Counting Down

It's now less than two weeks until PCI, and with all the little things happening to finish the house off it would almost be easier to list what is yet to be done!  The outside is looking great, with the temporary fencing and port-a-loo gone we are just waiting on the external painting.

The taps have been moved to the front of the house as per the estate covenants, and the WIR window has been changed to obscured glass.  This window was an oversight on our part, thinking that we would just manage privacy with blinds, but once construction was underway we realised that without a door between the WIR and the ensuite this window was effectively a window from the street into the ensuite, and privacy became a whole lot more important!  Fortunately our site supervisor was very accommodating and arranged the change for us.

WIR window and taps

Carpet

The big change this week is that we have carpet!

Rumpus room

Master bedroom

In some ways I'm not thrilled with the carpet.  It matches the tiles quite well where they meet, but the carpet doesn't have the same depth as the tiles, which makes it look quite brown.  However, I'm not unhappy with it.  It works with our colour scheme, and although I would probably prefer something lighter, we specifically chose something darker on account of the little guy.

Electrical

The fibre hub has been installed, and the data points are in.  The pre-wiring for the TV wall mounts has also been started.

Data point and TV wall mount

Bathrooms 

The bathrooms are close to complete.  Both toilets are now installed (the one in the ensuite having been delayed due to a crack in the first one delivered.  Both shower screens are installed, and the plumbing appears to be complete.  There is a tile missing in the bathroom, which appears to be intentional to allow access to the bath pipes.  The bath itself is in but is not fixed.
 

Toilet

Bathroom Shower

Bathroom

Ensuite

Ensuite

Kitchen

There hasn't been much action in the kitchen for a little while now.  This week some preparation is underway for the glass splashback, which has been delivered.

Kitchen

Windows and Doors 

Most of the door handles have been fitted (I think it is the doors with privacy sets that are yet to be done.  Door stops have also been fitted throughout.  In the wet areas with tiled skirting the doorstops are attached to the door which makes perfect sense but was interesting as I had never seen that before!

Internal door handles

Linen cupboard

As mentioned above, the window in the WIR has been changed to obscure glass.

WIR

The windows have all been cleaned, and it appears that the broken window we identified early on has been fixed.  The gap above the sliding door in the alfresco has been covered, but the bifolds, bathroom and ensuite window are yet to be done.

Sliding door

...including the kitchen sink

With just two and a half weeks until PCI, we are getting down to the nitty gritty of it now.  This week was dominated by plumbing and electrical.  We multi-tasked our visit this morning by meeting a representative from the curtain and blind company to measure up the windows.  When we arrived there was at least one person working in the roof.

Electrical

The electricians were in early in the week.  Lights have been installed, as well as power points, the alarm system, smoke alarms and the doorbell.  I wanted to try out some lights, but we didn't know what the guy/s in the roof were doing, and we didn't want to do anything annoying or risky.  This is all really boring stuff.  I have a heap of really dull photos of light fittings (obligatory power saver bulb and plastic chinaman's hat), but it's hard to justify sharing such bad, boring photos!  So here's just a couple.

Down lights

Doorbell chime

Heating and cooling

Heating and cooling vents are finished, as well as the return air vent.  The controls have also been installed.  Believe it or not, these photos are more boring than the electrical ones, so you will have to make too with the glimpses of cooling vents and the controller in the electrical photos.

Plumbing

The plumbers have been in and the difference the finishing touches have made in the bathroom is significant.  Although for the most part the basins and taps etc. aren't features in their own right (and add nothing to the colour palate, they do have the effect of bringing everything together.

One toilet has been installed, the other had a crack in it so needs to be replaced.

Basins in the bathroom and ensuite are in.

Ensuite vanity

Ensuite vanity

Bathroom vanity

The bath has been installed.

Bath

The shower rails have been installed in both bathrooms, and the shower screens have been fitted in the bathroom (with the ensuite screens delivered but waiting for installation).

Ensuite shower

Bathroom shower

In the laundry, the trough and veggie sprayer have been installed (not that we are expecting to see a lot of vegetables in the laundry!), as well as the washing machine taps, including the compulsory recycled water tap.

Laundry trough

Laundry trough

Washing machine taps

The kitchen sink and tap have also been installed.

Kitchen sink

Kitchen sink

Other fittings

The walk in robe, wardrobes in the bedrooms, pantry and linen press have all been fitted out with rails and shelves as appropriate.

Walk in robe

Bedroom 3 wardrobe

Letterbox

Yesterday we ordered our letterbox, the "Maddison".  The centre panel can be ordered in any colour, and we have chose Colourbond woodland grey to tie in with the roof, the garage door and front door, and to contrast against the lighter render that it will be in front of.
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The Maddison Letterbox

Almost at lock-up

Last week we got word that we were pretty close to lock-up, so we were keen to get out to the site on the weekend.

Bricks

Bricklaying is pretty close to done.  It looks like all there is left to do are the pillars on the portico.  The quality of the brickwork looks great, and we are glad that the site supervisor recommended the raked mortar to us.  It is interesting to see the difference in workmanship between the areas that will be rendered and the rest of the house.

Front

Rear

Rear

Rear

East

West

Portico

Heating and Cooling

Heating unit are in.

Cooling

Heating unit

Gas

Gas has been plumbed to the kitchen and alfresco.

Alfresco pillar with gas

 

Electrical

The electrical has been roughed in.

Electrical

Front Door

Much to our delight the front door frame has been fitted.  We were concerned because by our calculations the frame was going to be a little to big for the cavity (about 6mm).  We weren't sure whether the frame size out be different to the standard or whether they would make it fit somehow, but either way it is in and it looks fantastic.  There is a temporary door on at the moment, but the size is exactly what we are after.  The door is a 2340 x 1200mm pivot door and will hopefully be a the feature of the entrance.

Front door

Front door

Front door

Defects

We noticed a bent window frame on the west side.  The we mentioned it to the site supervisor who said it was pretty common and would be fixed later.

Bent window frame

Laundry

Last of the interior is the laundry.

Doors

The door from the laundry into the rumpus room will be the Corinthian Balmoral 2, 2340x820mm in white.  Door handles will be Lockood Velocity Summit L1.

Corinthian PBAL2

Lockwood Velocity Summit

The external door will be an aluminium sliding door in Colorbond paperbark.

Countertop

We have upgraded the laundry countertop to Caesarstone in Latte.  The cabinets below will be laminex smoky sappelle.

Caesarstone - Latte

Laminex - Smoky Sappelle

Trough

We have upgrade the standard plastic trough to an Everhard 45 litre stainless steel insert trough.

Everhard 45l trough

We have upgraded the standard tapware to a Posh Solus with vegie pull sprayer sink mixer.

Posh Solus tap




Tiles

Floor and shower tiles will be National Tiles "Wet Cement" 300x600mm polished porcelain tiles.  Counter splashback will be National Tiles "Silk Olive" 300x600mm, with the line pattern horizontal.

National Tiles - Wet Cement

National Tiles - Silk Olive

 

Walls

Walls will be Wattyl Flokati

Wattyl - Flokati

 

 

Electrical

We have added a double power point inside the laundry cupboard, for a total of two double power points.

Double power point

 

Lighting

The laundry comes standard with a single batten light in the centre of the room.

Batten light