Colours: pre-appointment

Colour Appointments apparently don't include the landscape plan. Our plans will be forwarded to a landscape architect who will be in touch with us to discuss the plan - most will be done over email or phone (read as 'email' to have proof of all correspondence!!).

So, for anyone interested, heres what Day 1 of the big appointments ought to involve a 9am meeting which should go for about 6 hours and cover these areas:

• External colours (brick, roofing, garage door, gutter, fascia and cladding)
• Driveway - I believe they offer stencilcrete, paving or a simple coloured driveway. We'll likely go the coloured concrete. 
• Front Door style
• Internal doors
• Door handles
• Internal paint colours
• Kitchen and vanity design and colour (For this we have an allowance regarding the vanities, and we're pretty sure we are going to upgrade to a nicer stone benchtop in the kitchen. We took out our kitchen appliances. We got less than $1000 credit. Over the weekend we went to Masters where we saw them selling Venini products...one of which would cost more than the amount we are getting back. But we can't complain too much. At least we are getting something. For the price they asked for, to upgrade to Baumatic, we weren't won over by the quality. Stephen has a few contacts at work (he does kitchens) who can hook him up with some cheaper appliances. At least by buying direct we will save on some of the mark ups.)
• Sinks and basins  
• Tap ware and accessories - I just want to avoid chrome soapdishes. I cannot stand those things (when they age and get the scratchy black surface on them)
• Toilets  
• Wardrobe fitouts (This should be unnecessary for us. Stephen is going to build our wardrobes, wardrobe doors, kitchen pantry etc)
• Free measure and quote from Abbey Blinds.As much as we like shutters, it may be in our best interests to order through blinds online. We used them for the last house, and the quality was good (we only bought a set of verticals, metal venetians and a few rollers), but as long as you get the measurements correct, it's too easy. They will send out samples too.
• Apparently on the day we will meet with someone from Kitchen Culture. I feel bad for this person already. Stephen's going to rip them apart. Having worked in shopfitting/kitchens for so long, he's pretty anal about getting things done right. Which is a good thing. We're going to get whatever is standard and he'll sort out the rest later on. Overhead cupboards are not standard. Neither are pot drawers. He'll do these after handover for a fraction of the cost.

Day 2.

• Tiling and Carpet. Oh...Hello cornstarch carpet. Would you like to come home with us (in 10-12 months time)?
• Electrical - lighting, powerpoints, phone points.
• Optional: fencing and water storage

I think day 2 is going to be an expensive day. Everything that is nice, is an upgrade. You want a downlight? Decent underlay? Another powerpoint? Our hope is that we can get just a couple of downlights installed in the main living area, then Stephen and his dad can get around to adding in the rest. If we are looking at having a couple of dozen throughout the house, at over $100 a pop, I don't think it's worth having them install them. We'll see what they think at the appointment I suppose.