The Porter Davis Rowland 35

Au Revoir....for now.

2009-06-17T01:24:00.001-07:00

Well, we are all set to go offline. I don't know when I'll have 'net access again so this will be the last post for a while. Handover is set for Friday (woo hoo!!!) We have a Certificate of Occupancy and the final invoice has been lodged at the bank and is awaiting approval. So if all goes well, we see the SS at the house for a final inspection, then pick the bank cheque up and head down to the PD office for the official handover. Then it will be all systems go - we'll try not to break any speed limits on the way home, but we will definitely be going there as quickly as possible! The moving van is booked for Saturday, but we will be taking some mattresses and an Esky on Friday night and having our first sleepover! The kids just will not wait (and, just quietly, either can I..lol)
So, thanks to all who have followed our build and commented with advice and support - it has been greatly appreciated. Goodbye for now... see you when I return to cyberspace!!

Pretty Casual Inspection

2009-06-12T05:45:00.000-07:00

We met SS at the house today for our long-awaited Practical Completion Inspection (PCI). I had on hand our contract, drawings, colour selections, tile selections, building variations, camera, tape measure and a roll of toilet paper (just in case we were there for a long time...) The only thing I used was the tape measure - to measure up where I'm gonna put my towel rails and kitchen bin! So, sorry, no pics...

It was just such a laid back, relaxed inspection that I thoroughly enjoyed walking through what is soon to be our new home and imagining ourselves living there.

Everything was done before we got there. The independent inspector had pointed out everything we were concerned about and more. Apparently, the meter box is 2mm off level (of course I could see that, but I didn't think anyone else would notice - lol) There were little pink, green and yellow stickers all over the place, but all very minor plaster and paint variations. The painter was already there working on those.

Of course, the splashback is yet to be replaced, but SS was very interested to see my little glass samples. He's convinced now that 'Crystal' have mixed the wrong colour, and that his boss is colour-blind for not being able to tell the difference between purple and blue!

While we were there, the inspector came to look over the place for the Certificate of Occupancy. I think he may have been there for a maximum 5 minutes, before he walked out declaring that 'everything looks pretty good'.

We were done after about 45 minutes. As I was expecting a longer inspection, I had a bit of time on my hands so I went to Bunnings and promptly spent about $300! All-in-all a pretty productive day. Now I must go and pack some more boxes and try and keep myself busy for the eternally long 7 days ahead.

Time stands still.

2009-06-10T03:43:00.000-07:00

It is honestly true!! Time has actually stood still! Well, at least that's how it's feeling at the moment. Haven't been able to get into the house lately, but in just two sleeps we'll have our official 'Practical Completion Inspection' and I'll be able to see the 'practically complete' house in all its glory.

The mystery of the missing loo has been solved. Apparently it was off-centre so they had to take it and a few tiles out and redo it all. This meant the independent inspection which was due to take place on Friday, was put back 'til Tuesday. Now DH and brother-in-law were busy putting up the new fence on Tuesday and didn't see any inspector, so I can only hope that it was done today. Someone has definitely been in though, 'cos the little sticky notes have reappeared all over the place. Obviously things that need to be tidied up.

We've been informed that the rear roller door for the garage was never ordered so there will be a 'slight delay' for that. SS is amazed that they use two different suppliers for the two different doors - not his fault, he wasn't there at the time. It's going to be very difficult to move if we can't store all those boxes securely in the garage for a while. Luckily, we have our present house until July 3 so it doesn't all need to be moved in one day.

Our carpet is in and looking pretty good, as all new carpet usually does. The colour is 'Brown Earth', but it looks pretty grey to me. I'm very happy with it anyway. It seems to blend in well with the rest of the colours.

You may be interested to know that I have painted my two glass samples, and both look surprisingly similar and pleasantly purple, without a hint of blue! I will make sure I take these to SS. I still have to get in and put them up against the splashback to see the difference the shadows of the cabinets make, but I am now 95% certain that the wrong colour was mixed for my splashback!!!

I have been very busy over this last week trying to organise everything else that goes with building a new house. I've ordered the TV antenna, booked in to have the phone disconnected/reconnected, booked the concretor and the moving van. Unfortunately, my 'blind' man has reneged on me and tells me his supplier has gone into liquidation. So my second choice for window furnishings has been called, and she's livin' it up in Queensland! Looks like it'll be sheets on the windows for a while.....(OMG is there anything worse??!!!) I will look into those temporary blind thingies, if I have any spare change...Lol!

So it's off to bed now - get another sleep out of the way. J, if you're reading this, good luck with your PCI tomorrow - hope it all goes extremely well and I look forward to hearing the results.

Now for a few pics...

DH and BIL working on the new fence. Had the back and one side done in two days (and only got a little bit wet) The other side will have to wait until the neighbour gets his brick garage up at the back - it will be part of the boundary.

Perfect combination - 6 year old boy and a pile of bricks....

View of backyard - shed and pool to come later (if the bank says it's okay).

Nice high fence.

What I could get of the carpet through the lounge window.

You can sorta see how the carpet blends with the tiles. Quite happy with this.

Conflict resolved?

2009-06-02T04:53:00.000-07:00

Thank-you to all of you for your invaluable advice regarding my 'splashback issue'. PD came back to me today with a very reasonable price of $340 for them to replace my splashback with the upgraded 'Starfire' glass. Unfortunately it won't be done until after handover, so I will just have to trust them on this one..... I've been to see the local guy here who does splashbacks, and he gave me some off-cuts of the two kinds of glass. I'm going to get a sample pot of my paint tomorrow to see if it really does make such a big difference (purely for my own peace of mind).

On a much lighter note - my front garage door was put in today and I have to say I love it!! I think it really finishes the front off beautifully and I'm so glad we upgraded to it. We just need to get the right colour on the portico render and it will be perfect! (I hope....lol.)

The plumbers have been in and we now have taps and two out of three toilets. The powder room toilet is missing for some reason. I hope they haven't forgotten it! I would hate to have my new guests squatting over that little hole in the concrete.....he he he. There was also a little 'surprise' for me in the ensuite loo - looks like the ol' port-a-loo just doesn't cut it for the tradies these days - I wouldn't mind so much if they just remembered to flush!!! Unbelievable. Okay, that's enough potty talk for now.

The cleaner was there today, giving the place a bit of a spruce up. I asked her if she could come over every week for the next 12 months or so, but unfortunately she thinks she lives too far away. Bugger.

Here's some pics....

My new garage door - unfortunately it was very overcast today, so the picture's not so great.

Last-minute stairwell lights - so glad I thought of these before it was too late.

Whoops! Wrong spot!

Internal door handles.

The only fan-lights that PD could offer us - now hidden in the kids' bedrooms.

Fan-lights that I later asked the electricians to put in for me - which do you prefer?

Bath taps.

Toilet - noice.

Pin levers to ensuite.

Shower rose - I was so worried that it wasn't going to have a soap dish included. Phew!

Huge powder room tap/hose thingy! Hope it doesn't miss the bowl!

New pantry appliance bench - once again in 'Fudge Stream'.

Kitchen flick-mixer.

3 weeks??!! Really???

2009-05-29T06:12:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a busy week, to say the least, and PCI has been set officially for the 12th of June! Yayyy!! That means, if all goes well, we'll be moving in on the 19th.....

So, whoosh, big breath, where do I start?

The splashback is still an ongoing issue. I received another call from the CSC on Thursday to tell me that the splashback is indeed the colour I selected and there is really nothing more she can do for me. Now I have to tell you that, after a very busy day with work, study and children, I was in no mood to be told that! So poor CSC copped an earful, then promised that she would take the matter to a higher level and have someone of authority call me back. I got the call today from 'W', who is I-Don't-Know, and he told me that they would replace the splashback at their cost, if I was willing to pay for the upgrade to the 'starfire' glass, which is a clear glass that apparently will not affect the colour (funny, they told me the same thing about the 'standard' glass..) Anyway, I am now waiting to hear what the cost of the upgrade is before I decide.

I think the electrical fit-offs are complete now. I couldn't believe that they actually left the house wide open this week after installing all the lights and connecting the heating and cooling. If there ever was a time to lock the place up - it is now!! It's so lucky that I happen to be visiting every day - lol.

The linen cupboard in the laundry (that was a linen, then changed to a broom 'til I requested it be put back to a linen) has been fitted out as a broom cupboard - Grrrrrr!! READ THE BLOODY CONTRACT!!! So the little man will be fixing that up when he comes back to finish the pantry.

Oh, and the renderers came back to finish the front today and, yes, you guessed it, got the colour wrong!! There is supposed to be two colours but they've done it all in the one - no biggie, will be back to rectify that shortly..

Now for some good news... The painter has been back to touch up where necessary. The mirrors and shower screens have been installed and look great! And all the door knobs are on and I'm quite pleased with them. The temporary fence has come down. The carpet is booked in for Wednesday, so I'm assuming we will have toilets, taps and garage doors within the week. What else is there to do? It's all getting very exciting now!

Kitchen with rubbish dump.

Powder room with mirror.

Shelves in WIR that can actually be reached! Macy was very pleased about this.

Bathroom with mirror.

Love the shower screens!

Love my shower!!

While I know a full mirror would look great, I will appreciate the extra storage here.

Tiles and Splashback.

2009-05-18T03:43:00.000-07:00

Well, the tiles are almost finished in the house now, and I'm pretty happy with them. A lot of them are just basic white tiles and they look a bit blah at the moment, but I'm confident they'll look a lot better with grout! I'm lovin' my floor tiles! I can't wait to get out of this house and say good-bye to shiny white floor tiles forever!!!

The glass splashback was also installed today and I'm actually quite disappointed. The colour is nothing like my colour sample and not much like the colour I downloaded from the Dulux website. I know you can't trust colours from the web, due to resolution and monitors etc... but the colour I chose is quite clearly purple and the splashback just looks blue. Not happy. SS checked the order and insists they have used the right colour, but I'm determined to meet him at the house and let him see the difference. I've been told that the glass has a greenish tinge that can affect some lighter colours, but I was assured it wouldn't affect a dark colour such as the one I picked.

Dulux 'Fanfare' from website

Dulux 'Fanfare' splashback

Am I just being picky? It looks blue to me, almost black.

Lol - hopefully my tiles and stairs will not always be that grubby...

Ensuite niche - I just wanted a small feature - but now I realise it will just be covered up with shampoo and conditioner bottles!

Open wide, come inside....

2009-05-06T23:52:00.000-07:00

Did a drive-by at lunchtime and saw a white van parked at the house and a person outside carrying a large bucket??? Don't know who they were or what they were doing. I'm hoping maybe the tiler cleaning the floors a bit in preparation??

Went back after school pick-up and no one was there so we did our habitual 'walk around the house and look through the windows to see what's been done'. Was walking back to the car, disappointed that nothing had been done, glanced at the front door and saw that it was wide open!! Woo hoo!! I mean 'oops, how did that happen...?' So we were able to go in and have a good look around.

The painters have finished for the time being and the tiles are sitting there waiting to be laid (which is why I locked the door securely behind me when we left). The bath has been put in its proper place (it's very small - will never be able to fit all four kids in there....) and the shower recesses have been prepared for tiling. Oh, and the downpipes have been put on. So, yes, a little bit has been done.

I rang my CSC the other day and had a rather heated conversation about the ridiculous bifolds that have been installed. I notice on all your blogs that your doors have a hinged door, a handle and a lock. Not us - we must have missed that option somewhere and I am very unhappy about the configuration. Unfortunately, it seems there is nothing we can do except pay for them to pull them out and replace them with others. Can't afford that - nothing we can do. I suppose if that's the worst that will happen to us throughout the build, we are pretty lucky. :)

Hope to have some tiling pics soon.

The house now with infill over garage door painted 'Woodland Grey' (instead of the selected 'Dune') - looks okay so we will leave it at that.

A glimpse of 'Exotic Night' in the rumpus room.

QQ Benchtop in kitchen - 'New Diamond White'

From top of stairs - feature wall to void in 'Tivo'.

Balcony decking installed.

New rubbish dump/shower

Bath now in correct room (no bricks in it to hold it down though...)

'Exotic Night' risers on stairs. What do you think?

Lookin' good!!

2009-04-29T03:49:00.000-07:00

Met the fixing carpenter today. He was putting the finishing touches onto the alfresco. Skirtings and architraves now done inside. Not completely finished yet, he tells me, until he's done the balcony floor. Lovely guy - told me that we should be well and truly finished before our July 3 deadline!! We'll see.....

Anyhoo... had a look at my paint today. All the plastic has been removed from the windows and most of it is done. Apparently the painters will be starting on the feature colours tomorrow. I can't wait to see them all together. Bit of a worry, but as they say, it's only paint! I've kept most of the paint pretty neutral (sorry J..) but my current house has been very colourful for quite a while and I needed a change. It won't all be bland though, plenty of colour to come. Here's some pics...

Games room - strange place for a bath, but I suppose I could get used to it. Lol!

Looking from games. All walls painted in Wattyl 'Kid Leather'

Top of stairs, handrail all stained and varnished.

Looking up.... risers still to be painted feature colour.

Harry Potter's room under the stairs.

Kitchen - more 'Kid Leather'. I wish they'd take the plastic off so I can see what it looks like!!

Living room.

Looking out from Rumpus.

Minor facelift..

2009-04-27T02:22:00.001-07:00

A little bit more action today. The render has been done to the front study and portico. It really brightens the house up at the moment, but time will tell how it will look once it's painted. It will be light at the front (Colourbond 'Dune') and a darker colour for the portico (Dulux 'Brood')...
Still not finished with skirtings/architraves inside, which must be very frustrating for the painters who are working very hard, but gives us still a bit of time away from the bank and that big 'fix' payment. Don't think I can put it off for much longer though....

Stair lovingly into my eyes....lol!

2009-04-26T01:58:00.000-07:00

I really didn't want to post anything just yet, but it's soooo hard to get in to take photos at the moment!! The wonderful man has come in and put the correct staircase in for us. I am in love with my staircase! The plasterer has come back to finish off around the place. He had a bit of a 'whoopsie' when the plaster was hung in the garage roof before the scaffold came off the roof. They then had to cut a huge hole in the plaster to access the scaffold which was still attached...idiots!! All is patched up again now.

Skirtings and architraves nearly complete now, so I guess we'll be paying that big 'fix' bill soon. Our bath has arrived and is sitting neatly in the games room. Painting has begun. The bifolds and stairs have now been stained and the rest of the painting is well under way. Went to peek through the holes in the plastic yesterday and the guys were there who had just installed our Quantum Quartz benchtops in the kitchen!! Yay!! They very kindly opened the doors and let us in for a quick look around. Unfortunately, I wasn't expecting to get in and I didn't have my camera!!! Note to self - always carry camera in car!! Anyway, from what I can see of the paint, the colours are looking pretty good.

So here are some photos that I was able to take early in the week of the staircase and the stain ('cedar' if anyone's interested).

The good and the bad news.

2009-04-17T06:54:00.001-07:00

We received word yesterday that our ever-so-wonderful SS is very unwell and will not be able to finish the job with us. He had been on two weeks holiday and fell ill while away. We will miss him and hope he recovers well and quickly.

Meanwhile, we have met our new SS, over the phone, and he seems quite reasonable as well so hopefully the relatively smooth sailing will continue.

The painters came in to start on Wednesday. Apparently, they were told the house was at 'fix stage' as well and would be ready to paint. Not so! So they sat around a bit, did a little bit of preparation work, and went home. Waste of a day for them...

The stair man (carpenter??) came in yesterday and started dismantling the incorrect staircase. Today he came back and started putting in the correct one. Unfortunately, I couldn't get in to take photos today, but if he's back tomorrow to finish them I will get some. I have to say though, that looking through the window, they look absolutely fantastic! I can't wait to get in and have a closer look.

It also seems that we have indeed sold our house, with a settlement date of July 3. Our new SS did some quick calculations and estimated that our new house should be finished in time, with maybe a couple of weeks to spare (!!!!!) Fingers and toes crossed now everybody, please.. Lol.

I will try to post some pics very soon.

Garage roof........ho hum....

2009-04-14T01:46:00.000-07:00

Well, our SS has been on leave for two weeks, and really not much has been happening on site. Just like J, we received our hefty 'fix stage' invoice extremely prematurely! But once again, after a couple of polite phone calls, PD admitted their error and confirmed that our house is indeed not at 'fix stage' and they are in no position to claim a payment. A bit of interest saved there, thank goodness!

We've had the guys come back to finish bricking up the garage and fitting the roof to the garage and alfresco. The house is almost looking like it should be, but I'm just not that excited about it at the moment. I'm sorry, but I just want more!!! The Easter weekend has dragged by sooooo slowly.... Thankfully, SS should be back at work tomorrow and things might get moving again.

On another note, we had an offer on our house today, but on the condition that we can hand it over on July 3.. Hmmm, our 'official' date is August 26.....could we possible make it to a July 3 deadline??? The offer was a bit shy of an acceptable figure, so if they come back with a reasonable one I suppose we'll sell and hope for the best. Worst case - put our stuff in storage for a little while and move in with Mum (Lol...6 of us and a dog lobbing into her little place...should be very cosy.)

Anyway, here are a few pics of the house with a couple of extra roofs. Hopefully I will have much more to report next time..

Mmmmmm.....Fudge!

2009-03-31T02:52:00.000-07:00

Well, we have discovered a way to break in to our locked-up house. Very sneaky....we visited the men installing the cabinets today and yesterday...told them we were 'just measuring up for a few things around the place'....snuck into the study and opened a window just a tiny bit...go home...come back later when they've all gone....insert hand and wind window out all the way....send skinny six year old in through window to open door...voila!! Make sure window is closed properly when we leave.. Brilliant!!

I am waaaayy excited about my cabinets! I have chosen 'Fudge Stream' for just about everything - I love it! I am a bit unsure about the overhead cabinets in the kitchen, though. I have gone for a very light, neutral colour ('Moleskin') which I think looks great, but I'm worried about how it will look with the 'Kid Leather' walls. I hope they complement each other okay. Time will tell, but for now I am extremely happy with my choices. I will let the pictures speak for themselves and I apologise for the blurry ones ( couldn't stand still long enough to focus..lol).

Looking into kitchen from rear.

Other side of kitchen (love my handles!!).

Laundry trough.

Laundry bench and drawers (bench top - 'Stipple Seal').

Powder room.

Upstairs bathroom.

Now this one's tricky. We asked for a 'shaver cabinet' in the ensuite. We thought this would be fairly straight-forward, but apparently not! Porter Davis found it very difficult to draw up and price, and then the installers today said they had never seen one before...?? We were also charged $80 after much deliberation to have magnetic catches put on the doors, but guess what?? No catches!! I know it will be nice to not have to bend down to get the toothpaste, deodorant etc... but I am a bit concerned about how it all looks. Hopefully it will come together a bit better once the mirrors are in... (I'm still lovin' that Fudge!!)

Out in the cold.

2009-03-25T02:01:00.001-07:00

Went to have a look at the staircase tonight and couldn't 'cos we have finally been locked out. It was nice to see the bi-folds in but at the same time very sad that we can no longer go in and run around. So here are a couple of shots of the house without scaffolding and with doors, and what we can see of the staircase through the doors .

Bedroom 2

Looking from kitchen through laundry

Looking toward kitchen, dining & rumpus from living

House minus scaffold and garage

Bi-folds and alfresco

Looking toward front doors and staircase from rear

Staircase issues....again..

2009-03-24T04:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't realise it has been so long since my last post. It's really only been plastering that has been happening for the last couple of weeks.

We got a bill for 'lock-up' before the bi-folds had gone in so I told them in no uncertain terms that I would not be paying for 'lock-up' until the house can, in fact, be locked up. However, I have now paid the huge bill and the bi-folds are still not in!! The brickie had been waiting for a lintel to arrive before he could finish one last row of bricks above an upstairs window, the scaffolding couldn't come down until the brickie had finished, and the bi-folds couldn't go in until the scaffolding came down.....After much discussion with the SS (who, by the way, is wonderful) I agreed to pay so the rest of the work can continue. The upstairs bricks are now complete and washed and the scaffolding is down, so I expect some bi-folds very, very soon!!

Since the plastering has been completed there has been a bit more action. The internal doors have arrived and are stacked up ready to be hung (which is a bit of a worry since we can't lock them up inside and they may go walking..) and the staircase is in the process of being installed. Unfortunately, it's the wrong staircase! The staircase has always been an issue as we were told initially that we couldn't have what we wanted and then the wrong description was included in the contract. After I pointed out the error it was rectified in a post-contract variation, but unfortunately that variation didn't seem to make it to the carpenter. So Graeme visited the house the other morning to find the guy there installing quite obviously the wrong posts, which makes the whole staircase totally wrong!!! Shit! Shit! Shit!! Please excuse my French...

Anyway, after a couple of phone calls, the SS admitted that there had indeed been a mistake, but they will continue installing the wrong staircase so they can use it when they fit out upstairs, and then replace it with the correct staircase later. Oh, if only they had got it right in the first place......

Still, that is just a minor hiccup which PD are quite happy to rectify so I am okay with that.

Damn you long weekend!!

2009-03-09T04:46:00.001-07:00

Nothing to say except that three days is an awful long time to go without anything happening. How dare they take three days off! Whose idea was it to have public holidays anyway? Bring back the 84 hour week I say!!

Bats in the belfry.

2009-03-04T01:44:00.000-08:00

Or should that be 'batts'? As usual, there has been much action at the house. There are cables everywhere and in all the right places as far as we can see. I must say I am very relieved about that considering how many times I rang and 'annoyed' the electricians with 'just one more thing'!The plumbing is all done. The heating and cooling units and ducting have been installed. Graeme is impressed with the cooling unit - apparently it's a 'whopper', which is good 'cos I need to be cool! The insulation has arrived and semi-done.

The bricks are almost finished. Our brickie is now waiting for the scaffolding to be removed so he can finish. The scaffolding was also a problem for the bi-fold door man. Apparently he turned up yesterday to install the doors only to find he couldn't get them in because of the scaffold... I hope he didn't travel far! Lucky for us though, 'cos that would mean we would be at lock-up and possibly not able to get in for a look. All the other doors were shut and locked today, which could be a sign that our daily visits might be coming to an end.

We did sneak in and move a fan noggin and put some noggins in elsewhere for towel rails and shelves etc. All with the blessing of our wonderful supervisor. Hopefully everything has been thought of and acted on. If not, it's too late now because.......we have plaster!! Actually the plasterer was there before the insulation was in so he had to wait around for that to be done before he could start. He was a day early, but that's okay by us. I tell you, there has been absolutely no time wasted here! We are no longer able to walk through the walls downstairs and are starting to get a real feel for the size and shape of the house.

Laundry plumbing.

Can't remember what this is for - I'm sure it's very important.

Upstairs bathroom shower.

Where all the wires originate.

Insulation and ducting - really does look like a spaceship.

My kitchen & pantry.

Looking towards front door from back - and no, those kids would never dream of climbing that ladder..;)

Living room.

Almost a house.

Impressive cooling unit!

Now we can welcome our visitors!

2009-02-18T20:06:00.000-08:00

That's right, we have a front door for our visitors to knock on! Woo hoo! I love my doors and I love my door handle! The kids are excited to have a big box where their bath will be and were very tempted to walk out the sliding doors onto the balcony. I did stop them though, because the balcony doesn't actually have a floor yet and it would have been quite a fall for them. I'm a good, responsible mother I am. Lol. I apologise for the lopsided photo, the walls are straight, not so sure about the photographer...

That's a Wrap!

2009-02-12T01:38:00.000-08:00

I can't help but feel guilty that while hundreds of people are losing their own houses, our new one just keeps going up. The lower level has been wrapped, the plumbing roughed in and brickies started.

I went and saw the electrician and he has put my mind at ease - nothing was a problem. I am so glad we were brave enough to ask our supervisor, after PD had emphatically insisted that nothing more could be done! It was lucky I did talk to the electrician because there were a few things missing from his plan that were on mine! He must've had an old one without revisions so that was sorted out as well.

Strangely enough, our plumber rang us with a few discrepancies the day before - he too had the wrong plans! Nothing major, just number of and position of taps, but lucky it was picked up early.

Our brickies are well and truly under way. My daughter pointed out tonight as we drove past, that they have started bricking up the top level before it has been wrapped. Has that happened to anyone else? Is it a problem? I might get Graeme (hubby) to go and talk to them tomorrow just to be sure.

My thoughts.

2009-02-10T14:25:00.000-08:00

We did the best we could to cope with the 46deg heat on Saturday - we spent the day at my sister's house swimming in her pool, huddling in the shade and sharing a few cold beverages. The sky was menacingly grey. We didn't know if it was dust being blown around by the strong winds or smoke. Then as the wind changed late in the afternoon we could suddenly smell what was definitely smoke. We could hear the sirens as the local CFA trucks left town to help out where they could. We are miles and miles away from any of the mass destruction, but that smell and those sounds filled us with dread. Of course, it was a stinking hot day with strong winds and we are experiencing one of the worst droughts ever, so it was inevitable there would be fires, but none of us ever imagined this....... Our thoughts and prayers are with all the victims, the volunteers and their families.

Selling up.

2009-02-06T00:19:00.000-08:00

I just thought I would add a few photos of the house from different angles before the bricks start. After the scaffold was removed, the chippies were able to complete the alfresco frame and install the upstairs windows.

A friend of mine informed me today that her husband has the bricklaying job!! I was very surprised to say the least but happy that a local is doing it. He needs to do a good job because I know where he lives!!!! Lol, at least he doesn't have to travel far. Apparently he starts Monday, so my house will look like a house in no time.

On another note, we put our current house on the market this week. We had a difficult time deciding when to do it. On one hand, if the house sold too quickly, we may be a family of six and a dog with nowhere to live, and on the other hand, if it doesn't sell soon, we will be struggling to pay two mortgages!! In an ideal world, the house will sell shortly, we'll have a long settlement and then rent from the new owner until our new house is ready.... I guess this is just one of those occasions where we just have to sit back and let whatever happens happen. On that note, I think I will have a drink...

Minor update

2009-02-02T23:13:00.000-08:00

Things are still moving on nicely, considering the extreme heat we have been experiencing. We were notified that we had a day's delay due to heat, but that was before the heatwave and our roofers were there on both 44 degree days! Unfortunately, I was too late with the beers so they missed out.

So, the roof is complete, except for the alfresco and garage, which will be done later. The bricks arrived this morning - Boral Mocha - and they seem to be right??

We snuck in over the weekend and climbed the ladder to have a peek at the top floor. It was so exciting for the kids to see their rooms starting to take shape. It's also starting to feel like a house and I think we will have plenty of room! I think I should comment now on how neat and tidy the builders left the site. All the rubbish had been removed and any leftover materials very neatly stacked up. Very impressive!!

We met our building supervisor (T) and he has already been very helpful. Anything we have asked has been no problem at all. My major concern was that we hadn't included enough power points and lights etc. for downstairs. My brother-in-law is an electrician and he can do anything we missed upstairs, but he told us that access will be limited on the ground floor and to get as much done as possible. Of course, after contract PD simply refused any extras, but T has given us the number of the electrician and we will deal directly with them. Such a relief!

So now we just sit and wait for the plumbers and the brickies...... stay tuned.

Moving right along.

2009-01-20T02:45:00.000-08:00

It's been a couple of weeks and still I am constantly amazed at how hard our builders are working. The top level frame is up and roof trusses on. At the moment the windows are being installed. Every time we've had a stinking hot day we have driven past the house assuming the builders have gone home for the day, but every time they have been there slaving away in the searing heat. I couldn't help myself today and introduced myself and handed them a couple of icy cold beers. I just hope we don't have any wonky walls as a result! Drove past tonight - 5.45pm - and they were just packing up! Wonderful, wonderful guys!

2008-12-31T23:51:00.000-08:00

With great pleasure I announce that we have walls! The pixies snuck in one day this week and managed to get the first level done. Happy New Year to everyone!

Season's Greetings

2008-12-23T21:53:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Christmas Break? What Christmas Break?

2008-12-23T21:09:00.000-08:00

Okay, so we were very excited once again after the pipes were laid and the slab poured. 'Of course', we thought, 'they'll get the slab down so we can pay the nice big bill just before the Christmas break and then there'll be nothing for a month.' So we ran around on the slab for a day or two and left the site alone (and went to the bank to pay the big bill).

Then we get a surprise phone call from our future neighbour telling us that there was more movement at the station... Of course we flew over there and, sure enough, the pixies were laying out timber for the frame!! The darlings are going to have the weekend off and will be back on Monday. What a lovely treat!

Our only concern now, though, is that everything looks so tiny!! We have been assured by a few experienced home builders that the slab always looks small, but really - nothing is going to fit! 'Too late now!' she cried. We will just have to make do.

Lift Off!!

2008-12-10T02:13:00.000-08:00

Original start date - 12/12/08...Actual start date 08/12/08!! I'm impressed already. I barely had time to take a quick photo of our new neighbours before there was action on our block. So after three days we have had our site scrape, tap installed, temporary fencing and......wait for it......Port-a-Loo!! Yayyy!! I know, I know - it will all end next week as everyone has a break for Christmas - but we are sooo excited! I haven't met our supervisor yet, and we've driven past a few times and haven't yet caught anyone on site, just something new there everytime. I'm beginning to think they're just magical pixies....???

I can't believe it actually rained on day 2! It never rains here! Luckily, it was just a lovely shower and has not set in for the week. I wonder what the pixies will bring tomorrow.....

We have neighbours!!

2008-12-02T02:10:00.000-08:00

On inspection of our land it seems the estate is a hive of activity. We had noticed a couple of blocks being cleared behind us and now a huge frame has gone up! Of course we had to go and have a look and, lo and behold, it's a Porter Davis Prestige creation! I'm thinking maybe the Brookvale 50? I will have to take some pics... I will be keeping an eye on the worksite, though, to see how messy these PD builders can be.

Contract Signed

2008-10-23T23:51:00.000-07:00

17.10.2008 The contract has been signed and it seems it's all systems go. We must have been a bit more thorough with our contract appointment than expected because it went for over 5 hours! I think our host had to reassign other appointments for the day and I'm not sure if she got lunch.... At least we know most things have been sorted out and clarified to our satisfaction, although we're sure we've still missed a few things. There is so much to think about! It seems we had forgotten to include carpet in one room, and concrete which we had been told was included is now not included... go figure!

Colour Selection

2008-10-18T00:28:00.000-07:00

This is what we have selected for our home - looks great in our imaginations.....

* Feature walls (Master & Rumpus): Wattyl Exotic Night
* Feature wall (stairwell): Wattyl Tivo
* Walls: Wattyl Kid Leather
* Cabinets: Fudge Stream
* Overhead cabinets: Moleskin
* Bench Tops: QQ New Diamond White
* Glass splashback: Dulux Fanfare
* Floor tiles: Kimberly Stone
* Feature tiles - Mirage Pepper
* Front Door: Double MAD101 with Cedar stain
* Garage: Cedar
* Portico render: Dulux Brood
* Front render: Dune
* Windows: Woodland Grey
* Fascia: Dune
*Gutters & Drainpipes: Woodland Grey
* Roof: Colorbond Woodland Grey
* Bricks: Boral Mocha with raked natural mortar

Blank canvas

2008-10-05T01:16:00.000-07:00

Okay so we have quite a bit of work to do...Is that an understatement? What a lovely view though. I can't wait 'til things get started.

2008-09-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

12 months on and the family is all grown up!

Where did that time go?

2008-09-27T15:51:00.001-07:00

Well so much for that idea!!! I was going to ramble on about the joys of being at home with a young baby, blah blah blah. All of a sudden 12 months has just flashed by!
Things have been very busy, but at the same time most enjoyable. Nellie is 13 months old now and running around with the kids and the dog (that was another addition to our family). I have returned to study and have taken on 12 hours a week work as an aide at the kids' school. This is helping to pay for the block of land we bought in May and the Porter Davis house we signed up to build this week. If I get enough time I might blog a bit about how that goes.

The Return of the Cheddar

2008-04-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, that heading has absolutely nothing to do with what I am about to write, I just thought it sounded catchy.

I had my beautiful baby on Tuesday, August 14 2007. Nellie Alice was a much anticipated and exciting addition to our family. She was nine days overdue and induced because it seemed she had no intention of coming out on her own! She is, however, a very good girl and I can't believe it took so much to decide to have her. We are now a complete family of six. Our dinner table no longer has an empty seat.

I have taken a year's break from my studies and I'm thinking that from now on, I might post a few tips I have learnt from my experience as a mother. More later...

System Design

2007-05-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

I have just submitted my final assignment for FIT2001 - System Analysis and Design. I enjoyed designing the user interface for my system - God knows whether I am on the right track or not, but seeing as this is my first time I can only hope. It was fun anyway, and really I am a bit beyond worrying about marks.

I still struggle a bit with class relationships etc. and I know there's probably a lot I have missed, but I am really glad to be done with it.

I submitted my last assignment for my other unit on Friday so all that's left now is study for exams. Once again, I'll panic about that for a while and see what I can absorb over the next few weeks.

On another note, I have just reached 30 weeks of pregnancy, which is the magic number where I can finally start 'counting down' to B-day! This poor little person doesn't even have a room yet, so hopefully in a couple of weeks I can concentrate on preparing for that event.

My so-called 'friend' dobbed me in to hosting a Tupperware party this week. Honestly, I am definitely NOT the party plan person so I am looking forward to that like I would a dental extraction (minus the laughing gas). However, having these assignments done means I can get my house into some sort of respectable order before people from the outside world come in and see what a hovel I have been residing in lately. I might even feed the kids something decent for a change....

I know my posts haven't been very relevant to my study, but I am not one who can easily put into words what I have learned and what I understand - maybe I'll improve on that one day. All I can say is that I have learned a lot this semester, and most of that can be contributed to the effort that the unit lecturer, Peter has put in. Thanks POD!

I have been called away to help put the Barbie furniture together - important stuff, I must go.

Nearly there....

2007-05-18T05:05:00.000-07:00

My two assignments have been returned and it is with great relief that I announce passes in both! I am very happy with my marks - my mind has been on quite a few other things this semester and I feel proud to have achieved satisfactory results. I now have two more assignments to submit, but I am feeling slightly more relaxed.

Ta da!

2007-05-06T04:04:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo! Two down, two to go! I have just submitted my second assignment for the semester, my first for my Systems Analysis and Design unit. I have not yet received any marks for my first assignment so I really have absolutely no idea how I'm travelling. To be honest, at the moment I really don't care. My thoughts now are concentrated on how I'm going to get two more assignments done in the next three weeks without really having read any of the notes.

My brain has gone on holidays. It's a little early, I know, and I am really not sure when to expect it back. I hope it is soon.

I am looking around my house and I can't see a clean bit anywhere. At least there's no bad smells.....yet. (Or maybe I have become immune.)

I cannot think of anything else to say. I have sat here for five minutes and drawn a complete blank. I think I will go to bed, take the night off. Sure, that leaves only two weeks and six days but, really, how difficult can it be? No worries, not a problem. She'll be right mate. I shall be in touch...

Time is flying.

2007-04-29T04:03:00.000-07:00

I'm so sorry, I missed yet another week! Where has the time gone?!

I am busy attending to my first assignment in the FIT2001 - Systems Analysis and Design unit. I know that managing scope is very important, but when I read the notices on the newsgroups I wonder if I am managing the scope of the system a little too well. I am treating this as a very simple design and trying to concentrate on getting the techniques right to a reasonable level. We shall wait and see...

On a lighter note, my family and friends staged a remarkably surprising surprise baby shower for me the other day. I think the last time anyone surprised me like that I was about 8 years old, so well done to you all! I had absolutely no idea - I honestly thought my mother was simply taking me to K-Mart for the afternoon! A wonderful day was had by all I think. My friend even flew down from Cairns to see me - I feel so honoured. Lots of laughs, lots of presents and a fair bit of champagne (sorry to the unborn, but the nerves had to be settled..)

Anyway, that's enought frivolity for this semester - so much more work to be done. I'm off to continue with assignment 1. Wish me luck.

She's baaaccck!!

2007-04-16T03:24:00.000-07:00

Okay we're up to Week what? I have absolutely no idea and I really don't care. This is such Deja Vu for me. Every semester I vow I will stay ahead of all my reading and plug away, bit by bit, and have everything done in plenty of time - no pressure. Every semester I end up realising 'oh my God! I have two assignments due very soon! They are not done! I haven't finished my reading! I'm so tired! When am I going to fit it all in?!!' I know, it's all going to be okay. I just need to calm down.

What have I learned this week (or these past weeks)? Not much associated with this unit I'm afraid. My other assignment is due earlier so at the moment I am learning about Net Present Value, Payback Period and Return on Investment. Fortunately I am a golfer so that will make our assignment easy, right?

We've had a lovely Easter. The kids were still finding eggs days after the hunt, although I don't know if I would encourage them to eat them! We saw 'Meet The Robinsons', and my two girls trained with the Collingwood Magpies. Now that is education at its best, is it not?

Everyone is now back at school and work and whatever, so my head goes back down and all my work will be done. Wish me luck....

Serious stuff.

2007-03-31T19:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, back to the serious side of unit FIT2001 - Systems Analysis and Design. I am a little bit behind on the reading because I have decided to focus on using the Visual Paradigm tool for use case diagrams and the like. I am beginning to enjoy this stuff, which is scary. I love the way it draws little stick figures for you - I was wondering how I was going to manage those! Everything in this subject seems so logical, which can't be right. Aren't we supposed to be perennially confused? Maybe as I continue I will enter the foggy cloud.

This blogging stuff is great, but I am not getting any work done! The chillun will be home soon and I'll need to get the dinna cooken.

Styling up!

2007-03-31T19:27:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed I have decided to post a photo. My stylist was unavailable at the time so this is pretty much the best I could do. Of course any woman in my situation - 3.5 kids, single income family, very part time job, very part time study - could look just like that, right?!! It's a simple case of resource management, right?!! Or is it project management? Now that's the other unit I'm studying at the moment - brilliant isn't it! I'll just apply all the theories of project management to the elements of my life and I will become Lynette Scavo.

Hmmm....

2007-03-25T03:53:00.000-07:00

Does anybody have any idea how one can become addicted to Minesweeper?!! This is a game I was hooked on, gee I don't know, maybe ten years ago! You'd think I could find something a little more techo than that but no, I see it there and I have to play it. I will disable it soon or no work will be done!

What have I learned this week? I dunno, not much. It has been such a busy week. I am trying to concentrate on the assignments, but now I am falling behind on the reading - I need to coordinate the two and get them working together for me. I reckon I'll have this time management thing worked out by about June....

Saw 'Walking with the Dinosaurs' yesterday - now that is quite amazing. The technology used to make those creatures seem so lifelike is mind-boggling. How does one come up with these ideas? It was a bit funny to see the little glitches that caused little men to run out in the dark and take away those offending pieces of equipment that weren't behaving as they should. I'm sure they, too, saw the lighter side once it was all over. You just can't trust these modern gadgets.

I have come to a mental blank so there is no point sitting here any more.

Until next week...

Mandy

False Sense of Security..?

2007-03-18T02:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I really can't believe how easy this blogging stuff is! To think when I first saw that this was an essential part of my Systems Analysis and Design unit I went into a complete panic! This is something that I have indeed enjoyed learning. As for my other studies.... well......

Once again I seem to have taken all the reading material for this week in my stride - I seem to be understanding it all easily. I wonder if it is because deep down in the far reaching depths of my mind I actually recall learning stuff like this before, or whether I have finally learned the art of actually absorbing what I read. I hope I am not being lulled into a false sense of security. It is a refreshing change though, to not have to go over something ten times before any of it sinks in.

I have noticed in the newsgroups that a lot of other off campus students are meeting up to discuss what they have been doing etc. I think that's great and my hat's off to you, but really, where do you find the time?

I upgraded to unlimited broadband this week (I study purely from home) so I can now get to all the podcasts and lectures etc. without spending all my hard-earned (and believe me, there's not much of that!) on excess downloads! So this week I am going to concentrate on listening to a few lectures and sorting out the best way to tackle the assignment.

Until next week...
Mandy

Still struggling..

2007-03-10T16:17:00.000-08:00

Another week has past and I don't feel like I have totally wasted my time. I have completed most of the required reading for my two units, but am yet to tackle the tutorial exercises.

Today was going to be my 'big day' of study, but my four-year-old son decided to start throwing up everywhere this morning, so that means everything else gets dropped while I sit with him and pat his back and wipe his forehead. He seems to be much better now and there's still 12 hours left of today.....

The two units I am tackling this semester (Systems Analysis & Design, and IT Project Management) seem to run on similar themes so far which is making life a little easier, and I seem to be refreshing some of the information from last year's studies. I am a bit concerned about the tute tasks, but I am confident that once I get over the hurdle of actually making a start, it will fall into place.

I am beginning to wonder if I am the only OC student that is not gainfully employed in the IT industry. I took on this study in the hope that I will obtain employment in the future - I hope I am not at a disadvantage because I do not have practical experience. Although I'm sure there are many full-time students in the same situation. Once again, I will muddle on and see if it's all worthwhile.

Until next week,
Mandy

Week One Blues

2007-03-01T02:33:00.000-08:00

Well, my first week of official study is drawing to a close and I must say that I wish there were many more days in a week at the moment!

I have taken on an IT degree, not because I am employed in the field of IT, but because I have always believed it to be a field I could succeed in. I must say, though, that this first week of FIT2001 -Systems Analysis and Design has left me somewhat overwhelmed.

I have tried to get my head around on-line unit books. Where in the past I have enjoyed flicking pages back and forth, I now have to scroll to my desired location. I seem to be constantly switching between web pages to find study guides, tutorials, podcasts, discussion groups, and God Himself only knows what else I'm supposed to look at to get through this unit!!

I am not new to distance education, and it is definitely not unusual for me to panic during the first few weeks of a new subject, and somehow I have always managed to get through to the light at the end of the tunnel relatively unscathed. So I will take the recommended deep breaths and muddle on.

I understand that to all of us attempting off-campus learning, as I believe it is now called, there are many obstacles to be faced as we combine further education with our otherwise already busy lives. So many people from so many different situations. I wish you all good luck and understanding in your studies - and I hope that when it all seems impossible you can be comforted to know that there are other people just as tired and frustrated. I know from experience that everything seems much easier after a good sleep and a little bit of fresh air!!

Until next time,
Mandy