Getting very close to lock-up. They've done what looks like a lot of the first fix. Bricks have been delivered - brickie starts next week (fingers cross the weather holds). And...we have a front door!

We have tiles

end of framing stage...

We had quite a severe thunderstorm last night and this morning, so I went up to check on the site today. Typical Melbourne weather - by the time I got 7kms from Gisborne it was sunny, 22 degrees.

Drove past the site - there were workman there. We're not really supposed to turn up unannounced, so I didn't disturb them. Property looked fine. Pheeeeew!

They're doing the roof trusses! So we look to be on track to finish the framing stage end of this week (if there's no more rain). 

It's a house...almost

From the road into Gisborne

Zoomed out...from the same road

The house!

The windows...on the ground!?

The slab is down

The driveway and garage

 Standing at the front porch looking through the main hallway

more front porch...

The junction box....exciting!

The driveway to garage....we're thinking of keeping the aggregate they have put down. Beats spending thousands on a driveway!

They've broken ground

Went up there last weekend to find a large amount of earth moved in prep for the slab. Finished off the mowing before they put the fence up to stop kids getting in.

Photos of...

We went there yesterday, and the fence was up. Didn't take a photo...really, its only a fence. 

Permits through!

We got the building permit on Thursday. Carlisle want to start building on Monday! 

However...some 'nice' neighbour has dumped their excess concrete onto our land (about 1.5m sq x 10cm deep). Builder won't start till its removed....which we have to do! So we're off tomorrow with some tools to try and remove it. 

Anyway some pics of our mowing attempt last weekend

Construction loan approved, so we're now waiting on the building permit. Builder has given early November as start date. 

This is what it will look like!

I photoshopped an image of the house onto an image of google streetview. The scale is probably out of whack, but you get the idea :)

This is the colour scheme

My attempt at mocking up the façade 

The tile colour comes out blue on the photo, it is greyer in reality.

Ahh hindsight. We'll never use a broker again -  no one, apart from the bank, has been able to provide us the breakdown of costs. The broker didn't tell us the bank would pay all stamp duty, costs and lenders insurance. We had money set aside for this. I guess it doesn't matter, we still have to pay the difference between what is left over and the balance on the land.

In any case it is official. We've signed the mortgage!

The house...

Seeing as we've been approved for the loan...I can post the house up here without jinxing myself. We have decided against this façade, the font balcony felt too exposed to the street.

Carlise Homes, Orlando

So we're now thinking about this one...

Banks aren't that bad after all

We got the loan! Settlement on the land is due for early September...asking construction company to start in October...fingers crossed ;)
Now the fun begins selecting colours, tiles, windows....even powerpoints! The building company asks for two full days to complete the task. I'm sure Aly can't think of anything better than to spend two full days sitting around buying things. I think I'll get bored after ten minutes. Hopefully it will be different!!

This is 7 Jacksons Creek Way, Gisborne Victoria. We put an offer in which has been accepted - now we wait while the banks deem us fit enough to lend money to.