So we got the final plans last Monday. There were pages and pages of them. Building regulations have gotten so much stricter. Most of it was fine but he'd done the electrical plan without any consultation with us and as such had put down lights everywhere in the Lounge, Dining/Kitchen and a couple in the Master. I have asked him to remove most of them as I'm not a huge fan. We will just have 3 above the back bench in the kitchen and the two above the bath in the Master. I'm keeping the Lounge lighting the same as what we have (except I want to change the fittings) and we will have 3 pendants over the island bench. At the moment I like these ones from Bunnings:
Then a large pendant over the dining table. again I have found a light at Bunnings I like:
He was going to get those changes done and back to me by the next day apparently but of course it's a week later and still nothing. I've paid him now though so I'd better get something soon!
In other happy news we have a date for my c-section. I had my midwife appointment last week and asked about some pain I had been getting around my c-section scar. They wanted someone to check me over just in case so I had a lovely registrar check me and tell me to come in if it gets worse (haven't had an issue since though). Then she asked if i wanted to make my c-section appointment now instead of waiting until my 36 week Obstetrician appointment. Of course I did- I hate not knowing things :P So anyway, long story short we will be welcoming our 4th child on July the 6th :)
Well all excitement here this morning. I was walking out the gate to walk my kids to school and noticed there was something in the letterbox. Turned out the draftsman had dropped off the Preliminary Plans :D I've had a look over them and I am very happy- they are pretty much exactly what I asked for. I only need to talk to him about two small things (he's listed the French doors as aluminium framed and I'd like timber and he appears to have left the window in our current bathroom which I'd like removed as it will become an internal room). I have pictures but you'll have to excuse them as they aren't the best.
So here's a pic of the current house layout (the porch is at the front of the house, it's a bit confusing the perspective he's drawn from):
Then this is the proposed extension (again from the backwards perspective):
And this is the view from the front with the new roof:
The draftsman has said that once we give him approval of the plans he will go ahead and do up the proper ones for council submission. Those he said he should be able to have to us early next week. Eeeeeeekkkk it's getting closer!!!
Okay I have finally uploaded a picture of the newest plans- the ones I recently gave to the draftsman so that he can use it to draw up our plans properly:
So as you can see it's very similar to the last ones I drew except without the upstairs and the second living is now a bedroom and mudroom. The circles with an X in them that you can see are where I want lights and I have my bath back in the bedroom. I had thought maybe I shouldn't have it in there and had second guessed myself. However I was rewatching one of my favourite renovation shows the other day and the host said "Makes sense [to have the bath in the bedroom]. After all the main purpose of having a bath is to relax and how can you do that if people may be coming in to relieve themselves." Very true albeit a little gross haha.
The builder also talked to us about making the gable a steep pitch. I didn't think we'd be able to because of building regulations so I had abandoned a steep gable but the draftsman was the one who suggested it so it must be fine. Knowing that it's possible we are now going back to our gothic revival style house idea. We are replacing all the windows anyway now (with double glazed ones) to make sure we meet energy requirements and to counteract our lack of wall insulation, so why not! It won't be heavily gothic though, just have a bit of that Gingerbread House look about it.
We have also made the decision to definitely stick with the weatherboards. It's going to be more expensive but in the end my husband and I just plain prefer real weatherboards. We love historical type homes and weatherboards just look nicer on older style homes, even though vinyl has come along way. I'm also tossing up cladding the bottom concrete part of our house in the stone cladding you can buy. I think it would look nice with the weatherboards. That's something we'd do down the track though- heaps more pressing and expensive things to get out of the way first! Here's a picture of what I mean- even with the same colour exterior and door I want (oh I think I forgot to tell you I'd changed my mind on that too lol):
Well the draftsman ended up cancelling that Thursday. I have to say I was getting a bit worried and thought we may have to start looking for a new one. However he came around the next Thursday and took the measurements XD He has told us that he should have some preliminary drawings for us in a week or two so I cannot wait to see them. Basically they will just be to make sure he is drawing what we want and then we can either make some changes or give him the go ahead to draw them up properly for council submission. He's taken my new drawings though and seemed to have a pretty good grasp of what I wanted so hopefully his drawings will be pretty spot on.
