Landscaping photos

View from side of house behind garage. This is our pool area (with lots of water!!!)

Area behind the garage and swimming pool will be paved

Retaining wall and future grass area

Back Garden bed

Area between retaining wall and garage will be concreted

Back grass area

TWO MONTHS AFTER SETTLEMENT

Can't believe it has been two months after settlement. The house was  settled on 31 March and the family moved in a few days later. What a stressful time. I won't be doing that for a long time!!! There are still many boxes to be unpacked but  I am starting to sort through them slowly. I have also started making a list of maintenance issues - quite a few - tiles, scratches on window, paint issues, etc

Shutters, flyscreens and roller blinds have been installed (still need to organise blinds for large sliding door), laundry and bookcase fit out has been booked in for later June (we need more storage!!!). I still need to put pictures on the walls and buy some more furniture (i.e. buffet, bookcase, wardrobe storage)

Landscaping also started last week, retaining wall is up, pool is to be installed this week. Spending a fortune but I think the end result will be worth it. Decision was made to lay travertine pavers around the pool and side area of the house.  It is more expensive than colour concrete but down the track it won't crack and is easier to maintain. In the back area there will be a grass area for the kids to run around and down the side a concrete path with blue metal aggregate.

Here are some pics;

Shutters (Main Bedroom)

Downstairs bedroom

Dining ( we need a bigger dining  table - there is so much room_!

Family room (still need to organise roller  blinds)

View from kitchen to front door

Home theatre room

Kitchen

Main bathroom

Stairs

Multi/study area near stairs

Upstair living room (space for bookcase fit out)

View from front door (still need pics on walls and hall table)

PCI

On Friday we had our PCI and quite frankly it was a bit disappointing. We expected the house would be a bit clean - the bamboo floors were still covered so we couldn't inspect the flooring, the tiling out the back was full of dirt/grout, kitchen splash back not cleaned and still no shower screens.  Apparently Stegbar did turn up the day before and then rang our SS to tell him that he cannot install the shower screen in the main bathroom because there is a cracked tile. The cracked tile was not there before as the SS did his blue tape inspection a week or so ago. So now the tiler has to come back to fix the cracked tile (which he did on Saturday) and then the shower screen can be installed. Now for the ensuite bathroom there is still no shower screen and our SS still doesn't know why. Apparently they were both to be installed on Thursday.

We have booked our settlement in for Friday but still not feeling very confident everything will be done. Here is what needs to be fixed before settlement.

. complete items marked in blue tape (this includes the wall under the kitchen feature window where the plaster is chipped  - the stove is to be installed in front of this wall)

. complete items marked in green tape (Tyrells inspection)

. complete house clean

. complete spot clean of brickwork and garage

. epoxy coat garage slab (the garage should have been cleaned out a few days ago but our SS did not    have time - can't understand why he has to do this)

. complete trimming to roof tiles over box gutter

. complete sealing of driveway

. complete shower screen install

. check colour of grout main floor entry to kitchen (this was done on Saturday)

. replace brick in ensuite sill and fix garage pier - the third garage door cannot be opened (bricklayer turned up last Saturday but had no key to enter garage)

. reset garage door

. replaced chipped tile to bath hob (this was done on Saturday)

. supply winder handle for Bed 1 window

. check scratches on stairs

There is a lot to do so we hope to see lots of action at the house this week.

Here is some pics of the front of the house

UPDATE

The tilers came last week and we have a new kitchen splash back. Looks much better. You can now focus your eye on the feature window.

Before - original splashback

After - new kitchen splash back

View of tiled alfresco from kitchen/family area

We are still held up with the shower screens upstairs. Managed to have a look on Wednesday when the painters were there (staining the final coat on the staircase and according to our SS it is still not good enough so they need to come back). The shower screens have been delivered but cannot be installed due to a part which Stegbar are waiting for. The mirror for the main bathroom has finally been installed.

We may have a PCI date for Friday 21st March and then keys a week after. But this is totally dependent on the shower screens. Apparently the tiler has to come back to add some more tiles to the wall in the main bathroom before the shower screen can be installed. Great!!. Then on Wednesday if everything goes to plan, Tyrells and Local can do their inspection. 

Also the rainwater tank needs to be moved and the garage and driveway need to be sealed. So really not much left to do. Fingers crossed everything goes according to plan.

WE HAVE A DRIVEWAY!

Photos

Tiled alfresco area

Driveway excavated

Slab extended for airconditioning unit and rainwater tank

Delayed again!!!!

Met with our SS and not looking good for getting keys on 10 March. What is the hold up. Shower screens for the upstairs bathrooms. They still have not been delivered, our SS has been on to Stegbar. So we can't get the inspection from Local (our private Certifier) or Tyrells until that is installed.

Concreting to extend the slab for rainwater tank and air-conditioning should have happened today but it has been pouring down rain. They started to install the termite reticulation system but that had to stop due to wet weather.

Hopefully next week the following will happen:

Monday - termite reticulation and extension of concrete slab (depending on weather), window clean
Tuesday - tiler to finish downstairs flooring to meet with bamboo flooring and finish under the stairs. He will also replace the kitchen splash back - not sure about alfresco area -maybe he will do that later.

Preparation of driveway should also happen and hopefully we will have shower screens and 1 mirror.

Fences are down!!

Drove past today and the fences have come down. Also the carpet is being laid - looks good, happy with the colour and the workmanship

How the bamboo flooring will meet with the tiling - tilers should come back soon to finish

Carpet  being laid - view from stairs

Carpet in Bedroom 1

AND WE MAY HAVE THE KEYS IN THREE WEEKS (10/3)

Met with our SS on Monday and he said PCI may happen in two weeks (3/3/14) and the keys the following Monday (10/3/98). This is dependent on the weather next week when our driveway is scheduled to be poured.

Funny, first day Eden Brae were on site was my second son's birthday and we may get the keys on the my eldest son's birthday.

Here are some pics from the other day:

Bedroom 5 bamboo flooring

Kitchen with splash back which will be changed

Bamboo flooring - multi room

New kitchen splash back - 600 x 600 porcelain  against existing splash back - which one do you prefer - either you like the mosaic tiles or you hate it. Everyone seems to have their own opinion. I personally don't like it. 

Bamboo flooring view of stairs

Bamboo flooring view of multi area downstairs

Ensuite - all mopped and cleaned but still waiting for SHOWER SCREEN

Main bathroom vanity - will be adding feature tile post handover

Still waiting for mirror - incorrect size delivered

View of multi - photo taken from upstairs

Still waiting for two shower screens, one mirror for main bathroom, carpet will be done next Tuesday and will have to ask our supervisor about skirting boards as I still think they are tacked on after the floorboards. Our kitchen splash back is to be redone as there was a design issue with our window and selection of mosaic tiles. Not happy with the way it turned out but hopefully it will be fixed before we move in.