More garden and pool room finished

The pool room is now finished. We got some stools and two small 57 Chev rear end glass top shelves for drinks to sit on.

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We have been working on the garden. We planted lots of English box hedge and got Kwik Kerb to do the concrete edging around the whole lot. Once we finished planting everything we put down some limestone rocks to keep the weeds down.

English box goes in

Kwik Kurb starting

Kwik Kurb finished with Lilly Pillys and English box in

Drive up entrance to house

We also got the curb done out the back between the house and clothes line and we bought some large already shaped English box and 4 dwarf pittosporums

Before we started

The site supervisor - Puss the cat

The finished garden bed

Carpet and pool table

We finally got the rest of the carpet laid on the 21/10/2013. We had just kept all the rooms without carpet empty to save having to move everything twice so it was good to get the spare beds and other things out of the garage. We can now finally park our cars in it!

Spare bedroom with carpet

Spare bedroom

We bought a second hand pool table from Melbourne and went down a couple of weeks before the carpet went in and picked it up. It was in pieces and had to be re-assembled. We left it on the trailer in the garage until the carpet went in. We were pretty worried how we would go getting it in and put back together but in the end it all went okay. We got a few people to help us and it went back to pretty easily. The pool table is a nine foot one and the room we have it in is 7 metres long so there is plenty of room for a shot.

Pool table.

Starting to plant and solar panels

Today 8/10/2013 we started to put the first of our trees in the front garden. We planted 9 ornamental pears either side of the drive way.

Starting to plant

Half of them in

We don't want to plant too much in the front garden, We've got such a nice outlook to the block across the road. The couple that own it have spent the last 23 years establishing it. There isn't a house there yet! 

The finished trees

We've found that we get quite a bit of wind here so we made sure that we staked the trees well.

We got some solar panels installed last Friday 4/10/2013. Once the system is up and going we are hoping we don't get much of a power bill being a 5 KW unit.

Solar panels installed

Also today the painter came back and put the first coat of stain on the deck. We decided to just go a natural colour for the stain.

The first coat of stain on the deck 8/10/2013

Starting the garden.

We are finally getting the little things that needed finishing off done. The painter has been back and fixed all the little marks and scratches that needed doing. He has also done all the outside painting that needed doing such as the deck, down pipes and entry.

The deck after it was painted.

 We had the kitchen maker come back and replace one of the kitchen doors that had marks all over it and also there was a small chip in the stone bench top that they sanded out and now that looks better too. The bricklayer came back and finished off the rendering. When it was first done I didn't like the colour, it looked too light but now I think I'm used to it and don't mind it.

The finished render

The weather has improved a lot so we decided to start our garden. We were going to have a big round about in front of the house but we've changed our mind and have just got some gravel put in front of it instead. My plan is to have a border of english box around it and standard lilly pilly's in front of the house.

Bobcat leveling out in front of the house 31/9/2013

Gravel arriving 31/9/2013

Slow progress

We are slowly getting progress on getting the house finished. We got some concreting done at the back of the house from the laundry to the clothes line. We are going to put a garden bed where it the concrete goes in.

Concreting at the back of the house

The bricklayer came back on Tuesday 10/9 and started to do the rendering on the front entry.

Rendering started

We are disappointed in the tiles. We didn't notice that the colour and shine was different in some tiles until they had a good clean and now it is really noticeable. We've spoken to the builder and found out that they are two different batches and we were guaranteed that this would not happen and that they would all be from the same batch. So now there is a dispute between the builder and the tile supplier on who's at fault. We aren't sure what is going to happen but it sounds like they might all get pulled up and redone again. It will be a huge cost to someone (180 square metres of tiles) and an inconvenience to us because not only do the tiles have to be redone but also architraves have to come off and then the painter will have to be back as well. We will have to wait and see what is going to be done. In this photo you can see the different colour but not the different shine.

Different tiles

Splashback

We finally got the glass splashback installed on Friday 16th August. We like how it looks

Kitchen glass splashback

We got the blinds installed on Monday 12th of August. We just wanted something simple so we've just got roller blinds on all the windows. The blinds on the back of the house are not complete block out as we don't have any houses (and won't have) behind us. All the other blinds are block out blinds.

Blind covering the sliding door out to the deck

Blind in the study (you can see how much water we have laying around)

Other than that there is not anything else to update. It is still too wet for any of the outside painting, rendering or deck staining to be done.

Not finished, but we are in!

We got the keys to our house on the 2nd of August. There is still a bit to do before it is completely finished. Most of it is the outside painting and rendering, but we have to wait until the weather gets a bit better before they come back and do it.

We weren't happy with how the pantry was fitted out and compromised with the builder. We thought it would be all shelving either side and instead he put shelving on only one side and cupboards without doors on the other side. We asked if he could put doors on the cupboards and he was happy to do it and we think it looks a lot better. We actually like that there is a place for the micowave and other things. We were thinking we might need some overhead cupboards in the kitchen but now we certainly don't!

Pantry

Pantry from the kitchen

We have to wait until this week for the glass splashback to go in. It's been delayed for weeks and finally they came to install it last week only to find that the holes for the power points would not line up. We choose the same colour for the splashback as the feature walls. The kitchen rangehood was put in on the 1st of August

Kitchen minus the splashback

The lounge room feature wall

Laundry finished

Bathroom finished

Carpet

We had the first lot of carpet go in on Thursday 25/7. I'm really happy with the colour and it feels lovely and soft. We have to wait another 7 weeks before the rest goes in.

Our bedroom carpet.

Walk in robe with carpet.

The painters have continued in the later part of this week and are doing all the doors and architraves. We had a leek in the roof above our ensuite so that has been fixed and now needs the ceiling needs repainting. We choose a semi gloss white for the architraves and I like the look of it.

 

So what's left?

The answer is not much! The builders finished putting in the tiles on Friday 19/7. They just have to be grouted. The kick boards in the kitchen have now been put on since the tiles are finished.

Tiles finished

The painters have been putting in some huge hours and by tonight 24/7 they look like they haven't got much left to do. We picked a dark colour to go on two of the walls just to break up the white a bit. It is also the same colour that we've picked for the splash back which is going to go in next Wednesday. The shower screens went in on Monday 22/7. The shower in the ensuite looks huge

Ensuite shower

The builders have been busy this week fitting out all the wardrobes in the bedrooms and also the walk in robe in our bedroom. I'm really happy with the amount of storage and now I have to go clothes shopping to fill it!

Walk in robe ( there is hanging space on the other side)

They have also fitted out our storage cupboard and have half done the walk in linen cupboard. Then it's just the pantry to do in the way of cupboards. They have also finished putting the architraves on through out the house.

Storage cupboard

The spa goes in

Today the spa went in 17/7

the spa is in

They also put the shower heads on in the bath room and ensuite

main bathroom shower

ensuite shower

Tiles and painting

The builders have been busy this week starting the tiles. We are having carpet in all the bedrooms, study, theatre room and games room and that is going to start getting done next Thursday 25/7. Then we are having the same tiles everywhere else. They look darker in the top photo than they are. The bottom photo is more like the true colour. They are a semi polished travertine look tile. We are really happy with the tiles.

Looking toward the front door 16/7

Kitchen 16/7

The painter started back on Monday 15/7 to give the walls a second coat and also to start the architraves. There isn't much left to do after the tiling and painting is done. Our builder has asked us how we want the shelving done in the robes, storage room and linen closet. We've designed our walk in robe to have plenty of cupboard space and hanging space. I've asked him to make a shelf for shoes and we are getting the same cabinet maker who did the kitchen to make up four drawers to also go into the walk in robe. We have been told we will be getting the key on Friday 2nd of August. So we are getting pretty excited to be able to move out there soon. 

Septic tank installed

Not a lot has happened so far this week inside. The sink and oven was installed in the kitchen on Monday 8/7

The oven

Kitchen sink

The hot water service was installed on Monday and on Wednesday the huge hole for the septic tank was dug and the tank was put in.

Septic tank

Septic tank drains

A better photo of the roller doors

We got the carpet organised today, the only problem is there isn't enough carpet available to do all the rooms we want. We can get our bedroom and walk-in robe, study and theatre room done before we move in but then we have to wait 7 weeks to get the other 3 bedrooms and games room done. We also got our glass splash back measured up and we've chosen a colour as well.