Monday, November 1, 2010

Changes Made To The Coventry Design

The following is a list of all the changes we have made to the Coventry design. Each number on the list corresponds to the number in the plan below for easy reference.

Changes made are:

  • Living Room:
(8) Close off entry to master bedroom from living room.

  • Master Bedroom & WIR:
(10) Reconfigure and redesign entry and robes into Master bedroom.
(12) Increase Master bedroom from 3.6 x 5.0m to 3.6 x 5.5m.

  • Ensuite:
(14) Reposition toilet and shower against each other.

  • Kitchen:
(15) Series 5 Vinyl wrap doors as per The Delatite display in Doreen.

  • Meals:
(16) Delete double doors and replace with a window in lieu.

  • Family Room:
(17) Delete window and replace with glass sliding door.
(18) Delete sliding cavity door and replace with hinged door.
(19) Family room has been decreased in size from 4.8 x 4.3m to 4.8 x 3.6m

  • Theatre Room:
(22) Delete external double doors and replace with a brick wall in lieu.
(23) Rumpus room has decreased in size from 4.8 x 4.3m to 4.8 x 4.0m.

  • Bedroom 2:
(24) Increase in size from 3.6 x 3.0m to 3.5 x 3.3m.

  • Bedroom 3:
(26) Increase in size from 3.2 x 3.2m to 4.1 x 3.3m

  • Bedroom 4:
(28) Deleted

  • Study:
(30) Increase in size from 3.5 x 2.8m to 3.6 x 3.3m.

  • Laundry:
(32) Provide additional double linen
(33) Increase in laundry size from 1.7 x 3.0m to 2.0 x 3.0m
(34) Combination door in lieu of sliding door.

  • Toilet:
(35) Reposition door in main toilet to increase floor area.

  • Garage:
(37) Increase in size from 5.7 x 5.8m to 6.0 x 6.5m.
(38) Garage set back approx 700mm from study area.



Choosing a Premier House

So when we last left you in the story, we had just made the decision to build with Premier Builders. The next major decision was, which house design do we like best?
To aid this decision we visited every single current Premier display home available (all 25 of them!), spanning from The Hawthorn at Point Cook to The Jamieson Bungalow at Pakenham. We spoke to salesperson after salesperson about ­ bedrooms, kitchens, inclusions and pricing, and collected about 10 of the same Premier display booklets and printouts of about 25 different floor plans – talk about information overload!
Our main requirements at the time were:
  • Either 3 bedrooms and a study, or four bedrooms (with the intention of converting one to a study)
  • Separate ensuite to master bedroom
  • Double garage with internal and rear access
  • Walk-in pantry
  • At least two separate living areas
  • Traditional façade (although all Premier homes have the option of a traditional façade, on some designs this is an additional upgrade)
  • Ability to be built on stumps

Delatite in Doreen
By chance I was having another look at their website and noticed that they had recently opened a new display in Doreen, showing “The Delatite Cottage” and “The Carlisle”. One step inside the Delatite and we were blown away. The attention to detail and the level of the finish was amazing. We especially loved the kitchen and the firestrike floorboards. However, the problem with this beautiful house was that it came with a price tag to match! Back to the drawing board...

Eventually we stumbled across the Coventry design amongst Premier's previous collection. This design was no longer on display, but the floorplan seemed to tick all the boxes. By chance, we happened to come across a Coventry that was for sale in Doreen, so after sneaking along to the open for inspection, our minds were made up!

The plan did require a bit of tweaking - we weren't happy that the entry for the master bedroom required you to enter through the formal living room, but a bit of adjustment (and the removal of the fourth bedroom) and this problem was eventually solved. We have even managed to replace the standard kitchen with the kitchen from the Delatite. Initial deposit has now been paid, so we are full steam ahead!

Original Plan from Premier
Adjusted Plan