Colour Selection Appointment 1

The day has finally come, and we were fairly confident with our selects made ahead of this appointment. So much so we thought we'd be in and out fairly quickly, however it still did end up taking the entire day! I'll apologise in advance for the overly long post!

Our day started at 9:00am and ended at 5:00pm, our scheduled was as follows:

1. External Colour Selections 
2. Landscaping 
3. Kitchen 
4. Internal Colour Selections 
5. Plumbing & Appliances 
6. Blinds 

1./4. External & Internal Colour Selections

Supplier: Eden Brae Colour Selection Consultant

Time taken: 2hrs (1hr for each appointment)

External Selections:

• Roof Tile: Monier Traditional Roof Tiles in Barramundi (standard in package) 
• Gutters, Downpipes, Meter Box: Monument (standard) 
• Fascia: Surfmist (standard) 
• Windows: Surfmist (standard) 
• Brick: Mocha (Rustic Brown - A range - standard)
• Mortar: Off-white Ironed finish (upgrade) 
• Additional finishes: Rendered columns (upgrade) 
• Driveway: Gunmetal colour-on concrete (standard) 
• Garage Door: Steel-Line Slimline in Surfmist (standard) 

Printout you receive from Home Options
Gallery at the end of your appointment

Our final external colour selections, a better 
visual then the Home Options Gallery printout

Internal Selections:

Paint

• Ceiling and cornice: Taubmans Crisp White
• Internal walls: Taubmans White Spirit (standard) 
• Internal doors, skirting and architraves: Taubmans White Spirit (gloss - standard) 
• Front door: Taubmans Surfmist (outside) Taubmans White Spirit (inside - standard)
• Rendered columns: Taubmans Coach House (columns only) 

Kitchen/Bathroom

• Cupboards: Laminex Lustrous Elm Natural Finish (standard) 
• Overhead cupboards: Laminex Polar White Natural Finish (overheads upgrade)
• Splashback: Mirror Splashback (to be managed post handover) 
• Benchtop: Essastone New Crystal Salt (80mm Island/20mm Cooktop - upgrade)
• Note: Laminex Natural Finish is standard, however having a two-tone kitchen is an upgrade. Mirrored Splashback and Essastone benchtops also upgrades.

Flooring (elaborated further Colour Selection Appointment 2 post)

• Carpet: Redbook Green Natural Haven 91 Thunder (upgrade)
• Carpet underlay: 10mm (upgrade) 
• Floor tiles: Everstone Durastone Grey Steel Honed Porcelain tile 600 x 600 (upgrade)
• Bath feature tile: Casa Dolce Casa Wooden Grey Reclaimed Porcelain tile 150 x 900 (upgrade)
• Bathroom wall tile: White Satin Porcelain tile 300 x 600 (upgrade)
• Alfresco: Timber decking (to be managed post handover)

Doors

• Front door: Corinthian Studio PSTD 5V4 (upgrade)
• Internal doors: Corinthian Deco 3 Doors (upgrade)
• Internal door handles: Gainsborough Lianna bright chrome (standard)

Other:

• Cupboard handles: Hettich Hale Cabinet Handle (code: 9070750 - standard) 
• Cornice: 75mm Symphony (main living areas) / 55mm Cove (to remaining)

Our final internal colour selections

Upgrade Requests:

• Off-white mortar 
• Provide render to bed 1 and porch
• Monier 'Horizon' Flat Profile 
• Internal wall insulation to bed 3
• Skylight to bathroom 550mm x 550mm 
• Whirlybird to roof 
• Odyssey Hybrid Ventilation
• Flyscreens to windows
• Front door to Studio PSTD 5V4 inc. translucent glass
• Hardware to suit front door (Horizon pull and roller bolt) 
• Optional hardware to suit front door (Omni 'TriLock) 
• Cavity sliding door handle/lock
• Privacy locks on bedrooms and bathrooms
• Deadlock to internal garage door
• Matching door handle to internal garage door
• Obscure glazing to ensuite window

Costs & Lead Times:

All upgrades and corresponding costs can be found on 'Our Upgrades - Part 2'

All upgrade and variation decisions made with your Colour Selection Consultant are passed onto your Customer Service Assistant who will then liaise with the Estimator to cost accordingly. The upgrades then get updated into a  separate PCV (Post Contract Variation) and emailed through to you. This takes approx. two weeks.

Tips: 

• Ensure you visit PGH Bricks & Pavers prior to your appointment
• Familiarise yourself with what comes standard in your package
• Don't be afraid to request quotes for items you're considering, easy to delete post 
• Last chance to make any additional notes i.e. positioning of taps/gas pts etc. 
• Ask for a soft copy of all paperwork from the day
• Highly recommend purchasing paint sample pots and test colours prior
• Don't always take the advice from the colour selection assistant
• Think about the colour you want your doors, skirtings and architraves 

Further reference pictures :

Upgraded Gainsborough front door handles
Horizon pictured far left (600mm) and far right (750mm)
(requires additional deadlock hardware $)

Corinthian Studio PSTD 5V4 (upgrade)

Corinthian Deco 3 internal doors (upgrade)

Internal door handles, robe handles, doorstops, 
cavity sliding door handles (combination
of standard and upgrade options on display)

Cupboard handles (all standard)

Hettich Hale Cabinet Handle
(code: 9070750 - standard) 

Gainsborough internal/external garage door handle (standard)

Laminex Lustrous Elm Natural Finish (standard colour/finish)

2. Landscaping

Supplier: Outback Landscaping

Time taken: 20mins

Selections/Decisions:

• Run the coloured concrete to the kerb inc. entry stairs (run to kerb upgrade)
• Colour selected: Gunmetal (best matched to Barramundi roof) 

Colour concrete options

Driveway marked to kerb

Tips: 

• Ensure you visit PGH Bricks & Pavers prior to your appointment
• Take time to drive past other homes to confirm your driveway preference
• Running coloured concrete or pavers to the kerb is council dependent 
• Ensure you understand who is responsible for pouring portico and stairs
• Consultant generally recommends matching roof colour to driveway
• Concrete requires sealing every 10-12 months 
• Concrete will be finished in a swirl pattern

3. Kitchen

Supplier: Kitchen Culture

Time taken: 3.5hrs (we spent much longer than the allocated time!)

Selections/Decisions:

We were proactive and sketched the below drawings to help communicate what we wanted for the kitchen, walk-in-pantry and laundry. We removed the study in our floor plan which allowed us to increase the size of the walk-in-pantry and laundry. However this now means significantly more fit out requirements and in turn costs! Oh dear...

Here is what is included in our standard kitchen package, click here for more info:

• Laminex 400mm Squareform benchtops to island and cooktop run
• Stainless steel 900mm canopy rangehood
• Stainless steel 900mm gas cooktop with wok burner
• Veninni 600mm oven
• Stainless steel 1.75 bowl Monaco kitchen sink
• Irwell Yukon mixer to kitchen sink
• Dishwasher provision
• Cupboards underneath island and cooktop run
• Standard ceramic tiles for the kitchen splashbask 
• Wire shelves to walk-in-pantry

Here is what we looked to upgrade with Kitchen Culture:

Cook Top Run:

• Draw under oven
• 3 x soft close draws to RHS oven 
• 2 x soft close draws to LHS oven 
• Mirror glass splashback to kitchen 
• Cupboard to top of fridge space
• Cabinets to either side of the rangehood
• Bulkheads to overhead cupboards
• Two tone kitchen 
• Light shelf (future downlights) under cupboards

Island:

• Increase height/width of island bench
• Pullout waste bin
• Double bowl sink (left hand side drainer) 

WIP:

• Overhead cupboards 
• Cupboards under bench  
• Mirror glass splashback 
• 20mm Essastone benchtop (New Crystal Salt)
• 2 x door tall hinged pantry unit 
• Appliance cupboard with roller door 
• Provide a microwave tower 
• 3 x draws to under window
• 3 x draws to under microwave
• Bulkheads to overhead cupboards
• Two tone kitchen 
• Provide light shelf (future downlights) under cupboards 

Laundry

• Cupboard under sink 
• Inbuilt laundry tub
• 20mm Essastone benchtop (New Crystal Salt)
• Overhead cabinets
• Tall cabinets 
• Two tone laundry

Here are our Kitchen & Laundry Drawings (less some of the above mentioned upgrades $$$): 

Kitchen Perspective Drawings 

Kitchen Layout

Cooktop Run and Island

Laundry Layout

Bathroom Cupboards and Shaving Cabinets

Costs & Lead Times:

Costs are quoted at the time of your appointment, so there is no waiting. All upgrades and corresponding costs for our kitchen can be found on 'Our Upgrades - Part 2'

Tips: 

• Kitchen Culture also manage the benchtops/shaving cabinets in the bathroom
• Cooks Plumbing manage the appliance upgrades
• Eden Brae manage all the kitchen colour selections 
• HSI manage all the electrical for the under cupboard downlights 
• Familiarise yourself with what comes standard in your package 
• Familiarise yourself with your contract and tender document 
• Try and have a thorough understanding of what you want (this helps!)
• If you have 80mm thick stone adjust bench height to suit appliances
• If you change your basin it may impact on vanity bench height
• If you want a hideaway bin be prepared to fall off your seat re: cost (excessive!)
• If you require anything to be recessed i.e. shaving cabinets make a note here

5. Plumbing & Appliances

Supplier: Cooks Plumbing

Time taken: 1hr

Our bathroom selections/appliance upgrades: 

• Gallery Bellini Gooseneck Sink Mixer (upgrade)
• Stylus Banksia Toilet with soft close seat (upgrade)
• Caroma Carboni Inset Basin (upgrade) 
• Pushdown plugs for basins (upgrade)
• Pushdown plug bath (upgrade)
• Hand towel ring - main bathroom (upgrade)
• Double towel rail 900mm (upgrade)
• Everhard benchline 45L flushline tub w/ bypass (upgrade)
• Clark Monaco 1200mm Double Bowl Sink RHB (right hand bowl - upgrade)
• Baumatic 900mm curved glass rangehood BAH93CG IS
• Baumatic 900mm Gas Cooktop BSGH95 (studio design - upgrade) 
• Baumatic 900mm multifunctional oven BSO99 (studio design - upgrade) 
• All other items not mentioned here are the standard options i.e. Dorf Enix bathroom accessories, Yukon Basin Mixer, Yukon Wall Bath Mixer, Stylus Cadet Rail Shower & Caroma Classic 1500 Island Bath. All of which can be found in a separate post titled 'Standard Inclusions'

Caroma Carboni Inset Basin

Stylus Banksia Toilet with soft close seat

Gallery Bellini Gooseneck Sink Mixer 

Baumatic 900mm Gas Cooktop BSGH95 &
Baumatic 900mm multifunctional oven BSO99 

Costs & Lead Times:

Costs are quoted at the time of your appointment, so there is no waiting. All upgrades and corresponding costs for our plumbing and appliance can be found on 'Our Upgrades - Part 2'

Note:

Really had to push the sales consultant to show us what upgrade options were available. The consultant will show you a folder which has all the standard inclusions printed out, unfortunately they don't have any of the standard items on display - which to me is madness!

Tips:

• All credits are acknowledged on the day i.e. removing soap holder 
• Familiarise yourself with what comes standard in your package
• Check the height of the shower head and if you require higher 
• Think about which side you want the kitchen sink drainer to be on
• Think if you're happy with above/recessed/below vanity basins
• Hold onto your seat when you hear what the 900mm oven upgrade cost is
• Inexpensive to switch out the above counter vanity basins to the inset version 

6. Blinds 

Supplier: Abbey Blinds & Shutters

Time taken: 1hr

Selections:

• Plantation Shutters x 3 (front bedroom)
• Blockout blinds for Bed 2, 3, 4 
• Sheer Blind for Home Theatre 
• Sheer Blinds for Living x 2
• Sheer Blind for Dining 
• Sheer Blind for WIP 
• Sheer Blinds for Living Door with Citi Motors with Remote 
• Sheer Blinds for Dinning Door with Citi Motors with Remote 

Costs & Lead Times:

Costs are quoted at the time of your appointment, so there is no waiting. All upgrades and corresponding costs for our blinds can be found on 'Our Upgrades - Part 2'

Tips:

• HSI needs to quote on the electrical for motorised blinds
• Motorised blinds for stacker doors is a great idea

Final thoughts and wrap up

The day was quite overwhelming for us, even though we were well prepared. I do feel for those who leave it all until this day! I recommend completing as much research as possible and to make as many decisions as you can prior to your appointment (even though they tell you just to wait for these appointments!)

I also strongly recommend booking both appointments on consecutive days. By doing so means you'll have majority of costs back so you can work through budgets and confirm what you can and can't afford.

I also strongly recommend taking a notepad to write down all key points, tips, advice, decisions and timings.