Monday, December 10, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Demolition Of Our House
It's very sentimental for us today as our house was being demolished..... Like our reputation, branding and dignity, house took many months / years to build, but to destroy it, only takes days. The demolition company told us they could finish the demolition process in 3 days time!
If anyone is interested in a demolition company I can recommend the one we use which was Demolition Depot. They provided great service as well cost was competitive compared to others.
We were sad to see it go, but also excited that another step closer to the building of our new house!
If anyone is interested in a demolition company I can recommend the one we use which was Demolition Depot. They provided great service as well cost was competitive compared to others.
We were sad to see it go, but also excited that another step closer to the building of our new house!
Saturday, October 20, 2012
We've Moved Out!
Finally, we found a rental property and moved today! We're well ahead of our schedule. That's the way we planned. We learned from a friend who built with PD that he missed the site start month and PD increase their contract price by 5K and he still couldn't wave this after all the persuassion and arguement! Paying one month rental is better than losing 5K, that's what we thought!
Moving is another headache, we finally learnt that anything we don't need or use for a while, we shouldn't hold on to it any longer. We also realized how much "rubbish" we have been collecting over the past 10 years living in the same house.
Since we're moving in a year time, we kept most of the boxes unpacked for easy move next time....
Moving is another headache, we finally learnt that anything we don't need or use for a while, we shouldn't hold on to it any longer. We also realized how much "rubbish" we have been collecting over the past 10 years living in the same house.
Since we're moving in a year time, we kept most of the boxes unpacked for easy move next time....
Monday, August 27, 2012
Contract Appointment
Contract appointment is the time when we confirmed every changes and details of what we selected and a formal construction contract is signed by both PD and us.
Overall, we have quite happy with the way it turns out, the presenter was pleasant. We're very blessed to have them agreed to install the rangehood we wanted and secondly, they agreed to custom made our staircase as following picture - the stained timber flushed all the way to the wall we added to block the view of the stair from the entrance. This, I reckoned is better than their "feng shui" staircase design. What do you think? We also could use the wall as feature or decorative wall..........
Anything that is to be changed after today, it's classified as "post contract" price or agreement....
OK, now it's the time to worry about the move (to a temporary rental place) and the demolition of our current house.............
Overall, we have quite happy with the way it turns out, the presenter was pleasant. We're very blessed to have them agreed to install the rangehood we wanted and secondly, they agreed to custom made our staircase as following picture - the stained timber flushed all the way to the wall we added to block the view of the stair from the entrance. This, I reckoned is better than their "feng shui" staircase design. What do you think? We also could use the wall as feature or decorative wall..........
OK, now it's the time to worry about the move (to a temporary rental place) and the demolition of our current house.............
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Hopetoun and Electrical Appointment
Today is the big day for us, it takes almost the whole day! We had half an hour break for lunch (one cup of complimentary hot drink at the nearest cafe by PD Hopetoun).......
Our selections are as follows:-
Brick : Homestead Red
Render Colour : String (this is the colour we adopted the consultant's advice and ditched ours)
Roof : Elabana with Sambuca colour
Garage Door : Classic Cream colour with Panelmasta Caprice profile
Alminium windor colour : Primrose CT
Front Door : PMAD 104 Clear
Colour : Painted deep indian red
Terrace Symmetry Manor Series
Laundry door : Win 21 Full Glaze painted in Deep indian red
Internal door handles (flush door and sliding door)
Kitchen Benchtop : Ice Snow 9141 Caesarstone (Pencil Round)
Glass Splashback : Antique White USA
Kitchen Cabinet : Laminex Crystal Gloss - Parchment
Kitchen Contrast : Smoky Sapelle
All the ensuite cabinets : Smoky Sapelle
Floorboard : 3 strip timber Kempas
Staircase : Option 3 with new baltic pine stain
Carpet : Braewood Warmstone 8520 with upgraded underlay Stepeco
We found that even with the appointment, there were still many things (especially pricing) couldn't be confirmed on the spot. Every selection come down to price, but without pricing, it's so hard to decide what we should or shouldn't choose.............I think this process should be improved.
The electrical appointment is fun. How our selections are updated in the computer instantly and the price correspondent with it was shown constantly making our hear beat faster each time we add something to our selection..................
Well, after today, we are almost done until the contract appointment! Hallelujah!
Our selections are as follows:-
Render Colour : String (this is the colour we adopted the consultant's advice and ditched ours)
Roof : Elabana with Sambuca colour
Garage Door : Classic Cream colour with Panelmasta Caprice profile
Alminium windor colour : Primrose CT
Front Door : PMAD 104 Clear
Colour : Painted deep indian red
Terrace Symmetry Manor Series
Glass Splashback : Antique White USA
Kitchen Cabinet : Laminex Crystal Gloss - Parchment
Kitchen Contrast : Smoky Sapelle
All the ensuite cabinets : Smoky Sapelle
Staircase : Option 3 with new baltic pine stain
We found that even with the appointment, there were still many things (especially pricing) couldn't be confirmed on the spot. Every selection come down to price, but without pricing, it's so hard to decide what we should or shouldn't choose.............I think this process should be improved.
The electrical appointment is fun. How our selections are updated in the computer instantly and the price correspondent with it was shown constantly making our hear beat faster each time we add something to our selection..................
Well, after today, we are almost done until the contract appointment! Hallelujah!
Friday, August 17, 2012
National Tile Appointment
Today is the appointment of the easiest selection of all - tiles. We only select one type of tile to all the wet area.... We have either floorboard or carpet in the rest of the house.
This is the tile we selected:-
It's called "portifino matt" 400mm X 400mm.
This is the tile we selected:-
Monday, August 6, 2012
The Tender Appointment
The tender appointment is all about structural changes like adding another room, house setback, window sizes and doors, change of room size and ceilling height etc. Also during this appointment, site cost are finalized (subject to 2nd soil test results) and price for structural changes are given and fixed.
For us, extra site cost is unexpected. Change of kitchen appliance plus aircon zoning cost are much more expensive than expected...............
The following are some major structural changes we made:-
1. Convert formal lounge room into guest with semi ensuite
2. Enclose terrace and made into retreat (office)
3. Manhattan facade (bigger rumpus)
4. Additional sink, wall tower (for oven) and cupboard in the Galley
5. Turn another side of the Galley into a linen (storage)
6. Doors to all Ensuites, Theatre & Study
7. Change the rear access door (to Alfresco) from living room to dinning room
8. Refrigerated Cooling
9. Shower niche to all ensuites
plus some other minor changes.
This is our floor plan as at tender appointment.
For us, extra site cost is unexpected. Change of kitchen appliance plus aircon zoning cost are much more expensive than expected...............
The following are some major structural changes we made:-
1. Convert formal lounge room into guest with semi ensuite
2. Enclose terrace and made into retreat (office)
3. Manhattan facade (bigger rumpus)
4. Additional sink, wall tower (for oven) and cupboard in the Galley
5. Turn another side of the Galley into a linen (storage)
6. Doors to all Ensuites, Theatre & Study
7. Change the rear access door (to Alfresco) from living room to dinning room
8. Refrigerated Cooling
9. Shower niche to all ensuites
plus some other minor changes.
This is our floor plan as at tender appointment.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Choice, choice, choice, decision, decision, decision!!
There are so many things to consider for every decision on every selections....
We finally decided to change tile to floorboard to create a more welcoming and warm house for our guests. Tiles are too cold in the winter too, so apart from the wet area, we change all the common area downstair into floorboard. Upstair, study and guest room are carpet.
The hardest things to decide is the electrical. How are we supposed to know where the powerpoints to be put? Thank God we have lots of friends who build too, they gave us some critical advice! The key to know is to picture your house with all your furnitures, fitting, equipments and from there, allocate your powerpoint. Never put powerpoint right in the corner (adviced by a friend), you'll lose that space for any furniture or equipment. That friend put one on the corner of her kitchen bench, she can't put microwave on that corner after plug in power; she can't use her second powerpoint (she has double powerpoint at that corner) once the microwave is put in front of the powerpoint.
The other major decision for us is to include the aircon installation in the house with PD. We went to many air-con installation shop and consult the professional, everyone of them gave the same advice:-
It's critical to have refrigerated air upstair
It's harder to install air con downstair once the house is built
It's more expensive to install after the handover
We finally decided to change tile to floorboard to create a more welcoming and warm house for our guests. Tiles are too cold in the winter too, so apart from the wet area, we change all the common area downstair into floorboard. Upstair, study and guest room are carpet.
The hardest things to decide is the electrical. How are we supposed to know where the powerpoints to be put? Thank God we have lots of friends who build too, they gave us some critical advice! The key to know is to picture your house with all your furnitures, fitting, equipments and from there, allocate your powerpoint. Never put powerpoint right in the corner (adviced by a friend), you'll lose that space for any furniture or equipment. That friend put one on the corner of her kitchen bench, she can't put microwave on that corner after plug in power; she can't use her second powerpoint (she has double powerpoint at that corner) once the microwave is put in front of the powerpoint.
The other major decision for us is to include the aircon installation in the house with PD. We went to many air-con installation shop and consult the professional, everyone of them gave the same advice:-
It's critical to have refrigerated air upstair
It's harder to install air con downstair once the house is built
It's more expensive to install after the handover
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Letters And Appointments
Two day ago, we received letter from PD about Tender Appointment and Contract Appointment, we're very excited, but also know that there are so many to be decided before the appointments.
Yesterday, building surveyor came to do the measurements (2 hours) and the soil test was also done on the same day!
Today, we also confirmed all the appointments with PD, Hopetoun and National Tile. We have to mark them on our diary:-
6th Aug - Tender Appointment
17th Aug - National Tile Appointment
21st Aug - Hopetoun and Electrical Appointment
27th Aug - Contract Appointment
Yesterday, building surveyor came to do the measurements (2 hours) and the soil test was also done on the same day!
Today, we also confirmed all the appointments with PD, Hopetoun and National Tile. We have to mark them on our diary:-
6th Aug - Tender Appointment
17th Aug - National Tile Appointment
21st Aug - Hopetoun and Electrical Appointment
27th Aug - Contract Appointment
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Bulk Builder - No Selection?
Who said bulk builder like PD doesn't allow lots of selections and changes? The range that we're free to select - from tile, roof, bench, sink, toilet, flooring etc etc.......already cost us headache. I can't imagine if we're getting a custom made house, when there are no boundary for every selection in everything, what will happen to us........
After decided the major structural changes, we have to look around and check the interior selection. Bearing in mind that even we've lots of choices available, it's all coming down/back to our budget $$$ !
Today, it's our second visit to Hopetourn and first visit to National Tiles. We basically knew what we wanted and we listed all our selection according to the Hopetourn selection list.
I think we are very organised! However our sale consultant said whatever we selected, when come to the selection time, we might change our mind totally after Hopetourn consultant's free interior advice on the day itself. We'll see!
After decided the major structural changes, we have to look around and check the interior selection. Bearing in mind that even we've lots of choices available, it's all coming down/back to our budget $$$ !
Today, it's our second visit to Hopetourn and first visit to National Tiles. We basically knew what we wanted and we listed all our selection according to the Hopetourn selection list.
I think we are very organised! However our sale consultant said whatever we selected, when come to the selection time, we might change our mind totally after Hopetourn consultant's free interior advice on the day itself. We'll see!
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Our Waldorf 44
Since the $1,000 deposit, we have been checking, looking and thinking of all the structural changes that we need to do before sending for tender agreement.
We decided we don't need so many "lounge, living" area, we need another guest room downstair, so we converted the formal lounge into guest room with semi ensuite. We then think we need another study area or office area for the master of the house. So we enclose the terrace and convert it into a "retreat".
We add a wall in front of the stair to block the view of it shown when entering the house.
These are the major structural change of us.
Oops, we haven't yet shown the picture of our Waldorf 44 facade yet......here you go!
And this is the facade we are going for - Manhattan Facade. Reasons:-
We don't want a balcony!
We could have a bigger rumpus upstair by choosing this facade.
It's the least expensive option.
We decided we don't need so many "lounge, living" area, we need another guest room downstair, so we converted the formal lounge into guest room with semi ensuite. We then think we need another study area or office area for the master of the house. So we enclose the terrace and convert it into a "retreat".
We add a wall in front of the stair to block the view of it shown when entering the house.
These are the major structural change of us.
Oops, we haven't yet shown the picture of our Waldorf 44 facade yet......here you go!
We don't want a balcony!
We could have a bigger rumpus upstair by choosing this facade.
It's the least expensive option.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
The journey starts now
We have been talking about demolishing our house years ago and never really looking into realising this "dream" until recently, our >40 yo house needed a good renovation. Rather than spending heaps on renovation, we decided to realize our dream.
In the past few months, we visited hundreds of display homes and narrowed down to Metricon and Porter Davis. We love the Wardolf design except the staircase that is facing the entrance door....(what's wrong with the stair facing front door? well, nothing but we don't like our private bedrooms to be so accessible and welcoming). We have to find a way to block the stair before we can commit.......
Today, we went to see the PD sales consultant and finally decided to take the ending promotion. So the $1,000 deposit was paid and we're committed!! Our hearts were beating fast as we drove back home from the display home. We're excited and our journey starts today!
In the past few months, we visited hundreds of display homes and narrowed down to Metricon and Porter Davis. We love the Wardolf design except the staircase that is facing the entrance door....(what's wrong with the stair facing front door? well, nothing but we don't like our private bedrooms to be so accessible and welcoming). We have to find a way to block the stair before we can commit.......
Today, we went to see the PD sales consultant and finally decided to take the ending promotion. So the $1,000 deposit was paid and we're committed!! Our hearts were beating fast as we drove back home from the display home. We're excited and our journey starts today!
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