Goodbye June...you were supposed to be the one

So June 20th has been and gone and, surprise, surprise, we are still living in a rental and waiting for our house to be completed.  There has been some progress this week (ending 2nd July). On Monday - soffit boards, garage door, bits and bobs, Tuesday - nada, Wednesday - shower screens completed, Thursday - mouldings fitted to the facade and....wait for it....the missing bench top. Hoorah!!!  Our PCI is locked in for 12th July but there is still so much to do. Tiling at benchtop and alongside master bath, rendering, electricals to name but a few.  Oh, and we didn't realise the mouldings would be going on our facade columns so that means our new LED up/down lights won't work. Bugger! Back to Beacon we go.

Having said that, we have had to start planning for our move. Of course, if we were to settle 2 weeks after the PCI, then that would be a week before I have to go to the US for work.  Bloody typical.  So assuming we do get the keys then, we will install fireplace on 27th, concrete on 28th, and lights etc fitted that weekend.  I will then be away so we will book removals for 11th Aug and hand back the rental on the 15th. By this time I will be overseas yet again so I have one week from 7th to 14th Aug to do all those jobs and get the move complete.  Exciting but daunting as well. Was really hoping we would be in by now.  Anyway, here are the latest pics....

A different view looking across water to rear of house. 

Shower screen complete. Quite like these frameless shower screens. 

Mouldings. These are cool. Polystyrene covered in a render. They will be painted to match facade render colour. 

At last...the long awaited benchtop.

Progress so far....

Looking down the street to our new house. 

Crawling Along

We met with the SS on Friday and I think he got the message loud and clear - I am very upset, frustrated and disappointed with the inexcusably slow progress over the last few weeks.  By his own admission, he is struggling to get trades to commit to turning up.  This is compounded by the fact that they have generally already been paid and are therefore reluctant to turn up to complete the job or rectify the mistakes made.  The benchtop is still not in - apparently that was cut incorrectly yet again and is now starting to cost Porter Davis money - $1500 according to the SS.  I am quietly satisfied at that although I'd be even more satisfied if the damn thing was fitted.  

The sound insulation has gone in...or has it??? When I asked how they had fitted sound insulation at the foot of the stairs, he didn't have an answer - that's because it hadn't been done.  So, yet again, they need to remove gyprock, fit the insulation and then re-plaster.  It's farcical...!  

But the most maddening thing of all is that tradesman have been in the house with muddy boots and traipsed mud and dirt across our new floors and carpets.  This is outrageous.  PD's response is they will replace any damaged or scratched flooring.  Well, of course they will but this attitude is precisely why we are delayed - just get your tradesmen to do the job properly the first time around.  Rework is costing PD and me.  It's pathetic really - amateurish and something I would expect from a lower cost builder.  

The carpenter hasn't yet been to finish off, mouldings have been incorrectly ordered, and termite protection is incomplete.  The SS thinks we will have a PCI on 12th July with a settlement 'a couple of weeks after that'. We still don't have that in writing but an end of July settlement couldn't be worse for me as I need to go to the US on business then.  So disappointed yet again.  

On the positive side, the gas meter has been fitted, alarm and data wired up and garage cornice fitted.  This week, the SS has assured me that the carpenter will be back and benchtops fitted. Masters has also had a lighting sale and we have bought outside lights and a bunch of down lights to be fitted in bedrooms and bathrooms. 

Overall, there is a lot still to do and I have lost confidence in the SS.  Feeling helpless right now but at least he gets how annoyed I am.  We have just ticked over a year in our rental - thank god we haven't been given notice to vacate.  

Lots of photos of the house though.....

Kitchen - the troublesome benchtop is below the windows

Kitchen with flooring -we really like the laminate

Repair in cloakroom where missing sound insulation had to be fitted.  This is a farce!

Rumpus and stairs, looking towards bedroom at front of house

Master ensuite with shower screens fitted.  Very pleased with this but just noticed there is tiling missing alongside the bath (in addition to the glaringly obvious!). Why does no one but me bother to look at the plans???

Master bed vanity and mirror

View from the terrace

Eve's bathroom with freestanding bath

Looking back to rear of the garage.  Pool will go here - one day!!

A very muddy hallway.  Very annoyed about this - chances are that mud and dirt will have found its way into the joins between laminate panels.  Very, very poor form PD! 

From the hallway looking up to rumpus

Triple garage - ceiling still to be painted 

The story so far.....

Progress this week....

......yep.....nothing.  WTF!

Now looking like end July before we're in. So over this!

Totally Floored

A better week this time around.  I left for the airport on Monday morning to see the brick cleaners hard at work.  By the time I got back on Sarurday morning, the flooring had been laid, the base coat render applied, site (almost) cleared and - from my vantage point downstairs - the mirrors and shower screens installed.  There's still heaps to do - finishing, rectifying earlier faults, fitting the missing benchtops and re-tiling around the hob to name but a few.  The tiles have been ripped out where the new top needs to go and packing fitted to the bench - hopefully we will get the desired effect. The SS still hasn't notified us of a settlement date but assured us that would be this week.  I don't think end of June is possible so maybe we should be aiming for mid July.  Let's see what happens there.  In the meantime, I got yet another quote for fencing (the first from Jim's Fencing was nothing short of outrageous - he clearly didn't want the job) while the second didn't actually bother to submit a quote.  Hhhmmmmmm.... Spent this afternoon at the site killing weeds in advance of moving in and clearing a spot for the dog to enjoy!

Flooring - laminate in dusty rock....I think!

Flooring through kitchen and lounge area

Render to garage facade

Render to facade piers

Progress so far....

The Brakes Are On

Gggrrrrrr.....

It has been a very frustrating couple of weeks since my last post. Sure, the weather has been changeable, but the pace of progress has been very disappointing.  The target completion date of20th  June will not be achieved which is very frustrating.  Every day with nothing happening on site is causing delay and additional cost.  We met with our SS on 24th May and discussed progress with him at that point.  He was full of promises that have not been fulfilled - flooring in this day, sound insulation that day, rendering then blah blah blah.  I have lost all confidence in him over the past week or so.  Very poor form and a complete change in character since we last spoke.  Perhaps I should have been calling him more often???

Progress over the last couple of weeks has included plumbing complete, staining of the stairs (more on that to come), connecting down pipes, fitting garage doors and installing balustrades.  They have also remeasured the missing benchtops after I yet again pointed out that the stone was meant to run into the window relief (I honestly think we will be on our third set of Windows before they get it right). It might sound like a lot but that's probably 2 days work in 2 full weeks.  WTF PD....you are really starting to p#*s me off!

Other things include confirmation of WOS providing wrong colour details for the Silestone and then refusing to accept any liability. Quickest email I have received from our useless BC was telling us it was our tough luck. It was almost as though she had the email ready to go before we had even contacted her. Had our SS not suggested we do that, I wouldn't have wasted my time.  I cannot stand that girl - can't wait for the end of build customer survey.  The staining also looks completely different to that selected at WOS.  There is a constant theme here - WOS is an utter waste of time.  A glossy veneer with no depth whatsoever.  Can't believe that was a factor in us deciding to build with PD.  

So, overall, I am completely over this build.  I just want it finished and PD out of my life.

And.....breathe......

Garage ceiling - fitted by a bunch of Chinese guys by torchlight at 6pm on a Saturday....

....and plastered the following week.

Damage to waterfall edge. Have asked the SS to sort this. I wonder if he will bother?

Basins in master ensuite

Ensuite

Stained stairs. We chose silver birch at WOS because it was a really light stain that would match the flooring.  Not so sure now, but I'm assured this is silver birch. Hmmmmmm......

Looks lighter here

Balustrade at terrace

Balustrade at front facade. Where are the mouldings?

Garage doors fitted. So sick of seeing all that rubbish and the disgusting portaloo - PD, finish this build and get orfff moi laaaaaand!!!

Garage doors.