Frame Delivered Today

The frame was delivered today but I struggled to negotiate the public transport system from Liverpool to Parramatta as well as the new my-multi ticketing system so I didn't get home until a bit too late. So I waited to go out to SF to check what happened today until 9pm so I have pictures but not sure about the quality.

Not happy though, as the house across the road and up a few was started later and now is a steady day ahead. Their frame went up today so I am hoping that when I check it tomorrow night after TAFE my frame will be up.

Tomorrow's task is to contact SS2 to confirm next weeks activities as I am away at a work retreat Tuesday and overnight, so will not be able to check until afternoon or evening Wednesday.

Slab Prep continues

Yesterday I went back out to SF to see if anything changed over the weekend and get daytime shots of the slab prep regardless. I spoke with the contractor who explained that the preparation will be assessed this afternoon and the concrete poured in the morning. They start at about 7am in the morning so are able to wrap up by about midday. As you can see the waffle pods and reo have been put in place, but also the formwork has doubled in height.

Standing next to it I felt like the front porch, just outside the shot on the above right was about my knee height (I'm 5'3"). The contractor explained the porch will have a lip of tiles around the side, then bricks down to almost the ground. He said this is a good feature that Allworth do, as compared to some other builder's that leave the concrete sides exposed.

I am a bit surprised by the alfresco that Allworth included as part of a special offer. It is under the roofline and has a feature brick column at the exposed corner. I knew that the floor wouldn't be concreted but I was imagining something a little larger than this (see below). As I will have a separate entertainment area installed it is not a major dilemma, but now worried that the 4 piece outdoor lounge I have purchased is going to be too much clutter for the space. It looks to me it is meant really to only hold a bistro setting. Might be an optical illusion, so will have to wait and see. But I am inclined to think if it is as small as I anticipate then I would skip it altogether if I were to do it again because the column will interrupt the flow of the entertaining space.

The picture below is looking across the slab prep from the rear. The lower rectangle is where the rainwater tank will sit. I am very happy that Allworth provides a slimline one as many neighbouring properties have these large silo types in the rear corner, which look imposing and difficult to incorporate into landscaping.

As I drove off I saw one of my favourite features of SF - the ducks! This lovely little couple were on the corner block at the Richardson Road roundabout. Mr Duck kept his eye on me as I took this photo. There have also been some waterfowl running around recently. I have conversations with T-R when she spots them to ensure she knows that she can look but must sit and not touch. Her cousin is a small shih tzu cross terrier so she is good around small dogs but still likes to have a rumble and I'm not sure when she sees ducks whether they are looking like play companions or a meal, so all I can teach her is to leave them alone.

When I drove home I stopped in on the Hume Highway at Casula at a shed and pot place. I found out the kind of shed I'm looking at will be about $380-$500 depending on size, colour and number of shelves. Next door they had some glazed pots and water features that I'll go back and have another look at closer to landscaping.

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!

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.

Final Contract Signed

YAY! The fixed price contract was issued today, and it's $2k cheaper than the original. After waiting what seems like forever the final contract variations have been signed off on and the documents are on the way to the Lender to issue the commencement letter. Once the commencement letter is issued the materials are ordered and they have 15 weeks to complete. So whatever colours have been picked are it, there is no going back now.

Also over the weekend I went through the garage as the new letterbox insert went missing. Bunnings had it on a clearance back so many months ago and it was the exact right colour combination of a brown face with brushed chrome collars for the newspaper hole and the mail slot. But in amongst the accumulation of this and that it went a-missing. So after unpacking half of the garage, there it was, apparently slipped from its position at the top the pile and down behind a few other boxes.
On another note I've had a read on google and the aperture of the letterbox (being the slot as far as I can figure) in a single mailbox arrangement should sit between 0.9m and 1.2m above the ground. Driving around Spring Farm I noticed that our new letterbox is a bit larger than most because it includes the newspaper hole. As the traditional post and box is not permitted in Spring Farm according to the Council guidelines, most homes have gone with a bricked in version. But typically they are a single slot with the column 2 bricks wide, or thereabouts. So thinking about the Bunnings bargain (can't recall what model it is without going out in the cold to check) I am a little concerned that it's going to look like a hobbit in the front yard. But too late to worry now as it is going to be installed no matter what.

Overall though this is turning out to be a good news week.

New layout and carpet and tile selection

Went and met SC today as I received the siting plan yesterday. How many times can these people make a mistake. So rather than try to communicate it by fax, I went in for an appointment.

Lets add a bit of width up front please, as it was lost from the length to abide be setbacks. The double door linen, too. But lose the colonial bar front window. Prove that the backyard is 4m deep. And I'm sick of paying for extras so forget the panel-lift garage doors, when I went for a drive around Spring Farm this morning I noticed other people have roller doors and they look fine. What I can't understand is the SC gave the Planners the same info that he gave us previously with a layout indicating the changes, figure it out folks, how the hell did they think they were going to fit a door double linen in the front hall unless the made the space wider (yes folks as we come into the Great Room I'll just ask you to turn side on and breath in as much as you can).

On a good note however I went and picked the living area tiles and carpets. All five bedrooms (well four beds plus study/guest room) are carpet and all living spaces and halls tiles. Went with a carpet called Green Beige, and a tile called Hayman, both in fact appearing like soft mushroom-beige type colours. The tile was difficult because originally I was going with laminate floorboards, but since the design comes with carpet and tiles inclusive, it doesn't make sense to pass that opportunity up. No pics as I forgot to take the camera, but once this house gets underway there will be pics. Not happy though as I also paid for my cruise today and am away two weeks in the middle of April, so I won't be around to crack the whip.