Some pictures of the backyard

Some pictures of the floor

Container booked

The container has been booked to be picked up on Thursday however they came back today and said that the truck is broken. It will be fixed and the container will be picked up on Friday. This will be better for us as the flooring is expected to be done by Friday.

So now just need to organise the curtains and air conditioner. That should be it for us to enjoy the new house.

Then it pours....

So nothing happens then today the house is packed and I get parked in because there are so many cars there today. We had the 3 flooring guys there to continue the sanding, 4 guys there for the liquid limestone, 1 for the security doors and 2 guys fixing the paving. So I had to sit there and listen to them grumble about scheduling this many trades and everyone tripping over each other etc etc But we could not help this as the flooring was suppose to have been completed last week, the paving should have been done 2 weeks ago.

We put the cubby house up on the weekend along with the newly built ramp and platform. They do go together well if I do say so myself! I do need to finish off the handrails though but having it up allowed the limestone guys to set the place in the right place. Also the shade sail poles were put back in. I hope they are in the right place. I checked the concrete set today and it seems 3 bags (60kgs) for the centre pole is not enough and neither are the 2 bags for the smaller poles. I have 4 bags left over so will need to put one more bag into each pole.

Pictures to follow now that we have some progress.

Nothing again

We now officially have problems with our flooring contractor. After such a good start they have now done nothing due to payment problems with PACE Flooring. After several phones calls, finally talked to Maurice who promised that they would be there on Tueaday (as it is a public holiday on Monday). Let us pray.

On another note, the liquid limestone contractor should be starting the job on Tuesday and finish on Wednesday. I hope that they are not delayed or there is any other trouble. We need to get the cubby up and the shade sail poles up so that we know where the paths will go.

So the past week has been taken up with making the cubby elevation kit and also a ramp so that the kids can get into and out of the cubby without having to climb a ladder. This makes the job bigger however we have been getting through it. It does not help with the 40deg plus temperatures. Well it is nearly finished now and we will be digging the holes for it tomorrow.

Nothing in a week

Well since they flooring guys finished laying last Tuesday, nothing has happened. Absolutely nothing. They were meant to be back last Thursday to sand and seal early this week but nothing. Soooo on other fronts, the cubby house elevation frame has been finished (with the help of the father in law and the brother in law). This will be installed this weekend before the liquid limestone is poured after the long weekend.

The security doors have been ordered. The bedroom blinds will be ordered today. So nothing physical done but the weekend will be fruitful with the cubby house elevation and shade sail poles installed.

Disappointing about the telstra trench as the block took 2 hours to install the phone lines. It looks like the cables were not joined...somehow????

The container has also been ordered and will be dropped off on Thursday 4th March. Hopefully we will move in that weekend! :)

Telstra Connection

The telstra connection has been organised for tomorrow. Hopefully he will not disturb the flooring guys when they are sanding. Let's see if the conduit has been put in properly!

Construction continues

Well, we picked up our keys on Friday. It was not a fancy affair which took just 15 minutes. Our CC ran through a folder of stuff of information and a box of towels as a gift. We got two sets of keys each on Ultimate Homes keyrings so we don't have to cut additional ones. Our CC asked if we would be going straight to the house and Bec said no. I think this did not impress our CC but in our defence we have a builders key and the floorboards and patio is underway so there is still construction at the house so it is not as if we could sit in the house and postulate. Any so the flooring people have now laid all the timber and should be back later this week to sand. Then they will be back next week to polish and then we have to wait another week before we can get in to walk and put furnitue in - so it will be at least 3 March before we move! :( The patio was also completed today. It looks great and once we get the liquid limestone under it, there will be a lot of space for the kids to play. I think they will love it. We have booked the limestone for the 2nd and 3rd March as this is the earliest that they can do it.
The crossover application to City of Stirling came back with a fail. The crossover does not meet their specifications and our CC is looking into this for us.

Keys Friday

WE GOT A CALL TODAY TO ARRANGE FOR KEY HANDOVER. SO FRIDAY MORNING, WE PICK UP OUR KEYS!!!!!!!!!!

Flooring has begun!!

The flooring guys did a lot of work in one day and did not finish until 5:30pm. The patio guys have also started the guttering and sheeting today. It looks like he was there by himself so could not put the final poles in.
The sparkies have fixed the lights. Bec spoke to SS and Jason windows will be out on Friday to fix the window. The painter has been asked to come back tomorrow morning to fix a door which we missed during the PCI. So here are the photos for today...

Flooring Started

Exciting news!!!! The flooring has started. They came and did the moisture barrier yesterday and have come back to start the laying today! Yayyyyy They did a good job of the moisture barrier except some wall have scratches where the roller was hitting the wall too hard. They have not done the linen cupboard but that's because they did not want to open another tin specifically as they still need to do the home theatre. The blue moisture barrier makes the kitchen stand out now that it is not against the grey concrete look. So the estimate is 5 days for laying, one day to sit, then 4 days to sand and seal so it will be done by 24th.

The punchlist items are getting ticked off quick smart by our SS. The telstra cable is now installed and the paving reinstated. You can't really even tell that they pulled the paving up to get the conduit down! The rear roller door is also now complete. It springs up a bit when fully down but I think this is because they have set the tension higher due to the bigger door. It is very light to pull up but this can be adjusted once we move in. The sparkies were back this morning to adjust the light circuit in the study and bed 1. They needed more cable so not sure what the problem is and how they will fix.

The bank has now paid the builder. It was too much so our lovely CC emailed to say that the bank paid over the final statement amount and that she will put the overpaid amount into our account. What service!!

Also the patio is well underway. The rear frame was started yesterday so the entire frame should be done by the end of this week.

It has not rained in Perth for over 80 days but today (when the flooring is starting) it decides to spit and be humind! Just not what we want for timber laying.... Fingers crossed it does not rain for another couple of weeks.

PCI Inspection Closeout

OK so I know I have not updated since PCI last Thursday but it has been busy (the most important being a new iphone!!!) The sparkie came and replaced the power points in the garage right after PCI. Hmmm we never got a copy of the PCI list from the construction manager. Anyway we had the timber flooring delivered on Friday and the remainder of the patio delivered on the Thursday afternoon.

The patio company came and started the patio on Friday and got part of the main section up and 3 poles installed. He was doing it mostly by himself so it will take a while (about 7 days he said so maybe by the end of next week it will be done.

The flooring was also delivered by one person. It was not even a big truck with a HIAB but a young block with a ute!! He had to cut the packs open and bring the timbers into the house individually! It was four loads and the later loads were the ute and a trailer. As the trailer was a tandem axel trailer, it left tyre marks when he reversed in the driveway but that will come out.

The roof tiles came back today to finish off the roof. They replaced cracked, chipped tiles and painted the edges of the tiles in the valleys and other minor chipped areas. The roof really looks good now.

I called the bank today to see when our payment to the builder would go through and found that they were helpful but it was like pushing a wheelbarrow up a hill.

Now we are justing waiting for the bank to pay and get the keys.

PCI Done

Well PCI was completed today! Yayyyyyy The construction manager was very nice and showed us throught the entire house with little tips and bits. There were only about 12-15 items on the list and most of them are 5 minute jobs. The majors ones are

1. Draw in bathroom catches bottom of benchtop
2. Hot water system not completed
3. Telstra conduit to be placed next to wall
4. Small dent in library window
5. Small scratch on laundry benchtop
6. Incorrect fan installed in laundry

We also faxed 3 minor corrections to the final statement from the builder. Let's hope they reply positively as these 3 items are worth about $1,500.00

The patio guy also delivered a lot of the components and called Bec this afternoon to say that they will start tomorrow. One of the guys got blown off a patio last week due to high winds so they are down a man. It will take them about 6 days to complete. Can't wait to see it up.

Finishing Extras

The finishing extras was done today. He spoke to Bec and said that he was our SS's supervisor!! Now he is just contracting. He replaced the chipped bricks on the bathroom window sill. They also levelled the sand around the house. He has also put silicon (or similar) along the top of the bench in the laundry. I couldn't see but he must also have done the ensuite and kitchen also. The locks on the meter boxes were also installed however he left the gas box open in the locked position. The other thing that he did was to replace the paver with the hole in it. This is great however the paving will need to be ripped up so that the conduit for Telstra can be installed. I can't see any other way for the conduit and draw wire to be installed.

The bank today also deposited the surplus into our account. That is very fast considering I only sent the payment paperwork on Monday (yesterday!). I also got a call from the bank's valuer! What the?? He was just checking that all the variations have been completed. So hopefully the builder's payment will be through by the time we have PCI on Thursday.

Other news is that my little princess had her first day at Playfun3 today. Growing up already!! :(

Final Payment

We have now submitted the final progress payment to the bank. We did receive the final invoice from the builder, which I asked for early so that we could sort out the payment for the builder so that we can get our keys as quick as possible.
We have organised for the patio to be installed. John said that he would be coming later this week or early next week to install it. That will be great and if we can get the liquid limestone in before we move, that would be awesome.
The timber has also been approved to be delivered. I let them know that Friday would be the best as we would have had the PCI meeting and also the garage doors will be installed so they can put them in the garage for security.
Now just waiting for the gas boost HWS to be installed, flyscreens and site clean. We are really close to the end now.

House Clean Done, PCI Confirmed

House clean was done this morning. The cheeky cleaners moved the pavers blocking the garage and parked in my garage!!! What cheek. The site supervisor was there this morning to let them in I guess. Maybe it was the SS that also delivered the gas boost HWS. This now sits in the home theatre waiting to be installed. Maybe the plumber will be back tomorrow to install it. They cleaned very well including the light fixtures outside but nowhere near Bec's standard. The windows are now all clean and the remaining protective tape removed.

So now just waiting for the garage doors to be installed on Wednesday before PCI on Thursday.

Paving done

OK so a long week although not much has happened at the house. Paving is now done. It took them a while. Monday the limestone and sand was delivered, Tuesday was Australia Day, Wednesday the limestone and sand was distributed and only then on Thursday was the paving laid.

The silly plumber did not turn up until Friday which means we have a nice hole in a paving where he had to dig the gas pipe in. The paving will need to be redone in this area. It will need major work as they need to dig the trench for the telstra conduit and draw wire which was not done! More annoying than anything.

The handyman has also come to install the hand towel rails and passage sets for the WIRs however he seems to have missed the garage entry door; it is still a passage set rather than the Governor entrance set.

Cleaners on Monday, then garage door on Wednesday and PCI on Thursday!!!!!!!