Jestmaster SL550TRSI Gas Fireplace

We weren't sure if the fireplace was counted as an appliance but our SS recently informed us that the fireplace was going in soon (so it obviously isn't). In our previous home, we had a Coonara wood fireplace and it was amazing. It basically burned every night throughout winter and was the only source of heating we ever needed. When it came to choosing the heating for this home we debated for a while whether to do a wood fire or gas. In the end a gas log fire won! Although it won't have exactly the same ambiance (it does a good look alike though!!) or have that ability to burn throughout the night it's going to be great to flick it on in seconds, without filling the house with smoke and the crazy amounts of dust a wood fire accumulates. We have opted for an outdoor fire pit to get out fix of freshly burning wood!!

The First Glimpse that Something had Been Done!

The External Vent/Flue

Jetmaster Fireplace in the Lounge

Not sure if this is the best place for the paperwork!!

When we received the paperwork for our 'New Home Inspection,' it informed us that once we have settled and have the keys that we need to contact both companies that installed the fireplace and the central heating to they can run us through the systems (assuming this is the paperwork for this).

Unfortunately we made an error with the location of our powerpoints etc in the lounge next to the fireplace - on the electrical plan we didn't visualise the fireplace being there. They clearly need to be moved to the left and we will have to do this post handover. We are also going to paint the wall around the fire - the middle section - still deciding on a colour! Dulux Stepney is winning at the moment!

  

New Home Presentation Booked (PCI)

At the end of last week our SS called us to book in our 'New Home Presentation'. We think in building terms this is often called the PCI - or Post Construction Inspection or Practical Completion Inspection. None of these things are in our contract but are always thrown about on forums etc. (I actually had to google it!). It's all booked for this Friday (17th October). We had some big discussions prior to this date being booked with our SS, as well as in the phone call to book it in, as we wanted to make it crystal clear that we wanted all the jobs done that we have previously bought up as well as other major works still yet to be done before we did the inspection. We emailed him a list and basically said that if it wasn't all done then we weren't interested in meeting. He has assured us that it will all be done by Friday and the trades have all been booked for it. We are still a little skeptical! One of the major things that still needs to be finished is the render and the tiles to the facade pier. The weather is horrid all week and we are finding it very difficult to see it being done. Our SS said the tiler will be finished by Tuesday (tomorrow). He must be a miracle worker as he hasn't started on it yet...... Anyway, the minute we agreed to Friday, we had emails and letters of confirmation of the 'New Home Presentation! (as well as the next bill!!)'. I know this is a walk-through is to pick out all the things that we want to pick up on, but I don't see a point doing it till everything is done, otherwise it all has to be done again anyway - checking over the things previously not done. So we have our fingers crossed that everything from our end is done in the next 4 days.....

We haven't had our own inspections 'officially' done throughout the build but we have had friends who have been 'helping' us along the way!! They are builders and have been able to give us invaluable advice. We have also come across the inspections notices throughout the build - some emailed, some found on benches/in drawers! So we asked our friends if they could help us through the final leg and go through things with a fine tooth comb over the weekend. Everything is looking great and most things are cosmetic but it's nice to feel like we have a handle of all the things we want to talk about on Friday. 

Here are some of the things we want to see done by Friday and others that will no doubt be bought up as in-completed works or defects (if they not done by Friday);

Outside

• Missing quad around top of gable inside and out - as well as under eaves of facade plus over garage 
• Infills to windows
• Compression flashing on roof x3
• Chip on tile balcony 
• ?underpinning garage (slab)
• Painted infill woodland - bathroom window
• Infill bedroom 4-side small gap ?
• Gap under facade window 
• Front door not shutting properly 
• Missing hinge on front door x2 
• Inside door jamb stain 
• Stain on glass doors
• Outside alfresco beam - paint again
• Very crooked quad to alfresco poles 
• Brick gaps (alfresco)
• Brush strip reversed on meals alfresco - doors 
• Dripping outside tap 
• Loose laundry door frame
• Second coat Hog Bristle - door and weatherboards 
• Garage door pulled back higher when opened
• Ensuite window seal - damage
• Window scratches - some small and some large
• Frame scratches (this is HUGE) - basically on all frames and most are massive scratches or gouges 

Inside
Master

• Hinge on bedroom door (master)- missing 
• Missing all door catch plates 
• Behind doors on master - cracks - power points 
• Skirt on master hob 
• 1st tower drawer - bottom drawer not shutting 
• Paint on doors messy 

Stairs 

• Crooked stair light 
• Crooked banister 
• Paint - messy 

Laundry 

• Chip on bench 
• Walk in linen - door jamb missing

Powder

• Lift off hinges to powder door

Kitchen

• Kitchen top drawer - not shutting properly 
• Paint red chipboard under bench (reflecting under island bench)
• Sealer on splash back 
• Stain on right of island (the painters had the stair railing drying on it - help me!!!)
• Rubber seal - window 
• Gaps down sides of Island - under bench
• Lift up cupboards - paint/fix gap 
• Pantry bottom shelf colour 
• Tap pressure in kitchen

Other

• Adjust door handles (some)
• Stair expansion join - 2 x bumps 
• Silicon around bath and tiles 
• Chipped arc in activity 
• Chip on garage internal door 
• Roof clean ? 
• Privacy locks - double check
• Paint left for skirts 
• Check near all power points 
• Skirt to garage wall x 1
• Tile step garage 

This list makes us look a little crazy! It actually doesn't include quite a few large things that just should be obvious that we will talk about - e.g. finished render etc. We are pretty particular with things but we are not over the top. We just want it done right and we expect to get what we pay for. We are really happy with Carlisle and have no doubt it will all get there... eventually..!!

E.g. having the door like this on the upstairs powder-room just isn't acceptable......

Yes, this door is shut completely..... Slight issue of privacy!!

How the door installers, plumbers and painters and anyone else who has entered this room has not seen this by now is beyond me!

Blind Date Glass Splashback

I was lucky enough to go past yesterday when the men were installing the glass splashbacks. This has been another big(ish) item that we have been waiting to have done. I had a friend with me too so it was great to be able to show her around! The men installed the splashback in the butlers and then left. Our SS phoned later in the afternoon with his weekly update and said that it had been installed in the butlers but the kitchen splashback (in part) had been the wrong size....... Should go in next week...
Really happy with the colour - in my mind I kept thinking it had a brownish tinge, because this is what the display has (it's hard to not think of this when visualising ours!). So far the colour looks great! We chose not to do starfire glass and we are glad we didn't spend the extra money on it - this would have been an extra $1500. Unless it's white and you don't want a greenish tinge (that's the only difference) it would be hard to justify the price. 

Glass Splashback - (colour)Blind Date Clear 

Blind Date Sample at Colour Selection

Another 'interesting' thing that has happened with our kitchen that has actually been an error but has worked in our favour has been the layout of the caesarstone and the window. In our drawing the kitchen window seemed to be positioned higher (our windows originally were placed higher). Our SS was always had a clear picture in his mind that the caearstone sat directly under the window sill. This may have been the complication with our bricks (all sorted now though). As it turns out we love the bench layout. Any splash from the cooktop will now not get in all the grooves of the window. The only difference is, is that the glass splashback has a small section under the cupboards. Happy days!

As Displayed at Mernda (our drawing also look like this - we think!!)

Our Benchtop - Sitting Directly Under the Window

 

Carpet Work Begins - Takarra Ridge Wool Blend

No idea what has happened to the renderers. The weather forecast was for potential rain, so we should be happy that they haven't been yet. The rest of the week isn't looking flash either so it might be a while till we see the finished product! However, the carpet layers were there all day today so work inside moves forward. Underlay for upstairs was laid and the carpet has been rolled out and cut in most rooms. All rooms upstairs are carpeted (except bathroom and powder room!). Downstairs, the underlay is also down and the carpet has been rolled out - is some parts to flatten and decrease (master bedroom, study and theatre). In our previous home we had a light colour wool carpet and we were really happy with how it stood up in wear and tear and in durability. In 11 years it was only just starting to look like it needed replacing and it had been there for a few years prior to that. We chose a wool blend for this home in the hope that it would also be easy to clean (especially having kids) and have found that lighter carpets are actually easier to keep clean than darker too! It's not a plush carpet but it does have a soft feel and it hopefully ties in with our coastal location. 

Underlay - Super Premium Foam (Cat 3)
Carpet - Takarra Ridge - Wool Blend Loop 520 (Cat 3)

Underlay

Underlay in Master Bedroom

Upstairs Bedroom

Rolled Out Upstairs

Rolled out Carpet Ready to go

Theatre Room

Carpet Close Up

Upstairs (few dirty boot footprints - eek!)

 

Takarra Ridge - Wool Blend 520 (Cat 3) - Colour Selection

Shower Screen, Taps Changed, Movement with the Fire.

Went past the house over the weekend as my sister has just moved back from WA. We were going to peek through the windows and have a look but we were lucky enough to turn up when the shower screen was being installed in the ensuite; so we ducked in for a quick peek around! A few more jobs ticked off the list!

Ensuite Shower Screen Installed

The Correct Bath/Spa Tap - Vito Bertoni Taya

Upstairs Bath Installed

The Correct Bath Tap - Vito Bertoni Taya

Top Edge of the Tiles Painted...

It's not finished yet, but the top edge of the tiles has been painted. I thought it was a bit odd at first but the more I thought about it the more it grew on me! The tiles at the house we are renting at the moment catch the dust really harshly as they are not smooth - painting may eliminate this. We looked at the display images as we had never noticed it before and sure enough they are painted - it's funny the things you never notice!

The Lock on Master Bedroom Double Door

Our ceilings are 2740mm high and little ol' me cannot reach this lock!!! Think I might need to buy a step ladder!!

Colourbond Capping on the External Fireplace Brickwork

Work on the fireplace has started!!

Deluxe Staircase Stained Walnut

Our staircase has had it's staining done!! They are not yet finished. The risers still need further coats of white paint (Dulux Lexicon Quarter) - stairs are stained in 'Cabot's Walnut Stain'(We're not sure if the staining/lacquer is finished yet). There are parts that still need a tidy up. They look really different! I was kind of used to the way they looked in their raw state! It's great to see the colour and with the doors in the same stain, they are tying in really nicely. We had a look at a photo of our flooring that will go down after handover (QLD Spotted Gum) and we think the colours in the timber will match well. Just hoping that they both do each other justice in their own right! 

Stained in Walnut - and lovely and dusty...

Not the worlds best photography - only had my phone

Halfway - Looking Down

Stainless Steel Balusters with Double Handrail

Matching Front Doors - Stained in Rich Walnut

Similar Colour of Flooring (hopefully) - QLD Spotted Gum

Hog Bristle Half Render

It has definitely been a monumental day today. Our coloured render has started!! I've said before that I have been a little nervous about our colour choices on the facade. They were one area that we weren't 100% sure about when we went through our colour selection and took on the guidance of the colour consultant. Render sample look so different to colour swatches too. So I have been looking at our colour swatches lately with a hit of hesitation. So whcen I went past today and saw the colour I was so excited! It's great! We wanted a nice sandy colour without being too white and it's just that. The main render is Dulux Hog Bristle Half. Our second render colour is Dulux Bedbox - which will be part of the small piers and beam - they have done a minor part of this colour today too and it's great to see them together. Feeling so happy and proud of our baby; Nelson!!! Facade colours are a HUGE choice - it's not something you can hide and its not a cheap option to change either. 

Render - Dulux Hog Bristle Half

The render on the small beam under the portico is

- Dulux Bedbox

Dulux Bedbox render on the beams (far pier will also be this colour render - brick pier will be tiles)

Close up of colours together - (not finished)

Garage hasn't been done yet! - It will also be Dulux Hog Bristle Half

Side of House

Looking Forward to Tomorrow!

Garage door was also painted - Hog Bristle Half 

We had this door extended to 920mm so you could get through with a wheelbarrow a little more comfortably without skinning your knuckles!!

Alfresco Beams Painted - Dulux Hog Bristle Half

It's amazing how much more 'finished' this area feels, being painted.  

Metre Box Painted - Woodland Grey

(Not sure why they don't just supply the metre cox in the colourbond colour you pick - it will no doubt chip a bit being a metal opening door - every build seems to be the same - standard Jasper when delivered)

Drainage Pipes Painted - Woodland Grey

Didn't expect these to be done - nice touch Carlisle!!

Sneak Peak at the Stairs!!!

There will definitely be more photos to come when I can sneak in - (tomorrow!!) 

Bath Must be In!!

I wasn't sure I was looking in the right house at first as the kitchen bench actually looked a little clean - I had to do a double take - what a special day today is!!!