to be. Two other houses have been started in the street, one either direction and both of these have been framed and windows installed. My friend's ex-husband who is building around the corner has been framed with the windows delivered but waiting to be installed. Today, despite being cold, experienced no rain, so I am guessing more work might happen later in the week, but really I am as jealous as hell and wanting to start.

Also becoming very conscious that it has been a while since we first signed off on contracts and the basis for which the FHOG was issued, so with the 12 month deadline coming closer they really need to start. I think I will call Allworth tomorrow and put them on notice of this fact.

7 days of Rain, Highs of 19, Lows of 4

Nearmap update 03-06-10

I also thought to check nearmap.com just now and found that it was update in early May, so I'm guessing again soon. But I updated the pic at the bottom of the page, which shows the neighbour's peach roof and the completed backyard of one of the back neighbours and a nearing completion other back neighbour. The rear neighbour who sits in the middle is yet to be commenced and I think will happen at the same time as us, same also with the other empty neighbour.

Still waiting on the Commencement Letter

I've been sick and sleep late, so it was unexpected that this morning I was woken by a call from the Customer Service lady. She advised that there's been some phone-tag between herself and the Mortgage Broker regarding the fact that the Lender doesn't have a copy of the contract signed off by both parties, and so could I call our Solicitor as we were having held there for safe keeping.
Long story short is, usually contracts are exchanged by the purchaser having a copy of the page with the vendors signature, and vice versa. So my Solicitor was happy with that, had given the Mortgage Broker access to our copy and thought that Allworth should simply come to the table by providing a copy of their page, i.e. our signatures. But no, they wanted us to just sign our copy and be done with it.
Well I don't know who was right or if anyone was right, so I thought just to keep things rolling I'd go and collect our copy, sign off on it, and drop it into the Mortgage Broker. It makes me a bit cranky more so because I was happy for it to stay in safe keeping (that is a fire-proof safe where law firms generally keep original documents of wills, contracts and the like, either indefinitely or for an agreed period of time, which for us was as long as the builder's warranty was in play). Also I'm a little bit peeved that the builder doesn't just think of us as first-timers and give us explicit instructions along the way instead of assuming we would figure it out.
However, all done now, the contract and it's annexures are with the Mortgage Broker. He'll get it off to the Lender tonight/tomorrow morning, and we should have the Commencement Letter issued Monday!