Day 282: It's been a quiet week or two

It's been a quiet week or two, and what had been a flurry of activities, left, right, and centre, a couple of weeks ago, sort of just grounded down to a very slow pace thereafter.

Our SM is managing 3 to 4 other projects around our area.  Two of them need to be handed over soon and still not ready; Another one, apparently, had a mysterious gas leak which needed to be traced back to the source.  And then there's the other one who had to have the kitchen island bench Ceasarstone benchtop de-installed and replaced as the manufacturer-supplied sink colanders do not fit.  I could imagine the stress that our SM is going through right now.  Poor bugger. :(

The latter one was us, too.  Ouch!

Forever the optimist, I am, I was just happy to see the house cleaned inside.  At least now I can see inside clearly from outside.  The SM has been diligently checking the house after the tradies have left for the day and locking all the doors, including the garage.  I should know, I pass by the house after work.  Unfortunately, it gets dark quite earlier nowadays.

So what has been done so far after my previous post?

UPDATE: Favourite and Useful Links

We've updated our "Favourite and Useful Links" to include a link to another link to get the "Mother of All Checklists".  It's a 44-page checklist extremely useful for those who'll be doing their PCI (Practical Completion Inspection) at some stage.  Thanks to Home One Forum members - Amanda, Belinda and Karla for compiling the list and making it available (via an email request) to anyone interested.  Had a quick look and it's really quite comprehensive.  We would just need to update the items on the list to suit our own home design (it was originally written and compiled with the author's new house in mind).

Check out the other links while you're there, too.
 

Day 268: On the brighter side ... we got the driveway done

We want to put in more "Sparky having a bad day" stories, but I thought I'll just let it go for the meantime.  Besides, it's Easter week, we had a good break at Batemans Bay for the whole week last week, and ... it's back to school, back to work on Monday ... eh?  We must be "loco" or something ... but, we couldn't wait to come back to Melbourne just to see how our house build is progressing.  Did anyone else feel that way when they were building?

Anyways, what have been happening in our neck of the woods?

LOTS!

Electricians are still doing their work (2 weeks!!!).  Last time I looked, they have completed 95% of the job.  There are still a few bits and pieces missing - a few powerpoints, both internally and externally; a couple of powerpoints and switches that need to be fixed firmly to the wall; and my Number One bugbear - our main ensuite switches that are still located outside the main ensuite.  How many times do we have to tell the electricians that it's meant to be inside the ensuite!!!  Look at the electrical plans!!!  It's all very clear there!!!

But on a more positive note, a lot of other things have progressed, quite well as a matter of factly.  See for yourselves ...

Lights on, Lights off ...

Outdoor Room downlights have been installed (and so did to the rest of the house);
Wiring in the middle of the ceiling space to allow for a ceiling fan (no light) post-handover.

Stairwell lights ... Light up your way as you go up and go down the stairs.
2-way switch at the bottom and  the top of the stairs.
Not showing you the other (half) side of the stairs.  Yet, another issue with the electricians.

Standard light fittings (with light batten and cowl shades);
Walk-in / behind-the-bed Robe;
Will replace after handover with track lights or multi-directional halogen/led spotlights.

Heating Lamps (IXL-Tastic), fan and downlights in all bathrooms (upstairs only).

We chose standard light fittings for most lights upstairs (downstairs are mostly low voltage downlights);
We'll replace them all with "better-looking" light fixtures after handover;
Already gone to Beacon Lighting to have a look for some options (DIY and professionally-installed);
Any other places you would recommend?
Also looking at Matt Blatt for alternatives (pendants, lamps, etc).

All sorts of lights around the kitchen area.  Still looking for some nice pendant lights to put above the island kitchen bench.
 

Bathroom Taps, Shower Heads, Spouts and Mirrors

Guest Bedroom Ensuite

Main (ensuite) bathtub with a hob-mounted bath spout and a wall-mounted mixer.
Looks like a spa, sized like a spa, but it's not a spa bath.
Bath looks chunky relative to the size of the bath spout.  Could have (should have) chosen a better bath spout if we knew how chunky this bath is going to be.

Main ensuite with his-and-hers inset basin and large mirror, and a tad wider-than-normal shower recess with  a Dorf Jovian rail shower with overhead.

Did I say we got a driveway?  Yes, we have ...

Driveway's done, too.  Just last week.  When we were away.  Pleasant surprise.

Looks wide enough to accommodate 3 (actually 2.5) cars. 

We had this included in our contract with M3tr1c0n previously, but we asked the concreter to widen the entrance (to 3+ meters wide).  Will pay the concreter directly for the difference (with no M markup).
Top guy, this concreter.  Highly recommended, ask me if you need his business number.  Looks like a family business, too.  Met his dad and mom at the site, yesterday.  Mom doing the measurements, Dad cutting the concrete.

And wait ... there's more ...

Done by the same concreter - concrete pathway on the side of the house (utility/service area).  Outside the contract with M, but cleared with our Site Manager to allow for the hot water system to be installed on a solid, leveled, concrete base.  No need for M to put a slab under the hot water tank to stand on when they have it installed.  This was actually a brilliant suggestion from our SM himself.  I should also not fail to mention that the concreter also sub-contracts for M.
(and that's my shadow with a Gumby-like leg; I was wearing some baggy shorts, for crying out loud)    

And ... my horizontal kitchen window sill has finally been bricked-in ... thank goodness for that.

This is Day 268 of our "knockdown-and-rebuild" project.  How much longer?  I don't know.
    

More "You know your sparky's not into it when ..."

Enough said.

In fairness to our electrician, he did adjust this a bit to the right to leave some space to attach the face plate without overlapping the shower tiling.

I would still ask our SS if this could be centered evenly between the tiles, though.  Fingers crossed.