Project Regent

The internet definately works in strange ways. Like that fact that we have applied absolutely no search engine optimisation effort to this blog, yet still we appear as number three in the Google list after two entries from Porter Davis.

But it gets stranger… like when we were at Point Cook today looking at the progression of three Regent houses being constructed around the corner from our block. We saw a couple in a car eyeing off a house and we thought that it might have been theirs, so Michael approached the open window to have a chat - quite innocent as we were wanting to find out if they were our bricks and roof tiles (sure, it was a different house but the colours looked good) - but no, it wasn’t theirs, they were just doing what we did when we were selecting colours - driving around pointing at people’s houses.

But anyway, we had a chat and found out they were building the Regent 23 and have been in discussions with the exact same superb sales consultant as us - they are still finalising sales details, but heading down this same path. So we pointed out the three Regent houses on that stretch of road, and headed on our way.

Just as we are heading back to the car, we get stopped by one of the couple who had a few questions - she asked “do you guys have that blog online?” (yes paraphrased, but that gives you the jist of it). Laughing, we had more of a chat about our experiences so far, what to look out for, what to expect at appointments, and agreed the raised kitchen is a little, well, dangerous. But we’ve already talked about that one.

So, to the new Regent 23 couple, you’ll no doubt be reading this shortly - and all the best on your adventure - drop us a line and say hi again : )

Lots of grass...

Well, we now have grass. We did our routine drive-by at Point Cook (and yes, we just received our notification of settlement from Peet - woohoo!), and alas there is still a fence up around the land release. But… but… but… so exciting… we have grass. At first, it looks like just some fresh growth after a shower of rain, but when looking at it more and more, it actually looks like grass has been sown. And while the initial excitement of landscaping gets the eyes wide, the realisation that the grass won’t survive contractors, trucks, builders, palettes of bricks and a swarm of utes during construction puts a dampener back on the situation. But for now, we have grass. And by the time the land titles and we can wander on our block, we’ll have a nice paddock to wander over.

15 Wylie Way... with Grass!

Even the newly planted fence is grassing...

But the debate still stands… do we get real grass or fake grass? The jury is still out on that question, but Mikey’s been drawing up garden plans, so I should do the same and we can then start to picture what our superb outdoor area will look like.

Well thats another major milestone completed.  This afternoon we spent just over 3 hours at Porter Davis going through, altering and signing the construction contract.  Now I need to goto the bank and get yet another large cheque!

The process was actually quite pain free, just a lot of reading and digesting of information.  The good news is that with all our upgrades, alterations and additions we’re still under budget (just).  There were some good things and bad things we discovered.

Good things:

• Render for the portico columns at the front are $250 less then budgeted
• We’re under budget generally
• Passed our 5 star energy rating with flying colours
• Thats it really!

Bad things:

• Slab for the alfresco came in at $1681 when we were told it’d be around $600
• The dumper shower head for the ensuite was quoted as $407 via email, came in at $593 (they originally quoted the wrong one).  This is actually $93 over what I was prepared to pay, but oh well, its a great shower head
• Still not happy about paying $350 for translucent glazing in the front door when its only $210 extra on the Corinthian Doors website
• The window for bedroom 4 was randomly moved to the wrong wall.  We left it as standard but someone decided it was to be moved.  Its going back.
• There was a charge of $1026 for 2 random brick columns to the portico.  “Um excuse me, but arn’t the pillars included with the Ormond Facade?”. Yes they are!  That cost has been removed.

So we should still be on target for a pre-christmas moving date.  We need to chase up a date for land titling - once that has happened we can have our start date allocated and off we go.  So long as we can start building no later then the middle of August we’re on track.

Oh!  one other thing we had to get altered.  The draftsman decided to sit out house on the land so that the minimum space possible was between the garage wall and fence, with a larger gap between the other side of the house that that fence.  Now all our outdoor living space is on the garage side of the house and the other side is just wasted space.  We got them push the house across the block a bit giving us an extra half meter of outdoor living.  Sometimes you have wonder what people are thinking!

It’s been almost 2 weeks now since we had official contact from Porter Davis and we found out who our Administrator will be, and almost 2 weeks with no word from her.  Today I emailed a list of questions that we need answers for before our contract signing on Tuesday (20th April).

The issue with all builders seems to be lack of communication.  There are a heap of posts on the Internet about that issue.  She will probably hate me by the end of the process as I’ll be on her case constantly - after all WE ARE THE CUSTOMER and spending a lot of money with them….

Stay tuned!

Marty trying the bath for size

Yesterday while measuring windows at Mernda Marty decided to try out the bath for size (and yes mum he took his shoes off!).

Its a funky shape bath, and the tiles you see in the photo are what we are thinking of having too.