Things take time (reprise)When you take the pebble from my hand grasshopper etc.

Time for an update folks...Long overdue but to be honest I really haven't been able to get too enthused for quite some time.
We probably would never choose to use the same builder ever again.Don't get me wrong ,the house we saw on display was lovely and appeared to look a million dollars, but in my opinion that quality and care never transferred to the home that was built for us.
Unhappy customers? Me? Us?Yep, afraid so.
We have had numerous issues to deal with over the past three months or so since moving in,stuff that should have been attended to before completion still waits to be either completed or rectified.
Doors that stick in frames,frames that look like they were knocked together by year seven woodwork students,bricks that butt up to window frames (or should) but have 10mm gaps or more between the frame and bricks,rubber seals under windows missing,bricks cracking and lumps of mortar falling out between courses.Some of these things I'm sure will be rectified once the 3 monthly follow up work kicks in,but alas its not going to restore our faith too easily.

Whole lot of (head) shaking going on

Just a few days short of six weeks since handover and we are so over it all.
The supervisor left the company soon after handover and now the building manager is trying to fix things to an acceptable finish.Seems like not a day goes by when we don't have some person or other working in or around the house ,it reminds me of a F.o.r.d.
The water tank should be connected today,that's if the slab for it isn't too undersized.
Still waiting for other things to happen including the brick tinting,but hey another six weeks and it will be time for the 3 monthly check up.
The bricks have been cleaned again...The silly things keep rusting the mortar due to the iron oxide leaking out of the bricks so I'm told.Why didn't anybody mention that when its already a known issue or so I've now heard?

What a big week its been

Hey I'm back on air...Dial up just isn't fun :-(
Been real busy these past few days with much to do painting feature walls,installing blinds etc., etc., etc.
Handover was amazing,the paperwork was done in a very short time and then 24 hours later the plumbers turned up to commission the heating and appliances.The day after the sparkies came and fitted the oven but no range hood cover as somebody had forgotten to order an extention for it.
Ben the concreter has done a stirling job under adverse conditions to hand dig out our driveway and set everything up for a pour which happened this morning...Good one Ben thanks a trillion.
The colour is Brazil nut.
Now we can walk the furniture in on Monday without the ubiquitous mud clinging to all and sundry
Moving day is this Monday coming.

Trenching, Planting, and other things.btw Handover tomorrow

Ah,adventure filled weekends,don't you love em :-)
Sweat equity and understanding tradies can save you heaps of $$$ if you're prepared to roll up the sleeves and give it heaps.
A couple of weeks ago a plumber mate gave me the gen on what was needed as far as storm water connection to the shed to pass final inspection so Graeme gritted the teeth girded the loins and commenced digging the 10 m trench to the required depth ,planting the pipes,making the connections and back filling having received the once over from Mr Plumber.
Last week sparkie mate says Hey Graeme you can save heaps and give my back a rest if you dig trench etc. to connect power to the shed.Ok says I and so last weekend I was back into it, new 10m trench,twice as deep...See your average tradie thinks 10m is not worth getting a ditch witch in for so its done by hand as a rule @$50+ an hour per person(usually by the first year apprentice no doubt).Well folks I'm here to say that its all good learning experience and promotes weight loss.
Trenching in the middle of winter is awsome...NOT!
I felt like I could hit the master over the head with the shovel and grasp the pebble before running off like a madman by the time the job was done.
Still its done :-)
I can walk tall..on the bloody mud that's stuck to my boots lol.
Moral of the story kids, stay at school, get good results, and do an apprenticeship in the building trades,your country needs you and the worlds your oyster.
For a little light relaxation on Sunday we planted out about 50 shrubs and spread a couple of m of Eden mulch.
Tomorrow is HANDOVER...Sounds like a date on somebodies religious calender.I guess it is in a way as it means all the real hard work now begins turning a house into a home.
We dropped into Dahlsens Hardware on Friday and about an hour later came out with with almost $450 worth of paint for the feature walls.Busy this week me? No ;-)
Carpets from Fowles Narre Warren are going in tomorrow (Tuesday)morning and the guy doing the alfresco decking is also booked for tomorrow.
Wednesday should see the bloke from Crosby blinds hanging the drapes in the master and dropping off the slimline Venetians for me to install between coats of paint I guess.
Am I looking forward to all this coming activity....You betcha ya :-)

No handover this week :(

Inspection went ahead as planned this morning but unfortunately there are issues which will not allow us to handover this week.
PD was very fair and thorough with the inspection but the major item stopping early handover is the need for another coat of paint on practically all the interior walls.
Its discouraging for us all but we recognise the need to get it as good as possible.

Home stretch

PCI inspection tomorrow(Monday).
Today the bloke with the drum loads of caulking compound is doing his thing inside and out filling the expansion joints in the walls and likewise the large expanses of tiles in the family dining areas etc are being seen to.
While I was taking photos this morning the whole estate was descended upon by marauding religious satchel carriers in suits...Unbelievable!I kid you not there must have been about fifty of them. They had even brought troops in from NSW to try and convert us.
Is that what you call organised religion or what ?
Ok well if the inspection goes reasonably OK tomorrow, all things being equal we can do handover Thursday or Friday this week.If its Friday though, I will probably have to burn She who must be obeyed at the stake just so the gods are pacified being Friday the 13th and all that.
I better wait and see.GD&RVVF

Week 20 departs

Bobcat man came good and in conjunction with the rain gods he was able to do his stuff so by Friday arvo we have a serviceable all weather access to the big shed out back.
The guy from Stegbar came and fitted the shower screens on Thursday.
Not only did the plumbers knock holes in the plaster but they did likewise with the exterior wall of the en-suite,unfortunately in doing so they knocked out the exterior power point as well leaving exposed wires,so back came the sparkies to replace it...Not too pleased I expect.
Likewise the plasterer came back and fixed the big hole but still needs to repair another.
This week coming will require a big effort from PD because there are a lot of unattended to issues which need rectification both inside and out. "Practical completion" inspection is set for Monday the 9th.