Brickwork pics, part 2...

We're almost there. The roof is pretty much done now, just waiting for the finishing touches (on the roof capping), and the bricks are 99% there. They should be done by the end of this week.
These pictures were taken on Sunday night.

Ryan's room and main bedroom windows:



Here's a shot from the carport. We've bricked one side in so we need a door to access the front. This solved the mystery of the extra doorframe the carpenters left! I thought they must've made a mistake he he he! The brickwork is all finished around the door and that side of the carport now.



And a shot from the front, showing the roof. We are excited to see how the house actually looks now!



Gyprocking is starting next week! We have the electrical wiring on Monday/Tuesday, wall and roof insulation on Wednesday, and then the site supervisor says that most of the gypocking should be in by the weekend! They will spend about ten days finishing it I think, then the doors go on and we're locked out!

Tam :)

Brickwork pics, part 1...

Here are the brickwork pictures which were taken yesterday.

From the front, also showing the roof tiles which were delivered on Friday. There is no room at the front of our property, the tiles are actually on the road! The scaffolding can be seen around the carport roof :)





A side shot:



And another:



And from the back:



They are currently up to Andrew's bedroom window. As the weather is forecast to be *slightly* cooler (39, but only 34 down here) I am hoping that they can knock off a decent amount tomorrow. Will be checking in the morning, and hoping like mad that the tilers will also be starting.

Tam :)

Brickwork commences...

So, we're finally off to a start with the build in the new year! The brickies have been working since mid last week, but due to the extreme weather we're experiencing in Adelaide currently the trades are limited to working until about lunchtime. It's been over 40 degrees every day for the last four days, and there is no relief in sight with temps staying very high for at least another week :( Despite that though, our brickies have been out on the job from about 5.30 am. The kids started at their new school down there this week, so I've been to the block to see them twice. They have done about 1 and a half walls so far, and I have to say their work looks very, very nice. It's very tidy nice looking brickwork, so we're highly impressed. I'm also impressed with how they've managed to get so much done with only a two man team, in this horrible weather...well done guys!
And he pointed out this morning that the scaffolding on the roof was put up yesterday, so I am hoping that means the roof tilers will be starting soon :) The tiles have not been delivered yet, but I am rather excited as I though that the tiles couldn't start until the bricks have finished. But the brickie (Steve), pointed out that they can start while the bricks are still going. Gee I hope that's the case.
I will be back to post some pictures in the next few days. I haven't taken any of the brickwork yet, it's been disgustingly hot in the evenings, hopefully this weekend I'll be brave enough to get some snaps :)

Tam :)

Frame now finally done. About time!

Our frame was finished this week. We were expecting that things would be a bit slower at this busy time of year, but it has been a blow to see our neighbour's house moving along at a cracking pace. I am trying to ignore all the things he's getting done, like roof (although he went colourbond, so quicker), plumbing, guttering and now bricks :( he works for them so I guess he has the advantage!
They cannot give us an idea of brickwork commencement, not until next year (at least LOL!). Anyway, here's the latest pictures....we took the kids and my mother in law up there last Sunday to have a look, so the extra bits of reinforcement timber which are criss crossed through some of the pictures are now gone as all the steel strips have gone in now.

View from lounge room window:


Jade near lounge room doorway, across the "hallway" is Alicia's room:


From the backyard, L to R is Andrew's room, then Cheyenne's Room, and then Jade's:


The front...we have main bedroom to the far left, then Ryan's room, then lounge room:

I will get some pics of bathroom, kitchen/dine, rumpus etc now that all the bits of timber are gone.

With the wrong window saga, it turns out that we have the right ones as our upgraded crosses are stuck on. I don't know whether to be relieved or not, I am slightly alarmed I am paying $1250 for stickers! Oh well, if they look good and last then that's all that matters I guess.

I probably won't get a chance to update before Christmas as we're quite busy and I guess nothing will happen with the house at this stage anyway. So Merry Christmas everyone....hope you all have an enjoyable, relaxing day :)

Tamsin :)

Frame almost complete

I am not sure why ours took so long, everyone else's took a couple of days :/ Anyway, I really hoped to not whinge again, it seems to be all I am doing about this whole building saga. As of yesterday we still had the roof being finished (well I hope it was being finished...I haven't been there today to check). It's been over a week, and it's kind of shattered the idea of having any brickwork done by Christmas, as everyone will be on holidays soon.
I sent an email on Wednesday morning, and I am yet to hear an answer on whether we are scheduled to have brickwork begin before Christmas. It's now been two days so I might be needing to follow up the lack of response again.
We did hear back about our concerns regarding dirt which wasn't removed (which we had paid $1400 for!!) and they are going to credit our account. Now I am annoyed about the $1250 I paid for upgraded windows, and I got standard ones :( I only got a few upgrades for the facade, the windows, the cut off eaves, and the panel lift roller door. I don't have the patience to wait for them to order new ones, get them fitted, and then have the brickwork consequently put off until goodness knows when.
I will update with some photos when I get the chance, and I would like to take some more, however it's bucketting down rain all day according to the BOM....actually quite fitting for my whinging pom post today ;p

Framework begins!

Yay! I still haven't heard anything from the builders, but at least there is action. We noticed last night there was timber around the edges of the slab, so we thought that it may be soon, but what a surprise I got when I drove up there early this afternoon and most of the upper level had been done! At the rate they are moving we are thinking the whole frame will be done by knock off Friday!

Photos:




After a disheartening start to the week, I am glad they've started something. I never thought that building a house could be so stressful and after so many disappointments and lengthy unexplained delays by the builder I was just hoping that something could go to plan!
The kids, who are mostly over driving up to look at the "stupid block" now can't wait to check out where their bedrooms are going to be. Jade is very concerned over the size of her room, she wants to get up there straight after school tomorrow!!
Alicia has been suffering with chicken pox since Sunday, and Andrew has been in hospital again since Saturday (asthma), so it's a bit of excitement for them too. We're all suffering from cabin fever here!

Nothing happening....

Although this has become the general feeling for us with this whole building experience, so nothing new! We signed our contract in July 07, and I never dreamed that we'd still be sitting here now waiting for our house, with only a slab poured and that's it!
Well, the meeting with the contracts manager has turned over nothing to this date. It's been two and a half weeks, with an email reminder last Tuesday from me. This was promptly answered, but only to tell me that he hasn't been able to solve any of our issues! I also wanted to know when the framework was going to start, but he still hasn't got back to me on that one either.
I asked for a rough idea of when our house will be ready, but apparently he can't give me any idea here either...not until the kitchen goes in. We haven't even though about the kitchen at this point, we are still waiting for a frame!
So, unfortunately nothing to report other than us being left mighty annoyed and disheartened by our treatment, yet again :/