Approvals at last!

We received approvals this week from the Bank and from the Private Certifier.  The next step is to wait for the bank to send out the letter to give to the builder.  After they recieve that MJH send out the Supervisor to check the site again to make sure its suitable to start building and then we should be put on the construction list, fingers crossed. 

We need to go out to the block and mow which should be fun - 1/2 acre with a push mower, the grass is up to my knees!

As I'm typing this we just got sent our first progress payment request, that was quick..... Ok so now I'm getting very excited, its all starting to feel real now.  Hopefully by the first week in April something happens at the block :)

Bricks

Display wall - ours will be without the blue

We went back to Austral Bricks to have a look at what we chose again. My husband was getting worried because every brown house we went past I kept on saying "I wonder if thats our brick", so he took me back to make sure I still liked it. Its Gertrudis Brown and yes I still like it.

I cant turn it the right way arrrhhhh

Waiting, Waiting and more Waiting

We are still waiting for approval from the Private Certifier, its just on 2 weeks now. We got approval from the bank for the construction loan and they have valued our house and land at the exact price we have paid which is a relief..... We have been out to our block just to make sure its still there a few times ha ha.... The grass is really long and the saplings on the side of the block have grown heaps from all the rain. I guess we will have to go and mow once we get on the construction list, but hopefully the developers may slash it before then, fingers crossed. We met with the security company who will be installing our alarm system (as required by Bingara Gorge), that went well only cost another $150 for wireless remote thingy for the alarm. He will be giving us a quote on extras like surround sound and intercom to compare with McDonald Jones. I have started the electrical plan, I'm really surprised on how little power points you get in the big rooms like living, dining, & media etc so we will be paying for alot of extra powerpoints. I think we are getting extra bayonet fittings for downlights for the kitchen and bulkheads in the ensuite. I'm still not sure how I am going to get my ducted vacuuming but I will keep trying :) One more week until our electrical appointment and then hopefully building will start.

all my pics are going sideways, I don't know how to fix it.  tilt your head to the right!!!!! sorry :(

Date for Electrical Appointment

We also recieved our date for the Electrical Appointment at long last, it seemed to take forever to get to this bit. They sent all the pricelists to go over and they like you to plan before you get there as its only a 2 hour appointment, I don't think we will be there that long. We really don't have a budget for electrical ha ha, so that should be fun. All I know is we will be going for the necessities and doing alot later. We wont be putting in hundreds of downlights, we have them in our current house and I would like to have something different. One thing I do want is ducted vaccuming, but we will have to see, I have had ducted for 13 years and can't imagine not having one again :(

Waiting for Approval to Build

We were required to get the BAL Cerificate (bushfire rating) and after a little hiccup we finally got it back from Council, one piece of advice is if you don't agree with some people's finding make sure you fight it as it can cost you alot of extra $$$ if you don't. Everything has now been submitted to the Private Certifier, they have 2 weeks to approve so hopefully that goes smoothly. Fingers crossed.

Developer's Approval & Gift

We received our house plans, Basix report and landscape plan from the developers Bingara Gorge and they had the offical stamp of approval on them which is great news. My husband dropped in to see the Sales person and was given a gift for settling on our land. It was a lovely hamper with wine, olives and other bits in it, very nice of them. I had joked with the sales lady when she said we needed to pick up our gift that I hope it was $$$ as we are quickly running out.

Gift from Binagra Gorge

Slowly unwrapping

YUM!

Landscape Plan

The night we got home after signing off the building contract I finally sat down to do the landscape plan. I had started it about 10 times but just couldn't get my head around the size of the yard, sounds silly as we wanted 1/2 acre and then I couldn't for the life of me work out how to fill the bloody thing up! Anyway I put in Jacaranda trees at the front with a hedge of lilly pilly and agapanthus across the front on either side of the post and rail fence. I have a beautiful standard Azalea in a wine barrel that I will plant in the front of the bedroom windows and we will turf it with buffalo. We are having a chook shed for the 5 chickens and vegie garden down the back. My mum is giving me some trees from her house and one of them is a Mulberry Tree so that will definately go near the chook shed for shade. We just have to work out how to dig them up and transport them 3 hours without killing them. I can't wait to move into the house but we have a lot of work to do outside once we get there, but it will be fun starting from scratch. I have submitted my plan but haven't heard back if its suitable or not so fingers crossed x

Mulberry Tree - hopefully ours will look like that in a few years

Cherry Tree - 2 are going down the back in front of the Chook Shed