On my next visit just a couple of days later, we had a portaloo and a meter box. The box looked a bit lonely standing there all by itself - no wall to cling to...
Chicken, Date and Honey Tagine
12 years ago
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Next came the portaloo and meter box
11th March 2009
On my next visit just a couple of days later, we had a portaloo and a meter box. The box looked a bit lonely standing there all by itself - no wall to cling to...
On my next visit just a couple of days later, we had a portaloo and a meter box. The box looked a bit lonely standing there all by itself - no wall to cling to...
Temporary fencing, pink posts and poly pipe...
4th March 2009
I dropped into our block on the way home from work and was suprised to find that a start had been made (we later received a letter saying that work started on the 27th of Feb). The site had been scraped and marked out and pipes for sewerage and electricity had been installed.
Here's our temporary fencing, pink posts and poly pipe...
I dropped into our block on the way home from work and was suprised to find that a start had been made (we later received a letter saying that work started on the 27th of Feb). The site had been scraped and marked out and pipes for sewerage and electricity had been installed.
Here's our temporary fencing, pink posts and poly pipe...
Waiting...
December, January and February saw us waiting... waiting... waiting... waiting for our land to be titled so that we could start building.
When we first looked at our block we were told that it was titled - ready to build. When it came to signing the land contract, just one week later we were told that the developer was holding off on titling the land until the new year (that was in October) to avoid paying extra rates and taxes, and that the land would be titled in early January.
In December I got excited because we got a SOLD sign on our block (that's our car in our driveway and our block to the right)
In January we were told that our land would be title on 4th February. That didn't happen and we waited again.
In January I got excited because a tap and water meter appeared on our block
Finally on 20th Feb our land was titled!!!
Our Customer Service Officer at Simonds was as excited as we were, she had us down for a February start - Feb 16th actually - and was keen to get us started.
And start they did.... on 27th of Feb.
When we first looked at our block we were told that it was titled - ready to build. When it came to signing the land contract, just one week later we were told that the developer was holding off on titling the land until the new year (that was in October) to avoid paying extra rates and taxes, and that the land would be titled in early January.
In December I got excited because we got a SOLD sign on our block (that's our car in our driveway and our block to the right)
In January we were told that our land would be title on 4th February. That didn't happen and we waited again.
In January I got excited because a tap and water meter appeared on our block
Finally on 20th Feb our land was titled!!!
Our Customer Service Officer at Simonds was as excited as we were, she had us down for a February start - Feb 16th actually - and was keen to get us started.
And start they did.... on 27th of Feb.
Preparations...
Things seemed to move along quite quickly once the decision was made.
Our land contracts were signed, a loan for the land was applied for and approved, a conveyancor was appoint and the deposit paid... and then we waited...
In the meantime we had our colour and electrical appointments where we were extremely conservative. The word of the day was "standard".... "which bricks would you like?" - show us the standard options "what about the front door - upgrade or standard?" - standard ...and benchtops, paint, laminex, door handles and the list goes on - STANDARD!!!
We did upgrade a few things - privacy locks on the bathroom and toilet doors (you're surprised that they're an extra too? so was I), obsure glass on the bathroom windows, a longer handle on the pantry door - to match the other kitchen cupboard handles and I don't remember what else.
The elecrical selection was a little different. We added a few things and then they gave us the price and we were surprised that we were under budget and so went back and added more. Mostly it was just extra power points, double switches on lights, outdoor lighting, heating/exhaust units for the bathrooms, and exhaust fan for the laundry - we're dryer users and so this is a necessity, all pretty boring stuff here.
Next was the signing of the house contracts, the application for the construction loan, approval of the construction loan and then we continued to wait....
Our land contracts were signed, a loan for the land was applied for and approved, a conveyancor was appoint and the deposit paid... and then we waited...
In the meantime we had our colour and electrical appointments where we were extremely conservative. The word of the day was "standard".... "which bricks would you like?" - show us the standard options "what about the front door - upgrade or standard?" - standard ...and benchtops, paint, laminex, door handles and the list goes on - STANDARD!!!
We did upgrade a few things - privacy locks on the bathroom and toilet doors (you're surprised that they're an extra too? so was I), obsure glass on the bathroom windows, a longer handle on the pantry door - to match the other kitchen cupboard handles and I don't remember what else.
The elecrical selection was a little different. We added a few things and then they gave us the price and we were surprised that we were under budget and so went back and added more. Mostly it was just extra power points, double switches on lights, outdoor lighting, heating/exhaust units for the bathrooms, and exhaust fan for the laundry - we're dryer users and so this is a necessity, all pretty boring stuff here.
Next was the signing of the house contracts, the application for the construction loan, approval of the construction loan and then we continued to wait....
Beginnings...
Late last year we made the decision to become home owners - this is the story of our journey.
In October we got serious about it - spurred on my the Australian Governments generosity with their boost to the First Home Owners Grant - and started looking at house designs and blocks.
We've looked before but each time got carried away by the beauty of all of those big 'dream' homes with foyers, galleries, powder rooms, and other stuff that we really didn't need. This time we took a different approach and looked at what our priorities were in a house (what we needed and what we think would be a good investment/rental) and what land was available in a price we could afford and that would fit the house we wanted.
It's a bit of a chicken and egg situation - land first or house first?.....
Our priorities were....
In October we got serious about it - spurred on my the Australian Governments generosity with their boost to the First Home Owners Grant - and started looking at house designs and blocks.
We've looked before but each time got carried away by the beauty of all of those big 'dream' homes with foyers, galleries, powder rooms, and other stuff that we really didn't need. This time we took a different approach and looked at what our priorities were in a house (what we needed and what we think would be a good investment/rental) and what land was available in a price we could afford and that would fit the house we wanted.
It's a bit of a chicken and egg situation - land first or house first?.....
Our priorities were....
- 3 bedrooms
- 2 separate living spaces; and
- preferably a study or 4th bedroom.
Soon enough we found a combination that worked. Right house... right block... right price.... and so we put down holding deposits on both the land and the house and started the ball rolling.
Our land is in the Wyndella Estate - a small estate in Truganina (near Hoppers Crossing) east of Melbourne.
Our builder is Simonds and our plan is the Hillcrest. We've kept everything as it is in the plans except we switched the sliding door from the family room to the meals area (made more sense to us that way) and added a roller door to the rear of the garage. Oh and our house is flipped so that the garage is on the left.
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