WE GOT THE KEYS!!!!!!

K- DAY!!!

It happened, without a hitch.

I met our SS on site at 8am, we went over everything with a fine tooth comb. A few little things need finishing, cleaning and repairing. These will be completed over the next few days.
Then I drove out to Narallen and meet the Wisdom Homes consultant who went through the legals, how to look after everything properly, how to change alarm codes etc. Finally we were given the keys, remotes and a large hamper...YUM YUM.

THANK YOU WISDOM HOMES FOR THE JOB WELL DONE!!!!

Tomorrow the appliances arrive, so we have to be sleeping in the house by then so they don't go walking. Wednesday they are installed. Friday the fridge arrives and the fencing should be completed.

Our gift pack and keys. Taken in our rental.

I just feel like sleeping now. This has been a two and a half year adventure and I can't believe we have finally hit a new chapter of our lives where we will be living in a house we own.
GOODNIGHT!!!!

LANDSCAPING ALMOST COMPLETED- FENCE AND GATES TO GO

There is only Friday left to finish the last of the landscaping.
Left to do:
- Gate and Aluminium fence to go in
- Tiling of stairs on front porch
- I need to buy a mailbox and get it installed

Yesterday the landscapers finished the moroka and they put my butterfly up. They finished the southern side and today there are only a few fiddly things to do. The cleaner is coming today as well.

My beautiful butterfly

Southern side, looking into our garage

Western side finished, Only the fence to go

Standing in gateway looking south down the eastern side of the house

Looking west at the eastern side of the house

Looking towards the north

SETTLEMENT WILL BE ON MONDAY!!!!!

The last two days nothing was happening. Today everything happened.

-Our $5400 gutter was put in which is now owned by the council.
-Drive way was laid
- Stairs either side of the porch installed
- plants and lawn planted
- Moroka and paint on the fence

Have a look at the pictures

looking north into landscaped backyard

looking east. The sandstone wall is gorgeous. We have planted lilli pilli here

Looking South east towards the alfresco.
It will look heaps better when the black plastic is removed.

Sandstone wall + where the moroka joins the brick

Front porch with new steps and handrail

Gardenias on the northern front

New driveway

New gutter (grrr!!!!)

GUTTERS RIPPED OUT, LANDSCAPING STARTING TO LOOK BEAUTIFUL

On Friday the 'special' gutters were ripped out and today or tomorrow they will be replaced with new ones along with a driveway and steps to our porch.

The handrail was put in on Friday and the alfresco tiles were finished, they look beautiful. Friday was a huge day with 5 landscapers working on site. A lot of the sandstone blocks have been laid, there is only the capping to go. The wall was painted green ready for the moroka.

Sandstone retaining wall going in

Tiles laid, Wall painted with moroka preparation

Tiles laid under the bricks.

FENG SHUI, KOSHER, HERITAGE GUTTER

WHAT A NIGHTMARE COUNCIL IS!!!!. It is written on our DA not to touch their heritage 1950's gutter that are eroding. So the demolition bloke and builder have been very careful working around the decrepit guttering, 2 weeks ago the council have said we have to replace the gutter.

Now council has made the landscaper submit a heap of forms and pay more to council for us to replace the gutters we were told we couldn't touch. At an extra cost of $5400 and 2 extra days.

Good news is that today the landscaper received the go ahead  from council, so now we can build the feng shui, kosher, imitation heritage gutter.

We were meant to get keys next Wednesday but the date will probably be put back till Friday or Monday as the gutter won't be ready by then. One thing that has gone well is the Bank. They seem to be ready to go, no problems there.

BLINDS MEASURED, OUTDOOR TILES LAID

Today I met the lovely lady from 'Betterview Blinds & Shutters'. We discussed blinds and colours and put an order in. They did a fantastic price, heaps better quality and price than other quotes, highly recommended. Our blinds will be installed in 2 weeks. Yeah!!!

The alfresco and path tiles are being laid today, I will take photos when it's done. Things have been a bit slow, I am getting impatient as it is only a week till hand over.

ALFRESCO CEMENTED, + INCREASING COSTS

The alfresco base was poured today, we have chooses a nice tile to be laid. Little things were being done inside, fixing PCI things.

Council strikes again. In our DA they have stipulated that we are not to move the guttering...now council has said we are to replace the guttering. The builder has been careful to try not to damage it over the last 6 months and work around the guttering (although there is some damage). Now it is to be replaced at an extra cost of $5200.  gggrrrrrr.

Also we have a price back for getting the water hooked up....all up about $30000.

So....Im going back to bed to cry (only joking...I just wish I could).

The alfresco cement

PICTURES OF CARPET

I went around today and the plumber was there and also the maintenance and painters. There are blue dots everywhere throughout the house which are things to be fixed. I had a quick look inside and got some carpet pictures.

It does need a vacuum but I really like how the colour turned out.

As predicted the first thing child #3 did was
slid down the stairs on her bottom.

Carpet in Gallery

CARPET IN, BRICKS CLEANED, SECURITY FENCE DOWN

As the title says:
Last Friday the carpet was laid. It was a cold wet day so I hope it's not wet. We cannot get inside to see the results so pictures are forthcoming.

On the weekend the security fence was removed, the place looks so much better without it and it is a lot easier to drive the lane way without it.

Today the bricks were cleaned, they look beautiful.

Western side- security fenceless

The northern side- acid cleaned brick fence

Things to do on this side- paint top of porch, porch steps and guard rail, gates, western slat wall

BRICK WALLS CONTINUE

The council dictated brick walls are almost finished, just a few messy bits to clean up. Tomorrow the carpet is due to be laid. I hope they don't do it as there is a 20-40mm rain forcast.

Im not sure where the steps on the left hand side of the porch are going as they have bricked the garden bed????

Low garden bed...where are the steps going?

Front fence

Southern fence

FRONT FENCE ALMOST COMPLETE

The brickies are still working on the fence. The front post where the yard gate is has been made hollow so we can put a wired intercom system in if we want to.

PCI Monday morning 6:30am

Fence going up from alfresco

Front fence

RANGEHOOD IN, FENCE GOING UP, WIRED SHELVING PICTURES, GARAGE MOTOR IN

A bit of a picture fess today. The brickies were back today, I was so glad to see the really friendly brickes who did an awesome job on the house was the one doing the fence. ;)
I noticed that the Rangehood, wire shelving and the garage electric motor for the roller door  has been installed.
The wire shelving is a temporary form of shelving to all the kids bedrooms and the linen press until we figure out what sort of wardrobe fit out we want to put in. It's one of those things I worry we will never actually get round to doing once we move in.

Eastern Fence being erected

New Rangehood- Loving the new kitchen

Garage electric roller door motor, hope to get the remote soon.

Lounge looking out, will be glad when landscaping is done and the view is nicer

Wired shelving in kids room and linen press

Main bathroom semi frameless shower screen

BRICKS DELIVERED FOR LANDSCAPING, ASHFIELD COUNCIL BEING DIFFICULT

We have been held up for a week waiting for the bricks to be delivered for landscaping. They came today so hopefully they will get started tomorrow. I spoke to SS today we have PCI (Practical Completion Inspection) on Monday morning Yeah!!!! ;). We cannot get our keys until landscaping is completed, I hope they are quick. Unfortunately council is giving the landscaper a hard time about moving a decrepid old gutter, it will now cost us more to complete. gggrrrrr

The fence bricks

KITCHEN SPLASHBACK IN, CLEANING UP

Having been absent for the last 5 days, I wasn't sure what would have been completed this week. When we arrived the kitchen splashback was in, a few blokes were putting the wire fit outs in the cupboards.
Thanks to the Harry Potter book the two elder kids spent the time fighting over who will sleep in the cupboard below the stairs (roll eye moment). So much for being grateful for getting their own room.
A couple of men were also cleaning the house, removing stickers and plastic off toilets, bathtub, windows.

What I can think of that needs to be done:
- carpet of upstairs
- Rangehood and appliances (They may be going in after handover to prevent thieving)
- Front door handle and lock
- Landscaping (can be done after handover)
- Painting of upper front porch
- Cleaning, lots and lots
- Lounge stacker doors need to be reversed so we step onto the path and no the stairs
- Driveway, the whole 80cms worth
- PCI...yeah

Hoping we can move in soon!!!!! :)

The kitchen splashback.
They have even put glass either side of the rangehood exhaust pipe.
 Nice job. The colour is antique white

Kids in the cupboard under the stairs. Deciding how to fit a bed in

GREAT NEWS.....FINISHINGS, STEPS, DOOR HANDLES ETC

Well what a WONDERFUL day today was. We got the news from our Water Servicing Co-ordinator that we can hook the water up to Junction Rd, and use a temporary water source while waiting for the job to be ticked off by council, sydney water, RTA and who ever else then completed. Which means we will be moving into our house very soon and not after February when the water is permanently hooked up. It will be a massive cost to dig up the road and tap into the water main from our place but good news come very infrequently in this building game and for today nothing is going to pop my bubble.

I know our SS has been holding off mentioning a PCI (Practical Completion Inspection), due to our big water issues but I am hoping now he may be game enough to give a tentative date.

We are getting very close to the finish line, by this afternoon door finishes were on, the step into the garage completed, all bathroom furnishings in (towel rails, toilet paper holders etc).

Our SS said that next week the kitchen splashbacks will be installed and landscaping will continue. I hope the carpet goes in as well. I am so please with how well our building is coming along, every week they seem to achieve more work than what is proposed.

Door Handle

Little hand towel Rail in powder room

Steps into the garage with wet paint sign

Alarm Sensors are active and air con ducting is in

Sliding door handles installed

Big towel rails installed

TANK PLUMBING AND 3RD COAT OF PAINT

Today the plumbing was connecting the tank up and finishing off a lot of the drain pipes. The painters were back putting the third and final coat on the walls.

The water issue started to move along today with the Section 73 being available later this week from Sydney Water. So hopefully we will know the cost of connecting to Sydney Water soon. The price is going to be ugly.

I also choose tiles for our alfresco and side path.

Plumbing to the water tank.
3 year old out smarting the security fence.

Cement path along side of house soon to be tiled

SHOWER SCREENS, WATER TANK, WARDROBE FITOUT

Today more work has been done. There has been a big clean up, all the rubbish has been removed inside and out. A water tank has been put in. The shower screens and mirrors were being installed while I did a quick check. The wardrobe fit out was installed but it needs a bit of a clean and fix up, as the edges are chipped. This will probably be done after PCI (practical completion inspection).

Our dune 3000L water tank 

Our wardrobe fitout

Semi-frameless shower screen and mirror