Bernard's Home Page (Number 2)!

The anatomy of a house

The info

What did you do to it?
Well, the original house of four rooms was build in around 1907. That's what you see in the 'emptiest' frame of the animation. Presumably it had an outside laundry/bathroom. When I bought it in 1994, the laundry, bathroom & kitchen were attached, but in a pretty ramshackle way! Besides being rather unattractive, it was getting to be non-functional as well. Hence, large scale replacement of this bit, along with a couple of extra rooms for good measure!

How big is it?
The new extension is (I think) 8 squares.

So what's the story with the pointy cupboard?
Er, well... it sort of just happened. I was busy choosing paint colours at the time. Or something!

So has it turned out how you wanted?
Pretty much! The kitchen is actually a bit larger than I expected but I'm sure I'll cope. The outside colours are a bit garish too. Mind you don't cut yourself on the pointy cupboard there.

Is it finished?
Er, define "finished".

Well, what are you up to this weekend?
House stuff!

What house stuff?
OK. Stage 1 was the restumping, last August or so. Stage 2 (the big building job) started last December when I returned home from work one afternoon (looking forward to a refreshing shower) to find my bathroom piled up in a skip! Stage 2 is receiving its finishing touches and may be all done by the end of next week. However, it has been complete enough for me to live there for over a month now. Stage 3 involves fixing up the back yard and fences, which resemble a building site still. Stages 4-9 involve fixing up the 'original' part of the house: plastering, windows, carpets, insulation, weatherboards, wiring... And after stages 10 to 12, I'll never have to leave the house again.

Groovy light switches! How do they work?
You press them and the light comes on. Or, you tell your computer to turn them on for you. From overseas if you like! They're Clipsal C-Bus.

And the numbers next to the sink?
That's how hot the hot water is. Go on, try changing them! It's the Rinnai Infinity hot water system.

What sort of heating did you get?
Well, none. Instead I spent a little more on double glazing and insulation so it won't need as much, and I plan to just use portable heaters when necessary.

So how did it all go?
It went really quite well! It took a little longer than I hoped, but that was no great loss. I'd certainly recommend my builder, Colin from Benzac Construction Services, who was very much on-the-ball.

Did it match the budget?
Pretty much, but since the Home Loan people are the ones who have to pay for it...!

Which home loan people?
API Lifestyle Home Loans (a residual benefit from having once worked at Telstra).

Great! Can I come & see it?
Sure! Guided tours leaving on the half-hour.

The sketch