Tender and Plans Signed

Ok…we signed on the dotted line with Fairmont last Saturday and… *holds breath* …they are still great at getting back to our (poor Daniel) millions of questions quickly and fully.

We received the plans on Saturday and from there we have a few more changes to make as well as external colours to choose. We’ve had to completely re-think the colour scheme from our previous design, and as such we will be looking at bricks and roof tiles this weekend.  We also have an appointment with an interior designer next week, Michelle from De Novo Concepts (who came highly recommended by another couple building with Fairmont), to put it all together and just be sure that we’ve chosen well. We’ve never built before and I have never in my life really noticed external finishes on houses. Adding to that, Mick is hopelessly colour-blind and we have Estate Guidelines to adhere to and the Developer to please… so, I’ve been researching like a demon and look forward to our appointment with Michelle next week.

Ok, what we’re thinking so far colour-wise…

Facebrick: Light Brick (Currently leaning towards Austral Urban One Almond)

Cladding: This is the main element I am unsure of. It will be a light, Wattyl exterior paint colour and must go with the render and brick colours.

Bagging and Paint: Wattyl Vintage Plum (it will match the ornamental plum we’re planning to have as our feature tree)

Roof: Monier Elebana Charcoal Grey

Gutter:  Colourbond Woodland Grey

Facia: Colourbond Surfmist

Balcony Railing: Colourbond Surfmist

Downpipes: Colourbond Surfmist

Windows and Sliding Door Frames: Pearl White (aluminium)

Garage Door:  Caprice (style) White (colour)

Driveway: Charcoal (coloured concrete)

Front Door: Hume X24 1200 - Dark Wooden Stain (to match floorboards…when we’ve chosen them)

The following is quite similar to the colour selection we want to make. The driveway will be a dark grey to match the roof and the garage door will be white, but it still gives a sense of how the colours will work together.

I’ve also included the new plans below, but they are going to change slightly.

We can’t have the long feature window in the bathroom L The roof profile simply doesn’t allow it. We’re going to change the alfresco sliding doors to a six-stacker door (which is what I have been envisioning all along). We also may need to move/change the water tank as there isn’t much room to get past it. The fence is set up higher than our block so there will be a retaining wall next to it. We’ve asked Fairmont for the distance to the fence to see if we can scrape by or if we have to move the tank.

We will also be getting two velux skylights in the Kitchen/Meals area. Aside from the fact that they look great and we have been toying with getting some from day one (and if they were cheaper, we would get more), they will bring natural light in. That room is large and the only windows are the sliding doors from the Alfresco area which is fully roofed and the windows in the Media Room (not a very bright source, especially when the bi-fold doors are closed!). I think the skylights will add a wow-factor as well as being practical.

We’re also looking at replacing the window in the Powder Room with a longer one that extends from the Laundry wall to the shower. We would then put a narrow mirror the full length of the wall on the opposite (Kitchen) wall.

Next step is to contact the Landscaper as we need a plan for Developer/Council submission and there will be some things, like clearing plants and delivering soil, that ideally should happen before the slab is poured.

Plans Finalised

Just a quick update to let you know that we have the most gorgeous house ever!!!!

Tom, Michael and especially Daniel at Fairmont Homes have just been wonderful to deal with. Very knowledgeable, helpful and fast. Their pricing also seems fair.

We are currently due to sign the tender on 3^rd September and pay for full plans to be drawn up as well as the required documentation for Developer, BASIX and Council submission. It will then also be time to approach a landscaper.

Below is the final draft of our plans:

Note: there will be a tall, fixed feature window above the bath, but exact dimensions can’t be finalised until the elevations are drafted. And we were so glad to find out that we can have the balcony extension after all. This was due to a clause in the fine print saying that the Developer Guidelines “trump” council’s.

How exciting! It’s nice to have the passion back after such a rough beginning, especially as we are about to enter a financial vacuum waiting for Mick’s unit to sell.

On the home-front, the tiling quote should be finalised this week (thank you Strata for lengthening that process) and work begin next week or the one after. Once complete, we will be putting the unit on the market (finally).

We’ve also been in contact with our future side neighbours regarding fencing. Between council regs, estate guidelines and personal budgets/taste, this should be interesting. We’ll also need to begin talks with our rear neighbours soon…Let the fun and games begin!

(I should note that it turns out that who we thought were building next door appear to have on-sold…for those who know what I’m talking about).

So long Rawson!

Rawson finally bothered to contact us, and what a warm and fuzzy email it was too <insert sarcasm here>. You know, my father had it right when he said that we shouldn't accept Rawson's invite unless it was from the CEO himself and he actually apologised and said he would fix things. All the manager did that we met with was basically tell us, "well, that's your opinion." and offered no helpful solution. So, here is our reply:

Good riddance!

Tender and plans nearly finalised

We’re nearly there people!

Discussions have continued with Fairmont, who have nearly perfected our plans and tender. Mick and I are getting very excited about the finished product and now just need to look at what little “extras” we want.

Fairmont have been great. Really quick to reply and they really know the guidelines! I also like that they are proactive and even suggested our external finishes to comply with the guidelines…and included the bagging in the standard quote!

Extras we’ve asked for:

-          Nice, large front door (which you can view by clicking here)

-          Gas-boosted solar hot water system (estate mandate)

-          Higher ground-floor ceilings

-          Glass kitchen splashback

-          Ducted A/C (And “damned if it isn’t the big one!” It’s epic and is our most expensive upgrade, but worth it)

-          Alarm

-          Automatic garage door with two handsets

-          Bathroom Upgrades Package (tiled shower niches, semi-frameless showers and higher tiling points)

We’re also getting costings on some nice little (unnecessary) features and we’ll see what we can afford…like a corner window above the bath in the main bathroom.

We’re also waiting on site costs (which we should have today), but we have a rough idea on these already because of Rawson’s quote.

Anyway, what a lovely house it’s shaping out to be…we can’t wait to finalise the plans and get the proper ones drawn up…though from there we need to wait until Mick’s unit is sold before taking the next step.

On the home-front, Mick is getting the last quote for the tiling tomorrow and hopes to have that work started next week. That’ll take a couple of weeks to complete and in that time we will continue packing and hope to have it on the market as soon as the tiling is done….and it’ll also be nice to be able to have friends over again. We’ve been turning them away left and right because the unit is a mess but, thankfully, it’s getting better every week.

Rough plans (almost) finalised...

Fairmont sent through amended plans and we had a good hard think on them over my birthday weekend. We made some slight changes and are now happy with the plans (as we have re-drawn them) and have sent them to Tom for a final re-draw and pricing. I’ve posted our amended plans below:

As you can see, we have compromised on the pantry. The normal cupboard pantry I’ve included (I think) is about 1.4m long, more than enough! And trying to fit an extra room in is difficult and certainly not worth compromising on living space or the openness of the kitchen area.

We have also planned some integrated shelving units for the Living/Dining area (which will become the Living/Reading area) and Games Room. We’ll also be putting shelving up in the Laundry (behind the door) and a workbench with shelving down the length of the Garage, which will all be done after the build. I’m glad Mick will get a nice long space for tools and other “manly”-things. Especially since Campbelltown Council mandate the 6m length so 4WD’s can fit and it would be wasted on a couple with one (small) car and two motorbikes!

Example of shelving we're after:

Also, the entry to the Games Room will have French doors. This will mean that, with the addition of double doors to the TV Room upstairs, we will have two entertainment areas that can be closed-off and more potential bedrooms, which is great for re-sale value.

And, of course, I have already begun thinking about the windows, floors, kitchen and external finishes and colours (because I can’t help myself!). So, I have included the following piccie of what our Kitchen/Meals area will (sort-of) look like:

We want those floor-boards and kitchen cabinetry (even our appliances will be similar, though we plan on getting a black, glass splashback) and the stacker-doors leading onto the alfresco area are similar again to the layout/style of what we want.

We are eagerly awaiting Tom’s reply and hope to have some good news for you today or tomorrow…

We have lift-off!

Tom from Fairmont Homes got back to us...yesterday! (Suck on that Rawson!) And the plans a good:

We gave some changes we'd like, most important among them being that we need a pantry. And, for once, my SnagIT work has let me down and I'm at a loss as to how to re-arrange the plans to fit a pantry. So we've left it to the experts, giving Tom this brief:

"The Games Room is more Mick’s domain and he doesn’t want much in the way of light/windows (it would become his media room) and the kitchen is more mine and I would like light and (visual) access to the outside… Basically, Mick wants a “den of iniquity” and I want light and nature…with a pantry. I hope that makes sense."

On the train home this evening, and after 24-hours of thought, I believe I may have it: making the laundry the pantry and turning a sliver of the Games Room into the laundry....but i'll wait and see what Tom and his draftsman come up with.

I'm also slightly disappointed that the chance for landscaping is on the side without living rooms (and I just realised that "landscaping" will actually be "water tank/air-con exchange unit/hot water service" *frowny face*) and that we don't have much in the way of lawn, but the Games Room and Alfresco are the happy trade-offs. And we may end up tweaking this anyway (especially as making things smaller may help costs). For now, I'm just looking for a pantry and being able to see garden from the kitchen.

Always getting ahead of myself I've also begun thinking about windows and an alternate use for the Dining Room as a library (perhaps more of a "reading space" with a chaise lounge and book shelves)....stay tuned!

Anyway, the plans are great for a first attempt, and as we told Tom, we are very heartened and look forward to what we can achieve with a little adjustment.

You live, you learn

We were unable to make it to Kellyville last weekend (Saturday was spent with poor Mick recovering from the horror that was getting carpet laid with a bad back) but we did meet with Fairmont.

The meeting went well and they are going to draft up some design ideas based on their Dominico 37 (with a 40 MKII upstairs) according to what will fit on our block. We should hear from them by Wednesday and I will keep you posted. Let me tell you that if we had the space (and money), we would build their display home (Dominico 40 with MKII upstairs configuration) almost exactly as displayed…but 40 squares is a little big and $397,000 (to build as displayed) is a bit much. Oh well, Mick and I are tentatively excited to see what they come back with (we knocked on wood several times today at lunch discussing it). Once we have a basic design we like, they will price it, then when we settle on the price, we will look at paying money for full plans to be drafted.

Good news too is that they are willing to allow us to have our own qualified tradesmen lay flooring and do data cabling. Another positive is that it was very evident that Tom (Fairmont CEO and Builder) knows the Estate Guidelines very well!

On an anecdotal note, its funny the strange place we are in with regards to our thinking. Because we were so far along the timeline with Rawson we’re in “finishes mode” thinking about brick colour, kitchen cabinetry, windows, internal colours etc …but we no longer have a house design. Talk about putting the cart before the horse!

Below are the plans we like and that Fairmont are re-configuring to fit on our block:

The upstairs design is a new one they came up with due to the increased demand for upstairs living. Mick and I just love it! ...Though we will be sound-proofing the common wall of Beds 1 & 4, adding some more wardrobe space in Bed 1 (probably by adding a wall for the bed to go against and wardrobe space behind) and a double-vanity to the ensuite (I refuse to share a powerpoint and vanity in the morning any more!).

Lastly, some words of wisdom, we felt important to share, for those undertaking a build for the first time: Don’t be fooled by the finish of a Builder’s Display Home (like we were). The price given for the house includes almost nothing of what you see. For instance, (not to pick on Fairmont,as they all do it, but Fairmont's plans and prices are the first to spring to mind) the Dominico 40 on display at Gregory Hills’ starts at $334,970…to build it exactly as displayed (though still not including landscaping or driveway) costs $397,420. That’s $62,450 worth of upgrades like sky-lights, wooden bi-fold doors, really nice tiles/cabinets/carpet/paint/tap ware, higher ceilings, corner windows, floor-to-ceiling tiling in wet areas, cupboards in laundry, air-con, alarm system, ceiling fans/lights/tiling in alfresco areas, render on façade, balconies etc etc. Depressing, isn’t it?

Another week in paradise

So Rawson answered our ‘hurry-up’ email with a new Variation asking for, you guessed it, more money! It now turns out that we need a very specific hot water service (gas-boosted solar…or something along those lines) and, of course, Rawson missed it and want to charge us $4.6k extra for it! They also want more money for the changes we’ve asked. Surprise, surprise.

Again, we find ourselves bitterly disappointed with Rawson Homes. As far as I am concerned, they are at fault for not realising the hot water issue. They either purposefully withheld this (and the roof issue) to get more money from us, or they are incompetent and I have little faith that they can deliver a product that will be approved by the Developer. Either alternative is not a good one.
 
As for the rest of the charges, it seems that builder’s mark-up is a one-way cost. Anything we cut-back on to save money is so inexpensive to do and yet, if we were to add it, it costs a fortune! I especially like the part where removing an internal window from downstairs doesn’t save us any money but adding one (exactly the same specs) upstairs costs money! The price of the house now is ridiculous and it would take a very long time to recoup the value in re-sale and that doesn’t include electrical changes or any unforseen upgrades (we haven’t even had the colour-selection appointment!).

Mick wants to wire the house up for data (and can do so really inexpensively with the help of one of his friends who is a licenced electrician) but Rawson won’t let him (apparently due to OH&S reasons, though our friend is a licenced tradesman) but when we asked earlier if they could then instead offer the service themselves, they said no. Now, all of a sudden they do offer the service (so, was our CSO lying earlier or just incompetent?) and you do not even want to know how much they want to charge us.

 They even added a change to this variation that wasn’t asked for (extending the feature rake to the entire house), but that’s ok cos they’re not going to charge us for that…probably another thing they left out of the original tender!

Lastly, they sent us another email about changing the façade because the one we’ve chosen doesn’t have a roof that conforms to guidelines. They say that changing the roof to conform actually costs money but that we can save money by choosing the cheaper façade and we’ll save $10k…too bad it cost us $16k to upgrade! Now, if the roof and finish don’t equate to the extra cost in changing the façade, it must be the balconies (and we would like to retain at least one because of the view) but Rawson said themselves, neither are substantial in size and basically implied that neither are worth it! What a lovely company that belittles its own design and, therefore, our choice of it.

So where does this all leave us? With either a house that we can’t afford or don’t want.

In short, we would be better off switching to a company with realistic designs and costs, better understanding of the guidelines and who are nicer/easier to deal with. Rawson have been nothing but difficult since we signed on the bottom line and have not apologised nor offered any assurance of change. We gave them a chance, but we’re out. Good luck to them in this economic climate.

So, this Saturday we’re heading to Kellyville to meet with Cosmopolitan (to keep our options open) and on Sunday we’re meeting with Fairmont.

Cosmo are the cheapest option, but their reviews are terrible and I suspect that they will be just as painful to deal with as Rawson. However, if they can give us a home we like for less money (and we can get it all in the tender up-front), they are already ahead.

Our hopes though lie with Fairmont. The meeting with them is actually booked in with their CEO and Builder and they seem keen for the business. They’re relatively new to the project home scene (prior to that they built mostly commercial and luxury custom homes and renovations) and seem to be working hard to make a name for themselves. They’ve won several MBA Awards this year and last, are building a home for charity, built the Sales and Information Office at Gregory Hills and have lots of ‘house and land’ packages about the place, including the other unbuilt block in our estate (ingenious design they’ve come up with for it too). They seem to have a good rep amongst the few that have built project homes with them so far, and the developer that owns the Sales and Info office at Gregory Hills gave them a great reference (you can see all of these details on their website). I also hope that the fact that they’re building in our estate separately to our block, means that they have a good handle on the guidelines. At the end of the day, as Mick has said, even if Fairmont are comparable in cost to Rawson, if they are nicer to deal with, we’ll be happy. But I also think that the biggest issue we’ve had with Rawson is that they were great until we signed on the dotted line. I plan on not giving any money or signatures to the next builder until I have a Tender that includes everything we can think of.

And on the home-front, Mick and I have to finish cleaning up tonight in prep for the carpet getting laid tomorrow. We’ve thrown a lot out and put most stuff away in the laundry and kitchen (not being carpeted) and tonight, one of Mick’s mates, Dave, is helping him move furniture we’re not keeping to the garage (to get tipped) and the BBQ (cos as Dave wisely suggested, we should move it before the new carpet is laid). After the carpet is down, I will box up what we’re keeping and organise a storage bin so we can slowly start the moving process. Re-tiling the kitchen, laundry, W/C and bathroom will be next and then we’ll put the place on the market….

Hmmm, we should probably also look at tiles this weekend…

I’ll keep you posted!

Ash.

The slow-march forward

We’re now fighting a war on three-fronts. Fairmont Homes have been lovely and very fast to deal with, but we’re not enthused by their design or inclusions. We’re currently debating whether or not to pursue changing the plans and tender. I know they are up for it, but the propect of starting at square one is a bit too much to bear right now. I’ve included their design below:

Cosmopolitan got back to us (a little slowly) and their prices are competitive (all-in we’re looking at $30k less than Rawson), their inclusions are good and we like their design (with some modifications). Here’s what we propose to change their Ecco 35 to:

Now to Rawson: We were less than impressed with our last meeting with them, and we haven’t heard back from them yet. Below are the changes we want to make to the design. There are some compromises and some upgrades:

 (If you think the amount of red is bad, you should see the electrical plan changes!!!)

The dilemma: The Illoura (with our modifications) is a wonderful house and we love it…but we’re not sure we can afford it (comfortably). The Cosmo home is also a great design (with changes) and we like it very much. Not as much as the Rawson home but it’s cheaper and probably a more suitable design for a young couple. Do we really need a formal dining room (Illoura)? Can we live without a study (Ecco)? What about having a separate W/C? We don’t need a walk-in pantry, but it’d be nice and beats having a really small corner pantry…Hmmmm. I think it will come down to how much Rawson will do our design for. If it’s reasonable, it’d be next to impossible for us to say no to…but I’m not holding my breath and the bottom-line can be very persuasive. 

And on the home-front, new carpet is getting laid next Friday and I have asked for a quote for epoxy-resin flooring for the wet-areas (not all the tiles have to get ripped up then) and Mick is organising a second quote on tiling. This Sunday will be packing day to try and make it easier for the carpet guys.

So where to now..? I think we need to wait and see what Rawson say then have a visit with Cosmopolitan and weigh it all up for good.

EDIT: I'm having trouble posting a comment back to you drewrenee so here it is:

Thanks so much. Not long after this post Fairmont got in touch with us and seem really keen to build us what we want. Their builder went past our block and apparently has some good ideas. It's nice to hear that they are good to deal with before and during the build. We are meeting wth them next Sunday to discuss exactly what we want and, as Mick put it just a few moments ago, "We like the Rawson plans but I don't know how much longer we can deal with them" (language slightly cleaned up). Rawson got back to us at about 4:30 Friday arvo after a 'hurry up' email from us, and it was a half-baked email that told us nothing new and would have taken 5mins to do. I also contacted Cosmopolitan (who seem to have a worse rep on the forums than Rawson) about arranging a meeting and have, so far, heard nothing. So, we're heartened by your words and hope Fairmont can be the go!

We'll have to continue sharing our progress :)

Negotiations Continue

We met with Rawson’s GM on Saturday and it was…underwhelming. No apology made (unfortunately they were that slick that I didn’t realise this til after the meeting) and when given details on where their issues lie and what I and others have found to be areas for improvement in their process, I was basically told “Well, that’s your opinion.” And finally the truth came out & they (finally) confirmed that our roof doesn’t meet guidelines and won’t be approved. SO, where does this leave us…we asked that they re-draw the façade with a roof that meets guidelines and to give us a reduced costing.  If we are satisfied with what they get back to us with, we will then meet with their draftsman to go through our plans room-by-room and tell them exactly what we want and the price we want it done for. IF they can meet this, and guarantee our tender price, then we will continue with them (which would mean paying the $7k for council submission).

Later that day we also met with Fairmont Homes. They have great reviews and their sales staff, as with all builders, were helpful and I have no doubt that they could provide us with a quality home. We’ve left them with our site plan and a spec for what we want from a home based on their existing design called Dominico 37. We also did the same with Cosmopolitan and their Ecco 35. We are definitely leaving our options open! Though at this stage, it is unlikely that we will build with GJ Gardner. They have been lovely to deal with but their homes are not really designed for our estate and their quote they gave us for a design based loosely on the Cosmo home we like is much too expensive.

I’ll be drafting up changes to Rawson’s Check Plans and Tender to include everything we can think of that we want for our home, so we can be prepared for the sit-down with the draftsman if/when we come to that.

On the home-front, we have been too busy with work to have packed up much of Mick’s unit and whilst we have had one quote for re-doing the bathroom, we need a second. Then we need to pick a tile and vanity and arrange for the work to actually get done. Then we need to have the kitchen re-tiled, some spot-paintwork done and the carpets replaced. Then we need to put the unit on the market, hire a storage bin and removalists etc etc…*sigh* still a long way to go yet. All of this is a blessing in a way because the money spent on re-doing the bathroom and re-tiling the kitchen will be well worth the increase in value to the unit and speed of sale, especially with insurance and strata pitching-in.

Block-update: we drove past yesterday and the rubbish from the building site next door is slowly growing on our land (if anyone wants some discarded bricks we have a small pile for you), so I can already see me donning the gloves and throwing it over our neighbours’ fence if they don’t clean it up soon. On a positive note, the red-hot pokers on our block are flowering, and let me tell you, if they can survive the conditions they’re in now, I want to keep them. They look great and are obviously very hardy! This reminds me, we have found a landscaper on the web that looks promising. We like their designs and they offer a full service at a reasonable price. When we are sure about our house design, we will arrange a meeting with them. I have a pretty good idea already on what we want; I just need some finer design ideas and professional muscle to do the more laborious tasks. Click here for a link to their webpage, and we will keep you posted on how we get on.

You know, I’ve never heard of anyone having a smooth time of building but this ordeal has been much more “epic” than we expected.

Still waiting...

Well, we haven’t heard back about a base price yet from GJ Gardner and I really don’t feel like chasing them. We have however heard back from Cosmopolitan homes and while we get the feeling they’re just another sausage factory, it’s nice to get info from them on their service so we can make an informed decision. We also remembered that the fourth prescribed builder is Fairmont homes, so I will be looking into them.

We also visited the block yesterday with Mick’s parents, who came along for the adventure. The neighbourhood was quiet and friendly as always. And the house being built next door has really come along. To be honest though, I’m a bit disappointed. Though it is a fine house, I was expecting grander things. Their alfresco area couldn’t even fit a dog’s bed and we’re also not sure they’re going to insulate! They’re at a stage where they should have insulated now, but as my Dad said, perhaps they’ll blow it in (not really sure how it all works to be honest). Anyway, knowing the owner has great building connections, I thought they would do more. Never mind! I’ve managed to pin down which house they’re building, thanks to the (dis)advantage of building a project home. I’ve posted the designs of both our neighbour’s houses and some photos. And before anyone accuses us of stalking, it’s only because we need to submit a “privacy plan” to the developer, outlining our neighbour’s windows and explaining how we will maintain our (and their) privacy…plus I love seeing what other people build! Things I’ve never previously paid attention to, I now notice. Like kitchens in ads, use of materials on new builds, bathroom designs at work etc.

We’re also pretty close to having perfected our design. Unfortunately I’ve left the latest version at work, so I’ll have to upload it later.

Ok, to see the Champion Home design on our right (as you face the block), click here. It is the second layout called Lincoln 338 and it is reversed.

Photos of the house:

The house on the left of our block is a Cosmopolitan home and be viewed by clicking here. We don't have photos of the facade but it is exactly the same as on the brochure.

And some photos:

Now, the rose between two thorns...I'm talking about Mick's Parents of course!

Quick Update

Rawson have sent through the Site Analysis Report and Detailed Site Contour Survey, which we have forwarded on to GJ Gardner.

We also have official approval from the Developer to use GJ Gardner for the build.

So…all systems are go for organising plans and a tender through GJ Gardner *fingers crossed* we have a better experience through them…though, no signing of a tender to take place until we are happy with the inclusions and cost.

On the home-front, Mick and I plan to spend our weekend cleaning and packing up the unit in prep for the renovations (new paint and carpet and re-tile the wet areas). Fun!

...just realised that I cross my fingers a lot...

Here's to round two!

If GJ Gardner are willing to build a Cosmo Home with Rawson influences then we’re ok with that.

We spoke to the gentleman at GJ Gardner on the weekend and looked through some of their designs and showed them one we like by Cosmo (who have a terrible reputation in the area and never replied to my enquiry so do not get our business). Using the Cosmo design as a base, GJ Gardner seem genuinely passionate about building our house. Having said this, Mick and I are a little wiser than when we signed on the dotted line with Rawson. I’ve amended the floor plan to the specs we want and have included almost every last detail of what we ideally want. I want the tender to be as inclusive as possible before we sign ANYTHING.

In the meantime, we have had to ask Rawson for our FULL site survey as they only sent us a PDF of the block and not the soil testing that would have gone with it and the proper draftsman version. *Fingers crossed* they hand that over without a fight. We paid $750 for the survey and should own the rights to it but nothing is ever easy.

All-in-all we’re after a nice house within budget and a more enjoyable building experience with a company that wants our business.

The house we like from Cosmo is called Ecco 35 and can be viewed by clicking here.

Here’s our modified version of the floor plan, which Mick has dubbed “House MKII”

And here is the facade - though we will add a balcony over the garage and will probably have to put a "normal" roof on it and chaneg the colours to conform to the Estate Guidelines.

The amount of glass at the front is something we love for maximising the views over the golf course. For this reason we also like the flow-through effect of the living room, dining area and kitchen. We've added cavity sliding doors though for privacy. Mick is also a huge fan of the alfresco area and we have extended that area so he can BBQ without smoke getting into the house.

Here’s to round two!

Where to from here?

So, the million dollar question…where to from here?

Rawson have been nothing short of difficult and rude, which wouldn’t even be too bad if they would design a house we love for the price it’s worth. So, we will be giving them the chop, we’re just a little hesitant to send the email we currently have drafted. I think we may be pondering on that one for a while yet.

Whilst we are still reeling from the unpleasantness of it all and would like nothing more than to wash our hands of it and start again, I know from a logical point of view that building a house on this block is better for the bottom line. It will be easier and net a little profit (depending on the cost and what we build) to sell the land with a house on it. It is also no hardship to live in it for a few years to net a nice profit and look at building a single story home somewhere else down the track.

In the meantime, I believe I mentioned that we have fallen in love with a particular single story home..? That building company actually offers a “made-to-measure” service and has (so far) been quite keen for the business, even offering for the CEO himself to meet us out of area. So we are exploring the possibility of building with them. We just need to double-check that we are allowed though *rolls eyes* as they are not one of the four “prescribed” builders for the estate. We are not interested in using one of those builders however as one is Rawson, another is building the house next door and has been difficult to deal with, the third never got back to an enquiry I made, and we can’t remember the fourth one..!

So, I’ve sent through an idea of what we want to build to the new builder at their request, and am waiting for them to get back to me about a time to meet up and discuss the options.

On the home-front, Mick’s unit needs all the carpet and shower replaced. At the same time we will re-vamp the bathroom (it is quite old) and kitchen tiles then be ready (and happy) to sell it.

*Fingers crossed* we might be on a winner, though the end is not in sight yet…and no promises Mick doesn’t torch the land given the stress it has caused added to the stress of the unit flooding and his stressful job. I guess we can’t say it’s been uneventful!