Cut and Fill Whoohooo!

Past couple weeks it has been fairly quiet. We didn't get any further call from our construction administrator nor the site supervisor for an update or a start date as matter of fact the neighbour on the right sent me a text message advising our builder was doing earthworks!!

Coincidentally, today I had a day off so I drove out to our site to have a look and yes, they were doing cut and fill! Whooooo! I parked in front of our site watching them driving those rolling compactor thing back and forth. Dust flies everywhere though they had the water pipe running I think it only helps to some point (don't think our neighbours were pleased about this. Oppps!). I took some photos and also filmed a short video. I think one of the guy on the truck saw me hope he didn't think I was a spy or anything :))

Rolling compactor

Rear fence installed at last!

Our land require the fence to be installed at the back and on the right and the costs are shared between us and our neighbours.

Plantation Homes advised we can install the fence at the back first but the fence on the right have to wait until our frames goes up. Poor the neighbour on the right he really want the fence to be installed so he can have his 'privacy' lol.

And so between us three neighbours we came to an agreement to do colourbond fence instead of timber fence due to durability and the look but...then a slight dilemma with the neighbour at the back in terms of the colour selection for the fence boarder.

Ok, though there are two different stages to install the fence for us and the neighbour on the right the colour selection must be agreed at the beginning prior to any work commence.

The first stage is to install rear fence and the neighbour on the right can install their side gates at the same time if they wish. Second stage is to install the fence between us and the neighbour on the right (when our frames are up).

So at the very beginning our neighbour on the right suggested the colour for the fence - Terrace (Cream-ish) with Bluestone boarder. We looked at the colour chart the Bluestone doesn't look too bad so we said 'OK go with it' and I guess the neighbour at the back agreed as well. Somehow the order for side gates for the neighbour on the right got ordered and installed first and gladly it did. When it was installed we came to have a look at the colour ....and ummm..... no, we didn't like the Bluestone boarder colour neither does the neighbour at the back. So then we all gathered one night to discuss about the colour selection again. Luckily our sub contractor haven't place the whole order else we would be stuff!

Now, our gathering night was fun - actually NOT. We and the neightbour on the right agreed to do one colour fence which means the fence and boarder going to be the same colour - Terrace - so it is fair for everyone and everyone can have different colour side gate if they wish. It is a fair call but unfortunately our neighbour at the back doesn't think the same and disagrees on the 'all cream colour'. They chose Eclipse (Black) boarder which we and the other neighbour disagrees. So how did we come to an agreement? Well really, we just had to be straight forward to the neighbour at the back - they cannot just think for themselves and ignore other peoples regardless they going to have a long 30m fence. If we cannot come to an agreement then we just going back to square one which is timber fence - no fuss no colour selection required. So after a few minutes discussion amongst themselves they finally agreed to go with same colour fencing. Hallelujah!!!

Once the agreement was made, order was placed and rear fence installed at last :))

From front view

Close up view

Fence bar bolt onto the concrete retaining wall

Between our land and the neighbour on the right

Fence installed all the way to the end with step down on neighbour's side

Retaining wall installed !!

After a discussion with our neighbour on the right we came to an agreement and chose concrete retaining wall over timber retaining wall due to its durability and looks (beneficial for our neighbour actually). We end up going with our sub contractor and got him to place the order and now the wall is installed! Whooo finally a line between our lands is drawn!

The last few sleepers for the far back corner cannot be installed just yet due to a sewage pipe running across the retaining wall and we had to wait for an OK signal from Plantation to be able to install it. Our neighbour just have to hope it's not going to rain else the 'excess soil' will fall over (again) to their 'white pebbles' that they just got. Oh boy I think it is going to rain this week actually.

Concrete retaining wall delivered

Metal poles installed for the wall (Lot 1 arrow should be facing left!)

Concrete poured to secure the poles

Completed wall! Whoo hoo

This is at the far back corner. The sleepers left out because there is a sewage running underground until we got the OK from our builder the sleepers can't be installed just yet. The neighbor just need to hope it doesn't rain else the 'extra soil' will poured over to their 'white' pebbles

Building approval and Christmas shut down

Just about 5 weeks after our building plan was lodged to Council it finally got approved!! So glad it got approved without any issue as we are building 1.6% over the building threshold of 50% of land size and this also means we don't need to change our design :))

As it is getting close to Christmas shut down we're not sure if Plantation Homes going to start any work on site. If they are not we have to wait until mid January to get an update and that is 4 weeks away!

Their Christmas break/shut down:

Our administration: 13 Dec - 14 Jan
Construction team: 20 Dec - 20 Jan

17 December - Our company also have a shut down from 20 Dec for 2 weeks and today we received our post contract variation to review over the break. With this variation we didn't get charge admin fee of $500 as this are just variations on Tender and there is no structural changes so it doesn't affect anything.

Excess soil and Retaining wall dilemma

Ok now the dilemma about the excess soil and the retaining wall...

Excess soil - One day we came to check on our land and found some excess soil dumped on our land at the far back right corner. From assessing the surroundings, we believe the builder (Metricon) of our neighbour on the right dumped these excess soil on our land when they flatten the corner to do their outdoor concrete slab. We got no physical proof but we have timestamp photos showing there was no excess soil originally, the land was flat, and the next photo shows excess soil around the time our neighbour's outdoor concrete slab being poured. Pretty coincidence wasn't it? We wrote a complaint email directly to Metricon (after details were given by our neighbour) but as expected they denied and not willing to remove these excess soil (was not appreciated with their response at all). We then contacted Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) and they advised we can make a formal complaint if we wish but because we checked with Plantation Homes if there going to be any additional cost when they do cut and fill with these excess soils they advised as its not enormous amount of soil there won't be any additional cost so we decided to drop this case and not make any formal complaint to Metricon (lucky them).

Retaining wall - Because of our land level higher than our neighbour's on the right a retaining wall is required. Apparently, when our neighbour were building their home they required to install a retaining wall at the far back corner between our land and theirs as that is a weakness point but then somehow their builder, Metricon, had a 'second plan' to build their house and said a retaining wall is not required at the time. Obviously so then the neighbour can wait for us to build and share the retaining wall cost! While the neighbour at the back did not need to wait for us they installed the retaining wall at their own cost.

Well, because our lovely neighbour on the right want to avoid paying the full cost of the retaining wall and did not do the 'proper way' issues with that corner arises - each time it rains our land soil fell over to their side and washed away, slowly creates a massive hole underneath their outdoor concrete slab (oh boy) as you can see in the below photo. Also because at the time it rains so much that their concrete slab corner started to crack (due to hollow beneath). Of course our neighbour panick and called us for a solution. Unfortunately nothing we could do as the issues are on their land and we said to them 'You should've done the right thing at the beginning - install a retaining wall!'. Jokes. Instead of saying that we said 'We suggest you to contact your builder and ask them why they said to you it is OK not to install the retaining wall when building'. They end up getting no solution from their own builder but to get a shovel and shove our 'excess soil' underneath their slab to cover up the hole and hope its not going to rain again. 

Is this called karma?

Cracked line on neighbour's concrete slab

Electrical meeting

Finally the last decision-making meeting - electrical meeting with Your Home Consulting. Prior attending this meeting we did a bit of shopping of all the electrical needs and drew a plan showing the additional downlights, pendants, outdoor lights etc. The lady consultant was great and very helpful. She went through each area and used the Viseo program to add the electrical needs to our plan. With bringing in our plan it helps the meeting run through very smoothly. With the quoted received a few days after we decided to outsource our electrical needs but have Plantation Homes to do the followings as it is easier to get them to do it than having our sub-contractor to do it after handover and it may cost even more:

• 1 x Weatherproof Double Power Points

         Placing at the back on right for water tank to be installed in future

• 2 x Junction Box for Future External Light Point 

         Placing at front two piers for up and down lights

Our plans lodged with the Certifier Whoohooo

Pretty much for the last 3 months, we were going back and forth with Plantation Homes getting quotes, add/removing upgrades on the Tender and getting updated plan. Each time we requested a quote it took up to 2 weeks hence it took quite a bit of time to finalise the Tender.

So after all the upgrades we wanted are on the Tender and received the credits we ENTITLED (long storyyyy) we decided to sign the contract on 29 October!! Once signed, everything are locked in and if we want to make any adjustment there would be an administration fee of $500. Ouch!

1 November - And so our plans lodged with the Certifier! Usually, Council takes forever to approve the plans but hopefully we will get the approved plan back no longer than 4 weeks as Christmas is just around the corner (fingers crossed).

Here are the indicative timeline of what to expect until the pre site stage:

• Plans lodged with Certifier to obtain Building Approval (4-8 weeks in Council)
• Post Contract Variation Document (2-4 weeks)
• Electrical Variation (2 weeks)
• Approval Plans & Insurances emailed to bank to finalise finance (48 hours)
• Final Drawings (1 week)
• Final Pre Site Stage (2-3 weeks)