update to 21st March '15 - inspection, flooring

We did the final inspection yesterday.  Move in remains scheduled for the week after next.

Generally, everything is looking great.  The downstairs wooden flooring has been laid and we're really pleased with the colours and textures throughout the house. Unfortunately the carpets hadn't yet been laid due to an overrun on another job. 

We had some help from dads and a family friend in inspecting the property.  Collectively they have a lot of construction experience and we were pleased with their thoughts that everything is generally well constructed and well finished.  Aside from a few unfinished things (like the carpets), and some paint touch ups, there wasn't much to fix. 

The windows throughout are of a poor quality - that's pretty much the only thing we're disappointed with.  The sliding stacker doors through to the alfresco were already very difficult to open... something to watch in the next 3 months of the warranty period.

Still also a great deal to do before the house becomes a home , including the driveway, garden, decking, and perimeter fences/walls. Then of course decorating and furnishing the inside.  We'll put some pictures up once everything is finished.

update to 21st Feb '15 - move in date!!! & pics

Great news - we have a final inspection and move in date.  We'll be inspecting mid-March and moving in just before the Easter break.  The site manager was helpful as we asked if the date could be brought forward a little, giving us the Easter long weekend to get settled, and the request was accommodated.

Progress is coming along nicely also.  All walls are painted, bathrooms are pretty much finished, and the staircase is looking great with glass balustrades all in place.  lighting, switches etc are in, and it now seems like the main things to complete are the flooring, air conditioning and final appliances fit out.

 

update to 8th Feb '15 - Hmmmmmm

Following the good progress during the shutdown, not a whole lot has happened in the last 2-3 weeks unfortunately. 

We were obviously hoping that the momentum would carry through and that we'd hear about our completion date soon.  We asked roughly when the walk through would be and the initial feedback was encouraging:  end of Feb walk through, and end of March move in.  Somehow in the course of a week or so, this was moved back and we're now advised that walk through is end of March with move in around mid-April.

So this basically leaves us as moving in exactly on the date of the contract deadline (including the various extensions which add up to 16 days).  Pretty deflating.  Remember that during contract discussions we were told by sales that the contract period would be a whole lot shorter than it ended up being, and even then we were told that the end date was very conservative and that they nearly always come in ahead of time.

I guess all we can do now is hope that they are just managing our expectations and will outperformance the guidance provided. 

No pictures or updates to provide other than the notes above.... there really isn't much at all that has happened...

Update 24th Jan'15 - credit where it's due...

Happy New Year.

Things have come on really well, despite the broader industry shutdown over the new year period.  During the holidays almost all of the tiling has been completed, the final bits of gyprocking are done, and some paint has gone down on walls, ceilings and doors. 

We didn't expect the painting to have started yet, so seeing progress like this made has lifted our spirits.  It makes such a difference when expectations are exceeded and we sent our thanks to Alkira.

Once all of the tiling is completed, we'll be in to the final stage of the build.  We're now wondering how long it'll be before we're in and are hopeful we'll get an indication in the next week or two. 

Below are a few pics of the latest progress, including our Audrey Hepburn tiles in the downstairs bathroom!  The front entryway tiling is finished, the kitchen bench is in, and the TV niche and fireplace is coming along well.