Week 20 - Fit offs galore!

A meeting on site today with my SS enabled me a good look around and a photo opportunity.  Lots has happened over the last 2 weeks inside, I just couldn't get in to have a good look.

Wardrobe and Cupboard Fit outs

Slight problem in the first picture as the laundry chute is to come down through the LHS of this cupboard.  The shelving is in the way.  Working on a solution with SS.

Laundry - Linen Cupboard

Master - WIR (LOVE IT!)

For our friends - the GUEST wardrobe

Walk in Pantry

Walk in Pantry

Bathroom Fit Offs

Nearly there with the bathrooms.  Plumbers there today installing the bath, still need to do basins and basin tapware.  All shower tapware done.  We will look at some changes to tapware post handover!

Mirrors came through the door as I was there....

Master Ensuite

 Toilet - Lifestyle Upgraded model

 Powder Room Vanity

Guest Ensuite and Shower

I wasn't happy with the splashback on the vanity here.  The vanity is 800 wide and the 2 tiles on the splashback are not even, ie 1 is smaller than the other, so therefore the grout line in the middle, looks off centre to the cupboards and vanity hole.  After chatting with the SS, I now understand why.  He said they could fix it up to be lined up, but because of the size of the tile, there would be a raw cut edge along the RHS of the splashback tile which would look rough and unfinished.  So I then asked, what if I was to get the feature tile as per our powder room.  This is an option, however I would have to arrange them and get them to site.  So decision time:
A.  Leave it as is - see 3rd photo below
B. Get the tiles replaced with the grout lined up, however will end up with rough looking tile on outer RHS edge.
C. Source some more tiles from National Tiles as shown here in photo 2 (this is what is left over) of our feature tiles and have this to replace the others.  In process of doing this and pricing it now.

Grout line is totally not centre to everything else on splashback!

Shows the lines not centred (excuse photo taken through window!)

Main Bathroom

Plumbers were putting the bath in as we were there.  Can't wait to use it!!!!

Laundry

Just excuse all the dust!

 

Garage - Internals

Astonishing that all the work goes on around the continual mess on the floor!

There photos show nicely the different colours.  On the LHS is the Stepney Render (Dulux), on the RHS is the Alabaster Wall Paint (Wattyl)

Cooling/Heating Vents

These have all been installed throughout.

Return air vent in - still no change to
Laundry Chute Cupboard upstairs -
needs finishing off.

Electricals 

Yesterday there were wires hanging everywhere, at 9am this morning there were downlights everywhere.  Trusty electricians busy putting all the fixtures on - downlights, exhaust fans, chinaman hats (ugly as they are!), powerpoints etc. 

Oh, we also have a doorbell!

So we are tracking for Handover by the end of the month.  All other trades booked in to complete everything.....lets see!  Should be flooring next week.

Week 9 - a Cracking Pace....

Our house is really starting to take shape and look real!

Apart from one window that is missing and therefore not hebelled, the rest of the house is fully hebelled and the top storey rendered.  Can't wait for the render to be painted and to see our colours take shape.

Now today they installed the eaves, which looks fabulous and makes it look lovely and neat!

Other bits and pieces:

• Solar panels for hot water installed
• Evap Cooler installed
• Everything roughed-in - Plumbing, Electrical, Heating/Cooling, Gas
• External doors and locks installed (except bi-fold)
• Shower Bases installed

We are moments away from lock-up!

Tomorrow the plumbers are heading back to site and will fix the shower rose to the correct height.

Still waiting to hear on some fixes to the electricals.

Front Entrance with temporary door

Evap Cooler looks quite big up there!

Heating/cooling ducts

2nd Storey is Rendered - Eaves have been installed

Missing window and no Hebel

Guest Ensuite - Biggest Shower!

Kids Bathroom with incorrect shower
inlet height.  We put a note on it to
ensure they didn't board around it.

Plumbing Rough In

This week had the plumbers roughing in all the pipes etc for all the taps through the house.  A few days ago, I popped in to quickly have a look at the downstairs area and took some photos to just double check everything in the right place.  Straight away I noticed the washing machine taps were in the wrong location.  I remember discussing moving them on our Construction plans to from the LHS to the RHS of the cupboard so they would be closer to the washing machine and I then wouldn't have pipes taking up the whole cupboard.  However, needed to check the actual plans.  The on Friday I snuck upstairs to check the plumbing there and noticed that the shower rose wasn't at the right height.  On our first plans we had a shower on a hose, but then decided to change this at Construction Plan stage and just have a normal shower rose at 1900mm high in the Main Bathroom.  So I quickly realised that perhaps the Plumbers were not working off the right plans - the signed Construction Plans!  The errors made were from previous plans.

I emailed this all and photos to the SS.  He got back to me pretty quickly and said he would look into next week.

As those reading my blog know I am obsessed with driving past, so on a drive by after sending my email I chanced upon the plumbers back on site - bingo.  We had a quick chat about the problems.  He showed me the plans he has and yes, he was working off the original draft construction plans, not the ones that we actually agreed on and signed.  So as people have mentioned before, often they find errors because the contractors are given the wrong plans.  Just annoying that draft plans are sent out.  I was very adamant that I wasn't signing any Construction Plans until everything was spot on (to the best of my knowledge).  I felt very apologetic, but the plumber was just disappointed that he finds this out from me and that he didn't have the right plans.  So I headed home, printed off the right plans and took them around to him (perhaps with a 6 pack beer - bribery!) to thank him for making it right.  He thanked me for bringing the new plans as he called the office (guessing plumbing office) and they had no record of any newer plans - ie my signed plans!!!  Anyway, we will head over this morning and see what is happening.

 This photo shows the taps on wrong location on bottom left of wall

Edit - 11 Jun
Went by on the weekend to do a double check and the washing machine taps now fixed.
Also checked the shower rose height to see if fixed - well a shower rose was adjusted higher, just the wrong bathroom!!!  Not too fussed as I actually wanted all the shower roses at 1900mm, so now I might just say, leave our ensuite at that height and correct the bathroom one as per the plans and discussed on Friday!

In the Trenches

Todays drive by showed the plumbers at work digging the trenches and installing the pipework to the sewer.

Of course another little digger for the children to watch.  What will we do when there are no diggers left to watch!

Oh, and then another drive by mid afternoon showed all the ground work plumbing done!

See I am obsessed with driving past........

You can faintly see little metal plates with pink "X" on the ground, these are the Screw Piers