"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

"Minafon" - week 15, Wednesday

To summarise today's progress:

exterior colour (Pinwheel) - looking good

grass pavers being delivered (that's work for me)

1st coat on deck and steps - another 2 to go 

• Exterior painting complete - just a few "post tiler" touch-ups to complete interior
• Deck and front porch timber have first coat - second goes on Friday
• the grass-pavers arrived for the driveway
• electrical fit-out well under way - quite a few lights, fans power-points installed.
• tiling in ensuite almost done and start made on bathroom
• we visited the electrical supplier and changed strip lights in bedroom to 5xdownlights - neater.
• external taps done - more plumbing fit-out tomorrow
• sorted the removalists for 13th and also phone/internet connection for same day. simple.

"Minafon" - week 15, Tuesday

Can't miss a day at the moment! Today saw the porch and deck railings completed, more work on the ensuite tiling, completion of the study bench, beginning of the electrical fit-out and the installation of the garage panel-lift door and the "shed" roll-a-door. Kitchen drawers are back with the dividers installed and external painting is almost complete.

Mandy phoned and we had a chat about a few bits and pieces like carpet and air-conditioning installation and she also advised that we could start planning around a Friday 13th November move-in day. Peter Polly who did a wonderful job on our timber floor restoration at Pallas Street is going to do the timber flooring so we're very happy about that.

So...... barring any last minute hold-ups, we should be moving on 13th November!!

deck rails installed - wide enough for a stubbie!! or plate!

ensuite walls almost done - 

garage door and rear roll-a-door installed - now need a key!

"Minafon" - week 15 (!!!) Monday

Hard to believe we've been doing this for 15 weeks, but also amazing how much has happened in that time! The end is nigh.

Busy 'house" day today. Had to take a couple of the kitchen drawers over to Choice Kitchens to have some dividers inserted. Then off to see Graham the joiner who is going to dress the iron-bark posts for the letter-box (all my gear is in storage!!) and then pick up the basket inserts/runners for our wardrobe - we had ordered them last week from Bunnings.

At the house itself, Mark is working away at the tiling which is looking great and Chris and his crew have now moved to the exterior painting - also looking really good. Steve has been doing the front steps and porch decking plus the railings there and on the back deck - just the stainless wiring to go.

No specific

Graham Chapman the joiner - a real craftsman

Ensuite tiles in progress

Chris the painter at work

Rails going on back deck and ceiling lining done/painted

Front porch - decking and rails and steps

date for completion as yet but not that far away!

"Minafon" - week 14, Friday

looking into our bedroom (again bath doesn't go here!)

bathroom floor in progress

Lots of progress again today - internal painting seems to be completed, floor tiles are down in the ensuite, bathroom and toilet and the back steps are in. Laundry cupboards/sink are all in as well. Happy to say we're very happy with the internal finishes - love the colour combinations and all looking as good as we had hoped when choosing!

Seeing Mandy over the weekend about bedroom #2 and 3 wardrobe doors and finalising electrical. Moving day can't come soon enough!

"feature" wall in library/TV room

Laundry installed

"Minafon" - week 14, Thursday

Met Mark the tiler today and sorted out height for tiles in the ensuite and bathroom plus trim material. Plumber has finished the drainage/sewerage installation and levelled the front yard in readiness for the driveway grass-pavers. Painters continue with the internal walls and they are really looking great.

Floor tiles going down in the ensuite

The first  flowers!!

........and now we even have downpipes!

"Minafon" - week 14, Wednesday

Most of the action outside today - Wayne the plumber and his crew connecting up the water supply and trenching the storm-water drains and sewerage. Interestingly (but probably not surprisingly) he found that the council inlet pipe from our property enters the man-hole at an upward angle so our outflow would not occur (at least until the system was completely full) - very helpful. Council is coming in the next few days to fix it apparently.

The painter (Chris) is now on the internal walls

Minafon - "By the river" - bit more "trimming" to be done!

Wayne tells me the soil is really good - gardener will be pleased!

Downpipes get connected tomorrow

We DID have a nice clean front yard!

and the colour ("surf wax") looks great. Tomorrow we meet with the tiler to sort out a few minor details re edging etc and he will be laying the floor tiles tomorrow.

"Minafon" - week 14, Tuesday

Painting well under way - ceilings done, walls primed

"Back "steps ready - they will use the whole space between posts

Brief update only today - Chris the painter has been there all day and the ceilings are all finished as are the cupboards and wardrobes. the walls have been primed and the first coat goes on tomorrow. Should have a bit of tiling to report on tomorrow afternoon!