September 12

Well today has seen a few things happen.
Today I got the quote for the extras that I talked with Mark about during the walk through. As I guessed, they amounted a sizable sum of money. I am now looking at them and deciding which things to remove after all.
One thing I am reasonably sure I will do is seek a quote elsewhere for the cement for the pergola area. Mark's business is building, not cementing so getting some one to do that work is just an extra job for him. And rightfully, extra work deserves extra pay. So I might as well do the work on that myself.
 
As well as the quote, today I wrote a letter to the Govt about the plans for the next door house. I think it is ridiculous that i have to complain about it... because it isn't even legal. Well whatever.. I have written the letter and sent it off.

But there has been better news! look at the photos and what do you see?

Tiles!

2 things to note:

1. They are not as dark as they look in this photo and

2. They are darker than I realised. 

They look really nice though but I am a tad frightened about how hot they will be.

Excitement comes easily

Today I did my usual drive by- It is still so hard to get photos as it is nearly always dusk and holding the camera still is something of a trick. However it was worth trying to steady my hand and take photos in the gloom under headlights.

The promised rain did not arrive so today there are developments!

So what can we see? Gutters and fascias! With a bit of luck maybe tomorrow tiling will commence on the roof.

This photo shows the newly built wall for the veranda area. It is a nice large area and I am surprised to discover that there is not nearly enough dirt pushed there to fill the space. My brain is now trying to solve the 'what will I fill it with?' question.

In the meantime I have a minor annoyance. The next door neighbours have lodged their plans and like me, they have a long wall sitting on their southern boundary. That's my northern side. The side that all my windows look out onto. the side that I would most like to have curtains open on to let in winter sun.
Well in some kind of freakish notion, they have included a window in that boundary wall. I don't even know how that is legal. So effectively they are building a porthole in my fence and will be able to look into my yard and living areas whenever they want. I would guess that they mostly won't want to, but it's the principle.

I have asked Dad to have a look at the development application and I will see what to do next. I have already established contact with ACTPLA and asked casually if this window was really allowable and do I need to formally complain to have it removed. I hope I don't have to formally complain because that is not a nice way to begin life with your new neighbours.

Wednesday News

The bricking looks complete!
It was too dark to be sure and too dark to take a photo, but it did look complete! Hurrah. I even have a pole holding up the front porch roof. Up until now it has just been a stick keeping that corner of the roof up.
The rain is now supposed to settle in until Monsay so i guess that is going to be the last thing to happen this week.

Blimey

Here is Monday

Slow slow slow

Nearly finished with the bricks. There seem to be more roof tiles round the building now. And certainly more timber. They are obviously gearing up to get serious with the roof.

The feedback on the doors is that they are too wide for the space. And the fellow who suggested I have the skirting boards pinned in place and put on properly once the laminate floors have been added has had his plan jettisoned too. Apparently they need to be nailed on to pass certification.

Sunday

I just can't stay away from the house. 

Today I drove to Fyshwick to look at glass doors to put between the family room and the lounge.
Doors Plus had three options. 8 pane doors, single pane doors and Bi-fold single pane doors. The first two options were $200 a door = $400 for the space. The Bi-folds were $599 for the gear, or $832 installed but not painted.

I just can't see how they will fit in the space. The space just doesn't look big enough for two cavity doors.

Anyway on the way home I said to Kate that i really struggle not to visit the house even when I know nothing can have changed. Kate is as bad as me so at her urging, we went via the house.

:)

Good Girl!

So here is Kate... the first kid to use the new stairs...

And more bricks!

Yesterday I went round to see if the bricking had finished and really, it wasn't worth taking photos. There were more bricks but it looks pretty much the same.
This morning I dragged Wendy round show her my home and  as we walked through, I discovered there are now steps inside!

Hurrah!

They are handsome steps too!

I had figured when they weren't part of the original slab pouring that I was going to get chipboard steps that would be noisey, Instead, yesterday they bricked the risers and have placed heavy cement lids on top for a lovely little set of solid steps.

I am pleased

:)

The addition of walls is making the house darker. Wendy thought if we left the roof off it would stay lovely and bright....
When the builder maximises area of a house while minimising cost, the houses will tend towards square. As well as having deep rooms that get less light, it means they tend to be close to the boundaries of the block and the walls of the neighbours closer. This adds up to more gloom.
The lovely side effect of changing the shape of my house is that the family room is nicely set back and the outside living area is not hard up against the fence. There is some hope that some lovely winter sun is going to sneak in under the pergola.

So all up, while the progress is not as fast as I hoped, I like what it happening there.

Another nice thing is the snippets the other tradies are giving about Solid Construction. Pete Bonelli from TileFlair, had Solid build his house and the chap at 'About Kitchens' just added as a throw away comment that Solid Constructions build a good house. This is the sort of endorsement I like. Before the contracts are signed, people can say anything if they stand to gain by it. At this point, however I can expect that this is the truth as there is no escape for me now :)

And now the slow progress of bricking

I am ready to move, really I am! When I started this notion I was given a finish date of "August-ish". I understood that August couldn't happen when the Govt didn't release the land, but now the house that is down the road is having its gutters and fascias added and i don't even have full walls yet. Well I have one...

And they are working on the others.

I am filling my evenings now watching renovation programs. Thinking about gardens now that all my shopping for house bits is just about done. And they say that lock-up is short of halfway. Which means it will be a while yet before I am moving anywhere.