Build Variations

I don't realize until today that the only time to do our thinking and work on our project home are at late nights after the kids are gone to bed.  This is really getting a lot more interesting and we are now clearer on what we are up against... some heavy late night sleep!!  I thought I am through with the late nights when I graduated.... I guess I was too early to even think that....  oh wait did I have enough sleep when we had our children... hmm... looks like sleeping isn't a requirement anymore when you reach parenthood. :)

As the time goes on and whilst also waiting anxiously for our tender presentation, we thought that it would be sensible for us to actually start thinking of what our dream home is going to look like.  We never knew that it would literally takes a lot of detailed thinking, readings as well as researching into every corner of the home!

Till today, Metricon hasn't contacted us for any appointments yet.  Our sales consultant advised us that he hasn't been able to order site surveyors to our land as there is no kerb and gutter in place.  The weather factor also comes into play as there has been a lot of rain for the last few weeks.

In the meantime, we have more time to think about some "home improvement" ideas and there are also some changes that are required by The Ponds design panel.

Compulsory changes to the house design:

• 600mm articulation to first floor family sitting room wall to avoid over 14 meters of straigt wall.  We thought it would be sensible to do it on this part of the house as we would love a bigger living space.
• Generally a minimum of 450mm to all part of the house.
• Render to front pillar of the house.

Upgrades/Changes:

• Shower to the powder room
• Microwave tower
• Closing off the study room with 2 cavity sliding door.  We thought it would be a good idea considering that we have two kids and we can't just leave cables lying around and the study room will have plenty of it
• Opening of the wall between the study room and the sitting room.
• Internal access from garage
• Storage room under the stairs
• An extra shower head in the ensuite
• Two sets of pot drawers next to the cooker in the kitchen
• Extra pot drawers in the ensuite
• Higher wardrobes ceiling to 190mm in the master bedroom only
• Daikin ducted air conditioner 15kw (6HP), 12 outlets, 2 zones.

This study room wall opening seems like a good idea and it's quite cheap to do but I wonder how much is the plantation shutter going to cost??

What we get from the Reflection package (worth up to $70,100 of upgrades for $4,888):

• 90mm white ant resistant structural T2 wall and roof framing
• Bi-fold timber door, stained (up to 2400mm)
• Caesar Stone benchtop to kitchen, laundry, ensuite, powder room and bathroom.
• Baumatic Designer Italian stainless steel upright cooker with 5 burner gas cooktop
• Pivot front entry door - WIN6G includes upgraded 'pivot' entry door frame
• Framed mirrored robe doors to wardrobes
• Downlight pack of 20 in addition to the standard no of light points provided
• Upgraded ceiling height to 2550mm first floor
• 2 solid timber doors with translucent glass
• 2340mm high internal passage doors
• Laundry fitout with inset tub, 800mm base and overhead cupboards pluss 400mm broom cupboard
• Upgraded tiling to 2100mm to ensuite only
• Baumatic stainless steel dishwasher
• Contemporary stainless steel balusters (internal staircase)
• Choice of Baumatic stainless steel rangehood 900mm
• Remote-controlled garage door
• Horizontal feature windon to kitchen with square set finish
• Baumatic stainless steel microwave with trim kit
• Stainless steel back to back door handle (Gainsborough Horizon style 750mm)
• Timber stained treads (2 at the bottom of staircase)

To have this horizontal window when cooking seems pretty cool to us! :)

Still to do:

• Floor coverings.  We are thinking of going timber for the wet area and carpet for the first floor
• Driveway
• Landscaping
• Fencing. Brick fencing to the front and mailbox, maybe colorbond fence for sides and the back of the house.
• Timber decking to porch and outdoor room.  A friend of mine has already offered his help to do the work, all I need to do is to get the materials and help him do the job. Oh and dinner for the family :) the last part is not hard at all :)
• Windows coverings
• Security alarm

Generally we are happy with the Tribeca floor plan itself.  So if the tender comes back with a higher price than we expected that we don't mind not having some of the upgrades that we thought about.  We still need some funds to get furnitures don't we?  Although getting the furniture part will probably happen over the period of time but we still need to hold our horses with upgrades!

This is what we have requested our sales consultant to include in the tender.  Once he is able to order the soil test done, we'll be contacted to make our tender presentation appointment.

Until then, it's a waiting game for us...  Rain please quickly go away...