Ok, I'm not very tech savvy.  This is my first blog.  Please be kind.
                           Any help greatly appreciated as I have no idea what I'm doing....



After an exhaustive search of suitable blocks of land in Bayside Melbourne, we finally found our perfect block to build on in May 2019.  It went to Auction on 22/06/2019, and we were successful post auction.  Yay!

We'd always liked Carter Grange Houses.  We started the process with them, paying a $3500 deposit for soils and survey. Anyway....long story short, we decided quite quickly that this was not a good fit, and that very little of our thoughts, wishes, and budget had been taken into consideration.  We bailed.

Looked at Thomas Archer Homes, and Hallbury homes.  HH had built a friends house in the same suburb as ours.  The house if ok, but they said their experience was somewhat frustrating. Points noted.  We paid HH $1500 (discounted as we already had soils and survey from CGH.).  Thomas Archer did not require any $ upfront but were working just as hard at customising a design as Hallbury was.  Both had great designs, ideas.  One seemed to have a "tighter ship" and better administrative processes.  One I had to chase a bit.  In the end, I declined to chase, and TAH won.

June 22nd 2019 -      Vacant block purchased
July 2019                  Soil and Survey done
August 6th 2019       Settlement of block
Sept 13th 2019          Process begun with Thomas Archer Homes (TAH)
Oct 10th 2019           Design confirmed and deposit paid. Building co Ordinator appointed
Oct 30th 2019           Style Appointment
Nov 6th 2019            Clipsal Appointment
Nov 12th 2019          Asset Protection Permit Issued (pool and retaining walls going in prior to build)
Dec 6th 2019            Tender Appointment
Dec 10th 2019          Tender signed.  Further deposit made  Pool not in, delayed :(

Pretty much nothing happened over the Christmas New Year Break, as per building industry.

Jan 6th 2020            Retaining walls constructed on footings poured prior to Christmas
Jan 13th 2020          Excavation for pool
Jan 14th 2020          Pool shell dropped in to hole.  Plumbing etc
Jan 14-22 2020        Pool plumbing and retaining walls continue.  Waterproofing etc, Ag drainage laid
Jan 22nd 2020         Contracts presented and signed.  Balance of 5% deposit paid







Update!

So pool went in on     January 14th, just in time for a huge dust storm to turn the filled water a lovely shade of Yarra River Brown.  eww.







Plumbed in, backfilled and concreted in the week on 14th to 22nd January.



     Now all covered over, off to sleep for the duration of the house build.
The retaining wall s have all been waterproofed (by ME!) and plastic lined to prevent palms drying out.
The Aquablade hass been located into the pool feature wall, ready to be clad in quartz stack stone once plumbed and powered.





The basketball hoop anchor is also cemented in, waiting for court to be poured post handover.
All of the walls have been filled with soil, they will be fed over winter just prior to spring plant out.

Today is Monday Feb 17th.  

The "blue dunny" is expected with the temp fence on Wednesday 19th, official site start for builder.  Slab pour the last week of Feb.  Happy days.




     GET BUILDING!











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