What we're looking forward to this week!

I spoke to our SS this morning to touch base and discuss some of the issues I picked up last visit to the house. 

Firstly, he informed me that our bricks were cleaned over the weekend, so I can't wait to see that! 

Regarding the dodgy looking brickwork under the bifolds, he told me some type of skirting is yet to go on there so I'll just see how it ends up.  Apparently the brickie was meant to go back last week and brick above the entry and laundry doors too which he is chasing up.

He assured me no electrical points have been missed.  For the wet areas, there are certain distances they have to be positioned, so they wait until the vanities have been put in.  Not sure why the 2 in our main bedroom aren't there - could be something to do with backing onto the laundry??

Roof tiles get checked at the end and I forgot to mention the 2 tone mortar but it will be better to see if it does change after another week or so has passed before bringing it up anyway.

So this is what we have to look forward to this week:

Council inspection......Tuesday
Insulation...................Wednesday
Gyprocking...............Thursday (should take 3 days he reckons)

Wednesday, next week after Easter he said our "Fix out" should be happening.  That's the doors, skirting, architraves etc.

When I commented at this pace we'll be in before our completion date of 31st August, he sounded surprised and thought it was a later completion date.....what the?

I've got it in writing from Head Office, so shall forward it to him to compare against when he believes it will be.  In my head I'm giving it till October / November anyway.  Anything before Christmas would be great!

Organising all those cords...

A few weeks ago I was researching cord labels on the internet because if you're anything like us, you have a heap of cords, chargers etc that you find hard to remember what goes with what!

I abandoned the effort because I could only find really expensive labels and labels are not something I'd spend much money on!

Flicking through a Howards Storage World catalogue this evening and there they are for only $12.95!

So I thought I'd share :)

It's all in the detail

There hasn't been much going on in the last few days, I imagine because EB are now waiting for the approval from the Council Inspector before proceeding with the gyprock.

It's worked out quite well because instead of going into the house for a look and being WOWED with heaps of progress and only seeing the big picture, I've been able to cast a more critical eye over things and pick up anything that needs to be addressed with the SS.

So, in keeping it real - highs and the lows remember? Here's what I picked up today...

Ok, so what's with the 2 tone mortar?  The middle section of this pillar looks like it's still wet but it was completed over 6 days ago...

And talking about 2 tone, the back of the house (top section) is also more of a standard mortar colour instead of off-white. Looks like it's in a shadow but it's not.

Little tricky to see but there's a crack zig-zagging down the mortar at the bottom of the pillar.  Surely not meant to be cracking yet?

I believe this is an expansion joint - however I could see through it??

This is the other side of the expansion joint.  Bit hard to see but surely you're not meant to see daylight through it?  What's to stop moisture getting in and mould forming on the internal walls?

Noticed big gaps (approx. 10cm) above the laundry door and French Doors on Playroom.  Don't know if it's meant to be like this for a reason but wouldn't the door sit in the door jam?  Maybe they put some kind of cladding around it?

Cracked tile

Lifting tile

Brickwork at the base of our bifolds.  One side is neat and lines up with woodwork.  The other side, as you can see has gaps and doesn't line up at all??

Here's the big gaping, not so straight brickwork! What's the go?  All other brickwork is great!  

Some of the fluffy stuff (yep, technical term) coming out of bifold door frame...

And while I'm documenting everything, I also noticed there are no powerpoint plates set up in any of the bathrooms (which makes me think this has been done for a reason - perhaps waiting till vanities are in to get heights right) and the 2 powerpoints in our main bedroom are not there.

So there you go... nothing I'm losing sleep over but hope to get sorted soon.  Especially the weirdo brickwork around bifolds and the roof tiles.

Kitchen Stools

Thought I'd share our brand new kitchen stools courtesy of ebay - and get this, they only took 3 days to be delivered from Melbourne!

A little pricier than I hoped to spend, even though I got each of them for $30 less than the asking price but I've had cheaper ones before that I never really liked so wanted to get it right this time.

To fit the bill they needed to be white, stable with a back on them (for the kids) and not adjust to different heights (would do my head in seeing them all different heights all the time).  Oh and look good too - it's not all just about functionality!

We bought 3 of these beauties...

Care to share what you've got going on in the kitchen?

Stealth...like a fox

Something rare happened today.  I had some free time between dropping the boys off to daycare and heading to work.  Unheard of.

Of course I did my usual morning drive-by and noticed the street wasn't full of trucks and even better, our house and our neighbour's house (which share a fence) had no one in them. 

I parked up the street out of the way and made my way over.  I paced around the perimeter wondering if I had the nerve just to head on in when any minute the SS or some other tradie might rock up and demand what I'm doing there.  Not meant to be on site afterall.

After taking some dodgy pics through the fence, I hopped back in my car, drove off, changed my mind (the temptation was just too great), parked the car again and slipped in the back.  Stealth I tell ya! Ha! Hardly!

Anyway, stealth or not, I was rewarded with what I saw...

Bricks have been completed and site has been cleaned

Eaves are in, cladding is on - don't worry, that clashing creamy coloured cladding is yet to be painted as are the downpipes

Bit of cladding above the bi-folds is making it look more tidy

Getting ready for the cavity slider to WIP

Dad's space

More cavity sliders for our WIR and Ensuite

Not sure what's going on here?

Bit of cladding, eave & down pipe action all in one!  Wonder when they're going to clean the bricks?

Air-conditioning anyone?

Wonder if there'll be anything in store for me this afternoon?  I know I need to have a wander with my electrical plan because I can see a few power points that have been missed...



Pendant lights

I bit the bullet and purchased some pendant lights on ebay tonight!  I lurrrrve them in the pics, here's hoping they look just as good in real life.  'B' loved them straight up too, so major score there!

I figured for only $125 for the 2 including postage we didn't have much to lose should they not be quite right.  Though, everything crossed that they are!

I want to hang them together at different lengths just like the photo below and funnily enough had pictured something like this in my head before seeing the below pic.

Thinking of hanging them in the Living Room (see below layout) to help separate the space from the other areas of the open plan area.  Either that or over the dining table but thinking Living Room for now.

Lastly, being silver, round, modern & textured I'm happy that they're fitting in with our intended colour scheme, overall look we're hoping to achieve as well as helping to balance out all our rather angular furniture.  They should add some nice ambience too!

(Mood Board found at Young House Love) 

As for the remainder of the house, most likely LED downlights.

What type of lighting do you have?  Did you find it difficult choosing?

We have bricks! Part 2

Well I wasn't disappointed at this afternoon's drive-by.  Everything is looking so great! Bricks are 99% completed with one of the brickies coming back tomorrow to finish off the last few bits & pieces.

We chose the Newcrest Facade and turned the 3 narrow windows into 2 bigger windows 

Cladding will be going above the front windows, similar to the house below

Front of house

Ducting for air-conditioning has been delivered so I imagine that will be installed soon

We've been wired up!

A few finishing touches to the windows and around door frames and the bricks should be finished

'B' noticed a cracked and lifting roof tile that we need to have replaced

With SS approval, poor ol' 'B' moved all these bricks by himself from the front to this pallet in the back so we can use them in the landscaping later

I believe the Council Inspector is coming out next week to suss it all out and (hopefully) give it the big stamp of approval.

Final brick post to come once everything has been finished and they've been acid washed.

Exciting news...

We spoke to our SS this morning who gave us a bit of an update:

Our bricking will finish................TODAY (one week it took! ONE!)
Our electricals will finish.............TODAY (didn't even know they'd started!)
Eaves are going in on.................MONDAY
Site clean up ordered for............WEDNESDAY
Followed by a photo shoot on.....WEDNESDAY

Wait, what?  Yes, you heard right!  PGH who supplied our bricks and roof tiles, asked to come out and do a photo shoot because they like our roof and brick colour combination.

Soooo excited and thrilled!  I feel like a proud parent!  Don't know why really, but I do!

Bring on the drive-by this afternoon!

We have bricks! Part 1

It was such a good feeling going to the house today and seeing it half bricked!  By the end of next week it should be finished!! That is if the rain holds off!  No pressure guys ;)

One of the best feelings both 'B' and I have is seeing all the colours come together and loving, really loving, it all! 

Some materials for our eaves and alfresco ceiling had been delivered to site too so anticipating that to go up in the next week with any luck.

It's starting to feel like a real house now *insert annoying girly squeal here*

Never have I seen a lovelier internal garage wall!  

I'm gushing, I know - pathetic!

The man of the house surveying the scenery from one of the boy's rooms

Inside the playroom

Back of house

Not bad for only 2 full days of bricking!!

Watch this space for the next brick instalment!