Peterpools Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 Rog Hang in there, when it's all down and you are settled into your new home - all will be forgotten and the enjoyment of your custom built home will greatly outweigh any and all of the obstacles along the way. BTW, when we did our home renovation last year, all the incandescent high hat ceiling lights were changed to LED Daylights fixtures with rheostats sliding for brightness control. We just love them. Not for me to say but the LEDs are a must and I'm sure you can come to an agreement with the builder. come to 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 Interesting how processes work from one region to another. Had a friend that wanted to add a 10X12 storage room off the back of his office building. City and County permits were going to cost him right at $20,000 before he bought the first stick of wood. He told the City forget it, he’ll keep the room he has. (Didn’t have a room, but he had a plan). He went and bought all the lumber and materials, got the help of 4 or 5 friends and threw that sucker up over the weekend. No inspector had ever seen what was there, no questions ever asked. So a $5000 project almost cost him $25,000 because of government involvement. Here in South Carolina the state is running way behind getting septic perc tests done for new home builds. Last I heard, 9 month backlog. Sure, there are private engineering companies that will come do it and let you know if it will pass perc, but the State still has to send out “their guy” to run the test. After working for the state for 29 years, I understand why. It keeps a position and an entire management structure within Department of Health and Environmental Control. DHEC gets funded for this, but they use the funds elsewhere while keeping a skeleton crew to get the work done. Good ol’ boy system at its best. The guy out digging the holes and dumping in a bucket of water and timing the drain out is probably getting just above minimum wage while the slotted position is 5X higher. Our state DHEC has been a mismanaged financial disaster for well over 30 years. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted February 8, 2023 Author Share Posted February 8, 2023 Ok … On the 8th of February 2023 … I became the proud owner of a plot of land … Rog 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 Congrats. Now the fun begins 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinnfb Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 I took the liberty of taking this now already historical screenshot. Congrats Ron 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted February 9, 2023 Author Share Posted February 9, 2023 15 hours ago, Martinnfb said: I took the liberty of taking this now already historical screenshot. Congrats Ron lol Martin 😆... Actually ... Googles locator is off slightly - as tends to happen with recent additions to the maps ... lot 833 (soon to be number 29) is further north and about 3 lots back from the corner turning left ... Funnily enough, my lightning tracker app has a much more recent satellite photo where you can see a number of complete houses and a few more in various stages of completion. Rog 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 Well ... It's been a LONG time since I updated this thread! ... As noted above ... The land I purchased settled on 8th February last year. After exchanging several emails with the pre-start co-ordinator for the builder I originally engaged, I discovered how badly they had ripped me off. I had started with a list of inclusions that, from experience and research, I should have been able to include in the build price. During the planning phase I had let the sales rep negotiate me out of just about every one of them ... to the point where the building contract I signed maxed out my affordability, while having a bucketload of finishing work still required in order to make the house 'liveable' when complete. It sucked the life out of me so much that there was no excitement left towards the build. After mucking around for a couple of months with the pre-start consultant, trying to get something working, she referred my file to the sales manager. His assessment was that the contract should be terminated ... which it was eventually ... but this comment started me off with a builder that I knew had a good reputation of offering value for money in well constructed homes ... So now Home Group are building my home after a delayed Administration period ... Pictures and Updates to follow! Rog 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 Wow. What a headache. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted May 5 Author Share Posted May 5 The latest satellite imagery of the immediate locality with my block circled ... ... and revised floor-plan with new builder. I lost $10K in the contract cancelation with the old builder ... I would have lost more but I threatened to go slam them on social media. At any rate, the sales person for Home Group (Alby) invited me into the showroom when I called and asked if I could send in my plans from the old builder via email. At this stage the old contract had not been finalised ... but the upshot was ... I got pretty much all of the inclusions I wanted originally PLUS an extra 10 SqM of floorspace for $5K LESS than the old builder ... which meant I could relocate my laundry inside the house, although I had to sacrifice a metre off the rear of the garage to fit it how I wanted - and at a higher specification for fixtures and fittings ... I also got to relocate the garage to the same side as the alfresco area, creating more outdoor living area on that side of the building. There is a slight mess up in design involving a window that I will need to engage a professional renovations builder to fix once I'm moved in ... but that's partly my fault. Rog 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 Rog, that's some good news there. Unfortunate that the original build gave you such a hard time. But maybe it was a mixed blessing as you're getting a home much closer to what you wanted. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 Wow. They really cram those houses together. If one caught fire, how many would go before the fire department could put them out? I guess the upside is you don’t need a lawn mower. String trimmer and you’re GTG. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted May 6 Author Share Posted May 6 13 hours ago, BlrwestSiR said: Rog, that's some good news there. Unfortunate that the original build gave you such a hard time. But maybe it was a mixed blessing as you're getting a home much closer to what you wanted. Absolutely! ... I made a couple of mistakes in the most recent design that I will need to rectify and they can only be done once the house is built now, unfortunately ... I'll explain those later! But otherwise, I couldn't be more impressed. Apart from the design amendments mentioned there will be some additional cabinetry inside that will need doing - largely because their cabinetry is all pre-designed flat pack which is assembled in-situ ... and I need both some 'additional' and amended items installed. Apart from that - all that is required of me internally is painting! as everything else will be done. Externally its a slightly different matter but 🤷♂️ 12 hours ago, ScottsGT said: Wow. They really cram those houses together. If one caught fire, how many would go before the fire department could put them out? I guess the upside is you don’t need a lawn mower. String trimmer and you’re GTG. Actually there are strict requirements on building design depending on proximity to other developments and bushland ... I think I'll be all good on that score. My philosophy is minimal maintenance ... so brick paving and artificial turf will be the order of the day ... the absolute LAST thing I want to be doing on my R&R is gardening - yuck! I have a chemical spray backpack for weeds, insects and spiders - and I'm not afraid to use it! Rog 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted May 6 Author Share Posted May 6 A few pic's of my land from settlement to present day! Rog 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 6 Share Posted May 6 Are those septic tanks or cisterns? If septic, that’s one hell of a lid to open for clean out. in the first pic, home with the roof being built, I cannot make it out clearly. Are they building using metal structure or is that wood? I still cannot figure out why we rely on wood for home construction as much as we do here in the states when the metal doesn’t burn. Cost is my only reasoning. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted May 6 Author Share Posted May 6 12 minutes ago, ScottsGT said: Are those septic tanks or cisterns? If septic, that’s one hell of a lid to open for clean out. in the first pic, home with the roof being built, I cannot make it out clearly. Are they building using metal structure or is that wood? I still cannot figure out why we rely on wood for home construction as much as we do here in the states when the metal doesn’t burn. Cost is my only reasoning. The two concrete tanks are for storm water - soak wells ... They will be buried in the ground at the front of the property in front of the verandah, with PVC pipes laid around the perimeter of the building collecting from the downpipes and running it to the soak wells. Sewerage is handled by pipes deep underground - septics now only exist in remote areas. The only serviced item on the property will be gas ... there are no gas lines to the properties in that region - so bottle delivery it will be for now! The two materials available for roofing structures here are timber or steel ... the steel is a blue colour - due to the protective coating used Depending on the style of construction, steel may be used in wall frame construction also ... my house will be double brick so there will be no occasion for steel, regardless. The other material used, is in fact timber ... Either straight up pine or composite (glued ply) depending on the structural requirement. We have special pine tree farms for the growth of the stuff as the pine grows quite fast ... Most hardwood is now protected under the heritage laws. Sometimes the pesticide coating on the pine will produce a blue or green colour, but all structural timber is pesticide treated due to building regulations regardless now. Rog 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 6 Share Posted May 6 I like the idea of the storm runoff storage soaker tanks. We have a lot of areas here that should utilize that tech. Im completely surrounded by pine tree farms myself. Mostly around here though it gets ground up into pulp for paper mills. There’s very little lumber production around our area. Our local building code doesn’t allow “home made lumber” for licensed structures. All wood has to have a mill stamp on it. Heard of one guy that made his own lumber, kiln dried it and framed up his house. Inspector made him tear it down. Next county over (2 miles from me) you can do this. My old neighbor did it. About the only pre treated lumber we have is a blue moisture barrier. All of our termite treatment is done after the build. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted May 7 Author Share Posted May 7 20 hours ago, ScottsGT said: I like the idea of the storm runoff storage soaker tanks. We have a lot of areas here that should utilize that tech. Im completely surrounded by pine tree farms myself. Mostly around here though it gets ground up into pulp for paper mills. There’s very little lumber production around our area. Our local building code doesn’t allow “home made lumber” for licensed structures. All wood has to have a mill stamp on it. Heard of one guy that made his own lumber, kiln dried it and framed up his house. Inspector made him tear it down. Next county over (2 miles from me) you can do this. My old neighbor did it. About the only pre treated lumber we have is a blue moisture barrier. All of our termite treatment is done after the build. Ok ... so you see the photo above where the concrete footings have been poured? ... The black polyurethane plastic is the moisture barrier - but before this is rolled out there is a termite barrier spray conducted (pumped through a shower head into the soil) using concentrated Bifenthrin (I know because I used to do it for the company that is doing the termite work here!) ... according the Australian Building Standards that is called the 'Part A' barrier ... 'Part B' is the perimeter barrier sprayed into the soil surrounding the building at the end of the build ... Where a concrete hardstand is poured into the garage (99% of WA houses) a full pretreat is conducted before concrete pour also. Some buildings use a physical barrier system instead. All timber for building here is milled and graded before sale to the builder ... a truck delivers it to site for the chippies. I'll provide details of the different bits as we progress through the build ... Rog 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted May 7 Author Share Posted May 7 A quick trip down to the block today before flying out to work tomorrow. The slab is down!! I had to wait for photo's as an old work colleague from the pest control company sprayed the slab edge with parging chemical (the blue is actually a dye mixed with the clear chemical so you can see where you've sprayed - and if you've missed any) ... The slab is well poured and finished - a good tradie! The footings poured away from the slab are either for the garage wall or pillar / posts. Rog 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 7 Share Posted May 7 OK, that’s pretty damned smart to treat the soil before the slab goes down. Years ago I had a termite treatment salesman try to sell me a treatment plan where they were going to go into my perfectly dry basement, poke holes in the slab floor and pump in chemicals. I asked him who will they send in to rip out the slab, install a new vapor barrier and pour a new floor after the basement fills up with water. crickets. Never heard from them again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted May 27 Author Share Posted May 27 I arrived home at the end of this last swing with my first ever dose of COVID ... I've had minor head colds that were more savage than this thing, which I can only describe as a minor annoyance. Not much to report from the first pass at the block ... It looks a little more messy ... but that's because all the stormwater drainage soak wells and piping have been dug in ... Site should be cleaned up shortly with bricks delivered next ... Rog 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 Ok, pretty neat how they keep the bathroom floor slab areas lower than the rest of the slab so it can be built level once flooring starts going in. Around here it’s all one flat slab with the tile thickness basically a rise to trip over. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted May 28 Author Share Posted May 28 5 hours ago, ScottsGT said: Ok, pretty neat how they keep the bathroom floor slab areas lower than the rest of the slab so it can be built level once flooring starts going in. Around here it’s all one flat slab with the tile thickness basically a rise to trip over. In Australia ... well Western Australia at least ... its a building standard that all wet areas are built with overflow drainage ... This earlier shot shows this drainage piping circled ... The near one is for the minor bathroom at the rear of the house, the next one is for the ensuite bathroom at the front and the last one is for the separate toilet within the ensuite. The reason that the wet areas are 'dug out' is to ensure a gradient can be formed from all directions toward the overflow ... or in the showers case ... toward the shower drainage hole. There is a similar drainage hole in the laundry also. There is actually going to be extensive tiling throughout the house. The only carpeted areas will be the 3 bedrooms and the home theatre. Rog 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 I really like the Australian standards! Seems our home builders have the standard of cheapest, fastest and most expensive sale price they can get. I’ve seen gradient work done for wet areas, but it’s a special request adding lots of $$$$ to the price. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CANicoll Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 Very cool to see the progress! Thanks for sharing. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted May 29 Author Share Posted May 29 15 hours ago, ScottsGT said: I really like the Australian standards! Seems our home builders have the standard of cheapest, fastest and most expensive sale price they can get. I’ve seen gradient work done for wet areas, but it’s a special request adding lots of $$$$ to the price. Believe me, within the 'standards' there are 'good' trades and 'poor' trades ... Home Group have a good reputation and inspection of the concrete slab did not disappoint! The surface was skimmed properly - smooth as marble! The wet areas were dug out beautifully and with plenty of depth for the tiler to pitch their desired gradient. The Slab edge was even the whole way around with no blemishes in the slab edge. Daniel (who was doing the parging to the slab edge when I arrived) has been a Termico employee for 20 years and is one of their most trusted employees. The job was done flawlessly - I inspected it afterward ... Looking forward to the next stage in the build now - brick walls!! Rog 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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