Shh! Don't mention the GF result

I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it. ...

Well, obviously, the beloved Saints went down in the last 7 minutes to a cat itching for another victory. Well played to both teams, but we are simply devastated.

Out of some misguided sense of loyalty, we ended up at Crown last night and blew some $$ by selecting our favorite Saints player numbers (22 for me, go Farren you champ!) on the Roulette wheel. Unfortunately, the Sainters let us down twice in one day and we ended up with ‘nuffin!

Anyway, time to let it go and move on.

Firstly, this will be our last blog for 2 weeks. We are taking Ruby (our little car) to Mildura next weekend to see Jase's family. Which will be great, its been ages since I was there last and we are really looking forward to it (although the six hour car ride there and back is not going to be the highlight of my year).

Second, as I prophesized, they have been AMAZINGLY busy this week on the house. The bricking is up to head height most of the way around the 'difficult' side, the other side and the back have been started and the front is complete.

I don't mind admitting that I was anxious to see the bricks - the samples at the selections meeting never look quite right. But I have been very pleasantly surprised = we love the bricks, and the off white mortar totally compliments them!

Score x 1 Drewbie and Jase for ' Exceptional taste in the face of poor samples'.

Here are the snaps, and we'll be back in a few weeks with a massive update and hopefully to advise that we are at lock up!


As the teachings of Lord Baden Powell have instilled in me, 'Be prepared'. So we bought a pair of gummies so we can slosh around the muddy block. Still, just because I'm wearing gum boots it doesn't mean that fashion has to suffer (ie. still got the turn-ups happening):



The back of the house and grand alfresco:

The entertaining side of the house (note the brickwork up to head hight and the roof tiles - wicked)

From over the road looking at the front:

The front corner looking towards entertaining side:

The front of the house:

The front looking towards the 'boring' side of the house / partial puppy run (in due season-hehe):

Bricking of the garage, roof tiles complete:

We have solar panels installed (Jase, the energy nut, was very excited):

Boring side again, focus towards the back. Plenty of brick piles - they look set to get busy!

The brickwork (I love the subtle colour changes... well, subtle for me because I'm colour blind):

The whole house, except the bit which will be under render, has been done in concave, off white mortar. It adds a level of shade and colour which we are glad we upgraded to when making our selections:

Facade again, this bit will be under render:

The frame for the double door to the family room has been installed. This is also a snap of the step up which the builders use to get to the higher bricking parts. I'm sure there is meant to be lots of technical terms in there but I call it as I see it.

Ok, that's it for this week. I don't know how I'm going to go taking a week off seeing the house grow but I'm sure I'll deal with it.

Cheers

Drew and Jase.

The hidden costs of home ownership

Hi all

People tell you about the hidden costs of home ownership, but they fail to mention the cost of shoes. Yes, shoes. Its true.

Melbourne drizzle + building site on block of land = muddy, muddy shoes.




And I thought site costs were difficult to deal with....

Anyway, this is from last weekend. I've been slack getting these photos up due to lots going on at work. Last weekend the roof was 90% complete and the frame looked like it was holding. We did a mid week run on Wednesday night (see yellow shoes to the left) and you wouldn't believe it -- in the three work days since Saturday, they have cladded the house in insulation, installed interior pipes and bricked up 80% of the facade and maybe 30% of the left hand side! Its crazy!

Anyway, there will be lots to show you next weekend but this is from last weekend...

From the front:


Entertaining side:

From the back (grand alfresco has a roof)

These are the slimline roof tiles, lighter grey. They look great, v happy with the choice to upgrade:

Double garage (used as plaster storage shed atm)

A hole?! [Note from ed: Its since been patched]

The plaster has been delivered. Thank goodness its wrapped in plastic. With the WIND down Williams Landing and our neighbours not courteous enough to be building thereby creating a wind break, I swear the rain comes in sideways...

That's it. Next post might be a little delayed - its Grand Final weekend here and things tend to go a bit silly. Jase is a Sainters fan so if they win I'll probably be too hungover to blog on Sunday. If they lose I'm thinking about staying in a hotel and probably won't come home for a few days (well at least until the storm subsides).

Cya

Drew

Williams Landing aka The Windy City

Hey everyone

Its been a windy week down at Williams Landing, causing all sorts of issues: builder's delays, people losing loose waffle pods down the street and it definately plays havoc on your hair!



(http://static.squidoo.com/resize/squidoo_images/-1/draft_lens2137341module11123989photo_1219482997Very_Windy_Day.jpg)

We met up with the framer again yesterday and had another good chat. Its all come up well he says, and although they're a day or two behind, the framer will keep working while the next step is completed - the gutters and the roofing tiles.

I also spoke to our Site Supervisor (SS) for the first time the other day. I've read a lot of blogs where people get all upset when the SS doesn't call every other day or every week. I let him know that we're not like that and we'll catch him after each major stage for a chat onsite. He sounded glad and now we can all just focus on getting the place built!

As usual, below are the snaps from our trip down this weekend...

From the back fence looking toward the VERY Grand Alfresco (its massive!)

From the side:

From the front over the street:

Jason helping himself to an OJ from the fridge:

Looking through the open plan living towards the theatre room:

Looking down the boring side of the house. We think we're just going to get some sort of cheap rock to compact down in this area.

The guttering has been delivered in anticipation of this week:

Looking from the back fence to the grand alfresco and towards kitchen/dining in the background:

The grand alfresco again, this time looking back. Its very 'concrete jungle sheike' atm:

The small alfresco (the frame is in place for the timber bi-fold doors):

The side of the house. We're starting to think about how we are going to design the garden down this part, its going to be very important. Jason wants a fernery. I'm yet to be convinced.

Man it gets stuffy in our house! So Jase had to open a window and let some of the fresh air in!

Windows at the front of the house (the right is to the study, the left is to the ensuite - must remember to get blinds first thing we do!)

This is the soon-to-be front door. The door we've chosen has matching opaque glass - it's gonna look great!

This is the garage / wine cellar (the exact mix is yet to be determined)

House from the front:

Ok, that's it for this trip. By next weekend I'm hoping that we'll have the guttering up and perhaps the scaffold set up to allow the roof tilers to start.

Cheers

Drew and Jase

A house made of sticks

Hey all

As predicted last blog, we went to the block this weekend and saw that the builders have been busy - the frame is partially complete (and to think that it was only a piece of concrete in the ground on Wendesday night).

When we went down on Saturday, I met the frame builder. He was a great guy, very happy to have a chat about it all. Although I felt out of place taking photos when he was about so we had to go down again today (Sunday).


From over the street:


From the front looking 'through' the master bedroom to the three spare bedrooms rooms:

The small alfresco:

From the back of the house looking towards the front, across the large alfresco (theatre room to the left of the shot):

Looking down the central coridore from the front:

Looking towards the back again from the front:

The builder was there on site doing all the measuring and cutting of the wall supports. That's them lying on the ground. Which means that when his staff are on site from Monday, the supports are measured, cut and simply ready to put upright.

From here, they will finish the frame, the roof will be put on and then the house will be at 'Frame stage' - ready for bricking, windows and roof tiles!

Anyway, better dash. While my beloved Blues may be out of the finals, Saints had a good win tonight and I'm a little hoarse and tired from shouting. What can I say? Hot Saints and cold Pies.

Drew and Jase

The slab is nearly done!

... although they are building much quicker than I can blog! These were taken last weekend, but by the time you read this, our slab has been finished, poured and (hopefully) set. I say 'hopefully' because when we went out for a mid-week jaunt, Jase couldn't help but stand on it! He didn't sink so that's a good sign.

Slab from the front:



Looking at our site from over the street:



Our waffle pods and slab support




More waffle pods. Who would have thought styrophone eskis could have such an intrical part of building a home!




The side of the house (closest to the fence):

Me, standing on our neighbour's lawn, our house in the background. Tell you what, it was bloody cold - and they hadn't fixed the fence which blew down in the wind! But that's ok, it'll just blow down again anyway.

Slab from the back of the house looking towards the street

Jase getting very excited about our meter casing. You can tell he's an Origin Energy boy through and through can't you?

That's about it. Next blog we'll have pics of the slab and anything else they've done since then.

Cheers

Drew and Jase