"Minafon" - week 19, Wednesday - Final Blog!

Steve Thomsen came today to remove the site toilet, so we thought that this was the "significant moment" to signal the final "Minafon" blog as the first post had the picture of the newly installed "site facility" symbolising the beginning of the project - 19 weeks ago.

Hope you've had a bit of fun following our big adventure - the first and most certainly the only time we have attempted to build. It was something we always wanted to do (even had concept pictures on the wall of our first government residence at Mt Murchison!!!!) but circumstances never worked in our favour so it took a while (40+ years) - but we've just had a great time and feel very satisfied with the result - after all, we've had enough time and experience to know what we wanted and as I said, we're now good for the next 50 years!

Cheers and some final "settling in" photos:-

The deck - finally no boxes!!!

.....through the front door - Welcome!!

hallway with Claire's painting in its place!

"media room" - bookshelves yet to be installed

living/music room - everything even fits!

"The End" - Steve takes his "facility" to the next job at Boonaroo

"Minafon" - week 19, Tuesday

Things are gradually being sorted out - most of the furniture is basically in place so boxes can now be opened and sorted and hopefully there are places for almost everything! I have to do wall shelving in the "media room" and the study before all the books etc can go into place but everything else is good.

The solar panels have been installed but we have to wait until next Monday for Ergon to OK the installation before we go onto the network.

The new turf needs mowing already (we've had about 100mm rain since it went down) but that will just have to wait!

Maybe one or two more "blogs" before we sign off. The "house building adventure" has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience, made so by being clever (and lucky) enough to pick the right designer and builder - we really did not have any concerns or issues throughout. It is great having things just the way we reckon was going to work best for us - no compromises from dealing with existing structures - would we recommend house building to those for whom the circumstances permit and feel inclined to take it on? - absolutely (and we can give you the names of a great house designer and a terrific building company!!)

Our magpie family - Mum and Dad at least - breakfast visit

view from our bedroom....

...and from the kitchen

"Minafon" - week 19, Monday

We're in!!!!!!

We are now back in contact with the world, having the much-waited for text this morning to inform us that we are back on the internet. 

So what's happened since last Monday??? Not a lot really - we just moved house on Wednesday, which went well. The removalists just brought their trucks (yes, two!) down the side and unloaded both at the same time straight onto the back deck - they arrived at about 9.30 and were gone by 12, leaving us with mountains of gear and packing boxes which we are still sorting through of course although we have managed to retrieve most of the essentials of life.

We also managed to lay more turf (it turned up on the removal day so had to be done that evening) and over the weekend installed the letter box so the poor mailman did not have to go cross-country to deliver our mail. 

I'll do a few more blogs as we sort everything out and the place starts to look more civilized, but in summary, it is wonderful to be here - the house is everything we had planned for (and more) and everything seems to be exactly in the right place and working as planned. We have really noticed the quietness and absence of traffic and also the incredible bird life - we have been adopted already by the family of magpies who used to be around when we visited the site and the builders had around them quite frequently. They have already established 5.00pm tea time and when we return from our bike-ride as breakfast-time! The are kookaburras and countless other bird varieties and their sounds in the mornings is just beautiful.

A few pictures of the chaos for you today - some more progress over coming days before we sign off on the blog!

the deck with boxes!!

some signs of progress

"media" room - brush-box  floor has come up beautifully

same deck - fewer boxes!!

Note for Jenny - letter box installed!!

"Minafon" - week 18, Monday

Big moment today - we are now the official owners of 65 La Frantz Drive, Tinana!!!!!

Went over to Thomsens this morning with the final cheque and so now we are the owners! Just to make things interesting, the heavens decided to open up and it has been pouring with rain all day and is only just starting to lighten up now (6.00 pm)

So no solar fitted today as planned, no flyscreening fitted either but the carpet guys managed to get in without dragging mud through the place and the carpets look great. We started taking stuff across this afternoon and so more will go tomorrow when hopefully it will be fine. Big moving day is Wednesday.

Will try and get some photos tomorrow - in the meantime, have a look at the beautiful house sign John Howard has made for us - made of "bloodwood" from "Yanco", the property near Surat which Margaret and John owned. Just beautiful and we can't wait to see it in place

Our beautiful house sign

"Minafon" - week 17,Saturday

Back again! Since last Monday, we've been doing the preparation for the turf-paving with soil delivered Thursday and the turf Friday afternoon. Lots of work each afternoon or very early morning (out of the heat as much as possible) linking countless pavers together, preparing the ground, setting out etc and then spreading the loam into the pavers and finally on Friday afternoon, laying the turf. More to be done to complete the whole driveway but we've done enough to get us started and will complete the job once we are in.

Meanwhile, Peter (floors) has been sanding and coating, sanding and coating..... finishing the last coat on the floors Friday. They look pretty fantastic.

Also Friday the fellow from Stegbar was there putting in shower screens, bathroom/toilet mirrors and wardrobe doors in bedrooms #2 and #3. They also look great.

The cleaning team moved in today, we settle the final accounts on Monday (ouch) and then start moving in Tuesday with the main stuff arriving from storage Wednesday - the great "adventure" we started so many months ago is almost over!! -- I'll give you the verdict on whether "building a new home" is a good idea next week but I think you can already guess what the answer will be!

slave labour or a labour of love???

ready for the turf.........

.............and there it is!

a sneek look inside - but yet to dry "satin"

"Minafon" - week 17, Monday

A blog after all! Seems that even when "nothing" is supposed to be happening, things still happen!

Peter has sanded the floors and indicated that 1st coat goes on tomorrow, 2nd on Wednesday and 3rd on Thursday. Done.

The Thomsens were also there today doing the driveway and aprons under the front and rear steps along with installing the clothes line. Dave was also there doing some final electrical work apparently. No body ever stops apparently.

Went through a whole lot of "final" stuff with Mandy on the phone this afternoon and she said she will arrange final inspection on Monday which means we can theoretically move in next Tuesday so we've re-booked for next Wednesday (being 11th is better than Friday 13th!!)

driveway done - I now need to add grass-pavers!

1st sanding of floors (black bits are sandpaper)

concrete aprons done for both stairs

"Minafon" - week 16, Friday

Lots of the "finishing-off" jobs happening today. Painter was putting another coat on the deck and porch as well as finishing off inside; plumbers were doing final shower, tap, dishwasher fittings; electrician was putting final lights inside and out.

There might be a bit of a gap in the blogs next week as Peter Polly has the house all to himself for the whole week to do the timber floors and "no entry" is the rule. All going well with his part, the Thomsens then move in to do the cleaning next weekend before carpets, insect/security screening and shower screens finish the whole job early the following week!

Off to pack a few things!

we now have an oven........

...and pendant lights.....(and Chris doing another coat!)

.....and aircon.......

....and our shower.....

....and the living room doors!!

"Minafon" week 16, Thursday

Miserable wet day here today so just as well most of the outside work is done. Dave the electrician, Tom the plumber (son of Wayne) and Matt and Mark the air-con guys were all working away there today and Matt had decided to brave the rain and install the external split system units anyway. Internal air-con units are all in, most mixers and taps and the lights etc just about done. The stainless wiring on the deck/porch has been installed this morning. After today, all that remains to be done are the timber floor polishing, carpets, screening and shower screens - that's it!!!!

deck now complete!!!

Dave installing pendant lights over island bench

Our ensuite also just about completed - just bath mixer to go

view from "down the road a bit" - 

"Minafon" - week 16, Wednesday

completed laundry (except for mixer)

ensuite floor and walls grouted

No new pics today - thought that pictures of door latches and towel rails might be just a bit boring! Mark (tiler) finished today with siliconing all the wet  areas - the whole tiling job looks terrific. Scott and Steve were there doing all the door knobs and latches, towel rails, toilet-roll holders etc etc so we just had to go over and chat about the positions of all those bits. Also installed the glass in the ensuite/bedroom niche spaces. They are kindly going to install our clothes line and the baskets in the wardrobe for us.

There might be some chance of an "early" moving day as they are going to spend the weekend after next cleaning - and so when the carpets go in with the insect-screening on Monday 9th it may be ready for us to move in!

The internal air-con units go in tomorrow and the external units on Friday. Electrical is all to be connected ready to go "live" on Friday as well and Chris also comes along then to do the finishing off and fixing any scratches etc from the electrical/aircon and plumbing fit-outs. These guys are fantastic at co-ordinating everything - Chris the painter was even there last Sunday doing the last coat on the deck!!

The weather here has been quite wet (40mm in a storm last night and steady rain all day today) - so the driveway/grasspaver installation might be waiting until next week - we'll see.

"Minafon" - week 16, Tuesday

A relatively quiet day today - Mark finished off the grouting and now just has the sealing to complete tomorrow and he is "done". When we went over to drop off the clothes line this morning, the guys were there installing the fireplace and flue - that's all done now and we just have to light it up with three "small" fires to cure the paint etc apparently - in this weather?????

I've started on the letter box posts so that will be ready to install as soon as the drive-way is done - this week sometime apparently. Getting just a bit impatient to get in and enjoy all the things we've been seeing being put in place!

now we just need the bath back!

fire place ready - probably not for a while yet though!

Range-hood now complete

...even the kitchen sink

no smoke for a while yet.

"Minafon" - week 16, Monday

OK - the "big" stuff is all done, now we are into the finishing off fitting bits and pieces - still numerous "tradies" around all day though. Got a "call" from Mandy at lunch-time to go over and see Dave re light positions in our bedroom and Wayne re positions for the "insinkerator" and water filter and Trevor re the position of the gas tanks - all that going on today!  Glad we're retired and flexible!

A few update shots:

back view - only the stainless wires to go on rails and it's done

can't wait to get onto our deck!

hot water (solar) and gas now fitted

 bathroom only waiting for tap and mirror 

cook-top installed and range-hood almost ready

"Minafon" - week 15, Saturday

It might be Saturday, but that doesn't stop work at 65 La Frantz drive! Having the usual Saturday morning coffee with the cycle group and got a call from Mark the tiler - Could we pop over to check on a couple of things with the hearth tiles please?? So after coffee we went over and found not only Mark ready to see us but Chris was also there putting coat#2 on the deck, porch and railings. We sorted out the layout of the hearth tiles with Mark and before we left he had them in! He now just has to do grouting next week and he'll be finished (probably Tuesday).
Also had to go over again at 2.00 to meet Peter Polly and decided to use a "wax" finish rather than water-based - shows the colours beautifully.

louvres in, hearth tiles in, deck 2nd coat

"feature" tiles - bath hob

"feature" tiles again - shower

laundry tiling now complete (minus grouting)

"Minafon" - week 15, Friday

No pics today - we went over this morning to shift the grass pavers into the garage and Mark the tiler was working - he's put the feature tiles in and they look terrific - really finish it off. I'll take some pics and put them on the blog tomorrow as we have to go over and meet Peter Polly at 2.00pm to look at the different flooring finishes and choose which one we want.

Timetable for the next three weeks:

• next week, electrical fit-out, plumbing fit-out all completed and completion of tiling.
• last coats put on decking and railings
• Air-con all goes in Friday
• following week (2nd November+) - Peter Polly on his own to do floors - needs until Friday to complete and no-one else allowed in!
• 9th November, carpets laid in bedrooms
• 10-12th cleaning and fly-screening done
• 13th - move in!

"Minafon" - week15, Thursday

Three weeks tomorrow and we should be moving!! Ouch

Electrician and tiler hard at work today. More powerpoints, lights, fans are installed and the tiling is nearing completion in the ensuite and bathroom - just the toilet and the laundry to go. Lots of plumbing supplies such as toilets, mixers etc stored in the garage today so he must be about to get into those. Just a couple of photos today -

ensuite with "niche" windows to bedroom -tile gaps to have "feature tiles"

TV/library now has fan and downlights