Roof is on

Tiles have been set out on the roof. I thought this would take a pretty long time as there are quite a number of tiles to be done, but they got it done in a day. They need to come back to finish it off obviously, but things are moving ahead quite well.

Windows, Door Frame, and Wrap

Good to see the windows go in today. Also, the roof tiles have been delivered and should go on this week if the rain disappears.

Door and Windows Arrive

We were starting to wonder whether our windows and doors were ever going to be put in. All the houses around us had windows by the time the frame was up, but we are about a week after and we still had not seen windows.  So to see this was a relief. Also, roof scaffolding is on, ready for them to put the tiles on early next week I think.

Steel Frame Up

Lots of steel! Finally can get a feel of the size of the place. When it was just a slab, it looked very small, but now there is some structure it looks quite big, except the entrance hallway which I always knew would be quite narrow.

I spoke to our site supervisor today to organise the meeting with the sparky for electrical rough in. He says he will get back to me next week after the roof is on. I need to run some cat6 for HDMI that I am hoping he will let me run, or it will just take that bit longer once we move in.

Remember when I said we hit rock? Well we FINALLY got the bill today. Very unimpressed. The site supervisor had told us roughly $300, I sent photos to my conveyancor who asked his friend; also roughly $300. When we opened the bill to see $1100 it was a shock, and one I will be following up with JG King as soon as the long weekend is over.

Accompanying that letter was a request from JG King for an extension by a month as the frame was delivered late by the supplier. I'm pretty sure the supplier is owned by JG King. Hasn't really been one thing go right for us yet.

Hopefully we get to see our windows soon because the frame makes them look quite spectacular.

On a side note, one of my favourite shows on TV is Selling Houses Australia. Shayna finally used dark flooring in a house rather than say it sucks the light out of everything. As our tiles and carpet are both quite dark, it was good to see that it can work.

Framing Almost Up

I drove out to the block today to see if the frame had arrived, after being told it would be here on March 3rd. We had been out there on the weekend for a display village opening and we had some friends with us. It was still just a slab on the Saturday, so unfortunately they didn't get to see too much. To our surprise, the frame was almost up when we got out there Monday night.

Slab is down

The slab is down, 51 weeks in the making.  Since we started all the way back in February 2013, it has been a very long and hard process with many obstacles. But we finally have a slab!! Frame is due to arrive end of this month/start of March. So will have more pictures then.  

JG King don't waste anytime asking for payment, we received the invoice the very next day.

Days leading up to the slab

4/2/14 - Plumbing goes in. Sorry about me being in picture.

7/2/14 - Electrical trench is dug. 

This is one of the worst days on the build so far.

In the contract stages, I noted that JG King do not have fixed site costs, even though the sales people say they do.  One of the things they don't cover is hitting rock, it took me a month to sign the contract as I was worried about this happening.

What I've been told by people about hitting rock in the area we are building:

Land Developer: As it is a new estate, they have done a lot of work out there, there is a top layer on it and you shouldn't hit rock.
JG King: Of all the houses we have out there, nobody's hit rock yet. So you would have to be pretty unlucky.
Site supervisor: I have 13 houses out there at the moment, and we haven't hit rock on one of them, so you would have to be unlucky.

FACT: I am a very unlucky person

The site supervisor rings me to to say they have struck rock. Typical. As to what this costs I will keep you updated.

10/2/2014 - Slab formwork is done, and they have got through the rock in the electrical trench.

View from across the street

View from rear of block

The metrebox is in, and the trench is filled in.

11/2/2014 - Mesh and Polysterene goes in, ready for slab to be poured tomorrow