Some statistics about the viewers who have visited our Blog

Sunday 26 October 2014

Here's some interesting statistics about the viewers who have been visiting our Blog as recorded and supplied by Google Blogger.

Pageviews by Countries - Top 10 - Year to Date - as at Sunday 26 October 2014

Entry	Pageviews
Australia	2,804
United States	491
Hong Kong	177
Germany	48
Russia	43
Turkey	40
Poland	35
France	18
United Kingdom	17
Romania	15

Pageviews by Countries - Top 10 - Past Month - as at Sunday 26 October 2014

Entry	Pageviews
Australia	485
United States	65
Poland	27
Hong Kong	20
France	8
Philippines	5
Germany	4
India	4
Canada	3
United Kingdom	2

Pageviews by Countries - Past Week - as at Sunday 26 October 2014

Entry	Pageviews
Australia	115
United States	10
Hong Kong	7
India	4
Germany	2
France	2
Philippines	2
Poland	2
Canada	1

Final measurements for internal Plantation Shutters and some more photos of the interior

Saturday 25 October 2014

On Friday afternoon, 24 October 2014, the installer from I-Shutters met me on site (with the prior approval and arrangements through our Site Supervisor).  This was for the final measurements for the installation of the hinged and bi-fold louvred internal Plantation Shutters, that will be installed on all the windows of the new home (with the exception of the Laundry windows only).  All being well, we anticipate installation will be in approximately 6 to 8 weeks time (just in time for Christmas 2014) ... fingers crossed.

While I had some time in the house (whilst the installer was reconfirming all the precise window measurements with his hand-held laser device), I was able to take the latest following photos of the interior of the house.  The 3 Phase mains electricty supply is connected so all the LED downlights, ceiling fans and ducted air-conditioning system now work.  The home is still waiting for the professional cleaners to commence all the cleaning work.  I can't wait to see the walnut-coloured Gerflor, tiled floors and the Ceasarstone benchtops after they've all been cleaned.  We just love, love, love, love the Gerflor!

Here's some more photos of the interior of the house that I took on Friday afternoon, 24 October 2014 (there's just bit more work to be completed here and there).

(Click on photos to view enlarged images)

Gourmet Kitchen

The LED ceiling downlights turned on with the LED downlights around the deep Burgundy / Red Wine-coloured glass splashback (namely, the Resene Jumpstart Starphire Glass), including the LED downlights mounted in the overhead kitchen cupboards (they're not easily seen due to the amount of natural light coming in from the opposite windows at the time this photo was taken in the late afternoon).

The SMEG kitchen appliances (stainless steel ducted rangehood, 900mm gas cooktop, underbench electric oven, microwave oven and dishwasher) have not yet been installed. 

 

Main Bathroom

Semi-frameless, glass shower screen with pivot door (refer earlier Posting dated Wednesday 8 October 2014 for further details and specifications).

 

Caroma Newbury 1700mm island bathtub

Manooga square-shaped vanity basin (refer earlier Posting dated Wednesday 8 October 2014 for further details and specifications).

Mili Edge flick mixer tapware (refer earlier Posting dated Wednesday 8 October 2014 for further details and specifications).

Separate Toilet

Wall-mounted hand wash basin, Mili Edge flick mixer tapware and wall mirror 

Master Suite's Ensuite Bathroom

We both just love, love, love the ensuite bathroom!  Love the large, rectangular-shaped, floor to ceiling, Charcoal-coloured ceramic wall tiles!  This is our favourite room!  (Refer earlier Posting dated Wednesday 8 October 2014 for further details and specifications).

Nice and large ensuite shower with semi-frameless, glass shower screen and pivot door (refer earlier Posting dated Wednesday 8 October 2014 for further details and specifications).

Full length, internal, hinged, louvred Plantation Shutters (in White) will be mounted on the inside of the ensuite bathroom's window.

The blue-coloured markings are where the Site Supervisor has identified and marked very minor defects or faults that need to be fixed before the new home is handed-over to us.

Backyard view (northerly aspect) from inside the Master Bedroom Suite's rear windows.

Home Theatre Room

The wall mount bracket has been installed for the new big 64 inch Smart TV for the home theatre room.  The pre-wiring for the wall-mounted surround sound speakers has also been installed.  A vast array of power-points and other connection points has also been installed.

Some of the wall-mounted power points and connection points installed in the home theatre room.  The circuit board below includes the connection points to the Ethernet computer cable connections, an HDMI outlet, Cable TV, the Free To Air Digital TV Antenna and others.

The connection points for the Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound wall-mounted and other speakers. 

Connection points for the Ceiling-mounted speakers throughout the new home including the rear Alftresco Cabana area.

Open Family/Lounge Room Area

Power points and Ethernet computer cable connection point and Free To Air Digital TV Antenna socket for TV in the open plan Family room area.

The photos below show the Ethernet compute cable connection points, telephone connection and more power points (all of which are wall-mounted beneath the study desk area near the open plan Dining room area).

Home Theatre Room

The 2 photos below show some of the pre-wired connections for the wall-mounted surround sound speakers that we'll install in the Home Theatre Room after we move in.

 

The photo below shows the control panel for the big ActronAir ESP Plus+ ducted, reverse-cycle, zoned air-conditioning system.

Bedroom 3

 A view from inside Bedroom 3 looking towards the main hallway (can't wait to see those floors cleaned).

Floor Plan

Dimensions for the ‘Douglas 10M’ with Chase façade

Overall Home Dimensions

Dimensions quoted in metres (m).

Home width:	8.45m
Home length:	21.21m
Width of block of land:	12m
Depth of block of land:	49.5m
Size of block of land in square metres:	594m²
Internal Ceiling Height (raised to):	2.70m
Height of doors (raised to):	2.34m

Room Dimensions

Open-plan Family & Dining rooms:	4.4m x 6.6m
Master Suite:	4.1m x 3.6m
Bedroom 2:	2.9m x 2.9m
Bedroom 3:	2.9m x 2.9m
Home Theatre room:	4.1m x 3.5m
Single Car Garage:	3.0m x 5.5m
Alfresco Cabana:	3.0m x 3.9m

Backyard jungle cleared on Tuesday 21 October 2014

Saturday 25 October 2014

Our Site Supervisor recently suggested that we shouldn't waste any time with hiring a bobcat operator to clear and scrape the backyard jungle of weeds and grass that had gone wild since we vacated the property in February this year.  We told the Site Supervisor that we were happy to get our hands dirty and do the hard yakka ourselves.  The Site Supervisor suggested a small bobcat machine would be able to enter the side of the backyard near the large 4,500 litre rainwater tank that adjoins the garage and complete the work in a fraction of the time that we could achieve ourselves and avoid the risk of a likely back injury in the process.

Pete started to request quotes from a number of local bobcat operators.  Only one of them bothered to reply (typical).  He wasted no time in arranging a visit to the site with Pete and I at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning, 21 October 2014.  The guy whinged that a small bobcat machine could enter and exit the backyard but he complained that small bobcats are hopeless and wouldn't achieve much.  He said he'd use a bobcat machine if we agreed to disconnect and remove the big 4,500 litre rainwater tank (which I think is currently totally full, following some recent heavy, torrential rain and storms that struck our area about a week ago), so that he could get a big bobcat machine into the yard.  Like, "No we won't!"  By this stage, I'm so over it all.

In lieu of getting a small bobcat in there, the bobcat operator guy suggested he could get a team of 4 workers in to clear and cut-back the jungle by hand.  He confirmed they could complete the work immediately for us... for AUD $2,500.00!  I think we got ripped-off, but at least it's sort of done, for now.  It must have been the quickest $2,500.00 earned for only 4 hours work (they'd finished by midday on Tuesday) ... and we still have to scrape-back the bloody yard before landscaping work can commence.

We'll spend some time this weekend poisoning the remaining wild weeds and grass ourselves before they really start growing back.  We'll need to make sure they're well and truly dead before we start digging and levelling the backyard with a rotary hoe later on, in preparation for the laying of the new turf and the mass plantings of Australian Native shrubs and screening plants.  There will be mass plantings of Australian Native shrubs along all the perimeter/boundary fenceline in the backyard.  We're hoping to source advanced sized shrubs and trees so that they can reach their maximum mature sizes (of up to 4 to 5 metres) as soon as possible for privacy screening from nosy neighbouring yards and to hide those ugly fences and sheds etc. in neighbouring yards.  (More on that in a later post).

I think it would be easier if Pete and I just hire a rotary hoe to start scraping and digging the back yard ourselves.  I've seen some DIY videos on Youtube that show how to safely use a rotary hoe and it doesn't seem to be too hard.  I'm sure we could do that ourselves.

We need to do that before the new concrete driveway and other concreting work can begin, partly because we need to have a new concrete slab laid in the backyard, upon which a new backyard garden shed will be installed after we move in.  That garden shed will house the lawn mower and other garden tools etc.

During the week, we notified our real estate agent about our intention to vacate the rental property in about 4 weeks time and that we'll try to confirm the likely date as soon as possible.  All being well, we have reason to think we should be able to start moving into our new home in about mid November 2014 (fingers crossed).

Here's some photos that show the status of the work that was done in clearing the backyard jungle on Tuesday morning 21 October.  These photos were taken at midday on Tuesday.

(Click on photos to view enlarged images)

Before

After

We need to keep that mound of earth (soil and clay) that appears near mid centre in these photos.  We need to use that earth to level the land where necessary before landscaping work can commence.

We still have a sizeable backyard left following the knock-down and rebuild.  The dimensions of the remaining backyard (from the Alresco Cabana/rear of the house to the rear boundary fenceline, and excluding the garden areas at the sides of the home) are approximately 20.5 metres deep (67 feet 3 inches) x 12 metres (39 feet 4 inches) wide.  That’s an area of 246m² (or some 2,651²feet).

That's a really old Hibiscus on the front right in the above photo.  I pruned that right back severely to ground level in November 2013 (only 11 months ago).  It's grown right back and is almost 2m tall!

Both sides

   

Dimensions for the ‘Douglas 10M’ with Chase façade

Overall Home Dimensions

Dimensions quoted in metres (m).

Home width:	8.45m
Home length:	21.21m
Width of block of land:	12m
Depth of block of land:	49.5m
Size of block of land in square metres:	594m²
Internal Ceiling Height (raised to):	2.70m
Height of doors (raised to):	2.34m

Room Dimensions

Open-plan Family & Dining rooms:	4.4m x 6.6m
Master Suite:	4.1m x 3.6m
Bedroom 2:	2.9m x 2.9m
Bedroom 3:	2.9m x 2.9m
Home Theatre room:	4.1m x 3.5m
Single Car Garage:	3.0m x 5.5m
Alfresco Cabana:	3.0m x 3.9m