SLAB POURED

We received an email from Wisdom in the morning which was a generic email saying that they have completed the slab stage. I wasn't 100% certain it would be done today as our SS has not mentioned it to us. That same afternoon, we received the Invoice for the 2nd Progress Payment - Slab. We made the trip to site that afternoon to check slab was all done so that we can make the payment.

We are also contributing some of our own funds for the Slab payment so the following morning after we made the transfer, i sent the bank the Invoice so they can pay the remainder.

WAFFLEPODS LAID

A quick visit to our land after work today proved to be worthwhile! We were greeted with wafflepods. I expected them to be laid today since our Site Manager sent us photos of them yesterday so we knew they were already delivered. Eldric and I stood from the backyard and imagined where the rooms would be! Pretty stoked that our little humble abode is becoming a reality!

PIERING COMPLETED

Our Site Supervisor called on Monday for an introduction and gave me a low down of what's to come. He has booked work for the next 7 weeks and said our Piering will happen  on Wednesday - give or take!

SITE SCRAPE

Site scrape, cut and fill involves leveling and compacting of the soil to ensure a flat working area, where the slab will be laid. You will notice from the pic above that it has been filled at the front to raise the level slightly due to the slope on our land, Even though the slope is minimal, i like the idea of being higher than street level. Let's just make sure the teen doesn't get her future car "lowered" 😆

CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE

5 February 2019 - Fence and Portaloo delivered

8 February 2019 - Land levelled / Cut and Fill

20 February 2019 - Piering & Formwork completed

21 February 2019 - Internal drainage installed and wafflepods delivered

FENCED IN!

The fence & portaloo was delivered yesterday! When driving up to our street, we saw the fence and were pleasantly surprised! Can't believe we are finally at this stage now. Seems so surreal! After a dramatic start to the year, all we felt like doing was the happy dance! Hoping and praying that we have a smooth as can be build and with minimal disruptions and issues as possible! I think it's absolutely essential to be realistic as well as flexible during the build journey and I can only wish for Eldric and myself to exercise due diligence and patience! We also have to be vigilant and I really want to be involved in the process where I can and not just "go with the flow". Absolutely thrilled to be in this phase!

PRODUCTION ESTIMATING

Ordered a custom design 2019 Build Diary from "Papier" (above) to record important
build dates and construction notes

On the 31st January 2019, we received the most anticipated email this year from Wisdom Homes - we were officially out of Admin stage and finally in Production Estimating stage. This stage is a major milestone, and we are glad to have made it, with a few cuts and bruises!!

FINAL LEG OF ADMIN!

It has been awhile (so it seems!) since my last build update. So much has happened since then...
Warning: long post ahead!

MY MOOD BOARDS

Copyright of ASJ©

I enjoy doing mood boards when there's nothing good on TV... lol! Sort of a way to release some creative energy when I get the urge! I guess that's why they call it a mood board! Here are a few I whipped up tonight..

It's funny how I've started doing mood boards early this year and when i look back, i notice my tastes and likes have changed. One thing stays consistent though, my love for minimalism and the whole minimalist concept.

Below are some of my mood boards 😊

AMENDED SUBMISSION PLANS

We received our amended Pre-Council Submission Plans yesterday. All looks to be in order! Only one correction to be made - which i have made our CSR aware of. I wasn't too worried about this one because it's in our Tender so the correction can be made when the Drafting Team draw up the Final Construction Plans. I gave her the go ahead to proceed with preparing the Submission Pack for Council. I am glad it is all sorted now... It delayed us a few weeks, but it also means, when we receive Final Plans, there should be no more errors! It evens out right?

PRE COUNCIL SUBMISSION

It has been awhile since my last post! A couple of things have happened since our Land has registered! Bore Hole Report and Contour Surveys have been conducted on our land. These reports were ordered by Wisdom and will determine what our Additional Site Costs will be. Our CSR has also lodged Plans for Developer Approval which came back approved within two weeks (Good on you, Newpark!) I actually thought it would take awhile as i imagined there would have been many submissions following land registration!

THE NITTY GRITTY - LAND REGISTRATION & FINANCE

So a few things have happened since my last post! Thought it was time for an update!

We received a letter from our Solicitor in late July advising that Land Registration was ahead of schedule and anticipated to be in August/September. That is about 3 months earlier than expected! Initially, when we had our first meeting with our Wisdom Homes Sales Consultant last year, we were told to expect Registration in November/December of 2018. It's quite unheard of for new estate developments to register on time let alone early! In fact, we were told by many to expect at least a 3 month delay. So here we are just cruising along and not expecting to lift a finger by at least November! And when i say lift a finger i am talking about paperwork!

INSPIRATION

Here are some pictures that i have gathered over the last few months via Pinterest and Instagram that inspired me with my Selections. Truly a wonderful tool to do your research! Once you have created your Pinterest Boards, look back and you will notice a theme transpire. In my case, i gravitated to the monochrome palette. It's not to say i am not attracted to other styles and themes, it just means my eye was on the black/greys/whites. In the last few weeks, i have been falling in love with Tan! Can't wait to introduce tan leather in and around the house! I chose this palette because you can dress it up and dress it down by adding splashes of colour in the form of vases, throws and pillows - anything you like really! I am doing a workshop next month at the International School of Colour and Design with a dear friend of mine who shares the same passion for interior styling as i - excitement is an understatement!

UPGRADES & VARIATIONS

I thought i might go through some of our selections in more detail, including our Variations. There is so much to track - again a spreadsheet to record all these is crucial because when it comes to the Final End Panel stage (where all your upgrades and additional costings are consolidated into one document), you need to make sure the amounts all add up!

I will try and be a little candid with my costs where i can as i know that transparency is a huge thing, especially when building for the first time! 😉

ADMIN TIMELINE

2017 MILESTONES:

15 August - House on the market

19 August - 1st Open House

21 August - Offer received for sale of house

28 August - Offer accepted (house officially SOLD)

3 September - Holding Deposit paid to Wisdom Homes

WINDOW DRESSINGS

Thanks to Pinterest, Instagram and good old Display Home stalking, i have a fair idea of how i would like to dress our windows. Simple and easy on the eyes is what's important to me. Our house will be very monochrome, with tan leather and a little bit of timber to soften the look, so sheers is the way to go! I would like to go with a local business who can custom make them so they sit nice and neat against the wall. I think sheers that go across the whole wall would look amazing. We have high ceilings so the floor to ceiling/wall to wall will accentuate the height and space even more.  Sheers also provide privacy without losing natural light.

I love how sheers provide the light and airy feel. I would love to find one where you can see out but can't see in. I have seen this in the Washington Display Home in Elara - feels so luxe with added privacy.

Over the last few months, i have collected some photos via Instagram from a designer whose style i envy. How classy does her rooms look?

Photo Credit: Aimee Tarulli - www.instagram.com/aimeestylist

www.instagram.com/aimeestylist

LIGHTING

We still have a few months until we need to buy lighting, furniture and appliances. A really good tip i read from a build blog was to note the month a shop goes on Sale. For example, Beacon Lighting have massive sales during April and May. I have noticed that August is also a great month for sales! And of course the End of Financial Year Sales in June/July.

You may have read from my last post that i have deleted some of our chosen pendant lights from our Electrical Quote. It's proof that in just 5 months, your design taste and palette can change or shift! I still find the minimalist, clean look very appealing and i doubt that will change much.

Here are some lighting designs i have in mind:

The Surface Ledlux Dimmable Downlights in Black, three to go above the kitchen island

CHANGES TO ELECTRICALS

Another Post Contract Variation. When our land settled, it forced me to re-visit our Electrical Plans, Selections and Variations. In order to eliminate potential delays, i thought it would be best i bring up any niggling issues before we reach the End Panel stage. Making the changes now would mean little changes to End Panel and in turn, keep the paperwork to a minimum (less likely to have human error!).

REECE SELECTIONS - KITCHEN / BATHROOM / ENSUITE

I thought i would show our Reece selections mainly because by the time we are are at the Internals stage in our build, i might have forgotten them by then! Wisdom Homes Inclusions Package is fantastic. They use quality suppliers such as Caroma, Posh and Kado. The reason why i chose to "upgrade" was because we wanted black matte finishes to all our fixtures, in keeping to the theme of the home. As mentioned in a previous post, if you wish to choose your own fixtures and range, you will need to source them online and provide your Consultant with the codes. I am so glad i read a blog that mentioned this, otherwise i would not have known that there was an option like this - perfect example of how research is key!

FINAL QUOTES

A few weeks after our Selection Appointments, our quotes started pouring in. In an ideal world, you would receive them, sign off on them straight away and that would be the end of it. That wasn't the case for us. I made changes to every single one of them. Most were due to me just changing my mind on the smallest of things!

With every Quote received, i went over it with a fine tooth comb. I didn't want to miss anything and i also didn't want to regret the choices down the track so it was vital i get it right.

SELECTIONS

I spent many hours researching, reading blogs and educating myself on everything build related. I feel like i still have a long way to go - it's hard to get your head around all the build jargon, especially if it's your first time to build! I am so thankful for stumbling on the homeone forum because i have learnt so much from reading posts and most of all, asking questions! The people on the forum have a wealth of knowledge and it's great to know there is a platform out there where you can ask the most silliest questions and get an honest answer and non judgmental opinion!

GETTING TO KNOW MY PALETTE

Not long after we paid the Tender Acceptance Fee and remainder of the deposit, we received an email from the “W Gallery” Team to welcome us to the Selections Stage. This is probably the most exciting email I have received thus far!

We arranged the dates with our CSR – two full days. Eldric and I had to organise Annual Leave for these two exciting days. The appointments were scheduled 1.5 months later – which gave me plenty of time to re-visit display homes and stalk Instagram and Pinterest!

NEW YEAR, NEW TENDER

In December, Wisdom Homes shut down for the Christmas break so we knew our Tender Presentation would happen in mid to late January of 2018. We had been looking forward to this day since paying our Holding Deposit because even though we had already handed over cash, it only gets real when you sign on that dotted line! I had prepared for this day – going through the house plans, the sketch, the Sales Quote over and over. I had spreadsheets with all my budget and all my questions. So to say I was organised, is an understatement! We spent many weekends going to display homes and taking pictures and notes! Dragging the kids along too! I even had a display folder, or dare I say, a “portfolio” of pictures to show the Tender Presenter of all the things we wanted included so I knew we would be on the same page.

PRE TENDER MEETING

A few weeks after paying the holding deposit, we had another meeting with Lisa. In this meeting, you get to walkthrough the display home where you get to pick and choose the additions and items you want added in your Tender. This process is really exciting because you get to tell your Sales Consultant – “I want this, I want that”, while pointing at the things you think you can afford – or can’t!

A few weeks after the Pre Tender Meeting, i received the Plan Siting and Sketch in my inbox. There were a few more changes, amendments and questions for our very patient Sales Consultant!

WISDOM HOMES - DISPLAY HOME GALLERY

The following photos are from The Washington display homes in Elara, 

Gregory Hills & Newbrook Estate

NEWPARK ESTATE PROGRESS

July 28, 2018

BUILDING AT NEWPARK

The Newpark Design Guidelines outlined below have been produced by the Design Review Panel (DRP) to help create a well-designed, high quality streetscape at Newpark and to protect your investment in your new home.

The DRP will review all proposed designs within Newpark for compliance. Land owners, Builders and Designers must submit their house designs along with their landscape plans for review and approval by the Newpark DRP prior to lodgement with the Council or a Private Certifier for approval.

Colour Scheme "Trees and Grass"

NEWPARK ESTATE

We chose this new master planned community to build our dream home. We loved the location and the tranquil vibe the estate has.

There will be three major new parks, a school, two large children's playgrounds as well as a large man made lake with walking and cycling tracks, sporting fields, barbecue areas and much more. When we visited their sales office and  saw the master plan, we knew this was the estate we wanted to live in.

The Sydney Business Park is 5 minutes away with Bunnings, Costco and Ikea. The area has so much growth and potential as well as the positive house values sky rocketing in the neighbouring Elara Estate.