Our first month in our home............

How fast a month goes by. Its been pretty full on with moving in, trying to settle in, waiting for tradies to come back to finish off things that we supposed to be done before handover.

One thing that i suggest to anyone building is don't except handover till everything is done the way it was supposed to be at handover. We still have a couple of things that need doing like the doors we paid $1000.00 for  are still on the terrance floor awaiting to be hung and stained,  painters to come back to fix up the glass doors in study, also we are missing little things like sink plugs in laundry,galley and spa, and also have noticed now that our large windows in the family room and our french doors have alot of scratchs on them, cause on day of handover it was overcast and with the exicitment of what was going on missed. We have tired calling our s/s but seems now has moved on and also rang the area manager but i guess he is busy also. But i will ring everyday if i have too, its a shame cause PORTER DAVIS  have otherwise built us a great home, but we are entitled too what we have paid for.

You do really forget everything you go through building the home that you could not wait to move into, and all the worrying over the littlest things, (like getting phone calls from our s/s! now seem so trival) and everything else that goes with building.

But the joy in sitting back and looking at it all is fantastic! ( my partner calls me the colourbond man!)

We are also still waiting for the items that we ordered while we were building like the shed, shutters,drapes(awaiting fabric)lightfittings(out of stock even thou they were on lay by), but hey it gives you something to look forward too.

                                        Our doors still on terrance floor needing to be installed.

                                          Glass got changed over on doors now needing painter to return.

                                         Not easy to see but windows scratched in nearly all of family room.

will update some pics when things are looking complete.................

Moving from .................

Moving from inner city living to a new home can be really overwheling, trying to adust to a new home and making it a home which is comfortable and still cosy, even thou the house is three times as big.

It took us nearly a year to build this home and how much contiplating what sort of look we wanted, chosing the home was the easiest part, going around looking at displays and imagening what it would be like to own a home that we have ever dreamed of. Now the real work begins and how many hidden extras that arise that you dont hink of, like retaining walls,trenchs dug for NBA, and alot of other things that you dont know about.

Once the house was on its way, we started looking around for furniture and now we are glad we did, cause we had the time to go around and look and what bargins we could pick up.And for pieces of furniture that would suit with what we already had.

I guess sales and laybys come in real handy! Our best friend became Ebay and from there we found outlets that we could pick furniture and other things we needed for the house. It does pay to look around and just speaking to people and even on forums that we read how you can save money. asking for a discount also helps when you are buying a few things from the same store.

French and english, maison living, both in richmond became our good friends! also schouts in clifton hill and of course ebay were also pretty good to us with there sales, im not one for paying full price for anything!

I hope this blog may help someone who is bulding with some ideas....................

The dust is starting to settle............

Well after a few hard days of labour we have nearly completed our front, we did all the work ourselfs with a bit of patience and yes a bit of sweat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have kept it simple and cost efficent and easy to maintain, we do love mowing the lawn, and with going to work and everything else that takes up our time we just wanted it to at least clean, we can always add more later.

Side gate is needing to be completed, waited for the man to come yesterday but he didnt show,so will give him a call today and when our out door lighting arrives will install them all at once. but for now least the dust has settled a little.

hope this may help someone with some ideas.

Two weeks since handover...............

Its a saturday night and sitting on the kitchen bench, and just realxing after a real big day.

We got the driveway done this week and was completed yesterday,with sealing being done. We didnt do anything to fancy just kept it simple, today we started on thre front garden so the dust can settle as it drives you mad walking into the house it seems to follow you in, everytime i look at the floor and the sun is shinning it drives me mad.

we planted a few conifers,box hedges,gardinas and put in a few annuals, monday we are getting the lawn delivered, so we can do more tomorow before it arrives.We tired to do a low maintance garden just having to mow lawns and do a changeover of annuals every few months. And the cost was really good we saved heaps doing it ourselfs.

what i have been finding is the tradies that come to do things around the house, if you dont watch them every step of the way they seem to either do a incomplete job or the seem not to care, wicth is a real shame cos we are paying good money for the jobs.

Talking about getting things done porter davis has been a bit slow getting the tradies to finish off  what was supposed to be done still waiting on the carpenter,and painter to finish off the study doors as the glass had to replaced due to scraches, also door handles were out of stock and our fly screen doors are still lying on terrance floor, needing staining and put into place. but everyone else have been, i hate to be working as you never know when they are going to show up.

It is such a joy to stand back and see all the work that we have achieved in a few weeks, but due to work commiments we tired to get done as much as possible. as we are stuffed when we get home from work.

I try and put up some pics as we have no internet yet,

kitchen is nearly complete...

Well finally the splashback arrived after two attempts, and all is going good in the house, just alot of work trying to get things done before heading back to work.

Also waiting around for tradies to come around to finish things off is not alot of fun, you waste so much time just waiting for them to show up, what  i can suggest to anyone is not to handover until everything is complete if you can wait, its been nearly two weeks and still waiting to get things complete.

Anyway this is a quick update, i try and post more as things are getting done.

 here are a few pics of our unfinished kitchen!

 

 

 

 

THIS IS OUR VERSION OF THE PORTER DAVIS WALDORF 44

                                
                                    THIS IS THE PORTER DAVIS WALDORF 44 (WITH A FEW VARIATIONS)

                                      WITH THE HEBEL PROMOTION OFFER $3999.00

We are finally in our home...............

Well after months of driving up to the house walking thru, looking thru windows to see whats been done, we finally got our keys last thursday, what a great feeling to be greated by our s/s and getting a text message asking us where we are!

Tonight im sitting at that kitchen bench having some time out from unpacking and thought i would share our experence's.

I have to say walking up too the house your emotions are running high and i think a tear in the eye is just the normal, you feel like all the pressure is gone.

The feeling of standing in your new kitchen is amazing, going thru all that  needeed to be completed, and what still has to be done.

We excepted handover after signing a few things that need to be completed, headed off to the PD office to pay the final installement, and pick up our keys. The best part was our orginal B/C was there to handover the keys, we were just so thrilled for her being there, i nearly jumped the counter!

Sitting there i was looking around and thinking this is where we started out about a year ago and the funny thing is seeing others waiting for their tender appionments!

Anyway drove back to the house and the tradies were installing the appliances, the rest of the day was just a blur!

This being my last blog for quite a while we would like to thank a few people.

To a person who's blog (porter davis waldorf) was amazing to us by the name ynot.

To our first B/C she was great for her patience and understanding our needs and got us what we wanted in our home.

To our S/S just fantastic, what a great guy and he's workmanship was just great.

The negatives:

Our B/C was just non existant, it was a real shame that we had to deal with someone that never returned calls, was always out of the office when you called or on the phone, or that weekly call that came three weeks in a row then not again for ages, you give up waiting!. Thats is something PD should really look at, cause it lets the company down.

The area manager that put so much pressure on us at the very first meeting to sign up,and told us if you cant afford to sign up now, we should not even be looking! we just walked away and got a apology a weel later from sales consulant. WELL now we are in our porter davis home.

There was no Waldorf 44 display  home with a sterling facade or any other facade, and with the $3999.00 promo offer with hebel build, so people like us that had no idea about hebel could see what it was all about. Thankgod for the internet!

AND IF YOU ASKED US WOULD YOU BUILD WITH PORTER DAVIS AGAIN OUR ANSWER WOULD BE:      YES.
                                                             

7 days to HANDOVER..............

We got a call from our s/s yesterday informing us what he has planned for the week and handover will be next thursday.

I really think PD should really be grateful for some of the people they have working for them, we cannot say enough of good  things about our S/S, keeping us informed and trying he's best i guess, but on the other hand some of the office staff i wounder what they are there for!, We havnt heard from our b/c for weeks and thankgod there was another lady in the office that does the same work, she has done everything straight away for us in the past couple of days. i guess you have to be lucky whom you get allocated as your B/C.

With a few phone calls got the gas pipe and meter organized for insullation, (Reckon i should get a job a PD).Pipe was installed the day before last and meter is going in today.

The last couple of days have been so fustrating not knowing when it will take place, you are sort of in limbo,do you take time off from work cause it could change again?,orgainize removalists? theres alot to plan i guess.

I think when you are nearly at the end of your build you either cant wait or you just get over it all.

Anyway today i will organize the window coverings, the driveway man, fences are done, ring and get electrcity and gas ready for connection for after handover.

I guess this week it will be a time to relax,enjoy and look forward to whats ahead of us.......And im going to try and keep away from the house till then so it will be more exiciting........yeah lets see...............

The awaited P.C.I DAY.......................

This morning we meet up with our s/s and had our PCI, it went for about 31/2 hours but we got thru it all. there was'nt to much that needed to be done, more paint touch ups, cleaning of house and a few other things that our s/s said he was not happy with. (we didnt even notice so thats what i call a good s/s.)

We have a problem that is going to delay our handover, its the GAS SUPPLY to house, s/s has been trying to get it installed and i also called when we got home, they said they will cal back tomorrow!
otherwise s/s said we would have had handover by the end of the week. A real shame.

I keep you guys posted with what the outcome is and spread the news when we find out...........fingers crossed.

On the home strecth......

It is all falling into place, this week the peices that were missing have all been getting completed.

Everything that was included in the promo at the time of  signing was installed, You seem to forget what was included and what wasn't, ie. taps, fly screen, mouldings. I think we were pretty lucky with the promo that was being offered at the time.

And to think just 6 months ago it all started from this colour selection we made up.(now it will go on the wall in the garage just as a reminder!)

Tomorrow is our P.C.I and its all pretty exciting, lets just hope theres not to many things wrong.

I guess this is nearing the end of my blog, i'll let you know how the P.C.I  went and when handover will take place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a few pics we were lucky to get while the cabinet maker was there.......

From months to weeks and now only days away.......

Its all happening and i feel like a little kid counting the sleeps.

 Our s/s has been organizing everything to be completed and its really great now that its getting close, a few let downs with the tradies damaging things that are all ready completed and having to redo jobs. Our p.c.i is booked for next monday and as our s/s is on holidays this week, but work is still getting done. Went for a drive today and painters where there finshing off everywhere there were little stickers.

Carpet was laid, tiles that were chipped were replaced, just awaiting the cupboard above fridge to be installed again for the third time!

Our splashback was installed also today but it with the wrong finish, so they had to come back and remove it and now will have to await for a new one to be installed so i hope this does not effect our p..c.i or handover.

Our fences will start to be installed tomorrow  also.

Here a few a pics, hope you enjoy and thankyou you for your nice messages.

                                                   looking down to lounge room and study.

                                                   The staircase with stain and carpet. stain yet to be glossed.

                                                    The study.

                                                   Upstairs family room.

                                                    Master wardrobe.

                                                   Rendering now complete a few moulding still missing.

                                         Sterling facade with hebel, timber windows and cedar timber garage door stained as rest of woodwork.(the railing will go after handover for maybe for a more simple design)

                                         This is the way its coming along.............

The end is in site..................

Well its getting pretty exciting now seeing  the house coming together, it's seems so long since we had our colour selections that you actualy forget what we have chosen until you see it and think, we didn't do too bad.

Had a phone call last week from porter davis telling us that our s/s is moving on to another area, and he would no longer be looking after our property. we were pretty disappionted that after having a great s/s and with only 2 weeks to go it would be a shame that now someone else would take over and we would have to go thru everything again and hold everything up. But the manager we spoke with was really understanding and agreed that our s/s wanted to finish our home which we were rapted with.

this week the garage door was installed, all the staining of the windows,doors,stairs are being completed,carpet is being installed and painting is being completed also the plumbing fit off/storm water was also completed.(also got our final invoice).

Hopefully the next update will be about our PCI and our move in date.

Here a few pics.......

                                                   The staircase now stained.

                                                   The kitchen.

                                                   Thru to galley and laundry.

                                                   Famil room.

                                                   Looking thru to entrance.

                                                   Shower in main ensuite.

                                                   Other ensuite.

                                                   THE CAGE! on balcony.

                                                   Garage door being installed.

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