Finally, after what seems like a lifetime of dreams, 5 years of solid planning, 2 Architects, and many late nights - work has started on our new house. Wahoo!
After receiving tenders from 4 builders in December, and reviewing the details, asking many more questions - we eventually signed contracts with Innovative Construction Group on 17th January 2008.
Temporary fencing has been erected around the worksite.
On 29th January 2008, the environmental weeds were removed from the site, including several privet trees, and one large cocos palm that we had planted around 20 years ago and now started to look more like a telegraph pole.
We always joked that once the excavation began, we would break the drought! Well, so true, we now have one big wet muddy hole in the ground.
Another thing was rock; all the builders would only quote us on removal of sandy loam / clay / loose rock, and we were dreading hitting a solid rock shelf that would require extensive jack hammering; there were several rock outcrops visible, so that seemed inevitable. Well you should be careful what you wish for, as they didn't hit rock at all, not even when they got down to foundation level. Unfortunately this has meant re-engineering of the foundations and digging down to find something solid to sit the house on.
