PCI booked in

Our Practical Completion Inspection has now been booked in for Wed, 6 Feb 2013.

We have decided to get an independent inspection completed before then, as they would know all the things that should be checked that we might miss. No complaints about the work completed by Wisdom, we are very happy so far. We just need an expert set of eyes to check everything for us.

Meanwhile, DH had a meeting with Wisdom landscapes about our concrete side path, as some adjustments need to be made to the initial plan that was quoted last year. So the driveway and path will now be completed early next week, subject to the weather.

Outside works

This week most of the work has been outside. On Monday, the site was given a complete clean and most of the rubbish taken away. Still lots of rubbish around the temporary pool fence and also in the pool, which has quite a bit of water in it. There is heavy rain forecast for later tonight, so I guess it will fill up even more.

With the site clean the termite treatment was placed around the house as well.

Today we arranged to meet at the site at 7am with our pool builder to go through what needs to be done once we have handover of the house. When we arrived, the two brickies were there to build our steps and laundry landing. Plus the house was open, so I had the opportunity to quickly check inside. It looks like the painters had been in because all the touch ups have been done and final staining completed on the balcony door frame.

Managed to get a couple of pics on the phone. Our garage steps into the house have been tiled.

Our first two steps to the stairs have been stained and tie in nicely with our stained handrail.

The laundry landing and steps. The landing will be filled next week and concrete on top. Then it can be tiled.

 

The front steps. These will also be tiled next week

 



Just as we finished with our pool builder, the boys building the driveway and side path arrived which was great, as we could answer their questions straight away and confirm stencil pattern, colour etc. They said they are planning to start formwork next Tuesday and concrete pour the next day, subject to the weather.

Our SS advised if all goes to plan next week, we could have practical completion by next Friday!!! So only 7 days to go...........hopefully the wet weather forecast for tonight and tomorrow will have passed by Tuesday.

Subject to PCI going well, we could have keys in 3 weeks! Getting excited now.

House nearly finished

We are now heading into our last fortnight until expected practical completion. Most of the work inside is now done with only a few items remaining.

This week our tiles were laid again for the 2nd time. Thankfully this time they are the one colour. The kitchen splashback has also been installed.

A visit to the house today and the cleaners were there giving the house its first good clean. Managed to get a few pics.

Kitchen splashback installed - it is antique white. The lower cupboards are moss grey and the upper cupboards in white. The casearstone is osprey, which ties in the white and moss grey quite well.

 

Kitchen after a clean with tiles laid (tiles not yet cleaned).

 

I am looking for some green accessories to go in the kitchen to brighten it up a bit. I saw this same colour scheme in a Wisdom display home that we based our kitchen colours on, so I am keen to replicate that and get some green items.

I have looked at lots of stores in Sydney and online in Australia but I have not found anything I really like so far. The only ones I have found are only sold in the USA and unfortunately the cost of postage was extreme. However a relative is going over in May, so maybe they can get them for me (fingers crossed).

Here is a pic of the green storage jar. With our kitchen colour scheme, I think many other colours will go well, so when I no longer want green I can change accessories to another colour over the years to come.

Bathroom ensuite with downlights above the sink

 

 

Main bathroom

 







 

Main floor tile laid (before cleaning)

 

 

 

Our downlights downstairs. We will get some installed ourselves upstairs

 

The majority of work has been completed inside the house with only a few items that we can see that need to be completed

 

* Painting and touchup to be completed

* Sealing around benchtops/ caesarstone/ tiles in bathrooms

* Ducted air conditioning vents & air con installed

* Trim around window to fill the gaps to the bricks

* powerpoint & light covers

* stainless steel cutlery draw

 

I am sure there are a few other things to be done that we have not noticed yet.

 

Most of the major work now will be outside and if all goes well we will have pracical completion in two weeks time, weather permitting. Outside items to be completed before practical completion are:

 

* Landing with two steps to be built at the laundry door

* Four steps built to the front porch

* Completion of downpipes and connection to the water tank

 

Before hand over:

* Driveway

* Pathway up one side of the house

 

Just hope the rain holds up and does not disrupt the outdoor works too much.

 

All going well, we should have the keys in approx 4 weeks time.

 

Then we can start work on the pool and landscaping.





Tiles removed

Popped up to the house at lunchtime yesterday.........looks like the decision was made to rip up the tiles

 

The tiles look really grey in the sunlight, yet look a grey brown colour when they are laid inside the house.

From looking through the window I guess they also need to scrape out the cement from the slab. That must be next weeks job.

Hopefully they'll be able to start the tiling again this week.

Tiles headache

Well this week has been quite eventful. Earlier in the week the tiler was there laying the main floor tiles, which are to go in the leisure room,dining, kitchen, pantry, store room and hallway. From a distance they all looked good. However when the SS went to check the work being done the next day, he cleaned the tiles a bit and he could see that not only were our tiles laid, but here and there a different tile was laid.

An inspection of the tile boxes confirmed the correct tiles were delivered. Apparently when the boxes were packed, they not only included our tile, but also mixed in was another tile very similar to ours but clearly different. Di Lorenzo and the tile supplier are trying to work our where the error occurred.

Here is a picture - the odd tiles are the lighter one's

Our SS Joe is a champion, who spotted the difference and halted the tiler laying any more tiles (only approx 2 metres not laid towards the front door). He is now trying to get this sorted, which may take a week or so to do. Shame the tiler didn't notice the tiles were a bit different.

What a headache for our SS to sort out. Anyway, we are waiting on another batch of tiles to see if they are very close to our tiles laid. If they are, then they could knock out the wrong tiles and re tile the correct ones. But if the new batch are a bit different, then all the tiles laid will have to be taken up and then the new batch of tiles re laid.

Anyway, what's done is done and we are pretty happy of the great job our SS is doing to spot the problem straight away and arranging to get this corrected as soon as possible.

A quick visit to the house today and found no tradies on site, but timed perfectly with the arrival of the SS. Managed to get some pictures. Very happy with all the other work that has been done.

Water tank now installed

External sensor lights

Our bedroom now with carpet

Wire shelving in the kids walk in robes

Stairs with carpet. The pink patches on the walls are the touch ups undercoated, ready for painting.

Here is a picture of our main floor tile and carpet

Lights, carpet & tiles

The tradies have certainly been busy over the last couple of days since we were at the house last week. Managed to get a couple of pics on the phone.

The tiler was there, laying our newly chosen tiles.

As the tiler was still laying the tiles, we couldn't go upstairs to check the other work that has been done. However the carpet has also been laid, managed to get a pic from the study

Also the electrican has been to the house and all of our downlights, internal lights and bayonets, external lights, stairwell lights and alarm have now been installed. Just a quick pic of the home theatre main light and the downlights in the dropped ceiling.

The kitchen rangehood and water tank have also been installed. Once the tiles have been finished and we can walk into the house, we'll get some more pics.

Can't believe how much work has been done the last couple of days. I'm begining to think we might have handover a little earlier than we thought.