What's a-piered

A couple of blue lines.  A couple of concrete piers.

We're VERY lucky to get out of the ground with only 2.  Some sites nearby have looked like they have a contagious disease, they're so dotted with concrete spots.  Site costs in excess of $20k are pretty common in our estate.  We were bracing ourselves for that kind of news, so at Tender, when we heard M Class, there was a total party going on in our heads.  Less than $4k in site costs, and that includes the temp fence!

That blue line gave us the first look at the size of our backyard.  Just 3m wide.  Golly it's tiny.

I'd imagined a bit of a deck out the back.  Space for the BBQ.  Maybe an outdoor table.  Maaaaaaybe not.  We're going to have to be creative with this area to make the most of it.  Tiny.

That's the idea of downsizing though, eh?

Deliveries

You really know action is imminent when your fence and dunny arrive;

 And a bonus pile of rock, too.  Must be getting ready for plumbing.  It's all happening!

Positive Power

Trying ever so hard to flip the - into + and focus on the awesomeness of this build.

Yep, a few things aren't how we'd like them, and although getting exactly what you want is kind of the point to building from scratch, in reality, it's our fault for not spending enough time with the plans before we got to contract stage.

With hindsight we should have rescheduled our contract appointment though, as we had our first look at full drawings and elevations on the friday night before our first open house weekend.  Which ended with a very late sunday night going through the offers presented, and negotiations, and acceptance.  So it's not as though we were sitting around twiddling our thumbs, neglecting the plans.  We really didn't have a chance to give them our full attention before fronting up to contract signing the next day.

Anyway - we move on.  The plans are the plans.  They can't won't be changed.

I could go into this build thinking that it's going to be crap and we will sell it within the first year.
Or I could get over my perfectionist tendencies and accept that I can't always get my own way.


I've got the power to change my thoughts.

And our block has power too.

Scraped In

Pretty frustrating few days!

Finance approval is dragging it's heels.  About 8 weeks after application and we're still waiting.
The plans aren't correct.  We've requested changes and been denied.  They've missed some things but they're okay to be changed.
Another Council fee to be paid.  This time to protect "Council's asset", i.e.: footpath.  $200 application fee on top of a $1,000 bond.  And WE have to pay this.  What the?

It's feeling as though the house is trying to tell us something.  It's resisting it's own start.  (if you're not a fatalist then you'll think this is cray cray).

All day my mind was processing the dodgy window placement in the second bedroom, the lack of an alcove for the microwave, the tiny size of the tiny block and the tiny yard we'll have, the less than ideal orientation on the block; round and round it all went, sending me for a trip down what-are-we-doing Rd.

I was ready to walk away from the whole build.  Sell the block.  Stay in our rental for a while and reassess everything. As I drove to the block in the pouring rain, with tears in my eyes, I was imagining the conversation we were going to have to have, and how we could escape the build.  Seriously.  Over before it had begun.

And then I saw this;

They've started.

No finance.  Plans not final.  They've started.

Shit.

We're not ready.  We're not happy.  There's no out now.  They've started.

Grass & Brass

With our site start imminent and excitement building, we charged up the mower and trotted on down to give the nature strip a trim and tidy up.  As you do.  Well, as we do.  Gotta make the place look respectable before it gets chewed up and turned into a construction zone.

 The battery almost lasted long enough to get half of it done :D

But... while we were there, we noticed something about our taps.  You know, the bright sparkly new ones that were installed last weekend?  They're gone.  Stolen.  Severed below ground level.  Bastards.

We checked out a few other sites nearby, and yup, theirs were gone too.  Grrrrrrrr.  Maybe we should  camp out on our block with a baseball bat ;)

Tap Dancing

There was no reason for me to drive past today.

I wasn't even passing by, really.

But something called me.

And THIS...

Extreme close up...

We have taps.  We've started.  Aren't they beautiful?

Colour me happy

I get that builders make their money through upgrades.

But I don't like it.

It feels like a bit of a scam to me.  And we were swept up in the upgrade frenzy last time around, so this build, there will be no $3,000 feature tiles in the powder room.  No sir-eeee.  Or stacked stone feature wall.  Or any of the craziness that dates and over-capitalises.  We spent $120,000 over the base price last build.    Yes, it DID look amazing.  But our mortgage did not.  And with downsizing that figure one of the key drivers to this move, we had to keep our emotions in check, and make smarter decisions.

One of the MANY things I've loved so far about Arden is their inclusions.  I don't feel like I'm being up-sold at every turn.  It feels transparent.  And I like it.

I was really, really hoping that our colour browse wouldn't sour that, like a particular large builder with a biiiiiiig warehouse of shiny upgrades in Port Melbourne.  (I needed a shower after that experience!).

We're allocated one hour on a Saturday to browse the Arden colour room, with a guided tour by a qualified Interior Designer.  Cool.  Felicity was so adorable, and helpful, and cheery, and made us feel welcome and at ease.  She stepped us through the showroom, and guided us with really helpful questions to eliminate options.

Brick or Hebel?  Hebel.  It was included in the promotion.
Light or dark render?  Light.
Colorbond or tiles?  Tiles.  An upgraded profile was included in the promo too.
Light or dark?  Dark.
Windows?  Black.
Garage door to match the roof or contrast?  Match.

And in less than 7 minutes, our exterior scheme was picked.

Timber or tiled floors?  Timber.  Promo.  Yahoo.
Do you have any images of kitchens or bathrooms you like?  Do I ever - ha ha.
Oh, I know what would look awesome with us...
Have you thought about...

Felicity completely understood the look we were going for, and added value in ways we would never have considered.

Before our hour was up, we literally had every element of the house selected.  It was so stress free, and for the first time, it felt like the fun that people tell me it's supposed to be.

Here's our selections;

EXTERNAL
Render, main - Dulux Limed White
Render, feature - Dulux Mt Eden
Roof tile - Monier Traditional, Barramundi
Windows - Black
Garage Door - Monument
Gutter & fascia - Monument
and if the budget allows, we'll add in this gorgeous stone to the facade columns.

INTERNAL
Walls - Dulux Natural white
Ceiling - Dulux Natural White
Trims - Dulux Natural White
Feature wall - Dulux Vanilla Quake
Carpet - Major Carpets Royal Parade, Cavalade (Cat 2 upgrade)
Timber - Trendline Oak Laminate, Golden Oak
Tiles - Beaumont, Belga Grey GL Porc 450 x 450

BATHROOMS
Benchtop - Caesarstone, Ocean Foam
Vanity - Polytec, Natural Oak
Tiles - Beaumont Belga Grey
Feature tiles - Beaumont Mosaic Penny Round, Cinder Grey (upgrade)

KITCHEN
Benchtop - Caesarstone, Ocean Foam
Cabinets - Polytec, Classic White
Overheads - Polytec, Black Wenge
Feature - Polytec, Natural Oak
Splashback - Glass, Dulux Vanilla Quake

Me being me, it's likely these will be changed, at least in my own mind, hundreds of times over until the final point of no return.  But for now, we're much pleased with ourselves and with Arden for a lovely experience.