Balustrades

We spent about two months walking up the stairs with no balustrades. It was quite dangerous, but I liked the look. A few days before I had a house-warming party the balustrades were installed, luckily! I didn't like the look of them to start with because I was so used to having none, but I have grown accustomed to them now and I quite like them. The man who installed them had to pull up the carpet a bit at the top of the stairs, so I had to get the carpet men to come back to put it all back. Tommy, the cat from next door and I had some fun on the stairs yesterday (photo coming soon).

I had lots of old furniture and junk in the garage and I have gradually been getting rid of it. We had a bulk rubbish collection a coupe of weeks after I moved in and was able to get rid of quite a few things. Then a couple of weeks before Easter I rang the Good Samaritans (a local charity) and they collected a dressing table and chest of drawers. All I have to get rid of now is two fridges. One man is interested in one of them. I look forward to having an tidy garage!

Two months since my last post

A lot has happened in the last two months, all of it cosmetic. The treads on the stairs were reinsatlled and some had to be re-polished. The guy came to do it and re-sanded all of them and then re-polished. He had to come back a second time to do a couple that weren't done properly. Because he sanded them there was wood dust everywhere, which was annoying. It didn't take long to get rid of, but I haven't been able to clean the big windows near the staircase, so every night I can see the dust.

The painters came back again, but still have some spots to finish off. The plumber was meant to have come here ages ago to install two taps and finish off putting some silicone in the bathroooms.

The big kitchen window was replaced with the right one (frosted glass) a couple of weeks ago and this needs silicone to seal it as well. The frame around it is crooked. I haven't told the builder yet because he was meant to come to see me this week, but he hasn't yet.

All of the seals around the outside doors are coming off. They will need to be replaced.

The carpenter did come a couple of weeks ago to fix up all the door handles and stop the rattling of some doors. He replaced the latch in my walk-in-wardrobe, but he put in a second-hand one. Not happy. I've told the builder.

The gardener has mostly finished what he was meant to do. He thinks he is finished and gave me his final invoice early last week, but I haven't paid it because he hasn't finished. He still has to put plants along the front fence and along one of the side fences at the back. He is coming over after work today to 'talk about it'. I told him to look at the plan that he quoted from and the list of plants that he was to buy and he would find that he hadn't finished. More on that later.

Lots of things have happened

The builders were meant to return to work after Christmas on 9 January, but they must have gone somewhere else. This caused me to panic because I was meant to move in on 14 January. I still couldn't see how the house would be finished enough for me to move in.

On the Tuesday (10 January) the gardener came around to give me a quote on buying and planting the plants that the garden designer had suggested. He was also going to put in some lawn and reticulation. On the same day the painters, cabinet maker and electrician all turned up to finish their things. The electricians had installed the wrong down lights and had to change them. The cabinet maker had a few cosmetic things to do. The painters had LOTS to do. They had to put the final coat of paint on the whole of downstairs, but didn't want to do all of it until the treads on the stairs had been finished, so they just did the entrance and some touch ups. I found millions of places where they needed to touch it up. They did some places but not others. Maybe the painter didn't have his glasses on, or maybe he didn't check his helper's work. There are still a lot of places where there is paint missing. They were there all that week and the week after.

The treads on the stairs had been removed before Christmas so the guy could polish them at home during the holidays, but he didn't, so everyone was walking up and down the stairs with just the frame there. It wasn't as dangerous as it sounds.

Wednesday and Thursday came around and I still couldn't see that the house would be ready for me to move in to. I met with the builder on the Thursday and he assured me that I could move in on the Saturday, but there would still be things that would need to be finished after I moved in. I could have told him that! One of the major things that needed to be finished was the airconditioner. It had been installed and most of the vents put in the ceilings, but it wasn't connected to the electricity and the airconditioning man was on holidays until nearly the end of January!!

So I did move on Saturday 14 January, which turned out to be one of the hottest days of the year so far. One of the removalists had arrived from Glasgow in October and the other from France about two weeks beforehand. They both nearly expired from the heat. The guy from Glasgow made me laugh because he was scared of spiders and kept on seeing them. Every time he saw one he jumped back and gave a little yelp and called out for me to ask what to do. Every time I said "just kill them" and would knock them down and then tread on them and then say "see, just like that!". They took from 7:45am to 11:30am. I then had a house full of things that needed to be put away, but at least the furniture was in the right spot. The only trouble was that I didn't have any furniture downstairs so there was a great big room with nothing in it.

I spent the next hour or so trying to put things away and dying of the heat and humidity. Then I had to be at the airport to pick someone up. The plane arrived at 2:30, so after only an hour or so after the removalists left I had to go back to the old house to have a shower (the showers in the new house weren't quite finished) then race to the airport. I then brought her back here to a big mess, but at least her room was ready. In fact it was the only room that WAS ready.

Carpet!!!!

OMG the carpet has been installed. It took less than a day - they thought it would take a day-and-a-half.

It's darker than I had thought, but still looks pretty good. I expect that I'll get used to it.

Air conditioning

I should have posted this a couple of weeks ago. Don't know why I didn't.

The airconditioning has largely been installed now, but not quite finished. I took some photos a couple of days after the installation started because it looked like big silver worms. I climbed up the ladder and took a couple of photos of the big worms in the roof space.

A big silver worm

Worms in the ceiling

Worms in the roof space

Hole in the ceiling

What still needs to be done

Here's a copy of the e-mail that I sent to the builder yesterday.

Hi Norm

If you're not at work this week, don't read this email! Save it for next week. I can't remember if you said you were starting again on 3 or 9 Jan.

Anyway, I went through the house the other day to see what I reckon hasn't been done yet, or has only been partially done. I've made a list below to see what you think. I haven't included things that we have talked about like the vents and the flyscreens. You are probably aware of most of these.

Here we go....

Garage

The lights are not where the plans indicate. Is there a reason for this?

The lights should be on a sensor as well as a switch.

Porch

This light should be on a sensor as well.

Entrance

Is this where the security system will be installed?

Laundry

Linen cupboard needs finishing.

We talked about putting a splash back of tiles on top of the cupboards. What do you think about putting tiles between the two cupboards, as well?

Window sill needs work.

Kitchen

Clint said he was going to put in a place to hang tea towels and a cutlery section thing-o for one of the drawers. Do you know if he is still going to do this?

The bin drawer is crooked.

Should the floorboards man have installed beading where the fridge and dishwasher go?

Living area

The down lights are meant to have dimmers.

The fans should have had the lights installed on them and the switches will need to enable the light to be switched on separately to the fan. The switches are for turning the fans on only.

Back doors

Still need hooks to secure them on the bottom.

Smoke alarms downstairs

Need batteries installed.

Bed 2

BIR needs another rail and frame as marked.

Cornices have cracks (but this may be what you were referring to a few weeks ago).

Room needs another coat of paint, especially next to the robes and on top of the light switch.

Another coat of paint needed just outside the door next to the light switch and the whole corridor.

Bed 3

There needs to be another rail installed in the WIR, as marked (and now painted over).

Bath 2

The bath needs a tap still. Jamie asked me to select another one, which did and sent to you a few weeks ago.

There should be two hooks on the door, not one.

Door handle needs to be finished.

The tile on top of the bath next to the door and the one next to the light switch need to be changed (they have been installed upside down, so the model and place of manufacture can be seen.

Kitchenette

Linen cupboard needs to be finished (painting mainly).

Jamie said he would replace the tap with a smaller one, but it hasn't been done yet.

TV room

Markings for the vents are at one end of the room. When the square ones were there, there was one at each end of the room. How come the long ones are not at each end like the square ones were?

The bent window frame that you showed me needs to be replaced.

The down lights with dimmers have not been installed (might be due to a bit of miscommunication between me and Damian).

The small window frames need another coat of paint, as does the wall next to the big window (actually, I would say that the whole top story needs another coat of paint, especially the door frames).

There is a blob of plaster underneath one of the small windows that needs to be removed.

Study

The rail in the BIR still needs to be installed.

Ensuite

The toilet walls need another coat of paint.

A couple of tiles need replacing (because the writing can be seen) in the toilet and at the top of the door-frame.

I have written down "door frame bottom of one tile" but I can't remember what I meant, but I'm sure I'll remember when I look at it.

Have you had the opportunity yet to ask Jamie why he installed a differnet basin?

Roof

Vents still need to be installed.

All of downstairs and stairwell

I think Danny is finishing these next week.

All of upstairs needs another coat of paint.

Decking

One board in the courtyard has split.

Splotches at the back.

There are the other things that we have talked about and there are probably other things that you have noticed.

Will it be possible to do all of these things during the week of the 9th Jan?

Cheers

Shelley

 

Still not happy

I bought the fridge and the phone, but have nowhere to put them. The fridge will be delivered on 13 January, which is the day before I am meant to move in (this time). Apparently, the internet has been connected, but I can't test it as I have the modem here and don't want to install it at the new house in case the builders pinch it! I have yet to get a new TV and phone table (don't know why I got a landline, but I'll see how it goes).

Overall, I have been very happy with the whole building process, except for these last delays. I REALLY wanted to be able to move in before Christmas because I have two weeks off work and this would have been perfect to organise the house.

I am about to go to the house and take the plans and specifications and go through it with a fine tooth comb to see what isn't quite right. At least it's a bit cooler today. Having said that, I paid lots of money to have insulation installed in the wall cavities, so hopefully, the house will be cooler than it would have been.

Not Happy!

I was supposed to have moved two days ago, but the house is WAY off being ready. Of course, all the tradesmen are on holiday now for a couple of weeks. The builder says everything can be finished off in the week on 9 January, but I can't see it. I have changed the date of the removalist (again) to 14 January. I have also changed the date of the installation of the blinds (from yesterday) and must remember to change the delivery of the furniture. At the moment, the builder says it will be OK to get the carpet installed on 4 January. He said that the upstairs floors would be swept yesterday or today so the carpet can be installed. It wasn't done yesterday and there was no-one there this morning. I will go and have a look in a minute. Off to buy a new phone and fridge.

Floorboards (again)

The man who was to sand and polish the floorboards finally turned up yesterday. He put the first coat of stuff on (don't know what it's called) and will put another coat on today. Then no-one can walk on it for a few days. Maybe I WILL get to move in next week!

Floorboards

The man who was going to sand and polish the floorboards was meant to start last Monday, and didn't. Then he said Thursday. Then he said Friday. Still no show. He was, however, there yesterday and filled all the holes and seemed to really ruin the floorboards. I hope he sand the filler off everywhere other than the holes before he polished them. He'd better do it tomorrow and Tuesday because I have the carpet man booked for Thursday. Initially, the capet man was booked for late November, then last week and now this Thursday. If the floorboards aren't finished the carpet man won't be able to install the carpets until mid-January.

I initally booked the removalist for 1 December, then 21 December and now 28 December. The new furniture was meant to be delivered on 22 December and now it will be 16 January.

Got no idea when I'll be moving in, but I've started really cleaning the house I am in in anticipation of moving. I spent this weekend cleaning out the kitchen cupboards and cleaning some door frames.

Floor boards

The man who sands and polishes the floor boards must have had a cancellation because he will be on the job today and tomorrow. I don't know if he will need to return on Monday.

When I have driven past the house on the way to work this week there has been at least half-a-dozen vehicles parked out the front.

The painter has finished upstairs and will finish downstairs when the floor boards are finished. The electrician has installed all the lights upstairs, the outside lights and the pendant lights and fans downstairs, but not the downlights. I don't know how this will go with the floor boards man because he wanted all the lights to be fitted.

The garage door is on and I just went to have a look inside and discovered I couldn't get to the door that we have been using. It is located in the garage, but the garage door is operated by a remote control. I know that it can be opened manually, but I've never had a garage door before, let alone an automatic one, so I don't know how to open it manually.

Here is the garage door and the outside lights.

All things shiny

Not much seemed to happen during the week, apart from the painter almost finishing the upstairs and the toilets being installed.

Then on Saturday there were the painter, carpenter, electrician and plumber going hell for leather! The plumber installed the taps and the carpenter installed all the door handles and towel rails in the bathrooms. The electricians were installing more of the light fittings and fans.

Ages ago when I bought the taps, I also got four hooks to put behind the bathroom doors (two each). I was talking to the carpenter on Saturday about them and then I realised that there was only one bathroom door! He has found other good spots for the hooks.

Apparently, the man who is meant to sand the floorboards today can't do it and the builder is not very happy because this will set them back again. I'm not happy either.

I have the carpet installer booked for Friday this week and the removalist booked for Tuesday next week. I can't see that the place will be ready for those things to happen. I have to find out today and then let them both know. If I have to change them, they will have to be re-booked and they are full up two to three weeks in advance.

There is scaffolding back up along one side of the house so the airconditioning, hot water system and vents can be installed. The airconditioning man has cut holes in the ceilings for the vents and did it in the wrong spot in the living room and the TV room. Now he has to change these. I don't know why these people don't look at the plans.

Here are some of the shiny things that I will have to clean.

Floor boards

All of the floor boards have now been installed, but I think that the installer worked in slow motion. He told me it would only take a couple of days, but it took a whole week. Now they have to just sit there for a week or so to 'acclimatise' to the house. During that time the builder will go back with all his tradesmen to do the finishing off.

This week I expect that the rendering on the boundary will be done, as will a lot of other things. The first thing on the builder's list is the skirting boards downstairs. That's why he was so desperate to get the floor boards installed, so he could get them installed.

Last week sliding doors were installed in the built-in robes, but not the linen cupboard in the kitchenette. The builder had completely forgotten about that cupboard. Also, the bathrooms were finished and they look quite good. The mirror in the second bathroom is quite low because of the window, but as I told the builder that doesn't worry me as I am not tall and I won't be using that bathroom anyway.

The builder has to finish off lots of things this week, as the week after the floor boards will be sanded and polished a couple of times and no-one can enter the house. That will take a few days. I have booked the carpet layers for 16 December and the removalist for 20 December. I somehow think that I may have to change that.

I had the fences painted yesterday and they look quite good. I felt sorry for the painter as he worked for eight hours in 36 degree heat.

Here are the floor boards and the ensuite bathroom.

My first guest!

One bottle of champagne, two friends, one from Minnesota going back tomorrow, hence the early christening!

Floorboards

It's been about a week since my last post (my last confession?) and again, lots has happened. The floorboards were finally delivered, although later in the week than anticipated. The floorboards installer has sealed most of the concrete and has even installed a bit of the timber. The timber treads have been installed on the staircase and they look pretty good.

The feature deck at the front door has been installed and consists of timber from the old Busselton Jetty. It's beautiful old jarrah and is a real feature.

The tilers were in yesterday busily doing something - don't know. The electrician was there too and will install the lights upstairs this morning. I had to purchase the lights myself and have had them sitting in a spare room until last night when I had to deliver them.

It's interesting coming to the end of all this because I have started to notice things that should have been done. A few weeks ago I noticed that a gas point had not been installed in the living room, but now it has. This week I noticed that the render on the boundary walls had not been done (I thought they would do it when they rendered the garage) and that a tap has not been put in the front yard. Last night when I was delivering the lights I noticed that no provision had been made for a light at the top of the window near the landing of the stairs.

Here are the jarrah porch and some floorboards.

So many things to think about

A couple of weeks ago the builder told me I would be able to move into the new house in a couple of weeks. Luckily, I didn't believe him. What it did though, is put the wind up me! I realised how many things I had to organise to have the house anywhere near functioning, such as telephone, internet, garden, reticulation, lawn, side fence, painting the back fence, television antenna, window treatments etc. The list is endless.

Since then a lot of fiddly bits have happened. The decking has been installed, the front and the inside of the garage has been rendered, the driveway is finished, there is a path along the side and a little fence has been built in the front. The floorboards weren't delivered last week, as they should have been, but will be delivered tomorrow.

What do you think of the decking and the front fence?

Timeline is shot to pieces!

So much for being able to move in by the end of this month. It'll be Christmas if I'm lucky.

The floorboards will be delivered tomorrow or the next day and then they will start to install the boards on Tuesday next week. Then it's a three or four week process. That takes us to 13 December. Then the carpet will have to be installed. Luckily, that only takes one day. Let's say 15 December. Then the builder has to do his finishing off things, eg install the skirting boards downstairs, put in the oven, dishwasher etc. That would be all well and good, except the building trades take a month off from mid-December to mid-January.......

Maybe I'm just being a pessimist.

Nearly finished? I think not!

A week ago the builder told me that I would be able to move in in two weeks' time. I don't think so! I think it will be another few weeks. When he told me that I suddenly realised that I had lots of things to do and organise. I started to organise other things such as window treatments, roll-on lawn, garden, reticulation, a security system, the telephone, internet etc. It gave me a bit of a fright!

Lots of things have happened at the house in the last week or so. The driveway and path down the side has been laid, the little fence and letter box at the front have been started, the cement has been put in the garage and yesterday the top of the decking was started. There are so many things happening all at once. This morning I am going to meet the builder to talk about the air conditioning and some things that should have been built, but haven't been, for example the second bathroom is meant to have a wall between the shower and the cabinet. The tilers forgot to do it, but they will have to fix it up. Also, there was no gas point put into the living area, but I noticed last night that they did it yesterday.

Here are of the beginning of the decking and the letter box.

No floorboards available

It seems that I will have to wait a bit longer than I had anticipated for my house to be finished. The floorboards that I had ordered are not available and the builder doesn't want to finish the house until they are installed. Hopefully, they will arrive soon.

On a happier note, the skeleton of the staircase has been installed. A piece of timber will be placed on each of the steel steps.

Always be absolutely specific

What we've learned in our business is to never assume, which is exactly what I've done with the kitchen cupboards. I have assumed that the designer and then the cabinet maker have interpreted the design as I have. Not so. I have ended up with a pantry cupboard, which is not what I thought it would be, but luckily it  might not be too late to change it. The way it is at the moment means that nearly all the space that you see on the right hand side will not be accessible.

Other than the cabinets being mostly installed, a lot has happened in the last few weeks. A roofing plumber has been there a few times (don't know what he's doing) and the tiling has mostly been done.

Here's a picture of the offending pantry.

Tiles

The tilers have been hard at it for the last week or so. They have achieved a lot. They have laid most of the tiles but haven't done the grouting yet. Hopefully, that will be soon.

The cabinet maker will start to make the kitchen cabinets in the next few days. I have had to go and look at fridges so he can build the right sized space for one.

This is the ensuite.

Bathroom cabinets

I climbed up the ladder (see below - it's very steep and very tall) yesterday and found to my surprise that the cabinets in the bathrooms and kitchenette had been installed (not the tops). I was very surprised.

The builder said the whole house should be finished in five or six weeks.

NOT HAPPY!!!!!!

The builder told me six months ago that the tilers would be laying the tiles and the cabinet makers would be there at the same time. Imagine my not-happiness when yesterday I found out that the tiles hadn't even been ordered and the shop had no record of my quote. They couldn't find any record at all and the builder claimed he didn't have the quote. The interior designer said she didn't have it either.

I looked back in my emails and found that the builder had forwarded the message from the shop to me, but without the quote. I then told this to the shop, who found it in the end. I rang the builder late yesterday and left a message for him to ring the shop then and if he did this the warehouse would have the tiles on the truck this morning. I haven't heard back from the builder to tell me he had done this.

NOT HAPPY!

Up until the last few weeks the finishing date had seemed too far away to worry about, but now that it's closer I am getting impatient and want it finished when it was meant to be (initially early-October, but now late-October). I can't see that it will be finished by then.

NOT HAPPY!

Bifold doors

The bifold doors were installed on Friday last week. The men took all day to install the upper and lower runners and then install the doors, minus the glass. They installed the glass today. It makes the space look totally different, in fact, I think I prefer it with no bifold doors!

Doors

The doors arrived in a big pile a couple of weeks ago and were installed on Friday. I had asked the builder about six weeks ago for the door to the walk-in-robe to open the opposite way to the plan, but it didn't happen and the door has been hung the wrong way. I told him this yesterday and he said that the supervisor knew that, but his workers didn't know and installed the doors when he wasn't there. I have made sure the builder won't double charge me for this.

Supposedly, the bi-folds will be installed this week, but the builder said that would happen last week, too!

We are still on track to finish late-October.

Bath

About a month ago the builder said that the cabinet makers were hard at work and all the cupboards would be finished soon. Imagine my disappointment when I finally braved the wobbly ladder and found that no cupboards had been made and no vanities installed! There was, however, a very lonely bath sitting in one of the bathrooms.

A couple of days ago I found out from the builder that the cupboards are made in a factory and then installed in the house. They have all been made and when the bi-fold doors are installed the cupboards and vanities will be too. Hopefully, next week. After those have been installed, the tilers will install all the tiles.

Not long now!

Decking

Today the carpenters put down the foundation for the decking along the side of the house, the courtyard and the front porch.

Bulkhead in the lounge room below.

Laundry cupboard below, complete with shovels!

Visible action today

On the way home from work I dropped into my house to see the day's progress. The carpenters have built the foundation for the decking in the courtyard (but not along the side of the house) and another type of tradesman has built the steel framework for the bulk head in the kitchen and the lounge room. I can't get upstairs to see what they have done there unless I climb up a very wobble ladder that is not attached to anything. It's a bit too dangerouse for me!

Nosings

I spoke to the carpenter yesterday and he was going to install the decking today and had installed the nosings the day before. I now know that nosings are window sills. He said there are 25 of them! Well, I wanted a house that was nice and light, not like the other dark, cold one. The plumber was also there to install the bath and the basins. The cabinet maker was there as well. I can't believe that it will be finished in a few months. I am making appointments at work at the moment for October and November and thinking that I might be in my house by then!

It's all go!

There have been all manner of tradesmen at the house this week. The painters have done the ceilings, the bath has been installed and the cabinet maker and tiler are hard at work. I can't get upstairs to see what they have done, which is frustrating. They only thing they have done downstairs is paint the ceilings.
The timber for the decking has arrived and that should be installed in the next few days.
It's all go!

The first photo is from the TV room upstairs looking into the study and overlooking the courtyard. Both photos were taken about three weeks ago.

House sitting: the final chapter

In June I spent three weeks looking after Priscilla the cat who I looked after for four months last year. I didn't really want to do it, but last year I said that I would, so I did. I treated it as a holiday as it is a very nice house in a very convenient position. Priscilla is still a scary cat, but she still managed to convince me to let her sit on me.

Straight after that I went to a lovely house in Floreat to look after two very sweet little dogs. Casper is the white one. He is 16 years of age and quite frail, except when one gets home and after he is fed. Then he runs around and jumps on you like a puppy for a few minutes.

Pepper is the other one and she is about 10. She just loves to cuddle up to you and lick you if you let her. The three of us shared the trials and tribulations of Le Tour de France.

A lot, or not?

It seems like nothing much has happened lately, but when I look back on the photos, maybe it has. The rendering has been finished and the plastering on the inside was done this week. It was meant to have been done three weeks ago, but it wasn't because it rained and apparently it doesn't dry when there is moisture in the air. Then it was meant to have been done the week after that, but it wasn't. Finally, this week it was done. The plastering has made the rooms look smaller. It's weird how the perspective changes all the time. Sometimes the rooms look huge, sometimes they look tiny and sometimes they look inbetween!

The ceiling to the courtyard has been completed, as well. It is cedar. Usually, I don't like cedar because it is too red, but the cedar that has been installed is varigated and some of it is quite light. I love it!

The solar panels were installed a few weeks ago. You can see them on the right.

Ceilings

I went to the house this morning for a look. The builders have started installing the ceilings upstairs. I could see a bit from the courtyard by looking upwards. I could seen that they have done the ceiling in the study and part of the TV room. There was a ladder I could have climbed up, but it was a bit too wobbly for my liking.

I have been looking at furniture because the sales are on at the moment, but the interior designer is going away tonight for three weeks and she hasn't done her "colour board" and won't let me get anything until she has done this. She says that people will judge her from my house, as well as all her others. That's why she doesn't want me to get anything until she gets back. I would have saved about $1,000 per couch, but she says she can get things made cheaply. That had better be true.

Apparently, I will meet with the builder and the cabinet maker this week. Let's see if he organises it.

Progress? What progress?

The house has been at the lock-up stage for a couple of weeks now. Lock-up means that the builder blocks all the entry ways and you can't get in without a key. Two doors have been locked up, but all you have to do to get inside is go down the side and get in through the court-yard!

Most of the rendering has been done. The only bits yet to be finished are the garage and court-yard wall along the neighbour's fence and the fence at the porch.

Last week the ceilings downstairs were started everywhere except where the bulkheads will go. I can't see upstairs as there is no way to get up there, but what I could see by looking up from the court-yard and through the windows to the TV room indicated that they haven't started the ceilings upstairs yet, but that doesn't mean they haven't started the other rooms.

The solar panels were installed a week ago and the power company still hasn't accepted my application for the feed-in tarrif yet. They claimed I hadn't put the meter number on my form, but it was there. They are probably trying to slow the process because after 30 June the rules change to their advantage!

The whole process is at the stage now where one can't see what's happening because it's all the inside stuff. This is when it seems a really long time to finish it.

Windows

The first coat of render has been done downstairs and all the windows are in. At first they just put in the smaller windows downstairs and a couple of days later the large ones went in. I had thought that the window at the stairs would be just two very big pieces of glass held together by silicone, but the builder has put in three aluminium strips to make four windows. I will have to speak to him about it, although I can understand why he did it, however, it wasn't in the plans and he quoted on two big bits of glass, so he would have saved himself some money by doing that. When all is said and done it looks quite good in four parts anyway. I forgot to take a photo todayI was going to upload one of where the four-part window is now, but it won't upload.

No scaffolding anymore

There has been quite a bit of action over the last week or so. The scaffolding came down (and the house looks wierd without it), the first layer of render was applied to the ground floor and an unexpected wall had to be built to accommodate a meter box. In order to get the government subsidy for solar panels, I had to get the builder to install and energize a meter box. They usually do it when construction has finished, but since the subsidy will finishe in a few weeks' time, we had to do it now. The wall is in front of the garage.
The wall along the fence line that will be a part of the patio was erected again last week - it was taken down before Christmas. Now it's back.

The render will be finished in the next week and shortly after that the windows on the ground floor will be installed.

Windows

I drove past my house yesterday evening and noticed the builders had put windows on the top storey. I wonder if that means that they have completed the painting of that storey. I suspect they put sand render on and not acrylic render, as they were meant to. Sand render requires painting and the paint comes in the acrylic render. I'm pretty sure it is not acrylic and whatever it is, it needs another coat of paint.

Rendering

Late last week the builders started the rendering. They did it on the top half of the house. It looks like a layer of cement on the outside of the house, although I'm sure that's not what it is. They have also done the same on the inside walls of the top storey. Apparently, they do the whole top storey first and then take down the scaffolding and then do the ground floor. Today they applied some white stuff (don't know what it is) on top of the grey cement-looking layer.

It is also about a year since the original house was demolished - they started just before Easter and finished just after Easter.

Here are two photos - one with grey stuff and one with white stuff on the outside.

A mystery window

I noticed on the weekend that the kitchen window had been put in. It is meant to be a light green opaque colour. The one that has been installed is clear glass. Wrong! I contacted the builder and he has seen it, but doesn't know why it's there because he hasn't even ordered the windows yet!

Roof

The roof was completed a week or so ago. This time the builders remembered to install the insulation at the same time, unlike when they did the walls (see below). Last weekend my brother and I went inside and upstairs during the night time with our torches. We could see how the rooms might end up looking size-wise. We had to climb up a ladder and through a window to get inside the first floor.

All the walls and the beginnings of a roof

Last week all the internal walls upstairs were erected and the space doesn't look huge any more (luckily). The rooms all look normal size. Yesterday all the timber for the roof was delivered and today they started to erect it. Soon it will look like a proper house.

Rooms

On the weekend I climbed up the ladder to see what the second storey looked like. It was huge, but I thought it would look smaller once they had put up some internal walls. I have driven past there the last couple of days and thought they hadn't done anything, so I climbed up the ladder today and they have made some rooms! The builders have made the study, my bedroom, my bathroom and my walk-in wardrobe. I couldn't believe it. The study looks tiny and my bedroom looks pretty small, but my walk-in wardrobe looks huge. It's strange how the perspective changes.

Second storey

More action! Bricks were delivered yesterday morning and today the bricklayers put some bricks up for the second storey. They also placed the windows where they should be. Last night after work I climbed up the ladder that was leaning against the side of the house and saw the floor of the second storey. It was HUGE. Much bigger than I had imagined! All the brickwork will be finished by the end of next week. You can see a little bit of brick work at the back of this photo.

Back to Work

On Thursday morning driving back from the surf club at breakfast-time, I was coming to the crest of the hill where I am staying (300m from my place) and saw a giant orange spider's leg down the bottom of the hill where my house is/will be. Aha, I thought, they are pouring concrete. I drove past on my way to work and there were three big cement trucks feeding the big orange spider's leg, which was pouring the concrete for the slab for the second storey. Towards the end of next week the brickies will be back to lay the bricks for the second storey.

Missed the boat

It rained all day on Monday, so no work was done. I still had hopes of the second slab being poured before Christmas. No-one was there on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning I got all excited as there were some workers there in the morning. All they did was install a tap. No-one was there yesterday and now they have all gone on holiday for the next four weeks. Oh well... It was a pipe dream.

Form workers

I was hoping that the concrete slab for the second floor would be able to be poured before Christmas, but yesterday nothing happened at all, so my hopes were dashed. However, today there are workers there setting out the steel cables (or whatever they are) that the concrete is poured over. Maybe my wish will come true.

Lots of poles

For the last couple of days form-workers have been erecting lots of poles to hold up the cement for the floor of the next storey. Hopefully, this will be laid before the end of this week when all the building workers go on holiday for four weeks. If it's not laid by then, four weeks will go by with nothing happening. I hope it goes to plan. Here are some poles in the living, dining and kitchen area. You can see where they have put planks of wood up where the ceiling/floor will be.

Fast bricks

The insulation is in and the walls have been built as high as the ceiling on the ground floor. This morning I drove past and saw a truck delivering things (not sure what to call them) that provide reinforcement for the cement that will be laid for the floor on the upper level. So far the brick-laying has taken only two weeks! Very fast bricks. This photo is of the very big kitchen window.

A big mistake!

About Wednesday about 10 days ago the brick layers started laying the bricks. I have been driving past every day to check what they have been doing and on the Friday I noticed that they hadn't put the insulation between the two layers of walls (inner leaf and outer leaf). The builder had told me that the brick layers should erect the outer leaf, put the insutlation on that and then erect the inner leaf. They hadn't done that. I rang him the next morning to innocently ask if he had seen any insulation, because I couldn't see any! I knew full well it wasn't there. He rang back on the Monday and said that they could just cut the ties between the walls (bits of steel wire used to keep the walls attatched to each other) and then pull out a couple of bricks and then put the insulation in. HHHMMM I thought, so I rang him back the next morning to tell him that I knew how it was meant to be done. He was on his way there and said he'd have a look and if worse came to worse they would have to pull down the inner leaf and start again.

Imagine my joy when I drove past that afternoon and the inner leaf had been taken down. I was very happy, because if that hadn't happened I was going to have to insist that it be done properly!

Wednesday morning when I drove past I could see that they had put the insulation up and were re-doing the inner leaves.

Now they have almost finished both walls at the back and the garage is almost done too.

Ten days later

Everything is starting to happen now. Last Friday 15 columns were placed around the perimeter and today some bricks were laid. At last! Norm, the builder, says now it will only be about two weeks until the walls are up to the second storey.

The very first hiccup

The brickies didn't start last Monday because the bank paid the builder $20,000 less than it should have. So there are still piles of bricks sitting on the slab. The builder and the mortgage broker are going to slug it out with the bank tomorrow. Hopefully, he will get the $20,000 and the brickies can start.

Construction

The pad was put down early last week and the soak wells at the end of the week. A couple of days ago some window frames were delivered and this morning some bricks were delivered. Tomorrow the brick layers will build a layer of bricks around the perimeter to allow the termite control people to do their stuff on the weekend. On Monday next week the brick layers will return and start to build the walls. YAY!

Construction (nearly) - at last!

On Monday evening the steel reinforcement for the pad was delivered. On Tuesday the house was pegged out and on Wednesday the trenches for the footings were dug. On Friday they were filled with concrete. This morning I drove by and there were some men there, even though it's Sunday, and they had put down black plastic where the pad will be and the steel reinforcement on top. How long have I been waiting for this? Ever, it seems.

A picture paints a thousand words

This morning and this afternoon.

This made me laugh!

Things are finally starting to happen. Last week the surveyor went to my block to check the pegs were in the right spot, but he couldn't see them because the weeds are nearly two metres high! So now the site works people will go there next Monday and when they have finished the weeds will have been flattened and then the surveyor can go back and do his job!

Mortgage

At last, do we have progress???

The building license and the mortgage and everything else we need has finally gone through. The mortgage was settled only a couple of days ago. Maybe we can start soon.

I drove past a couple of days ago and took a photo of all the weeds. It brought back memories of having to pull them all out from the back half of my back yard around this time every year, but no longer! The new house won't have enough back yard for weeds.

More delays

To get the new loan, the council needed to sign off on the building plans. To do that the builder needed to give a copy of his home indemnity insurance certificate (specific to my house) to the council. He had got the insurance, then the insurance company collapsed so he had to find another insurer. He found one through the Master Builders Association in Queensland, but so did lots of other WA builders. He had to re-insure my place with this new company at the same time that everyone else did too. It finally came through on Wednesday, the council signed off on Thursday and the bank got all of its documents on Friday (a week after the second lot of conditional approval ran out). Hopefully, they will be quick and we can start.

Every delay under the sun has happened so far, so hopefully all my delays have been used up and the building process will go smoothly!