# Forum More Stuff Go to Whoa!  From 3 bed & Tiny Laudry, to 4 bed, HUGE Laundry & 2nd bathroom!

## Jemma

October 2013. 'Wwe need a bigger house. Too expensive to be paying and extra $150,000 for ONE extra room from an already established or new built house (mortgage only $104,000 owing) so it'll be cheaper to extend, we're great distance from schools, shops, work, large 750m2 block of land, excellent parking & none of the stupid twisty tiny little new streets like they build now.
We'll stay here & just extend agreed?'
'Agreed'
Queue 9 months of hell, but we're ready to go since receiving council approval last week!
Plans drawn up, engineering report done, footings reports done, timber take off & wall framing paperwork DONE!
First step? Move the shed back by 4 metres ready for the house to get extended backwards:

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## Cecile

How excitement, a new thread!  Do you have floor plans you could show us?

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## Jemma

> How excitement, a new thread!  Do you have floor plans you could show us?

  I do! 
The blue shading is the bedroom wall being pulled out and extended by 1m in order to add a window.
The yellow shading is all new extended area  :Smilie:

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## paddyjoy

Well done getting all the council approval and paperwork through, this can be a nightmare at the best of times!

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## Jemma

> Well done getting all the council approval and paperwork through, this can be a nightmare at the best of times!

  I HAVE been through hell with them. I'm told my council is one of the WORST to deal with especially owner builders.
They sent me letter after letter telling me things were wrong or missing etc etc & everytime I fixed it up & went back in.
I've lodged a formal complaint too as everytime one person told me one thing, I'd do what they asked and bring in the paperwork, only to be told it wasn'tneeded or it was wrong.
I'm pretty sure they passed it to get rid of me  :Biggrin: 
I won't back down.

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## Jemma

We handed in our approval to the bank last week, only to get a call 2 days later saying 'Problem. We don't lend to owner builders!' trouble is they PRE APPROVED US as owner builders!
We spent about $6000 on the footings report, engineering, timber take offs, council lodgement fees, drafting of plans etc etc that all HAD to be done to lodge with the council for the approval. I was livid so we are now having to approach different banks to refinance & get the money that way.
I'm putting in a formal complaint in though as we wouldn't have spent our entire savings to get all the paperwork needed for the approval, if they HASN'T have approved us as owner builders!

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## paddyjoy

What a shocker, we got shafted by the bank also due to the owner builder thing. 
Have you tried a mortgage broker? There may be an option of doing some financial wizardry to get things over the line.

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## phild01

When I built as an owner builder long ago, I got finance 3 times.  The land value covered the first loan and I was eventually able to get a substantial part of the structure done with my own savings.  Second time round St George knocked me back but NSW (both were building societies) refinanced on the basis of my photographs of completed work.  Both of these became banks -  St George and Advance.  St George absorbed the Advance Bank in '97. Advance screwed me over when I acquired re-finance from Commonwealth bank.  This was back in the days of 18% interest.

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## Jemma

> What a shocker, we got shafted by the bank also due to the owner builder thing. 
> Have you tried a mortgage broker? There may be an option of doing some financial wizardry to get things over the line.

  Mortgage Choice came out & we're looking at Macquarie Bank at the moment.
CBA came back with they'd release a certain amount of money at each stage BUT would have to send an assessor out to make sure we're 'spending on the house' AND they wanted copies of ALL of my quotes - they can JUMP if they think I'm playing that game with them.
We're lodging a formal complaint against the lady that did it as she's not denying that she did it wrong & cost us $6000!

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## shauck

> CBA came back with they'd release a certain amount of money at each stage BUT would have to send an assessor out to make sure we're 'spending on the house' AND they wanted copies of ALL of my quotes

  That's pretty normal.

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## Jemma

No other bank wants to do it like that, hence why I'm looking around for a new bank  :Smilie:

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## Gaza

It all depends on the amount of equity on property,  
You said before that trades where not lic, was that as in builders I find it hard to belive that you had multiple un lic builders have you tried contacting MBA or HIa for local members in your area  
Banks will general charge a high rate or lend less owner builder   
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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## paddyjoy

> Mortgage Choice came out & we're looking at Macquarie Bank at the moment.
> CBA came back with they'd release a certain amount of money at each stage BUT would have to send an assessor out to make sure we're 'spending on the house' AND they wanted copies of ALL of my quotes - they can JUMP if they think I'm playing that game with them.
> We're lodging a formal complaint against the lady that did it as she's not denying that she did it wrong & cost us $6000!

  Good luck, hopefully you can get it sorted. 
We couldn't get finance from any of the banks as an owner builder so are going down the route phil used with multiple financing.

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## Jemma

[QUOTE=Gaza;941594]It all depends on the amount of equity on property,  
You said before that trades where not lic, was that as in builders I find it hard to belive that you had multiple un lic builders have you tried contacting MBA or HIa for local members in your area  
Banks will general charge a high rate or lend less owner builder [QUOTE] 
The builders have their licence to build BUT they MUST be sub contracted out to do the work as per their license conditions but they were approaching us as the builder themselves which is a breach of their license conditions & therefore, means they cannot get the public liability insurance required to do work on our property.
I found this out after ringing the OCBA & asking them for help & they explained that I should NOT use the builders I'd investigated so far.
They also said builders trying to gain work like this happens more than we know & it was 'refreshing' to have someone ring about license checks :/
I found that disturbing. 
I have had about 4 building companies out since last week that will be giving us a quote by next week.
If they can get close to my costings for doing it as an owner builder, I will use one of them instead. 
Hopefully within the next few weeks we can get some clarity on all of this.

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## barney118

> I have had about 4 building companies out since last week that will be giving us a quote by next week.
> If they can get close to my costings for doing it as an owner builder, I will use one of them instead. 
> Hopefully within the next few weeks we can get some clarity on all of this.

  I hope you mean at least double to your quote as they wont work for a bowl of rice.

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## Jemma

Of course they won't.
I mean the quotes I already have from individual trades already. I understand a building company adds extra $$$$ to make money but I'm not paying $100,000 for 1 extra room & a bigger laundry when the trades I've sourced can do it for $50,000  :Smilie:

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## Gaza

> Of course they won't.
> I mean the quotes I already have from individual trades already. I understand a building company adds extra $$$$ to make money but I'm not paying $100,000 for 1 extra room & a bigger laundry when the trades I've sourced can do it for $50,000

  
For 50k 
Just get couple credit cards with 6months no interest then do build and re finance home loan pay out cards   
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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## paddyjoy

> For 50k 
> Just get couple credit cards with 6months no interest then do build and re finance home loan pay out cards

   :What he said:  or citibank ready credit, personal loan up to $60k, 5.9%. Catch is you need to pay it back within two years or the interest rate goes up.

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## Jemma

Settlement paperwork was all signed over between financial institutions today, so, 24hour paperwork turn around & money should be in the bank by next week  :Smilie:

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## justonething

> Settlement paperwork was all signed over between financial institutions today, so, 24hour paperwork turn around & money should be in the bank by next week

    :2thumbsup:

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## Jemma

UPDATE!!!!
Financed somewhere else & it went PERFECTLY! Money is sitting there BEGGING to be used  :2thumbsup:  
Currently digging up the backyard to find out where the sewer pipes are & to check if they're PVC or Earthen Ware (I suspect earthen wear due to the age of the house.) 
Hiring a mini excavator in 2 weeks to dig down to & expose it completely in order for the plumber to replace the lot with the new piping, as it's cheaper for us to dig down & expose it all than the plumber.
Concreter will be in about a week after that to have the footings dug out & steel fixing done ready for the pour. 
It's so strange that our little dream is becoming a reality & I can't WAIT!  :Biggrin:

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## RodEye

You should be able to determine the location and type of pipe material used off of a sewer plan from your local water board.Although it might not be precise,dead accurate and lack some information.It'll probably be something you need in the long run.

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## Jemma

> You should be able to determine the location and type of pipe material used off of a sewer plan from your local water board.Although it might not be precise,dead accurate and lack some information.It'll probably be something you need in the long run.

  We've got all the plans, dial before you dig etc etc but they're clearly totally in accurate so it's all manual labour & digging from here  :Frown:

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## Jemma

UPDATE!
We found a builder that checks out perfectly, fully licensed & registered & indemnity insurance being put in place.
Thursday next week, 15tonnes of of soil will be delivered & also rubble at some pint, ready for the footings to be poured next weekend.
I can't believe it's FINALLY happening  :Biggrin:

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## phild01

Great going, hope the ride goes smoothly :Smilie:

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## Jemma

> Great going, hope the ride goes smoothly

  Me too although now I'm worried it wont. It's not going to sink in until I see the new foundation I don't think?
I hope it goes smoothly. The builder has been amazing & answered all my questions perfectly so far  :Smilie:

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## wozzzzza

> We've got all the plans, dial before you dig etc etc but they're clearly totally in accurate so it's all manual labour & digging from here

  them dial before you dig are a joke. I had a house in Elizabeth, all sewer earthenware pipes that age in that area.
but the services on the diagram they gave me were out by a few metres. e.g. it said the Telco lines were 300mm from the fence and parallel from the street all the way to the house then did a 90 degree bend to the foundations where they came out and went up the outside of the wall. FAIL. when I was digging with a chain trencher for new stormwater pipes I happen to hit the metal conduit with the Telco line in it 2 metre away from where it should be at about 2m away from the fence line, it wasn't going along the fence but at an angle straight from the house to the outside pit and only about 100mm under the surface of the lawn. same with the mains water supply from the meter to the house, said it went along the fence line to the drive way then to the house, FAIL, at an angle from the meter direct to house.
but I didn't damage any of them, the trencher just touched it and I saw it bouncing and moving the dirt around it and stopped quickly.
Oh, and digging up the back yard for a 15 metre long 600mm deep power connection from house to the rear shed took most of the day and the back yard was all rock from about 200mm under and I was digging up boulders all day. had to jack hammer a few larger ones.

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## phild01

> them dial before you dig are a joke. I had a house in Elizabeth, all sewer earthenware pipes that age in that area.
> but the services on the diagram they gave me were out by a few metres. e.g. it said the Telco lines were 300mm from the fence and parallel from the street all the way to the house then did a 90 degree bend to the foundations where they came out and went up the outside of the wall. FAIL. when I was digging with a chain trencher for new stormwater pipes I happen to hit the metal conduit with the Telco line in it 2 metre away from where it should be at about 2m away from the fence line, it wasn't going along the fence but at an angle straight from the house to the outside pit and only about 100mm under the surface of the lawn. same with the mains water supply from the meter to the house, said it went along the fence line to the drive way then to the house, FAIL, at an angle from the meter direct to house.
> but I didn't damage any of them, the trencher just touched it and I saw it bouncing and moving the dirt around it and stopped quickly.
> Oh, and digging up the back yard for a 15 metre long 600mm deep power connection from house to the rear shed took most of the day and the back yard was all rock from about 200mm under and I was digging up boulders all day. had to jack hammer a few larger ones.

  All part of building, things are just meant to go wrong :Cry:

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## Jemma

NEW pics  :Smilie:

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## Jemma

:Ohyaaa:

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## r3nov8or

coming along nicely, Jemma!

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## phild01

Looking great.  Hope you have another toilet inside! :Biggrin:

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## Jemma

> Looking great.  Hope you have another toilet inside!

  Thanks R3nov8er & yes Phild01, There is a complete bathroom inside the house lol.
Decided to block off the old laundry door & put a shower there & a vanity next to that toilet & hide it all behind a sliding door as a 2nd bathroom  :Toiletjump:  
Bit sore in the face today as, whilst making  :PANCAKES:  last night, the cooktop light exploded in my FACE!
Tripped out the safety switch & lights so just got off the phone to the company about it. It's only 2 years old!

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## phild01

> Thanks R3nov8er & yes Phild01, There is a complete bathroom inside the house lol.
> Decided to block off the old laundry door & put a shower there & a vanity next to that toilet & hide it all behind a sliding door as a 2nd bathroom  
> Bit sore in the face today as, whilst making  last night, the cooktop light exploded in my FACE!
> Tripped out the safety switch & lights so just got off the phone to the company about it. It's only 2 years old!

  Love the use of emoticons.
So hope you are uninjured, and did you mean rangehood light, not sure what the cooktop one would be!

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## OBBob

Wow, those lights are usually covered. I'm sure you were very happy to have something explode in your face and then all the lights go out! Trust you're ok though.

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## phild01

> Wow, those lights are usually covered. I'm sure you were very happy to have something explode in your face and then all the lights go out! Trust you're ok though.

  were or weren't :Think:

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## OBBob

^ ha ha, in my head I had applied a sarcastic tone to my post.  :Biggrin:

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## phild01

> ^ ha ha, in my head I had applied a sarcastic tone to my post.

  eventually thought that with my bog slow brain :Smilie:

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## r3nov8or

:Blowup:

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## OBBob

Mmm... pancakes.

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## Jemma

> Love the use of emoticons.
> So hope you are uninjured, and did you mean rangehood light, not sure what the cooktop one would be!

  That little red light that shows that your hotplates are turned on. 
My face was stinging for a while but all ok. Can't use my cooktop though. Too scared :\

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## phild01

> That little red light that shows that your hotplates are turned on. 
> My face was stinging for a while but all ok. Can't use my cooktop though. Too scared :\

  I am gobsmacked that an indicator lamp would explode like that.  Maybe you might share the model and name of it as there might be some recall or manufacturers notice of a fault with it. I too would be wary about using it too for safety sake.  At least you are okay :Smilie:

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## Jemma

The company basically told me 'stiff @@@@' & they don't care so have lodged a complaint to the higher powers that be.
Here are the latest extension pics though. SOOOOO close!

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## phild01

Won't be too long now :2thumbsup:

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## Jemma

Latest pics.
Here are three pics of the 'gyprocking' also but the builder is going to get a nasty shock after New Years when I tell him to take it down & re do it. Pretty much all of it too. 
He's used small pieces on some walls instead of full sheets & there are screws all over the shop that don't need to be there, not to mention this shi* work as you can see :/

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## paddyjoy

> .....not to mention this shi* work as you can see :/

  Those joins (if you can call them that) look shocking. Seems like he has filled one with adhesive!

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## Jemma

> Those joins (if you can call them that) look shocking. Seems like he has filled one with adhesive!

  Yes 'he' did. The builder had his two helpers do the work whilst he was on another job, because the gyprockers that came to quote the day before were 'too much' he said.
That was over $600 of gyprock that he's going to have to rip out & replaced as I'm not paying him his next installment until it's done!
There are screws hanging out, bit's they're cut in the wrong spot to cut a bit out & stuck it in the gap, it's not level so there's a big gap at some ends & they've cut some pieces a few inches too short. 
He can take the whole fricking lot down & pay PROFESSIONALS to put it up! I lined my entire shed with timbers AND gyprock myself & did a better job first time than THIS mess.
He's not going to be happy but that's his own fault for the shi**y installers  :Biggrin:

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## OBBob

Gee,  hopefully he does the right thing without too much fuss.

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## Renopa

Your kids could have done a better job than that!!

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## Jemma

After losing my temper & not knowing what else to do, I rang the company we signed with (supervisors uncle) to vent and told he to come check out the shot work. 
He was/is NOT happy!
The next day he had his LICENSEDgyprockers come in, rip down the @@@@ and re do. This is the result  :Smilie: 
3 weeks to completion we're told (3 months later for an extension)

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## phild01

good you got an outcome to that mess, pays to monitor progress.

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## Jemma

Amazing what a @@@@@@ text message to my builder can do to get the ball rolling!
Plumber, Sparky, carpet layer, laminate floor installer AND the builder himself are busting their chops this week to get my extension FINISHED! 
2 hour wait for delivery of plumbing supplies from Reece & a 40 minute round trip for the plumber when he could be working.
No worries, I'll get them for you in my Tarago - it'll fit  :2thumbsup:    
The saga with the floor boards continued & he took four more out today, in order to 'level' the floor & put in ugly timber sheets  :Annoyed: 
The free laminate flooring he put in over the top looks amazing though  :Happydance:    
Various power points & switches have gone in (turns out there are specific LED dimmer switches that need to be bought to go with dimmable LED downlights. $50 each dimmer & we needed three  :Yikes2: 
LOVE the skinny & slimline LED fluro style light I found for the laundry though  :Laugh bounce:      
Last but not least, I had to have the base cabinet & benchtop installed so the sink could be hooked up on Monday.
(CNC machine broke down at Alby Tuner & Sons so cabinets & doors for the rest of the laundry, may not be finished to be installed on the 21st Feb BUT I LOVE the purple melamine that after almost a MONTH of searching for, I found someone that sold a purple.
I didn't care the shade really but it HAS.TO.BE. PURPLE  :Wave:

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## phild01

:2thumbsup:

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## OBBob

Ha ha... the Tarago work van!

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## Jemma

*clears her throat* LOOOOOOOOOOOK what was installed today!
I cannot get the grin off my face. It is EXACTLY what I wanted. I may just put my bed in here permanently  :Happydance:  :Happydance2:  :Yippee:  :Yippy:

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## OBBob

Are they purple tiles? You have done well to source and coordinate.

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## Jemma

> Are they purple tiles? You have done well to source and coordinate.

  You bet your ass they're purple tiles LOL!
Took a MONTH to source the purple Melamine & the tiles have been on a clearance at a tile shop locally for the past 6 months or so.

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## r3nov8or

Is that a full sized dishwasher and a dish draw?

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## OBBob

I was a bit confused because I thought it was the laundry.

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## Jemma

> Is that a full sized dishwasher and a dish draw?

  No that is a stand for my washing machine to sit on  :Smilie:

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## OBBob

Is that a second dishwasher or do you take everything to the laundry to wash?

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## Jemma

> I was a bit confused because I thought it was the laundry.

  Yes it's a laundry. Sink on the left, then dishwasher, then washing machine stad (I was cleaning the floor before pushin it backwards into place) then washing machine sits in top of the stand next to the cupboard  :Wink:

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## Jemma

> Is that a second dishwasher or do you take everything to the laundry to wash?

  Yes a 2nd dishwasher ONLY because, our old washing machine was supposed to go there but it is leaking so can't be used inside. 
We kept it to wash hubbys truckie clothes in (FILTHY) & bought that silver beast for the four kids washing.  
I spotted the dishwasher online at auction when a local TAFE was shutting down. It had a dent in the side & the door wouldn't open. 
Paid $30 for it, pulled the dent out with pliers and it works a charm!
Only gets used to wash the mountains of BBQ plates & cutlery in or large items that take up too much room in the main dishwasher  :Smilie:  
I will post a pic of the laundry with the machine in and fridge/freezer later.

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## OBBob

Ha ha... be good for when you have parties.

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## Jemma

> Ha ha... be good for when you have parties.

  Exactly!
the less cleaning I have to do, the better  :Smilie:

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## Jemma

This is the 3.38Kw solar system we had put on. SMA inverter & Trina panels (only 1% difference compared to the Suntech panels)

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## turnstiles

I've heard of people having two dish washers so they can avoid unpacking the dishwasher - and save on cupboard space. 
When one has washed a load you leave everything in the machine and then take things out as you need to use them. 
Dirty dishes then go in the second dishwasher. And the cycle continues!!
Makes as much sense as having two ovens! (Which is no sense in my case as I rarely use the one oven I have...)

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## goldie1

> I've heard of people having two dish washers so they can avoid unpacking the dishwasher - and save on cupboard space. 
> When one has washed a load you leave everything in the machine and then take things out as you need to use them. 
> Dirty dishes then go in the second dishwasher. And the cycle continues!!
> Makes as much sense as having two ovens! (Which is no sense in my case as I rarely use the one oven I have...)

  I know some one who has two dishwashers for the same reason

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## Jemma

> I know some one who has two dishwashers for the same reason

  Bugga that! I have more cupboards in the kitchen than most yet they're still FULL.
Not for long thanks to the new laundry ones.
Oven? I have 5 slow cookers..... *walks back to her crazy corner....*

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## OBBob

Gee ... if you'd discovered E-Bay and hard garbage the extension could have been half the size!  :2thumbsup:

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## Jemma

> Gee ... if you'd discovered E-Bay and hard garbage the extension could have been half the size!

  Lol. Four kids requires a LOT of food & slow cookers are cheaper to run by a lot. 
We have a dedicated set of heavy duty shelving off to one side in the laundry, that is being hidden behind tracks & sliding doors, JUST to store the food/drink in bulk on  :Smilie:

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## Jemma

Bathroom pictures now everything's in.

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## r3nov8or

> Bathroom pictures now everything's in.

   Can't see any pics. Can others see pics?

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## OBBob

> Can't see any pics. Can others see pics?

  Nope ... maybe they went ultra-minimalist?  :Biggrin:

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## Jemma

Problem with the site?
it 'uploads' them but I can't see them either GRRRRRR!

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## OBBob

> Problem with the site?
> it 'uploads' them but I can't see them either GRRRRRR!

  Are there a few. They have changed picture settings recently ... maybe just try a couple to begin with????

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## Jemma

It was only two

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