I need a lobby....
Castles in the sky, Daves impending disastrous house build thread
- Thread starter DaveW
- Start date
Pretty cool my friend. Thanks for sharing.
Apologies, I forgot to update.
Looking like submitting to the council in mid april now (pushed back a month).
I have a builder lined up ( Spice Build ), and a start date of Mid July.
A winter build which builders generally hate but this site won't be too bad for that, it won't be a big sloppy mudfest here.
Bad news is the cost has skyrocketed again and is now going to be nudging $500k.
I worked it out and this $70k increase is equivalent to me working another 170x12hr overtime shifts..... So far this year I've done 5 of those.
Looking like submitting to the council in mid april now (pushed back a month).
I have a builder lined up ( Spice Build ), and a start date of Mid July.
A winter build which builders generally hate but this site won't be too bad for that, it won't be a big sloppy mudfest here.
Bad news is the cost has skyrocketed again and is now going to be nudging $500k.
I worked it out and this $70k increase is equivalent to me working another 170x12hr overtime shifts..... So far this year I've done 5 of those.
What is causing the new increase?
Cool stuff.
A mix of fees increasing for the engineer, septic system, builders wage bill, materiel costs still going up and the architects fees which are based on a percentage of the build cost (so as the build cost goes up so does the architects fees).
Update time!
Nearly able to submit the plans to the council for the building /resource consent.
will be finished off this week, then a meeting with the builder and architect early next week to go over it before handing it to the council.
Nearly able to submit the plans to the council for the building /resource consent.
will be finished off this week, then a meeting with the builder and architect early next week to go over it before handing it to the council.
30,000L water tanks been ordered so that should be here soon.
Need the platform for this built and the tank installed before the house starts otherwise the only way you're getting it in is with a helicopter!..... If it wasn't for the fact that Hendy has finally decided to calm down a bit and sell the chopper to have a few less toys this would have been tempting I admit.
Moar pics
Need the platform for this built and the tank installed before the house starts otherwise the only way you're getting it in is with a helicopter!..... If it wasn't for the fact that Hendy has finally decided to calm down a bit and sell the chopper to have a few less toys this would have been tempting I admit.
Moar pics
Gutter hides it a bit, the gutter in the pics is about 4 times the width of a normal gutter (Architect was playing around with ideas in those pics)
I might have asked this, but do you guys get much seismic activity?
there was that christchurch earthquake years back....
Each dot is a quake from within the last few days.
The darker the colour the bigger the quake, the biggest one on this quakemap is an M4.8 about an hour and a half down the road from me.
Part of the delay with this build has been the engineering, everything on my site has to be specifically engineered for this site (council zoning rules), the subfloor structure for this build is unusual and I have to say pretty damn funky and deep into thinking outside of the box territory. I'm really quite impressed by how the architect and engineer have come up with solutions, and then hidden the structural work so you wouldn't even know it's there.
The darker the colour the bigger the quake, the biggest one on this quakemap is an M4.8 about an hour and a half down the road from me.
Part of the delay with this build has been the engineering, everything on my site has to be specifically engineered for this site (council zoning rules), the subfloor structure for this build is unusual and I have to say pretty damn funky and deep into thinking outside of the box territory. I'm really quite impressed by how the architect and engineer have come up with solutions, and then hidden the structural work so you wouldn't even know it's there.
*sigh* more delays...... Engineers still haven't done the soak test which is required for designing the foul water system.
They finally got around to sending the quote for it today, $1380 basically to dig a hole, pour water in and sit there with a stopwatch...... I'd fucking do it, but it has to be "official/certified".
Still, the rest of the plans are now sorted and I've been busy specifying things like the fire place
I've sorted out the oven and kitchen tapware as well, benchtop is engineered stone with a concrete look, cabinetry will have Plywood fronts, haven't decided on hardware yet but am quite tempted to make my own from 2cm strips of heavy grade old leather?
Bench top in the bathroom I'll probably make myself from some slabs of Monkey puzzle tree I have sitting aound.
I picked out the reclaimed hardwood feature beam that will go across the windows at mezzanine level above the doors out onto the deck.
Timbers from an old wharf that was demolished, I just need to sort out a sand blaster to clean it up.
They finally got around to sending the quote for it today, $1380 basically to dig a hole, pour water in and sit there with a stopwatch...... I'd fucking do it, but it has to be "official/certified".
Still, the rest of the plans are now sorted and I've been busy specifying things like the fire place
I've sorted out the oven and kitchen tapware as well, benchtop is engineered stone with a concrete look, cabinetry will have Plywood fronts, haven't decided on hardware yet but am quite tempted to make my own from 2cm strips of heavy grade old leather?
Bench top in the bathroom I'll probably make myself from some slabs of Monkey puzzle tree I have sitting aound.
I picked out the reclaimed hardwood feature beam that will go across the windows at mezzanine level above the doors out onto the deck.
Timbers from an old wharf that was demolished, I just need to sort out a sand blaster to clean it up.
Why not just retain the aged finish?*sigh* more delays...... Engineers still haven't done the soak test which is required for designing the foul water system.
They finally got around to sending the quote for it today, $1380 basically to dig a hole, pour water in and sit there with a stopwatch...... I'd fucking do it, but it has to be "official/certified".
Still, the rest of the plans are now sorted and I've been busy specifying things like the fire place
I've sorted out the oven and kitchen tapware as well, benchtop is engineered stone with a concrete look, cabinetry will have Plywood fronts, haven't decided on hardware yet but am quite tempted to make my own from 2cm strips of heavy grade old leather?
Bench top in the bathroom I'll probably make myself from some slabs of Monkey puzzle tree I have sitting aound.
I picked out the reclaimed hardwood feature beam that will go across the windows at mezzanine level above the doors out onto the deck.
Timbers from an old wharf that was demolished, I just need to sort out a sand blaster to clean it up.
View attachment 196170View attachment 196171
Around here it's about the same price, but involves taking a couple of soil sample and bring it to a lab for analysis and you get a report for soil composition and permeability. The way you described it sounds a bit non technical. Is it actually how it's done?
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Today's installment of "The continuing adventures of Dave the Demented!"
The Digger driver turned up at last, to start on the platform for the 30,000L water tank, just as I was heading off to collect the reclaimed hardwood beams for the lounge area.
Apparently he was only told this morning about it by his boss when they realized that the water tank was arriving in 2 hours time!
So I toddled off to get the 4.6m long beams, and left him to it.
The hire trailer I picked up had really didn't like the beams. I was coming back down the Hutt Valley Highway & on even mild bends at 80kmph it would start swinging like a pendulum behind me!
It scared the crap outta me the 1st time as it was causing my 4wd to start swerving.
Thought that was odd but didn't know what caused it so I after a quick checkover I continued on then after the 2nd time I backed off to just 60 & it was fine.
Basically it was just the loading of the beams, really heavy plus really long was a bad combo.
Got home to find fun and games had been had by the tank guy, the digger driver and Steve from next door.
Digger had thrown a track off, Tank guy got his truck stuck on my driveway so Steve next door popped over with his beast of a truck to get him out.
The tank is now sitting on the driveway half way up, in a precarious position.
After everyone left, I chucked some rope strop's onto it, so it won't go anywhere in the wind that's picking up (my property is marked on council maps as "extreme wind zone" for a reason.
Then had to manhandle the beams off the trailer and of the side of the driveway out of the way..... 200mm X 200mm X 4.6m long hardwood, damn near broke me shifting those by hand on my own.
When the guy at the timber yard was trying to cut this beam, his chainsaw was really struggling..... bloody hard wood!
The Digger driver turned up at last, to start on the platform for the 30,000L water tank, just as I was heading off to collect the reclaimed hardwood beams for the lounge area.
Apparently he was only told this morning about it by his boss when they realized that the water tank was arriving in 2 hours time!
So I toddled off to get the 4.6m long beams, and left him to it.
The hire trailer I picked up had really didn't like the beams. I was coming back down the Hutt Valley Highway & on even mild bends at 80kmph it would start swinging like a pendulum behind me!
It scared the crap outta me the 1st time as it was causing my 4wd to start swerving.
Thought that was odd but didn't know what caused it so I after a quick checkover I continued on then after the 2nd time I backed off to just 60 & it was fine.
Basically it was just the loading of the beams, really heavy plus really long was a bad combo.
Got home to find fun and games had been had by the tank guy, the digger driver and Steve from next door.
Digger had thrown a track off, Tank guy got his truck stuck on my driveway so Steve next door popped over with his beast of a truck to get him out.
The tank is now sitting on the driveway half way up, in a precarious position.
After everyone left, I chucked some rope strop's onto it, so it won't go anywhere in the wind that's picking up (my property is marked on council maps as "extreme wind zone" for a reason.
Then had to manhandle the beams off the trailer and of the side of the driveway out of the way..... 200mm X 200mm X 4.6m long hardwood, damn near broke me shifting those by hand on my own.
When the guy at the timber yard was trying to cut this beam, his chainsaw was really struggling..... bloody hard wood!
Wind got pretty high last night, but no expensive crashing noises were to be heard!
Or at least the tank is still there blocking the driveway!
Or at least the tank is still there blocking the driveway!
Probably missed some part of the project. Why the tank? Artesian well not allowed/feasible?Wind got pretty high last night, but no expensive crashing noises were to be heard!
Or at least the tank is still there blocking the driveway!
No town water supply, and no one tends to dig wells in NZ unless they live on the plains.
So rain water it is!
So rain water it is!
Yes
Meh. This fucker woke me up this morning.
You woke for just a lil 4.6??
Sounds like you had some negative tongue weight going on there. ‘tis not recommended eh
Yeah that 1.6m difference was enough, I was expecting it to need a bigger difference between the front and rear to create that.
More toys arrived today!
The digger that tuned up on Monday is apparently fuxorred?
So new bigger digger that can shift the tank, old digger and a hefty plate compacter.
The digger that tuned up on Monday is apparently fuxorred?
So new bigger digger that can shift the tank, old digger and a hefty plate compacter.
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Whelp.... got the report back today.
Think I'm going to have to ask some questions.... as in "So where is this hole you say you dug?"
I've not seen any bloody hole in the area that the soak pit's meant to be....... It's a large grassy field, where I've been walking around, and seen no such thing.
I was also home that day, and within 60m of the spot.
LOL so it was actually submitted for council building consent approval today.
Crikey it's taken a long time!
Is that kiwi for septic tank or is this just for rainwater?
Thats the overflow soakpit from the rainwater tank.
For those of us who don't live upside down. What's a soakpit for? To mitigate erosion from runoff?