We have the keys!

House is officially ours.

A few small things to fix in the next few weeks but overall happy.

Floors scheduled to be done starting at the end of next week.

Getting close to handover

Our site supervisor opened the house for us today so our flooring guys could measure up and the solar PV installer could have a look

Lots of progress.  Electrical and plumbing fit-offs done

What's left to complete

• Painting touch-ups, glazed door painting + final wall coat in the garage
• Tile grouting (tile left off for bath installs)
• Shower screens
• Robes
• Lock replacement on sliding doors
• Door hardware
• Hydronic heating panel installation + boiler and pump
• External aircon unit, duct vents and air return vent
• Hot water storage tank and gas booster
• Ceiling cavity insulation
• Building clean
• Garage Doors
• Appliance installation including range hood (post handover)

Expecting handover in three or so weeks (depending on any defects during final walk-through)

Tiling has begun

Tiling has started and got some pics of the cabinetry ....

Countdown is on ...

Internal fit out is well underway and the countdown is on with approx 8 to 10 weeks left ...

• Cabinets have been installed in kitchen, bathrooms and laundry

• Internal and external painting started

• Caesarstone benchtops installed

No pictures for this phase as the house is locked up tight.

Eaves installed and waterproofing in bathrooms done

Brickwork has been cleaned, wet area waterproofing completed.  Internal fixings (doors, architraves) underway.  Sliding alfresco doors are now double glazed

Electrical rough-in completed, plaster hung & stopped

It's been a busy week and a bit

Brickwork completed

Electrical

• Speaker and HDMI cables run
• Power and lighting rough-in completed
• Cat 6 and coax rough-in completed

Plaster

• All plaster was hung in one day and stopped the next
• Looks like all it needs is another sand, top coat & a final sand

More bricks, hydronic heating rough-in

The brickies have been making excellent progress and are expecting to be complete by Wednesday.  We're very happy with the brick colour, blending and how well they've been laid.

Alfresco doors have been installed

Moorondah Heating & Cooling has done all the rough in plumbing for the hydronic heating.

Bricks and Aircon

Busy day on Friday

• Brick laying started on Friday.  Very happy
• Aircon duct work completed and related plumbing roughed in for future connection

Wall studs have been planed or packed to ensure they're plumb for plaster installation
Internal cavity sliders were installed yesterday

Building wrapped

The house received its wrap (vapour barrier) yesterday.


Had a look tonight; the plumber has been busy

• Gas pipe run (from meter position to all outlets)
• Hot and cold water pipes fitted off (now waiting to be crimped)
• Solar hot water panel fitted and connected

The TV antenna has also been installed.

Unfortunately the antenna has been installed on the roof's northern aspect.  Whilst we had advised Henley that we would be installing solar, it appears that didn't make it through to specific instructions in the plans to leave that aspect vacant.   A sewer breather is also on the northern aspect.  These items are not on the plans so we didn't challenge them.  Annoying, but hopefully don't impinge on where PV solar and pool heating need to be installed.

Roof done, power connected & bricks delivered

Another satisfying visit to the site tonight.

The colorbond roof has been completed, including the whirly-bird installation.  The roof looks great & suspect I'm guilty of imitating the colorbond roofing adverts.

About a dozen pallets of bricks have been delivered.  The brickies were tentatively scheduled to start on Monday so things are looking positive on that front

Best news of all is the electricity has finally been connected.  Provisional charges for generator hire can be avoided.

We have a roof (or at least most of one)

Roofers busy today.  Most of the roof has had the insulation blanket and colorbond installed.  Master bedroom, entrance hall and garage are remaining.  Very happy with the colour.

The site supervisor called me this morning.  He'll check out the solar hot water panel position and get it fixed if required.  He also advised the A/C unit we chose has been discontinued.  Now waiting to see what the replacement unit is.

Windows, door frames, fascias, guttering and plumbing

A lot of progress since last Saturday

Saturday 13/02: surprised to see the chippies onsite.  They installed most of the aluminium window frames, as well as the external door frames and some temp doors

Monday 15/02: Fascia boards and gutters laid out in preparation for installation.

Tuesday 16/02: Fascia boards and gutters installed.  Temporary down-pipes installed.  Plumbing started for hot and cold water.  Most of the pipework is in place.  Flashing for windows is also present.  Roof safety guard rails have been installed.

Wednesday 17/02: Top hats installed in preparation for the colorbond installation.  Plumbing for the solar hot water panel has been run.  Range hood ducting has been installed.

Have asked the site supervisor to check the position of the plumbing for the solar panels.  It looks a little off.  The panel's position was a late alteration & wondering if the change made it to the plumber.

Insulation and colorbond is onsite.  Hopefully the weather is OK tomorrow / Friday so they can be installed

Roof valleys done, windows arrive

They've been busy again.  Timbers for the roof valleys have been installed.  Further work has been done in the roof space and the frame above the alfresco doors added

Front door frame was delivered Wednesday night and windows on Thursday

More roof structure

Another drive by tonight. 

Lots of progress on the roof structure.  Trusses mostly done - garage, master bedroom / entrance and alfresco remaining. 

Power run. Update from site supervisor

The site supervisor called on Friday.  Window alteration not possible as there is 5 week lead time on them & they are due onsite next week.  He has advised we can get a film installed post build that will do the job (& other clients have been very happy with).  Happy with the solution

Forward schedule for the next couple of weeks includes

• finish roof structure
• fascia and gutters
• roof insulation blanket and colorbond installed
• HWS solar panel installation
• Windows
• Start brick laying

Had a look at the site this morning.  The electrician has run the 3 phase from the house to the electrical pit.  Now just need the power company to install the meter and make the connection in the pit.

Roof structure started

Another drive-by tonight. 

LVLs now in for the garage and the roof structure has been started.

 

They are keeping the site very clean.

 

 

 

 

More framing

Visited the site on Tuesday night.  Internal wall frames are now in & more work done on the exterior.  The progress has been fantastic.

Kudos to the framers - one of our neighbours commented that the three of them were onsite all day & never stopped.

The power is still not connected.  Apparently the framers have been using a small generator for their tools.  Hoping the power gets sorted soon and we can avoid the provisional costs associated with generator hire.

Henley is looking into the window alteration for us.  They have advised the windows are due onsite next week, so guessing we missed the boat on that one.


 

Framing Underway

The framer(s) have been very busy today.  External frame is up & internals are on their way.

We have belatedly realised that the bathroom window might be a little too big.  Probably too late to address this, but have asked if there are any options to vary the dimensions or use obscured glass.

Power, crushed rock & met the framer

The weather has been fantastic for concrete curing; mild and a bit of rain each day

Another site clean was performed on Friday.  They spread the soil around the slab & poured some crushed rock in front of the garage.

Tackled the power issue yesterday (Saturday).  After about 7hrs effort finally managed to create a tunnel from our property to the electrical pit outside.  The clay was a mother.  In hindsight it would have been easier to lift a section of sidewalk, dig & then replace it (& deal with any fallout from the council later).  Sparky can now run the conduit and connect the 3 phase.

Just as I was packing up, the framer arrived and introduced himself.  He then started marking out frame position on the slab so he can hit the ground running on Monday.

The site supervisor has indicated frame should be done this week, roof trusses the following & he has tentatively booked in the brickie for 22 Feb

Slab done & looking good

Slab was poured on Wed 27/01 & then it started raining.  20+ mm later it is still there & looking good

One of the slab extensions wasn't done (pad for A/C unit).  The site supervisor has referred it to engineering & it will be done later (a little disappointing, but not the end of the world).

Found out on Thursday that the sparky has had an issue connecting the power to the pit.  The fence's foundations are too big to get through or under.  Now looking at options that don't include losing the fence (hoping a concrete core drill will make it through, although it's about 800mm long).

Slab Preparation

Did a drive by yesterday morning (Monday) and they were busy working on the slab preparation.  Pleasantly surprised as thought it would be an RDO for the Australia Day long weekend.

They got a lot done; vapour barrier, void formers (foam), steel (bar & mesh) all look complete.  Couple of plumbing things left to go & have queried about one of the slab extensions.

Going to have a slab very soon :-)

Power and Pipes

Power has been connected and pipes laid.  Blue ones appear to be storm water and the rest sewer.

Piers

Piers have been bored and concreted.

Site Cut

Site Cut has been completed and there's now a toilet ... progress!

The journey so far ...

It's been nearly a year since we started this process and we're finally at construction stage.  After doing the rounds of what seemed like hundreds of display houses, we stepped inside the MainVue Amalfi 631 and knew it was the one.  It pretty much ticked ALL the major boxes for us:

• Single Story
• 4 Bedrooms
• 2.5 Bathrooms
• Master Bedroom with both WIR and Robes (oh yeah!)
• Large Kitchen & Butlers Pantry
• Theatre for Kids
• Double Plus Garage
• Undercover Alfresco

I have to admit the picture window in the dining area was also a huge selling point for me.

In terms of significant upgrades we're going with the following:

• Increased ceiling height
• Square set cornice to entire house
• Double Plus Garage
• Hydronic Heating
• Refrigerated Cooling
• Façade Variation

In terms of a timeline to get to this stage:

02/2015 - Initial Quotation
03/2105 - Colour Information Session
04/2105 - Colour Appointment
05/2015 - Tender Appointment
              - Applied for SBO (Flood) permit
              - Applied for setback dispensation
06/2015 - Received SBO approval from Melbourne Water & Council
              - Applied for Electrical Pit Installation
07/2015 - Electrical Appointment
              - Organised Demolition
              - Received setback dispensation approval
09/2015 - Applied for gas service abolishment
              - Electrical Pit installed
              - Moved Out
10/2015 - Demolition Permit received (in hindsight would have applied a lot earlier)
              - Overhead electrical supply abolished
              - Gas service abolished             
              - Demolition Completed
              - 2nd Soil Test Completed
12/2015 - Contract Appointment
              - Received Building Approval

 

 

Ready to go .....