Mid-May and where are we at?

Well we are approaching the final hurdles before building commences. Right now I feel like Homer Simpson climbing Mt Springfield, I reach a peak and cheer, but then I look down and look up and realise how much further there is to go - D'oh!
So what are the final hurdles. Today I spoke to our Customer Service chick, who isn't much chop I realise as last week she said she would find out why the engineer's report hadn't been received and let me know when it was expected and when it was anticipated to go to Council and then the Construction Certificate be prepared. Well, she didn't. So I rang her this morning, and yes the CC is being prepared and we will be called in once it is available to come into Allworth Parramatta office to sign off on the fixed price contract. And no, weekend appointments are not available, appointments are Monday to Friday at 9.30am, 11am or 2.30pm.
I think if I haven't heard from her by Thursday morning I'll call her up because as I realised last week, the ER should have been due mid-week and the CC one week later, so by my calculations, on Wednesday the CC should be in their hot little hands.

My Uncle and Aunt were also over on the weekend and we were talking about all of this and in particular if we could turn back time would we go with Allworth again, and really, maybe yes. For our price range, being in total $215k for the house (4 bed + study), landscaping and some internal dressing, there were very few options. Allworth is in fact including a pretty good extras package, have one of the quickest build times both according to their promise and what we have heard, and I found the website user friendly - I really loathe having to download a plan to view it. Huxley homes might have got a look in if the website had have been easier because their staff we really great to talk to at Kellyville, but Allworth's main appeal was the promise of speed.
That's why this really has been a let-down. So what I think is important is about having a good sense of how much time things will take and having confidence that the builder has built in the area and has a good understanding of the Council's requirements.

Really, Camden Council had a fantastic turnover time, which you can monitor by typing your suburb in and looking at similar applications in your area, so for example I knew that Spring Farm single stories were taking no more than three weeks. But had Allworth complied with Council guidelines we probably would have had DA back in January. But instead we were arguing whether to put in an application for non-compliance or to change the design and start from scratch, so we went through the original process twice in fact. If we hadn't, yeah I think I might be sitting in my new family room right now as Allworth has built a similar design in Spring Farm over in the Cornish side and those people have moved in about three weeks ago now (yes it pays to ask to get addresses to see your design being built - they won't give you an address after the people have moved in though).

So fingers crossed for a dry Winter now, as I still have my sights set on signing off early next week at which time 20 days starts to count down. Should be a June start then. But I guess the good news is I will be establishing a garden come Spring.

Back on track

Despite a few obstacles we are back on track. Almost 2 weeks ago now my MB advised that CBA had withdrawn the loan for building the house, which left us with a block of land, lands on foot, a contract requiring us to have moved in by late September and NO MONEY.
So after feeling like the earth had fallen out from beneath me I collected all the paperwork and shot of an email to the MB with what I thought were good reasons to suggest that CBA were being unconscionable. Once I calmed down I realised that my over-reaction may ultimately lead me to cutting my nose of to spite my face and sent another one simply asking for the reasons and retracting my demand that an appeal be lodged immediately.
Well the good news is that one week later the MB emailed to say he had spoken with CBA and it was all worked out, so the loan was back on track and a new application was no longer necessary. But the CBA continues to have some concerns about the delay in commencement and want what documents are available now to be lodged as a sign of good faith from Allworth.

I called Allworth and spoke to our CSO and asked if she would be able to comply with this. She explained that typically the stamped plans, copies of insurances, construction certificate and fixed price contract are not provided to the mortgagor until the contract was signed and all documents provided as one lot. I suggested that because this was a bit to a back to front effort in any event that maybe something could be worked out to satisfy CBA. She is going to look into it.
Whilst I was on the phone I asked where everything was up to as the geo-tech report was provided 2 weeks ago and previously she had told me the engineer's report took 2 weeks, and the construction certificate then takes 1 week. She advised that the engineer's report has not yet been received but she would follow this up.
Since I had this conversation yesterday and I didnt hear back from her today, I will call tomorrow to get an update. But fingers crossed we will be in next Saturday week to sign off which will start the 20 day countdown and hopefully have a start date no later than the week of 7 June 2010.