Connections and Trenches

Even though the house is essentially complete, it is still not yet functional, as it is still operating on the temporary (original) single-phase power supply to the boatshed and the original (badly deteriorated) water pipe. There is still no sewer connection to the street, as the contract only covers to the property boundary.

So it was our responsibility (not the builder's) to organise contractors to get these vital services connected.

Fortunately, we were able to contact some tradesmen from Kurnell, who we had previously used at our other houses, and they were able to pull a few strings to get things happening at this busy time of year.

Less than 2 weeks before we are due to move in, we had to get an excavator in again at the tail-end of the project to start ripping open a trench in the driveway:

Fortunately for us this is also designated as an easement for services:

This did leave the driveway inaccessible for the best part of those two weeks:

With a 600mm deep trench for installation of the new 3-phase electrical cables, the sewer pipe, a new (clean) water supply, and other conduits for telephone and communications cables:

With the move-in date looming and fears that any replacement concrete would not be cured enough before the removalist truck drives down, the backfilled trench was temporarily covered with crusher dust that could be removed and replaced with the concrete after we had moved in.

At least this will get us in to a functional, habitable home, although anything else that needs to come in after the removalist truck and before Christmas will need to be carried down from the street.