Plans delivered

This morning before work, we met with the builder breifly to drop off the plan and engineering detail.
We should have our final price in about a week.
All of a sudden things are getting a bit 'real'... scary.

Voting results so far...

We've been watching the voting results with interest over the last week or so.
The most interesting thing has been the massive (in percentage terms) number of votes in favour of the bottom light coloured brick house. A scheme we least liked.

Also very interesting is that the colour scheme we had originally been working towards for ages, has received no votes at all, including our two votes! That's right, we've actually both ended up voting completely independently for the red and dark grey combo (#3).

I'm still a bit concerned that the Bluescope steel site suggests that all dark colours will fade to some extent.

Engineering Done

It's been a while, but the engineering is now done, so things are about to get interesting.
We spent nearly all day last Sat looking at fixtures and fittings, and once again left with too many options and no decisions made. The idea was that we'd try and get our fixed price based on actual selections, but I think we'll have to go with the regular system of being given an allowance and making alterations to that within our budget as things progress.

BTW
Here's how our house will look on the block.
The front is to the left, and the rear lane access to the right.

Poll pics

I'm not 100% sold on the colour scheme we've been looking at, so I've been looking at other options.
Please vote in the poll to have your say!

Sample 1:


Sample 2:


Sample 3:


Sample 4:

Going rafting?

Picked up the drawings from the drafters yest arvo and notice they've drawn a raft slab instead of strip footings that we said we wanted all along. We'd had a whole discussion about the merits of the two types and settled on the strip because we wanted to raise the level of the internal floor a bit to allow for grading, ensuring the water flows away from the house on our very flat block. I don't know how all of that was just forgotten.
The drafters told us they'd just thought a raft would be better, so they did that. With no consultation whatsoever! They then acted like we were just changing our minds now. I wont be paying any extra for alterations!
Strip footings basically use the same amount of concrete no matter how high you make them, and really only cost you in extra bricks/mortar and a bit more fill/dirt. Combined with the fact your builder's a bricky, there's good reason to go strip footing.
Anyway, the engineers were starting on the slab specs, so we were a little panicked about the whole thing.
After lots of phone calls confirming the benefits of the strip footing etc, I think we had that sorted.

Then they asked - when are the builders going to provide the frame layout so we can do the bracing calculations?
I didn't have a clue that was coming! :D
Another call to the builder and it's worked out that the normal thing is the frame company work out that stuff, so all I had to do was tell the drafters it wasn't their job.
Fffeww... It's so hard coordinating things when you don't know how they are meant to be done. Sure glad I gave up on the idea very early on of owner building!

Colours

We like the look of this house, but we're planning on a colorbond roof, and I'm not sure that the same effect would translate to the different texture of the corregations.

I guess the colorbond colour would be Night Sky

BASIX

Just gone through our basics requirements. Looks like we have no issues with anything but water.
Apparently with a block our size, there is a significant portion of it that is considered 'water using', which puts a lot of pressure on our house usage allowances.
So, we have to get a min 9KL tank to run the toilets and laundry cold supplies.

We also sorted our house position relative to the block, with 1.2m offset on the 'left' (as you look at the plans I've upploaded) and 7.5m to the concrete of the porch at the front.

Plans confirmed

Well the draftsman was told to go ahead with the next level of detail on the plans and the builder has been given an inclusions list for the calculating of a fixed price for contract.

Final plan revision

We're at the point now where we need to say "yep, that's it" to the draftsman.

If you've noticed something we've missed, please say so ASAP!

Theatre layout ideas

We're currently trying to finalise the layout of the pantry, return air and theatre room.
Not quite sure how best to work the enclosure for the gear as you really need rear access to it, but that's in the bedroom behind...

A big step forward

Today I got confirmation from the prospective builder that based on the last revision of our plan, we should still be within budget on our inclusions list. That means we can get the size house we want, that we designed, with the hall etc included and afford it!

The next step is to finalise those plans, and the exact details of what we want, and then we'll be given a fixed price.

Where we're at at the moment...
An enhanced version of our own plan (Option 2).

• The theatre room has changed orientation and a raised floor section has been added to provide 2 rows of seating.
• The TV will now sit in a 2.4 x .6 x whatever height recessed section, which provides enough area for a future projector/screen combo.
• An additional 8.7m2 of floor area means we can now have a hall to better privatise the bedrooms, with all bedrooms now exiting into the hall.
• The laundry, Bed1, and ensuite have been reshuffled to increase the amount of uninterrupted wall surrounding the living area.