The bucket loads of stress
Yes there were plenty of sleepless nights... the memory of which is now fading... hmmm, a bit like childbirth, you forget about the pain eventually and decide to do it all over again! My friends think I'm CRAZY.
I'm having a quiet day so just for fun I shall try to remember some of the unexpected headaches I encounterd
1. Significant gum tree in the back yard. It was so unhealthy it literally had it's 2 main trunks fallen over and resting on the ground, so I was 99% confident I'd be allowed to be removed. But not untill after the council insisted on a professional arborist report, so I paid for one to be done, and submited it to council. Stupid council turned around and had their own arborist do a report too, just to make sure, so a sleepless 3 mths waiting on that reply.
2. Council requested plans of the drains for the existing dwelling to ensure none were crossing the proposed boundary before approving subdivision. The SA water branch that holds all plans, had lost ours, geez bad luck. So we needed to hire a 'services locator' a bloke came out with a metal coiled motorised machine and sent it down the sewer inspection point, then metal detected it on the surface and spray painted the ground where the pipes went. Then I needed a plumber to come out draw a diagram and certify that this was where the drains were located- lucky a friend of mine is a plumber, he wasn't too happy to be certifiying some one elses work. (Another 3 month delay)
3. I know I keep rabbiting on about the unexpected sewer easement to SA water, but it's worth another mention because it added at leats 6 mths to the delay and many sleepless nights. We thought it best to go along the West side at fist, then were shocked with a quote of $8,000, so changed our minds and decided to put it on the other side hoping to make it cheaper, and were shocked when the quote came back higher at $10,000 even though we had shortened the sewer run about 5m, WTF!
4. I breifly mention the Lands Title office lost our title, still to this day I have no idea where it went between the bank and the Lands Title office, this added about a 3 month delay also.
5. Building plans took 6 mths, council wasn't happy with stormwater runoff and surprise surprise another cost blow out when retention tanks and pumps were required much to my shock.
6. Accidentally cut the underground phone line to the front house when doing fencing. Had to get the Telstra tech out for that one after digging a massive hole in my newly landscaped front yard, boo hoo, my poor baby plants.
7. Still have no phone to the new house after it was built because the Telstra junction pit was found to be collapsed asbestos when my builder went to connect it. Too bad builder didn't tell me at hand over. I put tennants in thinking I had a new house with a working phone line. Still on a long waiting list to have Telstra's maintenance crew out to fix it.
8. When my landscaper started digging trences (with a mechanical auger mind you) for the retaining wall he hit the underground electricity run, thank god he didn't snap the conduit and get electrocuted. So all I needed to do was return 5 tonnes of concrete sleepers and steel and go for above ground retaining instead.
I'm off for a glass of wine or 5 and a good lie down.