Building Belair

What a process it has been to reach today – the day I accept a quotation from project builder, Stellar Homes to build our retirement home – at a price we can afford.

About 16 months ago, in April last year,we received our proposed plan from building designer David Frazer for a new home to be built on the same hillside site where we now live in a 1960s cream brick home. He had designed a four-bedroom home with a double garage under the main roof, which we do not have at the moment. It had a fabulous open-style floor plan with easy indoor-outdoor living. We fell in love with it in an instant.

This would be the fourth house I had built and the second where I had demolished the existing dwelling. Husband Olivier had lived in the same cream brick house for 35 years of his life and the really big move had been in his mind – to consider removing his life from the old house where he had raised his children with his late wife, Colette and opening up the notion of building a stylish, new home where we could live out our lives.

David handled the important council planning stages, which includes a building certifier to hasten the process through council. Eventually, we had building approval and three builders tendered for the job – one award-winning boutique builder and two project builders.

So, after all that, here I am this very afternoon in Stellar Homes’ selections room with Sue, Stellar’s senior consultant who has worked with us to achieve an acceptable price and Michelle, who from now on will be client liaison officer handling selections.

Life has revved up to a harrowing schedule and I must fit in the selection process next week, continue to pack up my home without husband Olivier, (who is in France handling his mother’s untimely death), and catch that overseas flight in two weeks to join him. I feel somewhat pressured. A Qantas A380 seat has my name on it for August 19.

Floor and wall tiles, sanitary ware, the electrical plan and the “Smart House’’ electronics planning all need to be wrapped up – because ours will be a fixed price contract. Only the kitchen selections will be delayed until I return in September.

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