Thursday, May 19, 2011

Moved In

Hi fellow buildees,

Well we're in, and Sandrine and I want to thank you all for your very kind comments.

There's no question that the last couple of weeks have been a blur. We now completely understand why most build bloggers 'go quiet' for a while after handover: it's the 1000+ things you have to do! Add a couple of small children to the mix, and it's pandemonium (bet that Rachael and Shayne can relate ;).

We needed to schedule a move-in for the weekend immediately after handover or else wait another weekend with an unoccupied house. That presented an interesting set of problems:

  • Schedule flooring and carpeting for the day after handover.
  • Schedule installation of builder appliances after flooring complete (i.e. so flooring in before dishwasher etc).
  • Won't have hot water, cooking appliances and ducted until then.
  • Furniture and items from storage and in-laws will arrive before we're able to thoroughly clean the house.
So amazingly, and in spite of our kids fascination with the stairs (and first minor incident), we pulled it off...
  • Solomon's bent over backwards to get our flooring and carpeting all done in 3 days.
  • Trips back to the inlaws for showers and baths.
  • Borrowed microwave and cup-a-soup.
  • DVD's to keep the kids distracted (we dig you Rachael ;)
What we didn't expect is that the gas supply would remain offline until the appliances were installed. This meant we also had NO HEATING for the first 3 nights. Remember that cold snap which started a couple of weeks ago? Yep.

Appliance installation day arrived as scheduled (our SS kept his word on this), with tradies arriving at 7am:

Plumbers
- Gas hot water and cooker installed. 'Bung' in gas pipe removed so could now start using our gas heaters also.
- Got them to fix all the sinks because they were all leaking, some worse than others.
- Turns out that the gas provisioning for the hot water wasn't right, so they had to cut 5 large holes in the gyprock of our garage to sort it out. SS has since sent the gyprockers back to repair it (needs repainting).

Electricians
- Rangehood and microwave installed.
- Cooker electrics wired up.
- Ducted a/c motor and control panel installed.
- Miscellaneous unfitted wall plates.

I also scheduled the alarm installer and FTA antenna installer on the same day. Big day.

Since then we're slowly working through the chaos and looking forward to getting everything in its rightful place and all cleaned up. Foxtel have been and so have Telstra to connect-up the lead-in to our house (see my post-handover notes on our Electricals page). Our landscaping has started also, after which the concreter is scheduled to pour our driveway, then fencing.

OK ladies I know you want photos, here's all we've got for now, with more to come...

Kitchen with appliances installed and our new stools.
The rangehood ducting had the blue protective wrapping still left on because of the missing section, which has since been fitted.

Another kitchen view showing appliances.
We are really happy with all the colour choices.

View from foyer area showing stained lower steps and carpeted stairs.
The 'bandage' at the top of the post is to protect from damge whilst moving furniture / tradies / deliverymen.

Ensuite at night.

13 comments:

  1. Looking fab! Must be amazing to be in :)

    Interesting - our SS says our appliances will be fitted before handover - can't say I am thrilled with that however as the floor wont be laid yet (under dishwasher especially..), and the house will be empty for a week or two before we move in.. I wonder if this varies between SS? I always thought they would go in afterwards.

    A quick Q also - did you get your final invoice at presentation? We still don't have ours and our admin person seems to think " we will receive it at presentation" - until I nicely told her we had that - last Thursday!!

    LOVE your floors!!

    Can't wait to write a post like this one :)

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  2. Sandrine & Craig, congratulations on your new home which is looking fantastic. I love your floors.

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  3. It is looking beautiful! Those floors are gorgeous! Congrats on moving in and surviving the whirlwind that followed!

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  4. *drooooolllllll* It's gorgeous! You both must be thrilled with how it has all come together. And those floors... *double drool* I want to change ours over now!!

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  5. Wow it's beautiful. Well done guys I love your ensuite. Does it feel like home yet?

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  6. Thank thank, thank you :)
    I am so in love with the floor. Saying that it requires a bit more TLC but worth it.

    For those of you that are very observant, note that there is an old mocrowave on the benchtop..this was used before the appliances were delivered.
    The rangehood in the picture has a blue cover, that is the protective plastic, that the electricians left on because they forgot a bracket to properly install the rangehood. SS came to deliver bracket the next day and electricians came back a couple of days later to fix.

    Ladies, please ask them to remove this film for you, as it took two men about 10 minutes to remove the protective film. Just to save you the headache, let them do it.

    Another thing, microwave in Metricon package is not powerful at all.

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  7. BEAUTIFUL! SO JEALOUS! Well done guys! Can't wait to see some more pics x

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  8. Absolutely stunning home, conrgatulations to both of you! I love the flooring and love your ensuite. What wall tiles did you choose, I wish we have gone for something like that in our bathrooms rather than the white.

    Well done! xx

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  9. Thanks everyone!

    Shayne - our SS initially proposed the day before handover but because of the flooring requirement we requested it for the following week. Can't see why your SS couldn't do that for you too. Just bare in mind that someone needs to be home on the day before when the appliances get delivered. Regarding the invoice, we had to chase up head office and accounts, then finally we received it by email (funny how we never had to chase the progress payment invoices). This was prior to PCI so that we could get the bank inspection ordered in sufficient time so as not to delay handover. You're nearly there, it's worth it!

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  10. Thanks Craig - have just been to the house so appliances are still not in, will request to have them done afterwards I think. No problems being there when they arrive, I can schedule them on the day the carpets go in or something :)

    Interesting how we have to chase down the final invoice - you would think they would be busting to give it to is wouldn't you? I will be surprised if the bank can sort it out in time now but I am holding out a glimmer of hope.

    So close now - still feels surreal and far away though!

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  11. Hi craig, have been following your blog for months now. Can I ask what flooring you have installed as I'm also putting my own floor after handover?
    Mbf

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  12. Thanks KingsCastle.
    Elbert - the flooring is timber laminate in walnut.

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