The keys

Well on Thursday 28th we got the keys to our new house!

The driveway was finished on 4th July and waiting on stepping stones to the side of the house to be done. Hopefully today!

No major issues which is great! Have found a few little issues with paint that's all.

Finish and quality of the house is brilliant.

Big thanks to our supervisor Wayne and the trades that work for McDonald Jones.

We moved in last Saturday and still setting up and unpacking.

Fences organised for next week.

A couple of pics.

The countdown

Well we rushed around and sorted out the mortgage so we are ready for settlement> Was going to happen Monday but now Thursday.

Top soil was delivered and spread out on Saturday.

The paint touch ups and other fixes should be done tomorrow/Tuesday. Final inspection on Thursday hopefully and a handover of the keys!

We noticed a cracked tile on the front porch yesterday and also one of the pipes connecting the rain water tank has been a massive hole in it (think the landscaper has done it), so I guess that will be something to get fixed once we are moved in as I doubt it would be fixed before Thursday.

Our current house is filled with boxes as we packed the remaining things today with enough to get us through the week.

Also busy organising fence quotes. Good news is the vacant block next to us said to send through the quote we go with and they will organise their 50% (this is Eden Brae). House behind is rented so need to chase up the owners. Hopefully there are no delays with them.

Hoping to start the moving process on Saturday and get everything moved over to our new home :)

5 more days!

The PCI

Been waiting a long time for this day.
We had our PCI with our SS Wayne this morning. He has been great since being on board and always happy to help us with any questions we had.

Not a lot to fix up which is great. They have done a great job! A few minor paint touch ups, replacing the chipped brick at the front entry, a couple of patch ups on the walls. Also getting the window looked at where someone tried to break in.

We just need this sun to shine to dry up the outside so they can finish the landscaping and paint the driveway. Back in the hands of the gods!!!

Then a final house clean and another walk through to check everything has been fixed.

If everything goes well we could be moving in 2-3 weeks.

Nice to be able to see the finish line and know we will be moving very soon.

Has been a stress free build with McDonald Jones except for the weather which has delayed us and still is delaying us...

The landscaping has started

Seems like everything is in slow motion at the moment... Driveway has been down for about 2 weeks and still has not been coloured (painted), assuming it is painted as we thought it was coloured concrete when it was laid. Colour is suppose to be Cova Bluestone...

Landscaping has started. Site has been cleared of rubbish and scraped and levelled. It looks so different with the fencing down. Actually looks like a house and not a work site any more.

On another plus we did notice our carpet has been laid over the past few days. Not alot left to do. Can't wait to move in that is for sure!

Driveway

Exercise sign out the front

The driveway

Been a while since I have updated the blog.

The driveway has been laid today. Couldn't see much as it was dark when we went past. House looks like it has been cleaned also.

We also have our gas meter. We have had the standard oyster lights installed which we didn't realise we were getting. Good for now and will replace them once we get a chance.

Also had our glass kitchen splashback installed which looks great.

When looking around the house it looks like someone has tried to get in through one of the windows in the living area... Not impressed. They have bent all the window frame. See what happens about that.

Landscaping is to start next week.

The main tiling

The tilers were back last week. When we went past saw them putting in some long hours. The main tiling - living/dining/kitchen/entry is all done now. Looks great.

The bathrooms look like they are all complete too. Towel rails, toilet roll holders, toilets, etc all done.

The door handles are on all the doors too, so last week was a busy week.

Now waiting on glass splashback in the kitchen, carpet, driveway and landscaping. Fingers cross the driveway is started this week.

Peeking through the window

Pillars and tiling done

Entry tiled

The electrician is back

The painters finished painting last week. Must say it looks pretty good.

The kitchen benchtop was installed on Friday along with the bathroom benchtops and sinks. Shower screens were installed too. The wardrobes have been fitted with the shelves and rails too :)

Today the electrician has been back to install the light switches and power points.

Hopefully the bath, toilets and bathroom accessories are installed this week and maybe the tilers back to finish off the living area.

Will not be much left to do. Door handles, carpet, flyscreens, kitchen splashback... That should finish off the inside then.

Driveway was meant to be started last week but still nothing.

It is getting closer that is for sure and we can not wait to move!

The painters

The painters have started. Hard to see how much they have done, but looks like the first coat has been done.

The tiling

Laundry, bathroom and ensuite have been fully tiled. Bathroom vanities are in place and the laundry tub has been installed too. The front porch has also been tiled, which was a nice surprise as we weren't sure if it was being tiled as we were going to use merbau to build a front deck. Now we don't have to worry straight away as the front porch looks good being tiled. One less thing to worry about.

SS said painters will be in this week or next to start painting. Must be getting closer now.

The shopping begins

Today we went looking for a dining table and lounges and after an exhausting day we managed to find what we were looking for.

We ordered 2 lounges, 2 single seat accent chairs an ottoman, coffee table and dining table and chairs. We also found our bar stools.

Lounges we ordered from Plush and dining table and chairs and bar stools from Freedom. Staff from both stores were extremely helpful and friendly.

We also found fans for the alfresco and saw some lights for inside and lights for the front to put on the sides of the garage.

Dining table and chairs

Single seat chairs (different fabric)

Lounge for main lounge and children's activity (different fabric) Ottoman for children's activity

The kitchen

The kitchen cupboards and island have been installed. It was delivered yesterday and the cupboards had been put together and today they had all been put in their place :)

Ensuite cupboards have also been put together and are sitting in the bedroom. Not sure if the main bathroom has been done as we can not see in.

Kitchen looks great. Can't wait to see the glass splashback as we have not seen the colour of it yet and also can't wait to see the ceaser stone bench.

Hopefully the tiling will start once the kitchen is finished. Tiling was suppose to start yesterday but I guess with the kitchen coming late it delayed them. Another step closer.

The builders behind us

Went to look at the house today and saw that the builders behind us have knocked over our security fence onto the house.

To make matters worse they tried to cover up the chipped bricks with concrete! WTF!?!

The only positive is the water tank will cover it up but who is not to say we won't move it one day? Not impressed!

The fence is done behind although they have only done the fence to their garage! So now we will have to organize the rest of the fence along the back when we do the other fences. Why would you only do half a fence? Idiots.

The lockout

We are officially locked out... Garage door is on and the front and laundry doors are on, locking us out of our house. So now we have to peer through the windows :)

The internal doors have started to be put up and the electricals are being cut out.

Gyprock is finished, cornices finished and skirting boards are all done too.

Next week should see the kitchen started. Then I guess the bathrooms and tiling will start?!

Garage door

The gyprock continues

Looks like the gyprock has finished. Took about a week to do the walls and ceiling.

Yesterday the cornices were done and the wet areas have had the first stage of water proofing.

The gyprock

They have started gyprocking the walls and ceilings. Should be all finished this week. Then next week start waterproofing the wet areas. The house is already starting to take shape inside with some of the walls in and parts of the roof. Can't wait to see the progress made in the coming week.

The brick cleaners finished cleaning the bricks last week. The eaves were completed and the downpipes were all done too.

Insulation also started last week, so they were pretty busy last week at the house.

The electricals

Bit of an update since the roof started. We finally saw some nice weather and the roof was finished rather quickly. Looks great. Site has been cleaned up too.

The 2nd column out the front was finally finished off just in time for the brick cleaning to start. The brick cleaning started last week, just the sides of the house to be finished now.

The electricals/telephone line have been roughed in.

Just waiting for the brick cleaning to finish and the outside will almost be done. Everything for the eaves is on site but with this weather it isn't helping. Hopefully they can get to that this week to get us to lock up?

Also spoke to the builders who are building the house behind us and they are doing colorbond fencing so that was good news.

Our whirly bird

Roof done

Clean bricks

The roof

The roof has finally started! After all this beautiful weather during the week I think they worked on the house for about 2 days! 1 day putting up the rest of the steel supports in the roof and another putting half of the roof on. Still waiting on the bricklayers to come back to finish out the front...

All starting to take shape. Be good once the roof is done so we don't rely on the weather.

The gutters and fascia

Bricks are 99% done. They still have to do one of the pillars at the front. Thought it would have been done today, looks like next week now.

The gutters and fascia were done today. The outside is really starting to take shape now. Roof is due to be done next week and is on site ready to go. Sarking is there too. Wonder if the roofers work Saturdays?

The bricklaying has started

Well finally with some clear skies and the rain holding off for a few days the bricklayers have managed to return to the house to start bricklaying. Looks like they have made some good progress given they have only been there I think about 2 days!

Side wall of the garage is done and part of the wall on the media room and a few rows around the back of the house.

The brick colour looks great with the off white mortar and the bricklayers are doing a great job. Hoping this rain stays away all next week so they can return and really get stuck into it.

Garage

Alfresco wall

Back of house

The bricks

As promised our bricks were delivered today. We were keen to see the colour as the sample we got when we went to Boral looked totally different to what we saw at the colour selection and the colour on the website. So we were pleased to see the colour looked better than we thought. The sand for the bricks should be delivered tomorrow and hopefully the bricklayers start on Wednesday.

The windows

Drove past the house today and to our surprise the windows were in! The plumbing had been done as well. Bricks should be delivered by the weekend.

The frame continues

Another drive by the 'house' to see what the builders got up to today and was very pleased to see the roof had gone up.

Doesn't look like there is much steel left on the ground. The frame for the desk in the children's activity room still needs to go in but other than that I couldn't see what else was left to do?

Not sure if they will be there tomorrow to finish up? If nothing is done tomorrow then Monday should see the windows in, yay!

Few more photos from today's progress.

Such a great street presence with the high pitched roof.

Our roof is so tall it hides the house behind. Love the high pitched roof!

Lots of steel. Looks so clean and straight!

The frame has started

Frame started yesterday. Looks like everything but the roof had been done except for a few bits and pieces. Went past today and part of the roof has been done and the beams for the alfresco area.

It is starting to take shape and it looks great.