Our new best friend Krystal from PD has sent me a letter I have been waiting for.
PCI - Mon 1st Dec 10am (nice birthday present).
Handover - Fri 12th Dec (pending PCI items can be corrected).
Thus far, and with the exception of our ugly Home Theater room bow on the bulkhead wall, we have only identified smaller issues likely to come up. ie quite a few wall and paint "dings", HT ceiling may need another roll of paint, some doors may need re-aligning, a few AC ducts not fitting well etc. Most quick fixes.
I rushed around to the site this morning very eager to see both internal and external progress.
aaaahhhhhhh....... All windows and doors securely locked......!!! NO ENTRY.....!
I contemplated smashing a window to get in but thought better of it..!
The garage still has a big hole in the front (which is yet to be filled by a nice new garage door), but the construction fence has gone.
Suzi visited the site late yesterday and found a cleaner at the house cleaning (and locking) all the windows. She rang me to say that all our mirrors were now in and looked fantastic.
She also reported no splashback as yet, but cabinet downlights were in, and looked excellent. (refer my comment above re smashing a window to get in...!)
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Our Cremorne from a distance.
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mmmm... Note sure here. Obviously looks like initial preparation for steps, but I don't recall these being discussed at tender or in contract. Anyone....?
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Ok, given I couldn't capture some snaps from inside, here is one for you Windsor lovers (L&R, Petal). This is our neighbours across the road. Apart from the fact that this has been a painstakingly slow build, this house is starting to look very very nice.
Liana and Rob, I think the render looks great on this one....!!
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25 comments:
DG's, congrats on your xmas present. Perhaps the steps are needed by regs due to the fall outside. That would seem to be a freebie. If you have any spare brickies can you send them my way.
R&C
Congrats to your soon-to-be handover.
Your cremorne looks great! Hope ours will look as good too :)
Hey David!
Thanks so much for the pic of the Windsor. I went through your early posts and found a couple of shots, but from a distance. This one looks great, even though the facade is different. The render makes it look so much better. Can't wait for ours now.
In before Xmas, hey? Can't ask for much more than that, can you. I'm really excited for you guys :} Keep those pics coming!
Cheers
Liana
Hey, I just looked at the Windsor photo closer. Is their balcony off centre to the front doors, too?!!! :O
Have I been arguing a mute point?
Hey David
Great news about your PCI date. Try composing a list before PCI day, as its your only chance to get the issues rectified before handover. Of course there is always the 3 month maintenance inspection period. Its better to rectify before handover, and DO NOT hand over the final chq until you are completely satisfied with the quality & completed works.
Your home is looking great, eaves look nice, just like mine, with the exception of the lower storey.
PD will be keen to complete before xmas, fingers crossed, all will go well.
Try and get to the house during the day if you can, take those all important photos, and note down all issues.
The race is on between you guys and Toni...:)
Who will win......:)
Andy
Thanks you guys. Sue and I are wrapped with possible keys by the 12th. Having said that, in by xmas is not a given. We will still need to immediately lay laminate downstairs, carpet upstairs, and have a driveway put in.
R&C. Good observation re the fall outside the doors and subsequent regs. Makes sense. You STILL waiting for brickies?
hYSteRIcAL (now THAT took some typing...). Welcome to the farm. Great to see a new build joining our blog group, better again being a Cremorne (and the upgraded 42sq version at that.. Where did they find that extra sq?).
Will add your link to our blog, and watch your progress. It only felt like last month we were at your stage, so buckle up.
Tip. Your SS will be a critical key to your build. Get to know him and identify what his values are (as well as what he drinks).
Liana. Happy that you found the pic handy, and that it gives you a good feel about how your terrific house will look rendered up. Have you shortlisted your potential colours?
again......Congrats on the dates :-)
Shame you couldn't get in this morning....bugger....damn.
Is that "J" jumping the fence??!!
Cremorne is now 42 as PD decided to round up the sq's rather than round down ;-)
I thought after reading your email that the sand steps may have been washed away.
Roll on the 1st!
Hi Toni. Yep that's Jeff trying to get to the house without getting mud all over him. He failed...!
So...PD rounded the Crermorne up to 42sq, and most likely lumped another $5k to base price in the process..!?!?!?
Hey, DG! Well that's very exciting for you - Happy Birthday AND Merry Christmas to YOU! Looks like we'll JUST beat you, and, gee, we only started 4 months before you!!!
We had those piles of dirt put at the front of all the doors, too...I think it's an excuse for them not to remove the dirt, 'cos I'm pretty sure they just leave it like that, which is rather useless, really....
Oh, and while I certainly like the Windsor, that's not what I'm building!!! Ours is the Brookvale 50 (well, 54!) LOL!
Yep...I'm losing it..! Off course you are building a Brookvale, yet the last few weeks when Liana writes about her Windsor, I think of you guys as well..! dddrrr... Sorry
mmm...disappointing re the sand. Certainly a waste of effort, and just another mess for the new owner to deal with. And it does wonders for timber floors as well.
No, you're not losing it. You're mixing up Liana and Petal's homes because we're both building with PD Prestige and we've both had similar issues. But you DO deserve a smack for not knowing the difference between a Windsor and a Brookvale. The Brooky is HUUUUUUUGE!
BTW ... did you choose satin or gloss finish for those gorgeous scorption Mads? Judging from the photo, it looks like satin.
They do look Satin don't they...? Trouble is, they are in our contract as gloss...!
Now despite them requiring a good wash, I will need to look closer and add them to our PCI list.
You girls know your houses..!
hehe about Jeff. You needed some roof tiles for stepping stones like we have :-)
Hey I just noticed how clean your front yard is. Has your rubbish cage and loo gone? Did I miss this important milestone?
Yep, I think the Cremorne has gone up by about $8k since we signed up.
Maybe your 104's will get a final coat before handover. They will look really nice in a gloss.
The dirt piles at each exterior door are to meet requirements for certificate of occupancy (we asked). The step down to ground level has to be no more than x amount, so as stupid as it is, a little mound of sand or soil is how they get around that regulation.
Hope all goes smoothly with your PCI/handover.
Toni. Site had a full clean on Thur, including fence, porta-loo, rubbish and scrape away of excess sand on driveway. The tradies now have a choice of 3 brand new toilets to us....!!....!!
Liana has got me thinking now about the colour on the 104s. Will investigate further.
Kek. Thanks for this info. It really is a temporary measure of raising the levels at the doors, isn't it.
You gotta have gloss on the Mads! I've gone back through your photos of the doors and the scorpion paint went definitely looks satin (unless your camera is a bit dodgy)
It would be a crime not to gloss those striking red doors :[ Keep me posted because we asked for scorpion gloss on our 104s.
Cheers
Liana
Congrats D&G - what a great Xmas pressie! Seems like only yesterday it was all just beginning. Hope you don't find too many issues with the PCI as it seems this stage can drag on a bit.
..and you'd think PD would just concrete in those sand steps. Seems a bit of a cheap fix given the money outlayed on the house.
..wonder if this means we'll be in by same time in Jan as we seem have been about a month behind you throughout. I think we have slowed down a bit lately though so we will just wait and see.
Hope you are well and truly in before Xmas.
Hi David
You're nearly there, I bet you cant wait to receive handover... House is looking great. The sand steps are very common with PD. They like to use the excess sand, and not to remove it from the site. We too had the sand steps.
Tips for the PCI:
Start noting down all the issues now and just before the PCI date. You only have around 3 hours to go over the whole house. Dont spend too much time on looking for paint defects, unless they are obvious. Check that all taps are working well, and no water is leaking from the connections. Also look at the tile grouting, straightness of walls, skirtings, brickwork, note any pit holes in the mortar, spouting, down pipes are secured and straight, doors open easily and not loose, upstairs floor does not creak, kitchen cabinets the gaps are the same, drawers open easily, check every powerpoint with a hair dryer---perform before pci. Check the ceiling for noticeable visable banding... double check your contract & decor doc and mark off each of your upgrades/ colour selections etc. Make sure nothing is left out. The PCI is the best chance to inspect any issues before handover. There will not be a 2nd PCI....so take your photos, and make sure you guys are happy before you handover the final chq at handover.......Thats my advice. I was so thorough with our home, and in the end we have a beautiful well built quality cremorne.....
The race is on between you and toni, who will win.......:)
Andy
Great points Andy. Some I hadn't thought off..! Thanks fo these.
Will make sure that Toni sees these your entry.
I think the last thing on Toni and my mind right now is any race to finish. Minds too occupied with the tasks required between handover and actually moving in.
How's the outside going at your house? Decking yet?
Hi david
There is a shortage of decking timber at the moment, in particular spotted gum. Mid jan i have been told, that the spotted gum should be in supply.
The back i wont do until the ground settles. As im decking right to the back to a water feature, the land near the eazement is still settling. So many people hurry and do there decking at the back, then the posts sink into the ground.... despite how you set the posts.. i will however lay some crushed rock and wait till next year, mid or spring do complete my backyard decking.
Our security/flyscrren doors will be arriving soon. Also our plantation shutters will soon be ordered from www.portphillip.com.au....u save 50%...and its great quality..
Yes there are many things to think of before handover, if you have any queries just contact me mate..i dont mind even seeing yr house before hand, so i can point out a few things as well or give you advice.
Thanks
Andy
David's won hands down and that's okay :-) We will hopefully only be a week behind him and I'll get all his tips for PCI.
Thanks Andy for all the points - notes made :-)
What a birthday present! How good is that, and hopefully in for christmas. The house is looking great, although I can sense your frustration at being unable to get inside for a good look.
Great post by Andy! I've copied it and added it to my "to check" list.
David - any joy with finding out about the finish on your front doors. I'm busting to know!
Cheers
Liana
Ok guys. I think this has been my busiest blog entry since I started..!
Belle'. It's going to be very tough not being able to get in and see the finishing touches. Maybe if I climb onto the roof, lift a tile and come down through the man hole.....!! Desperate measures...?
Liana. Yes, a great list by Andy. Having met him recently, he is a wealth of info re PD homes and various construction phases.
Good news re the paint on those mighty 104s. Scott has just informed me that PD deliberately hold off glossing these babys til after PCI. Bring on the shine....
Yay! Good for you (and us) re the 104s. I suppose it makes sense. If they used gloss now, it would most definitely get scratched or damaged with work still continuing.
I expect a photo on your blog as soon as they're glossed!
Thanks for the quick update. You're so diligent :]
Cheers
Liana
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