Apparently, building a new home is right up there on the Ferality Index, along with divorce, death or losing a job. And in spite of our ever dwindling finances, I have decided to be only positive and cheerful about our latest adventure. There have been times, even this early in the build, when my good humour has wavered a tad.
Take this week for example. We have two blocks on two separate titles. We are building on the back smaller block. So, our decision to add a further seventy-one square metres to our family home site and bring it up to the size of a "cottage" block ( three hundred and forty-three square metres) will part us with nearly $11 000 and give us two new title deeds. Which I expect to be made out of gold leaf. A whopping $4 000 of that fee is purely government charges. And the whole process will take months...
Our fire rating report has set us back a cool $726 - to tell us we are at risk of ember attack from trees not on our property. Our builder John nearly tore his hair out over this finding. We are in the town centre and the back wall of the house has been rated at 29 (which is very high) whilst the rest of the house is rated at 12 (better). So, we have to change the material used in the flyscreens, along with other requirements. The overriding reason is that our house must be able to withstand fire for sixty minutes. My black sense of humour concluded that our house can duly burn down at the sixty-one minute mark, but not a nanosecond before that.
Fortunately, we have had some happier incidents. Our site has been surveyed and pegged. We now know exactly where to place the sand pad. And we have firmed up on tiles, grout and window trim colour. Our kitchen is half paid. The final plans have been passed by the shire (as long as we adhere to the fire requirements). The yard is more or less ready for our earthmover to remove all the green debris, the remaining trunks and get on with shovelling dirt around. Exciting times.
My new outdoor setting is now resplendent in Shop 2, which is being used for storage purposes. I plan to set it up as a feature and arrange artwork around and on the table for the time being.
Unrelated to our house, but rather important to our meagre finances, John and Lindsey have committed to being our tenants for at least the next two years. And in their quest for additional space, they have renovated and revamped the grotty remains of the old commercial kitchen to create a storeroom and display area. What a triumph. This was the last bit of the building that needed to be restored and our tenants undertook this project. Michael, who has picked up yet another chest infection, is stoked.
Friday nights have become pub nights with John and his partner Jacqueline. She is a dynamo behind the scene, attending to all the forms, permits and other written paraphernalia that all has to be completed correctly. I had no idea of the enormity or value of her work. If nothing else, my eyes have been opened to all the complexities of running a country building company.
They have become firm friends and we really enjoy their company. Last night was no exception. We shared wine and good cheer and four delicious meals cooked by resident chef Lisa. A very pleasant way to spend the evening.
In the Gallery today. We have had a surprising number of guests, considering the heat. And next Saturday night, 4 March, we are all systems GO for live music at our Sundowner.
Come join us!
How many pegs can we have for $11 000?!
Can one take too many photos of pegs?!
The pile of green waste to be removed early next week...
as our "boys" labour in mid-thirties heat to transform the last of the Forbes Building
the tin goes up...
the storeroom shelving...
All newly painted!
Another angle of the storeroom.
The Forbes building facing west.
What. A. Difference from 6 July 2012.
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