Bricklaying begins

24th May

Bricklaying starts. The first brick to be laid was in the bottom right corner of this photo, which is a bedroom at the back of the house.

The bricks are large and cream with a light wavy texture.

Behind the scenes

Deliveries are made to the block

8th May 2010

Sand and bricks arrive, together with window frames and other materials alongside the small shed and a portable toilet. 

 

That looks like a huge number of bricks to lay! The concrete pad is left to cure for a few weeks before laying will begin. 

Completion of concrete pad

...
28th April

WOW! It's beautiful! Solid and smooth, with plumbing poking through.

Our first impression is that the pad looks HUGE! And we were prepared in our minds that pads always make the house look small! 

It is also more difficult to see the rooms in our mind's eye because we had to flip the plan over to meet Council requirements.

Concrete pad begun

...
27th April

The concrete pad base has been laid, plumbing pipes poking through. PVC film and mesh have been laid on top.

Today we met our new neighbours whose home (at right angle to us; not pictured) should be finished some weeks ahead of ours. They are a delightful couple and we look forward to getting to know them better.

Mysterious disturbances to the sand pad

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12th April


We thought someone had been playing inside the retaining wall on the sand pad, and had dumped piles of sand just outside the pad! [B's blood pressure rising...] Our neighbours assured us that the digging and fitting and marking had been carried out to allow for the plumbing before the concrete pour of the pad! We realised we were a bit sensitive from our experiences of illegal dumping of other builders' waste on our block over the past months. We laughed with our neighbours about our jumping to assumptions.

A little rain at last! Nice, cool wet stuff. You forget...

Land cleared & retaining wall built

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9th April

The block has been cleared and levelled, and the retaining wall built. This low concrete wall which runs down the street side of our block was required by Council before plans were approved. The Colorbond® fence will sit inside and flush to it.

This unexpected 'extra' cost us $4,500 but after consulting with the City Council we see it as a good move as it will give support to the house foundations.

The Block

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This is our vacant block not long after we purchased it last year. I am photographing from the back towards the front. A smaller yard area at this time of our lives is more than compensated for with our 'extended front yard' across the road. Maintained by the Council, there is room for a family game of cricket or for kids to kick a ball around up the far end. The area opposite us has been planted with a border of eucalypts and rows of paperbarks which will provide good shade when grown. Natural bush and, in winter our own little wetland complete with water birds and frogs, borders the far side of the park.