Something for the visitors

Yep - this is all about the visitors, as the people who live here (and have to pay off the incredible mortgage) usually enter through the garage. Visitors will have the privilege of stepping straight from the driveway and onto the decking at the front of the house.

Pretty happy with the way it looks, and once the rest of the yard is landscaped, it should look even better. We have some ideas for the front, but (like everything) it's only time and money....

Ahhh. Landscaping the front yard. If you say it quickly, it sounds easy!

Dig here!

What? I have to dig these all by myself?
Perhaps it will look easier from another angle.

The old panel van isn't a show pony. Everything you need for a front deck fits in the back.

The holes have been dug, and the posts, bearers and joist put in. Sometimes, however, things don't always go to plan...

The joists were put in, and the original plan was to have a single level deck. Once we started, we decided on an alteration. Why do alterations always mean so much more work?

The end result.

The only thing left to do is to put the plugs in to cover some of the screw holes.

The new deck makes the rest of the front yard look very ordinary.
One thing at a time!

A couple of people have asked for dek-tie close up pictures.
Side view.

Bottom view.

Top view.

This picture is especially for Andrea, who seems to think it's funny when I put pictures of power tools in. Couldn't build a deck without this one!

Oh, and a message for Liana - the birds pooped on the deck about 10 minutes after I finished it. Not happy!

Finally, last weekend we had planned to meet with M&M and present them with their trophy, but due to some personal circumstances we couldn't go. Just wanted to say that we were looking forward to it, and hope to be able to catch up soon.

Driveway

Here's an updated shot of the driveway - we were lucky in that we can have a 5 metre wide cross over, so the driveway is straight and wide.

Don't get us started about being ripped off by the guy who did the excavation... all we can say is make sure that if the concreter tells you how much the excavation will be, that you check it with the guy who does the work before he starts.

The colour turned out nice - we are very happy with it (just as well eh?).

The rest of the front yard still needs work (obviously). At least we have some nice flowers to start the landscaping. Note the decking under construction at the front of the house. Another update coming soon!

Keeping busy!

No handover as yet, however one of the major outstanding items has now been completed - the tiling! The balcony has now been tiled and grouted, and the splashback in the pantry has been finished. Oustanding items are the stairs to be re-coated, and the flaky paint in the al-fresco ceiling to be sorted out.

Pantry splashback

Balcony tiles

Balcony again

Tiler also patched up some of the grout in the ensuite

We are not letting the time go to waste as we wait for handover - today was spent working on the retaining wall. Ohhh - my aching back....

Sleepers delivered. 200mm x 75mm x 2.4m (in "treated pine" colour for the girls)

The uprights were concreted in over a week ago. Got a fair bit done today...

Council has approved our 5m driveway, which means that the driveway can come straight down without narrowing too much. You can make out the marks where the kerb will be cut.

A closer look at the markings