Duplex build with husband

[Sheryn]

Construction certificate approval received

Building Inspector rang bubby on Friday and wanted more plants in yard. Hubby said we have revised the landscaping plan, don't see how we can put in more plants!

Ohh

BI asked for summary of BASIX, hubby replied we have given you a full BASIX and a BASIX Summary.

Ohh

BI asked for storm water lines and 2 grids to be put on plan, so hubby draw a broken line down each side of duplex and drew a box in each back yard and I wrote on plans.

Hubby walked down to Council today as I had the car, meet with BI and after some "I never had a copy of that", or "I never received a copy of revised plan" hubby walked home with CC in his hot little hand.

Only took 5 months!

Hubby said BI is nice and pleasant to talk too and BI will be the one doing our inspections next year.

PLAN
Start next year, get block of land mowed this year to keep grass under control.


Regards
Sheryn

 

[Rockstar]

Congrats on the CC Sheryn, looks like that trip will be put off for a while. Enjoy the build.

 

[Sheryn]

Ready to start - almost!

Holiday over ready to start.

Hubby is organising building insurance and public liability insurance (we had quotes last July so a bit out of date) and to get the tree lopped down after insurance is purchased.

Meet with Interior Designer and selected tiles, carpet, kitchen colours, wall colours, roof colour etc. this afternoon.

I will leave everything up to hubby to organise. I am proactive in organising he is reactive so we will see how it goes


Regards
Sheryn

 

[MikeJosef]

Great thred Sheryn - hows it all going?

Also what does your duplex design looks like? are you sharing a common wall? brick veneer? 2 garages ect?

good luck with the building!

 

[Sheryn]

Great thred Sheryn - hows it all going?

Also what does your duplex design looks like? are you sharing a common wall? brick veneer? 2 garages ect?

good luck with the building!

Basic & plain design: Brick veneer 3 bedrooms, bathroom & ensuite, lounge/dining, kitchen & laundry upstairs, double garage with remote control and storage downstairs.

We will share a common dividing brick wall, ideally it is better if units are freestanding but our block does not lend itself to that.

In the end I organised the insurance - one quote wanted $400 brokerage fee!

We paid $1436.18 for insurance
Tree lopping $450
Interior designer colour selection $318.75

Currently awaiting excavator and the weather is wet again, council will fine the operator and us if we put dirt on the street.

Traditionally - February to May can be wet in our local area, which gives us an extra headache for excavation, digging of trenches and pouring foundations.


Cheers
Sheryn

 

[Sheryn]

Seems wrong. Wonder what was in the contract? When you hire any equipment you would think the owner would have to insure their property?

Rockstar our friend who had his hired temporary builder's fence stolen had to pay $500 replacement costs.

This friend is currently getting quotes to build a freestanding, he is doing the same as you build one at a time + plus is he project managing his son's industrial shed being built.

Also friend is going to appeal one Land Valuation even though grounds for appeal are very narrow and limited, his block of land went up 52K which is unbelievable as he paid 320K in the first place and it is 7K from the coast.


Regards, Sheryn

 

[Sheryn]

We were expecting excavator today but he did say he would confirm, anyway excavator will now be coming on Friday and backhoe operator to dig footings has had to be put off till about Wednesday next week, due to his other jobs.

Hubby rang up one Brickie today and he quoted $1450 per thousand white mortar & sand supplied we will supply the bricks. We both think this is expensive so will try and source other Brickies for quotes as we need 23,000 bricks laid.

Hubby will see an ex Brickie tomorrow to source what is the going rate locally for Brickies. This Brickie is about to build a duplex up the Gold Coast and paid 15K for plans, 5K for Town planner and doesn't expect to start his own project till September at the earliest as the house on his block has to be demolished first.

Hubby is starting to get more organised!

Hubby picked up an application for credit for concrete today and I have filled this out but I cannot supply 3 Trade Creditors for the amount of concrete we need. Basically Concrete Company want 3 other businesses to verify that we can pay bills equal to the amount of concrete per month we need.

In our past history we have used this company on a few occasions over a period of years but not for about 12 years. Man in charge locally knows hubby - so we will wait and see if credit supplied, bottom line we can pay for concrete prior to delivery on Credit Card or by cheque.

The casual labourer we were going to use to help with the footings has now commenced a permanent part time job so Hubby is thinking about asking a semi retired tradesman to give him a hand with the footings, steel & pouring concrete.

This will be cost more per hour but the tradesman will know what to do whereas the Labourer would most likely have to be shown. The semi retired tradesman actually employed my hubby's younger brother as an apprentice brickie about 20 - 25 years ago.

I have asked hubby to follow up on subcontractors who have not supplied quotes, eg Electrician, Plumber.

Need to send out plans for kitchen quotes x 3.

To do list

• Excavator - doubt if hubby has an estimate usually do and charge should take one day.
• Electrician - sent plans need to follow up for quote or estimate ( we respect this tradesperson so will use)
• Plumber / Gasfitter - still waiting on quote - hubby to follow up as we need to give Water Connection Card to our selected Plumber.
• Concretor - Hubby has not contacted the Subcontractor as yet (note our friend who is project managing his son's industrial shed and currently obtaining quotes for his own SMSF duplex is the brother of the Concretor.
• Bricklayer - still trying to obtain quotes
• Roofer - Quotes range from $11115 - $12122 + Edge protection when laying [Hubby can decide who he is using]
• Waterproofer - no idea [but we attended an MBA seminar on waterproofing last year to help us understand waterproofing systems for showers]
• Plaster - Supply materials & labour $21604 {Have used this plaster before so happy with finished product
• Kitchens & vanities- say $15,000
• Floor Tiler - Supply only of tiles is $7425. a quality tiler is $45 dollars a square metre supplying glue, grout etc.
• Painter - we haven't attempted to get quotes as yet but will approach 2 different Subcontractors who's quality of work is known to us.
• Engineer - paid
• Fascia/guttering quote was $3003 about 8 months ago
• Frames Trusses and flooring $44,000 [We might get a 1K discount]
• Steel beams and posts - quoted [not sure of exact price]
• Windows - We obtained a quote about 7 months ago & hubby can't find [Will turn up shortly] Note: council DA has required us to add bars to 1 x unit so quote will increase.
• Roller doors and remote - council DA requires us to install 2 x different style roller doors for each unit [Will get quote but know which Subcontractor we will use]
• Carpet - Awaiting quotes as carpet selected with Interior Designer
• Landscaping - hmmmmmmmmmmm looks like I will have to lay turf and Council DA required us to plant more native plants where council wanted them. [Too bad for owner - you must have landscaping as per what Assessor deems adequate]
• Subcontract Carpenter - do & charge as hubby's brothers
• surveyor to peg out building as close to side boundaries on both sides - we are playing telephone tag ATM but Rockstar says about $600.

Almost afraid to add up!

What have I missed

• Termite Management
• Blinds or curtains
• Builders fence & toilet

Progress reported
Sheryn

 

[Rockstar]

What have I missed

Sheryn

Scaffolding, Insulation, driveways, tanks?

Make sure you get a quote from Ballina Pre-cut Kitchens. They're very competitive.

 

[Sheryn]

Weather has been holding us up. Rain, Rain and Rain

Monday 1st - Surveyor set out where to cut in pouring rain.
Tuesday - Rain
Wednesday - Rain
Thursday - Rained in the morning, sprinkled in the afternoon
Friday 5th March - Excavator inspected block and decided to let his employees work. Block was excavated, rained at lunchtime and everyone sat in vehicles for an hour or so. Council will fine earthmovers & builders for soil getting on roads as erosion.

Tuesday - footings dug
Wednesday & Thursday morning - steel in
Thursday morning late - Building inspector approved footings ( Hubby had misread requirements for steel posts to go under back of duplex so that has been re-engineered and will be inspected and poured with garage slabs

Thursday afternoon - Concrete pump truck and concrete truck arrived and so did the pelting rain absolutely blew in and wet all the workers. Footings were poured in the rain by the pump truck owner & employee and hubby & 2 casual labourers.

Friday - Plumber put on water.

Monday or Tuesday - Surveyor should mark in wall boundaries for bricks to be laid & Electrician should put up a metre box and connect electricity for Brickies to use

Bricks are being delivered on Tuesday & so is portable toilet.

Brickies should start on Wednesday. Hubby to chase up kitchen quotes.

Did I mention that it is raining, like I said rain, rain, rain. This is not unexpected as we know it rains from February to May in our local area.

Excavation cost $2438.60 which included taking the tree stump to tip & tip fees as stump weighed 5 ton + some road base and ballast for driveways.

Windows deposit $2900 has been paid - ordered windows for garages. Paid one labourer $526.60 for 3 days work & awaiting invoice from other labourer.

Concrete was $5197.50 - Hubby had to run over to concrete supplier and pay for concrete on building credit card as our application for credit was not approved as we hadn't specified account was for concrete and we didn't bother with a guarantor - hmmmm. Guess I will have to go guarantor for hubby.

We have previously had account with this company! Anyway hubby is not to sure what they charged per metre for concrete - so I will have to follow up and ring other suppliers to compare prices.


Sub total $42053.78 9 (not including land & finance & legal fees)


Regards
Sheryn


Delegated the quotes up to hubby to follow up on and / or organise, still waiting on plumber and electrical quote. I don't think we will get one as reasonably priced subcontractors are often to busy to do up a quote.

 

[Sheryn]

Guess what it rained today off and on and I had two trips to the dentist

Site portable toilet delivered today, the toilet was placed on a bit of a slope due to the fact supllier only has a 30 metre pipe/tube to pump out. Hubby said he will tie the toilet down so it doesn't tip over, the deliverer said not to worry as the weight of the water will stop it tipping over. I feel sorry for the tradies having to stand on a lean and sit on a lean when they have to go

Hubby was over at a Trade Supplier today to checking out front doors anyway he was offered a discount on old stock and damaged stock

1 external front door in frame with side panels in frosted glass & good quality weather shield on bottom of door. $400

1 external front door frame no door with clear side panels and chip of wood missing & stainless steel door hinges. $100

After a bit of humming and harring, I left it up to hubby to decide.

Comparison figures...
Timber for door frame would be about $160 x 2 = $320
A cheap front door & weather shield is $215 x 2 = $430
$320 + $430 = $750 + glass + hinges + undercoat painting + time to make door frame & hang door etc.

Anyway $500 + $ 215 (door + weather shield)= $ 715 for 2 [small bargain] when compared to a project builders door frame sitting on the floor at the trade shop for sale at $630 for 1 door.

For 2 doors would have been $1260.
Saving of $545 - maybe a bit less as hubby has to put in one door & weather shield.

Bricklayer - the first bricklayer hubby approached was $141.00 a thousand dear than the one we have decided to go with, and the first bricklayer rang this morning to see how he went.

Hubby told him he missed out on the bricklaying job as too dear for a nice easy job without all his employers having to travel an extra hour a day each day, which was the reason second bricklayer dropped price.

We expect to save $141 per thousand and there are 24,000 bricks or thereabouts to be laid. Potential saving of $3384.

Anyway found out a bit of useful information (useless too) a brick truck's full load is 12500 bricks as we have ordered all the bricks and half will be stored to avoid mismatching of colours from different batches.


Regards
Sheryn

 

[Sheryn]

Guess what it rained today off and on and I had two trips to the dentist

Site portable toilet delivered today, the toilet was placed on a bit of a slope due to the fact supllier only has a 30 metre pipe/tube to pump out. Hubby said he will tie the toilet down so it doesn't tip over, the deliverer said not to worry as the weight of the water will stop it tipping over. I feel sorry for the tradies having to stand on a lean and sit on a lean when they have to go

If you look at the previous posts photo and and see the slope in between the two driveways - you will be able to estimate the slope as you can't put a toilet on council land - the 6 metres from kerb to start of block.

Hubby was over at a Trade Supplier today to checking out front doors anyway he was offered a discount on old stock and damaged stock

1 external front door in frame with side panels in frosted glass & good quality weather shield on bottom of door. $400

1 external front door frame no door with clear side panels and chip of wood missing & stainless steel door hinges. $100

After a bit of humming and harring, I left it up to hubby to decide.

Comparison figures...
Timber for door frame would be about $160 x 2 = $320
A cheap front door & weather shield is $215 x 2 = $430
$320 + $430 = $750 + glass + hinges + undercoat painting + time to make door frame & hang door etc.

Anyway $500 + $ 215 (door + weather shield)= $ 715 for 2 [small bargain] when compared to a project builders door frame sitting on the floor at the trade shop for sale at $630 for 1 door.

For 2 doors would have been $1260.
Saving of $545 - maybe a bit less as hubby has to put in one door & weather shield.

Bricklayer - the first bricklayer hubby approached was $141.00 a thousand dear than the one we have decided to go with, and the first bricklayer rang this morning to see how he went.

Hubby told him he missed out on the bricklaying job as too dear for a nice easy job without all his employers having to travel an extra hour a day each day, which was the reason second bricklayer dropped price.

We expect to save $141 per thousand and there are 24,000 bricks or thereabouts to be laid. Potential saving of $3384.

Anyway found out a bit of useful information (useless too) a brick truck's full load is 12500 bricks as we have ordered all the bricks and half will be stored to avoid mismatching of colours from different batches.


Regards
Sheryn

 

[Sheryn]

Bricks have been delivered, bricks will need to be moved by large forklift as on kerbside, transport company will do this tomorrow.

Site toilet has been moved and tied to street light. Plumber put on water but did not put on a tap so hubby has to find a tap and put on.

Electrician and Engineer did not turn up today, hope for tomorrow. Surveyor coming tomorrow.

Sand for brickies will be delivered tomorrow and they will start on Thursday. Brickie had rang up transport company to see when bricks were arriving.

Paid $605.00 to Concrete Pump hire subby tonight for footings pouring.


Sheryn

 

[Sheryn]

4WD forklift moved 5 pallets of bricks but couldn't do any more because it rained, slope of land etc hubby had to hire a crane to move more bricks.


I guess the saving on the front doors has gone out the door with an unexpected crane hire.

Electrician arrived late this afternoon and will have to call in at supply shop at 6am and connect electricity by 7.30 am as brickies starting then, sand has been delivered and surveyor has marked out walls

Backup plan is to use a generator if electricity not on by 7.30am.

Hubby will be over at block early to ensure all runs smoothly and then come back and drop me at work at 8am.


Sheryn

 

[Sheryn]

Rain has held us up but walls are slowly going up. The bricks are called white gold with white sand and cement which costs extra but worth it in my humble opinion.

We have a mound of excavated dirt that should be on our land but does not fit, the block next door is still owned by the vendors. Electrician had electricity on in time BTW.

Our driveways will be steeper than we would have liked but our backyard has turned out flatter.

The crane hire bill arrived today - hubby didn't open but asked how much?

Bill was $569.25 to lift 12 pallets of bricks, main thing to remember is that a 4WD forklift couldn't move the bricks, we have short steep driveway and pallets were moved safely by the crane and it was raining, did I mention it rained today!


Regards
Sheryn

 

[Sheryn]

We took the long weekend off over easter and went camping.

The garage slabs were poured today. The concretor was telling hubby he had not poured concrete on a duplex for 3 years.

Pricing scaffolding at the moment. Have Pm'ed Rockstar for his supplier & prices.

Sent letter to owner of neighbouring property requesting boundary fence and suggestion / request for timber one, no response so we won't bother with a back fence as it will give us access to our backyard.

Downstairs back wall frame should go up tomorrow hopefully on both units if hubby works hard.

Currently it is raining.



Cheers
Sheryn

 

[vincenzo]

This is an awesome log Sheryn, I'm learning heaps as I'm sure many other readers are

Keep up the excellent work

 

[Sheryn]

Ground floor garage has now had wall frames stood.

Steel piers arrived today and steel bearer was lifted into place. Hubby went and borrowed 2 acrow props and his brother gang arrived at 3pm to lift steel bearer into place in each unit.

Hubby's brothers carpenter gang offered to work tomorrow to put down floor joist on unit 2.

After work today it rained

Just doesn't stop.

Black plstic has been cut and taped to garage floors to try and protect frm red dirt.



Regards
Sheryn

 

[Sheryn]

A break

These are some of our bush camping photo's from Easter 2010.


1. Our caravan and hubby's pride & joy 'The Ute'

2. My SIL is showing me how to start her No 3 son's girlfriend's new quad bike. Hubby's brother's ute is in the background and I am sure that is why we had to buy a ute too! Boys and their toys.

3. Water views. Hubby & his brother made a ladder so we could get in and out of water easily with not dirty our feet.

On our camping weekend hubby got woken at 12.30am to go and rescue 2 x 4WD's out of the swamp, off he went in his PJ's.

Cheers
Sheryn

 

[Rockstar]

Good to see that some of us have time to relax Sheryn.
Keep the great pics coming. Keep dreaming about that roof over your garage slab. It will be on before you know it. I rekon a red floor would look mighty nice.

 

[Sheryn]

Labour $952
Concrete for footings $5197.50
Surveyor $1317.80 - side boundary fence is out 100 - 200 mm onto our land, at a later date I will write a letter and let neighbours know. Quite possibly owner of one of our neighbouring duplexes will be the painter of our duplex so we can let him know in person.

Bricklayer $10340 first stage payment. Note brikclayer said $950 per thousand but charged $995.00 per thousand, hubby to talk to him later on to query price.

We just paid bricklayer and hubby [hubby is a marshmellow most of the time] can sort out later on. Brickie may get 2 jobs from our job with friends of hubby calling in to see him on job.

Frame $28689.16 Trusses will come later.
Backhoe hire 940.60

Site toilet hire $209 delivered pump out extra. [remind me to tell you what hubby did with toilet at end of build]

Slab termite spray $378
Mini excavator $540 - dug out gargage so slabs could be poured
Garage concrete $4780.16
Electrican $1600.01 - metre box connected to electricty
Pump hire for piers & block fill $357 & $588.50 pump hire for garage slabs
Steel for foundations and garage floor etc. $4135.06
Bricks ( I haven't paid bill as yet) $11369.66 for about 16500 we ordered 23000