What to do....

Today we both got an email from our real estate showing us that the reason titles are taking so long, and the reason that they haven't released the next stage yet is because they are proposing to build a train station car park. This means that about four houses down from us onwards will now be a 1000 space car park for the station and our road will be the main entry to get to it. Disappointment :(

We now have some big decisions to make as we never would have brought this block if we had of known that was what they were going to do. On the plans they gave us, it shows the next three stages as being residential areas, not that we would end up living next door to a car park for the station. It also means that the lovely, quiet street we brought will now turn into a busy little highway esp in the mornings and arvos when people are traveling to Melb for work.

We have called our conveyancer who is looking into it all for us and said that he has also had calls from other people in this stage about the exact same thing. Until we have all our information, we can't really make a decision, but who knows what will happen now. Pretty saddening when we have just got out tender price back at such a great price. But this will be our second home and we plan to be there a while so we want to do it right.

So much to think about now!!

Contract signing booked and bank forms signed

Our contract signing is booked in for the 18th of May!! Not long to go now, I'm sure it will be here before we know it. This year is flying along way too fast.

We also had a meeting at the bank tonight - our bank manager is the greatest! We have filled out all our paperwork and just have to drop the contracts off as soon as we have them. The best part was that we didn't have to pay mortgage insurance. We were thinking of leaving some money to upgrade Kris' car but think we will just have to keep saving :)

Plans

Here is the house siting on the block. We will have to have about a metre of cut and fill as well as a retaining wall that is the thick black line behind the garage. Our backyard will most likely be on a bit of a hill but we have big plans for out there so hopefully it will look good once all completed!

Here is the front of the house, we have changed the large front window to two smaller ones to match the ensuite windows. Plus I think it will look nicer, and if we get plantation shutters in them, will look even better.

Tender Complete

Sorry this is a little delayed - it's been a very busy week. Anyway - on with the tender update!

Our tender appointment was on the 20th. We left bright and early at 6.30 (actually is was still pretty dark!) We arrived at the head office just after 8.30 so we made good time. Our tender presenter was really good. He made the sitting in the office for three hours much easier. Plus he made some really good suggestions.

Our site costs came back quite good. We had to upgrade our slab to H-D which we thought we would anyway so that wasn't a huge surprise. We have a cut and fill, site drainage, a small retaining wall, agi drains, termite protection, mud on road prevention (!) and a couple of other boring things that are probably quite important!

Our upgrades are
*Soundscreen internal wall insulation between the toilet and dining (too much info) and also between the theatre and living.
*We have changed the windows at the front from one huge one to two smaller ones to match the ensuite.
*Flyscreens
*Upgrade theatre doors to a thicker door with a feature of four strips.
*Add double doors to the study.
*Upgrade study, internal laundry and dressing room doors to a stained wood with glass in the middle.
*Add a privacy lock to the main WC.
*Translucent glass to front door and sidelights.
*Obscure (Satinlite) glass to the ensuite W.C.
*A nice big long door handle for the front door.
*Painting the theatre room and dressing room different colours.
*Two pot drawers to the kitchen.
*Shiny gloss overhead cabinet doors in the kitchen.
*Square bath spout to match taps.
*Upgrade towel rail in the bathroom to a double instead of a single.
*Extend the laundry cupboard from two doors to three.
*Laminate timber flooring.
*Carpet.
*Add an extra tap to the backyard.
*Electricals - Downlights and some TV points and Powerpoints etc.

It sounds like a lot but it actually came in at a great price. We were very pleased :)

The only bugger is that he suggested that we won't be in by the end of the year, which we were really hoping would happen. Look on the bright side - more time to save and mum and dad get to put up with us for a bit longer :)

One sleep until tender!

Our tender appointment is tomorrow! I can't believe how quickly it has come around. It felt like it was so far away when we booked it. I am very excited and also very nervous as this will determine everthing. If it blows our budget, well, I hope mum and dad like having us around!! Ha ha :) Watch this space!!

It was my B'day today and I had a wonderful day at school, the kids were lovely and I have been very spoilt. Had a lovely dinner with family and a very fun BBQ yesterday :)

A bar for the alfresco

We went up to the home expo in Melbourne last Friday night and had a little look around. There wasn't much there for us as most things are included in the build but we did see a bar that we really liked. Over the weekend I thought more and more about it and decided that it would be perfect for us. Our dining area goes straight out to the alfresco and we thought that having another dining type table or something similar in the alfresco may look silly. The bar would be perfect, you can sit at it, stand at it, put it in the middle, put it against the wall. I thought to myself - keep an eye for something along those lines...

On Monday we were out picking up a fuel pump for Kris' car so while he was in Super Cheap, I thought, I'll have a look in the new furniture store next door. What do I see as soon as I walk in - the bar! I took a photo on my phone just as the owner was walking in. We started chatting and he had just returned from the Home expo, so it was the exact same one. What are the chances?! Well it was meant to be. He knocked off a couple of hundred bucks and let us have a 6-8 month lay by so we can pick it up once the house is done. Whoo hoo!!!

It has a glass top and six stools that slide neatly underneath. Sorry about the pics, they're from my phone. :)

Freedom Sale!

I don't have much to report at the moment! Our tender is on Tuesday so will have lot's of news then. We will finally know it we can afford everything lol!

So just to be able to post something I will share what we brought on our Freedom trip. They don't have one in Geelong anymore, but I have been eyeing off a clock there for ages. A few weekends ago I called the store in Ballarat to see if they had one in stock, which they did, and asked them to hold it for me, which they also did after informing me it was on sale yay!

We drove up there and got the clock, I LOVE it! So pleased. It's about a metre wide and will sit in the little niche we have in the main hall entrance above a nice hall table that I am yet to find! I love that you will be able to see the wall colour through it.

Also why we were there, we picked up some more of our lighting. We have three pendants for over the kitchen bench and a large one for over the dining table. They are all the same material which I am so pleased with as you will be able to see them together. I think they should be fine over the kitchen bench even though they are a material as it is only the sink on the island bench, not a stove or cook top so they shouldn't get too dirty - fingers crossed!!

My photos aren't great! The clock went straight back into the box and the pendants were hard to photo. Shopping really is the best therapy :)

Display home visit

Today we took mum and dad out to breakfast and then up to Point Cook to see the display homes. We also took a tape measure and our plans and measured each room out to what the size will be for the Q2. Most rooms are only a tiny but smaller and won't really be noticable, the living is the main room that will be smaller and that won't be too bad as it's open anyway. It was great to show them through. I just can't wait until we have our own Lexington!!!

It's only 17 sleeps until tender! I'm excited and nervous! We have a budget that we really want to stick to so I am hoping it will happen. We are now leaning away from the extensions, it's going to be a huge house without them!

We went to the big spotlight sale the other night and picked out some ready made curtains for the theatre room - a deep red like in the cinemas. We also got some towels too, all at 20%. Another lay-by! Gotta love lay-by!

On Monday we will head up to Ballarat to pick up a clock I have been stalking for ages! The Freedom here has closed and I have been uuming and ahhing about this clock for a few weeks now. I finally called them today and they are holding one for me and it is $35 off - Love sales!! We will have to leave nice and early though to be back in time to watch the footy :)