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New double storey build

For those that are interested I'm going to post updates of my double storey build to this thread. I've already started other threads about specific things (and will continue to do that) however this one is purely for regular updates. You can also follow our progress on Instagram @building.up.254 and @ProjectPete.diy.

We started by listing a few must-haves.
I've shared our final plans.

Would be great to hear what people think along the way and I'm happy to answer any questions you have. This is my second build and I'm also project managing a mate's build - so I'm no expert but I've learned a few things along the way that I'm happy to share 🙂

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Comments

Jason

Looking forward to your regular updates @ProjectPete.

You're a good friend to be managing your mate's project as well! It's going to be a busy time for you, but I'm sure all the hard work will be worth it.

Many thanks for sharing.

Jason

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/4535#Comment_4535

Just to bring things up-to-speed...

Slab poured April 4 the day we flew out to Bali so it was an exciting time and the provisioning for upstairs plumbing was done April 12.

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/4535#Comment_4535

While we waited for the slab to cure and brickies to start work, we did a bit of planning ourselves for our new pool area and sunken firepit. The large rectangle is the entire pool area which is 11x4.5m and the rectangle inside that is the pool which is 7x3m. The sunken firepit is the two smaller squares taking up 2.5x2.5m.

And before we knew it, bricks were delivered and we thought we'd be seeing them laid in the coming days. Unfortunately we experienced some delays because we upgraded to white mortar for the rear of the house (front is rendered) and only some brickies are skilled/experienced in white mortar. Whilst it's frustrating to have delays, what really frustrated us was the lack of communication from our builder. But after a pretty stern conversation we agreed the importance of regular updates and things have improved since.

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/4535#Comment_4535

Over the past week or so I've been negotiating with our builder to change/upgrade our tapware for our ensuite, guest bathroom and powder room. Learning: Never take "No" for an answer. Always challenge outcomes that don't meet your needs/expectations. Remember that you're the one paying hundreds of thousands of dollars so you should not have to settle for somethign you're not completely happy with. Story below.

We originally upgraded from standard chrome inclusions to the black Vito Bertoni tapware which cost us a few hundred dollars extra per set (6 sets) and we were happy to pay.

However #wifey came across the set shown below and we both love them so I contacted the builder and their initial response was they're "virtually impossible" to install on a brick house - they're apparently designed for timber frame houses. This didn't sound right to me so instead of taking their word for it I did some research and confirmed they're perfectly fine for brick houses but can be challenging to install perfectly level. So our builder didn't want to take on the change request and a more difficult job (even though they'd make more money from it), but reminding them that they work for us, they agreed to make the change. Then came pricing. Even after crediting back the cost of our already upgraded tapware they were to charge us a further $518 per set (there are 6 sets to change) based on their chosen Reece supplier with RRP$759.99 per set. They stated the supplier we asked for (with RRP$206 per set) couldn't be done. Again, I challenged this and when they couldn't produce a satisfactory reason for why they needed to used a $760 per set option rather than our $206 per set selection, they agreed to use ours.

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/4535#Comment_4535

Met with our engineer yesterday morning to talk through our custom pool design which we're making from precast concrete - the slabs are fabricated at the factory, then delivered to site and put together like Lego 🙂

We're pretty set on our plan now, just pending drawings and certification for our engineer.

7x3m (overall pool area 11-12x4.5m)
Gradient depth 1.2-1.6m
1x2.5m sitting area/platform (shown below)
Underground pump and filter
Pool area to be raised c300mm from ground level

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/4535#Comment_4535

Would be keen to hear your thoughts and get any ideas/inspo from you on our front elevation. We're pretty set on the design and have secured suppliers for both the cladding and the stone for the garage.

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/4535#Comment_4535

After about 3 weeks of delays, today we finally got our brickies on site and they made some solid progress in a day - especially considering they have to bucket mix our white mortar. Slab poured April 4, brickwork started 21 May.

After being very disappointed with the beginning of our build due to poor planning, delays and lack of communication I requested we have a new site manager assigned to us and that happened. Met him this morning and can tell he's on the ball. Great focus on planning, quality and honesty, so, as long as he meets the deadlines he's put in place, I'm confident it'll begin to restore my faith in our builder.

Alfresco

This shows the cavity wall insulation which is a minimum requirement to build in the estate and contributes to a 7 star energy rating for the home (along with under-roof insulation, solar, air heater for hot water, etc).

Cavity wall insulation

This is the window for my special little coffeespot in the kitchen (refer to snippets of the plan for further context). Can you tell I have an addiction? This is where my machine and a cold drip tower will sit.

Coffeespot window

Next update when they finish the ground floor brickwork which is expected to be Wed 30/5.

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/4535#Comment_4535

Turns out #wifey isn't finished with her changes...certainly complicates things but I love her styling so happy to do the ground work with the builder.

Our current Laminex colour selection for overhead cabinetry in Kitchen (the bottom cabinetry is white) and the cabinetry in Ensuite, Guest Bath, Powder Room, Laundry is Sublime Teak. We found it a nice contrast for our other colour selections and it looks more realistic than other options. It matches our French Oak floorboards fairly nicely.

However, since signing our contract, Laminex have released a new option called New Classic Oak and we've fallen for it 🙂 So I've just emailed our construction consultant to get a quote to upgrade to the Textured option of New Classic Oak.

We find this to have an even more realistic look to it and compliments our woodens accents around the house better. And given we're installing French Oak floorboards, the colour matches better and they have more similar grains/knots.

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/64423#Comment_64423

Just a quick one to say that after 93 emails (I like to have everything in writing) over a 2.5 week period, negotiations and debates, we've just signed all the requested variations and we won every battle 🙂
Hello upgraded tapware including a new shower system, upgraded Laminex finish as well as a change to the cabinetry config in our Ensuite, an extra powerpoint and new paint colours for front elevation 🙂

RenoQueen

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/94848#Comment_94848

Great work @ProjectPete. You'll never get anything if you don't ask. I'm sure the negotiations will be worth it and get a home that you truly love.

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/113904#Comment_113904

Absolutely @RenoQueen - I worry about how many people get misled and ripped off through the process though because they're inexperienced and/or not confident/forward enough to say something.

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/124611#Comment_124611

How's the build going @ProjectPete?

Hope all is well.

Jason

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/131819#Comment_131819

Thanks for the reminder @Jason - been flat out between getting things done for the new build, upgrading things on the current home, working, changing jobs, building up my business, cheekey getaways, etc etc

BUT

The build is coming along nicely 🙂

All brickwork is now complete and roof carpenters are booked for next week so it won't be long til it's got its shape.

No real issues along the way. We weren't happy with the inconsistent spacing of the mortar on one fo the pillars of our alfresco so we got them to rebuild that. Have noticed some dents and scratches on doorways which will all be fixed shortly. So overall, we're very happy with the past few weeks/stages.

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/136197#Comment_136197

Many thanks for the progress report @ProjectPete. Glad to hear the project is going well. Looking forward to seeing some photos when you get a chance! It sounds like things have been very, very busy for you. It also sounds like your builder is good to deal with and happy to address anything that doesn't meet your expectations. Good stuff!

Jason

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/139175#Comment_139175

I'll get some decent pic this wknd @Jason and share them. I've got random shots but they probably won't make much sense to everyone else 😋

Our builder is pretty good. To be honest, it comes down to how I've dealt wiht them. They initially tried to avoid doing/changing/fixing things but because I've stood my ground and remaine din control, they've learned to not waste anyone's time and just do the right thing. This goes back to advice I gave in original posts about building. Don't let builers push you around, because they will if they can!

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/139175#Comment_139175

The last couple of months haven't been too overly exciting. We've had quite a few delays due to weather (and poor project management IMO) but we're now close to top floor lockup 🙂

Balcony view - the sun rises over those hills so you can imagine the brekky/morning coffee views 🙂 We can also watch planes coming in for landing at Perth Airport.

To achieve high enery rating and noise attentuation requirements we have insulation in our wall cavities as well as upgraded insulation in our roof space and under roof insulation. Looking forward to a more comfortable and energy efficient home, that's for sure.

Another thing I'm super excited for on our new home is our solar system and battery. The panels got installed about 2 weeks ago and boy did we get a temporary shock there...my wife just happened to be driving past on the day of installaton and saw them attaching the panels to the front of our house. Yuck! So I was on the phone straight away, got them to stop work and got things sorted. The front of house would provide greatest yield for that half of the system, but aesthetically we don't want them on the front. So we accepted a decreased yield by placing them on the right side of the house instead. We needed to have some Colorbond panels replaced where they started to mount them.

Plaster is now finished on top floor. More excited to see ground floor completion as we've gone with square set ceiling down there, ie. No cornices 🙂

4.5 x 4.1m Retreat with fireplace. Opens onto Balcony. Entry to Ensuite.Ensuite with double vanity and 1800mm freestanding bath under window. Ensuite shower.

The windows are due to be installed and cleaned this week along with top floor level brick cleaning and render to be painted. Then the scaffolding will come done and ground floor work will commence. Getting exciting now!

AHoy

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/141193#Comment_141193

I might be a bit weird but I actually like the look of solar panels. But I guess a roof totally made out of solar is even better - https://www.tesla.com/en_AU/solarroof

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/142701#Comment_142701

I'd be fine with an aesthetically pleasing solar roof like the Tesla examples @AHoy but 11 black panels on the front of a white colorbond roofed house is not so nice.

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/143766#Comment_143766

Had another site meeting on Friday and from all reports, things are coming along more smoothly and quickly than previously. We've been given a handover date of "end Jan". I think this is pretty ambitious especially given the Xmas/NY break but our new site supervisor is pretty confident.

- We're due to go to lock-up 5/12 and things should come along nicely from there. Although it'll suck not being able to go through the house whenever we want.
- I've got some prep work being done today for our polished concrete floors downstairs.
- Managed to negotiate with site supervisor and he's going to let us commence our pool install prior to handover (which has been declined a few times previously).
- At our meeting with our tiler in a week or so we'll sort out the tile positioning/layout, ensure the finishing levels are right for polished concrete downstairs (Laundry/Powder Room) and floorboards upstairs (Ensuite, Guest bath, Toilet).

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/139175#Comment_139175

Word of warning re air con ducting.

Once the ducting had been installed, the bulkhead frame was installed to conceal it all. Luckily we caught things before the bulkhead was finished as you can see from the compressed ducting in the pics below. I knew this wasn't ideal and would affect performance so I immediately got onto the builder and AC company so they could investigate and remedy. Managed to meet the AC guy on site with the ceiling guys and agreed to have a solid junction installed to replace the compressed ducting rather than increasing the size of the bulkhead to better accommodate.

I guess the "warning" part of it is moreso the fact, when I first raised this, the response was "Oh no, it should be fine. The guys know what they're doing." The problem is, "the guys" installing the bulkhead aren't AC specialists. So if they don't know what to look for, they won't realise the detrimental effect of their work. I feel it's common sense, but apparently not. So, as always, don't take "No" for an answer from your builder because they'll always try to avoid rework and cost, but you'll be the one that has to live with the subpar AC you've just paid $17k for.

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/131819#Comment_131819

We're getting so close to the end now. With a new Site Supervisor on board who actually knows what he's doing, we're expecting handover by end Jan.

We're stoked with our square set ceilings to Ground floor (no cornices) to give a cleaner and more luxury look as well as giving our already raised ceilings more height. I thought I have pics but don't so will upload some when i get them. For us, this was a very worthwhile upgrade (cost).

The tiler has been in over the past week and will have it all grouted in the coming days. The tiling is finished (don't have updated pics yet).

Ensuite double vanity Ensuite shower with feature wall Ensuite freestanding bath area Kid's bathroom Powder room

Sparky and plumber are due in next to fit everything off then the house will be ready for a clean before handover.

Once we have the keys, my work begins; polished concrete to ground floor (via my subcontractor), engineered floorboards to stairs and top floor (by yours truly), tiled splashback to Kitchen and Laundry (yours truly), floor to ceiling tiling to feature wall in Powder Room (me), pendant lights installed and additional downlights (my subby), aggregate driveway/paths/alfresco/pool area (subby but I'll do a lot of the labour), front landscaping (provided by the estate), concrete pool (me again), sunken firepit (woah, this "me" list is getting long) and a whole bunch of other stuff.

It's going to be hectic. I'm taking 2 weeks off work at first to get through the painting (also me - uh oh), flooring, pool and aggregate so we can at least move in and continue working on it all from there. I expect I'll have more stroies to tell by that point 🙂

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/136232#Comment_136232

Sounds like you are going to be very busy @ProjectPete. Looking forward to seeing how it all comes together. It must be such an exciting time for the family.

Jason

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/139202#Comment_139202

Don't mean to SPAM but I (unexpectedly) managed to get into the house yesterday so got some updated pics 🙂

Square set

Tiles (pending grout)

Kid's bath Kid's shower Ensuite bath area Ensuite vanity

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/139202#Comment_139202

For those playing at home - it's so very nearly time to get my keys! 😄

I had my PCI (Practical Completion Inspection) yesterday and everything went really well. No major defects, just touchups required throughout. There are a few fiddly things I've asked them to fix, but nothing unreasonable. The biggest laugh was the look on our Site Supervisor's face when we told/showed him they'd installed the wrong colour garage doors - this was made worse by the fact they also installed the wrong coloured gutters and downpipes several months ago.

At this point I feel the main thing to share/reiterate is the importance of having an independent inspector throughout your building process. I've done it before, I did it again this time and I'll do it again in future. It pays dividends and can also remove some of the stress for yourself in resolving any issues identified along the way - depending on how good/helpful your inspector is. I highly recommend mine for those of you needing one in Perth.

So all things being equal, we should have our keys on 18/2 then it's time to get stuck into my move-in works plan, starting with painting, flooring and aggregate concrete to front and back of house 🙂

BIM_Engineer

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/141203#Comment_141203

I suspect Uniform National Structural Engineering Inspection Legislation is now under review in light of the problems experienced with Opal Towers cracking in Sydney & Neo200 Fire In Melbourne.

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/141203#Comment_141203

Exciting! Thanks for the update @ProjectPete. Looking forward to seeing more photos.

Jason

Ryatthalo

Very nice but quite common. I really don't know why people don't make their kitchens centrepiece these days. I and many others believe in bringback the eat in kitchens again giving more social status to the family and friends. I know I would rather have a huge kitchen with big walk in pantry than a media room what do you all think

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/12051#Comment_12051

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Ryatthalo. It's amazing that you've joined us and many thanks for jumping into the conversation.

With the move towards open plan living over the past 10 years, kitchens are certainly getting more attention than they once did. They've turned from something that we would once try to hide into the household's hub and meeting place. The heart of the home, if you will. I couldn't agree more with your sentiments, and a prominent kitchen would be my preference.

We look forward to hearing all about the projects you have going on around your own home and garden and encourage you to let us know if you ever need assistance or have something to share. I trust you'll find loads of inspiration within the community as our amazing members contribute their ideas here every day.

Mitchell

StevieB

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/141203#Comment_141203

Wonderful to follow along with your build @ProjectPete. Thanks for taking the time to share so much detail.

It looks like the latest photos here of your build were still a work in progress. Do you have any updates to share of the finishing touches?

Stevie

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