[Singel]

Hi everyone

This is where we live : www.wattlecove.co.nz

Part 1 (houses)
I borrow the pictures of those houses on sales to give you some ideas about the surrounding and interior layout.

http://www.harcourts.co.nz/pcQSearch?qst=MW50428

http://www.realenz.net/
House listing#MN02771
House listing#PP050511

There are 2-storey houses that have views over the lake or golf course.

In 1 or 2 weeks time, I will post some photos of the nearby recreation lake, golf course, beach, coastal walk, etc.............

Enjoy the house viewing ...................... :P

:cheers
Ivy

[Singel]

Sorry, got the wrong link :oops:

here is the correct one : http://www.realenz.co.nz/misc/menumapOK.cfm
House listing#MN02771
House listing#PP050511

[Cardiff Irons]

Thanks Ivy. The realenz links don't seem to work. I like the sound of the 2 storey houses - do you know how much they're going for?

Thanks again :nice1

[Singel]

Hello Cardiff

I check the realenz link and the 2 houses are still there.
When you enter the realenz link, on your top left corner, there is the wordings 'Enter a Listing# : [ ], in the bracket, type MN02771 or PP050511. Press "find" button next to it and the house will show up.

Here are the prices of the 2-storey houses :

BRAND-NEW HOUSE
http://www.dempseymorton.co.nz/l


HOUSES ON SALE
(give you some idea about the lake and the surrounding)
http://www.ljhooker.co.nz/

http://www.raywhite.com/

:cheers

[Singel]

Just realise that you are Steve and not Cardiff (just woke up, a bit blurr :oops: )

[Singel]

When we are doing the coastal walk* near our home, this is the water view (another borrowed picture ;)) http://www.realenz.net/officelisting.cfm?name=harveysgroup&number=MN02804 &image22.x=7&image22.y=7
It is nice and tranquil.............
*if you see the Wattle Cove map in www.wattlecove.co.nz , walking paths are build near the waterfront and around the peninsular.

By the way, the annual subscription to the 9-hole golf club is $600 per year.
:cheers

[Singel]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/WattleCove1.jpg

[Cardiff Irons]

Thanks Ivy. This is really useful information. And yes, I did manage to get the links to those houses on realenz - thanks :nice1

How long have you lived there and how are you finding things? I notice that they are building a Primary School, what about High Schools - are there any local and are they any good?

Cheers :nice1

[Singel]

Hi Steve

We bought the house in August 2004, waited 4 months for the house to be built and we moved in a few days before Christmas.

I would describe that living here is like a retreat from the hustle-and-bustle.
Seeing is believing, so I snap a few shots with a video camera last sunday (pictures are not so sharp :oops:).

Thanks to the tips from DehnJohn, now I could post the photos.

So, here it goes....................... (take a deep breath :roll: :uhoh )

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050717-144650.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050717-144340.jpg
The Golf Club

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050717-144754.jpg
The street is wide and spacious, hardly any traffic...........

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050717-145700.jpg
The coastal path, nice and tranquil............

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050717-150216.jpg
Less than 10 mins walk to this beach............


Most of the people are Pakeha and I understand from the neigbours that their kids will be attending these schools next year :

The new Wattle Cove school is for Primary and Intermediate education. The new kindergarten is next to it.

For college-age kids..........
Govt funded school - Manurewa High School* : http://www.ero.govt.nz/publish%5Creppub.ns4/Institution/8529333CC07A013CCC256D4B000C5B45/$File/99.htm?OpenElement
* include foreign-fee paying students

Private School - St. Andrew's Christian School :
http://www.ero.govt.nz/publish%5Creppub.ns4/Institution/A7A4D13B88F85ABCCC256D2B0012CAE6/$File/466.htm?OpenElement

When I asked them about the standard of the high school, there are no negative remarks.

:cheers

[Kim39]

Hey Singel, you on commission or something similar :laugh The whole thing looks absolutely brilliant. Shame our budget ain't going to stretch to this type of lifestyle :no

Kim

[Cardiff Irons]

Fantastic pictures Ivy, thank you. :nice1

I just can't get over how quiet the place looks. I don't think streets exist here in Cardiff without cars and people moving around.

Cheers :cheers (12.45pm here so I won't join you for a beer yet, will wait until this evening :mrgreen:

Retreat from the hustle and bustle. Hmmm, now that does sound good. :smile

[Singel]

The street in the above photo is Wattle Farm Road, which is the main road to Wattle Cove.

Next week, I will post more photos about the activities in this area, e.g. the recreation lake etc.

At the meantime, I continue with my coastal walk.........................;)

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050717-145404.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050717-145646.jpg
Clouds reflection on the water............. calm and tranquil

:cheers

[Cardiff Irons]

Excellent pictures Ivy. Thanks again - keep them coming :clap

[spodie]

Must stop......looking ..at pictures....Singel stop it......I'm turning..green with....envy!

:wah

[Aug & Feb]

Ivy, beautiful pictures. Nice posts !!! :clap :clap :nice1 :cheers

[Cardiff Irons]

Where are you Ivy? I'm missing my daily fix of Wattle Cove :(

[Singel]

here I am, Steve ........ :uhoh

this is where the activities start :cool

................. more photos next week :P

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/IMG_3638.jpg
Wildlife at one of the 5 lakes (2 are still under-construction)

:cheers

[Cardiff Irons]

Aaah, that's better! Daily dose of Wattle Cove to get me through another day at the office. :P Lovely picture - it all looks so peaceful.

Thanks Ivy :nice1

[Moorf]

It certainly looks gorgeous - great pics too :nice1

[Singel]

Retirement village in Wattle Cove : http://www.primecare.co.nz/acacia-cove/village-features.html

Developer of Wattle Cove, Fletcher Residential : www.newhomes.co.nz

.............next week, more photos.

:cheers

[Singel]

This week's photos were taken yesterday and the temperature on Sunday was about 17 degree.
Remember the photo of the 2 black swans posted earlier. This is their home - the Recreation Lake.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-133126.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-132554.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-133234.jpg


OK, are you ready...................

.......................put on your sunglasses :cool

here comes the actions !!!


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-132800.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-132508.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-132738.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-132726.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-132910.jpg

Ooooophs............gotta water splashing on your face :mrgreen: ;)

There is another group of enthusiasts that sail their radio controlled yacht here in the weekends.

Talk to you tomorrow with more photos

:cheers

[Aug & Feb]

Ivy, very nice pictures !! :clap

[Cardiff Irons]

Classy pics as ever. Keep 'em coming Ivy :nice1

[Hannah-NL]

Hmpf! So no dogs allowed but the motorboat scaring away the little black swans is allowed? :no

But I love the pics, so keep them coming! Do you do daily walks Ivy? :nice1

[Singel]

Hi Hannah

The Recreation Lake is so large that the little black swans are not affected by the motorboat. In fact, the motorboat racing only take up half of the lake.

Yes, we do our walk before the sun set at 6 pm if the weather is good. It is still winter time here, there is a lot of rain or shower.

Beside the Recreation Lake, there are 5 other lakes including 2 lakes that are still under-construction.

This is one of the 5 lakes and it is 2 mins walk from my home.............

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-134552.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-134546.jpg


Here is one of the 2 lakes that are under-construction..............

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-150034.jpg

Enjoy your viewing and talk to you tomorrow with more photos.

:cheers

[Hannah-NL]

I must say your winter looks much better then what we are having for summer right now, altho I must say we had a pretty hot june month!
Keep on posting the pics please, I'm showing them to the kids too :P

[Singel]

The winter here is like a bad summer with a lot of rain and so far, we have one night frost. The mercury hit 19 degree mark today :cool

My hubby said that New Zealand has very interesting clouds, different shapes and colours, definitely not found in Holland. What do you think?

When the weather is good, we need play areas for kids and 'big-kids' ...............


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-134316.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-134730.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-134626.jpg


--------------------did I say 'big-kids' ;)

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-134638.jpg

:cheers (more photos tomorrow)

[Smiler]

Ivy

Brilliant pics keep 'em coming please :P

Deborah

[Singel]

You could bring your dog to all the lakes (except the Recreation Lake), beaches and the coast. :P

A dog on the beach........................
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-145422.jpg

------------------- coastal walk with the dog.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-143200.jpg

Continue tomorrow with more photos.

Have a wonderful day.
:cheers

[Cardiff Irons]

Fantastic stuff Ivy. Why is the weather so nice over there (Winter) when it's cold and rainy here in Cardiff (Summer)? :roll:

[Hannah-NL]

Love all those photo's Ivy, so arent there ANY dogs without a leash allowed on the beaches?

[Kim39]

You been paid that commission yet Singel? ;) Keep those photo's coming.

Kim

[Singel]

Hmmmmm..............COMMISSION $$$$$ :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek

HEY wake up, STOP dreaming ........................ :exit

Allright, wat do I hav for you today, let me seeeeeeeeeeeee :uhoh


OK, Hannah, there are open fields by the lakes and the beaches to let loose the dogs.

We have a sub-tropical climate and winter time, it is either wet or sunny. Tropical plants thrive here and flowering throughout the winter.


So what do our neighbours do for their pastime...........................

:cool ...............................................of course, the Kiwi lifestyle :cool


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050723-142442.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-135022.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-133752.jpg

Tomorrow will be another beautiful sunny day, so talk to you next week with more photos (save the best for the last)

Have a lovely weekends :P
:cheers

[kiwidebs]

Ivy, I really think you ought to look for a commision. I've even had a good look at Wattle Bay even though we're currently planning on moving to North Auckland (Whangaparoa). Well, you never know where Mark will end up with work. Love the pics - it all looks idillic.

Debs

[Singel]

mmmmmm............ Wattle Bay :uhoh :roll:
arhhhh.................... (looking up the wises map) it is located at the tip of a peninsula, right at the entrance to the Manukau harbour. We could see this peninsula across the water during our coastal walk. It is part of Franklin district :yes
By the way, congratulations to you Debs, for the success of your house sale :clap :raebanana :nice1 :cheers

Oh yeah, the other day, my hubby and I were talking about council tax. We were wondering how much council tax that we need to pay for living in a newly developed area, probably costs the Manukau City millions of dollars. We estimate that we might need to pay at least $500 per year cos we have been paying 800 euros in Holland.
Today, we receive the letter about council tax and we could not believe :eek the figure................. it is too good to be true :oops:

Guess what ???

It is only $70 for a year, that is, 6 bucks per month - OMG, OMG :eek :eek this is amazing, it is peanut for all the new facilities that we have, it is just incredible :eek :eek :eek I need to pinch myself :eek :eek :eek

Now, have a look at some of the development-in-progress here.

Roads, footpaths, street lights, new trees are ready for houses to be built...................
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050723-135356.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-134202.jpg

........................tomorrow continue with more photos :P

:cheers

[Cardiff Irons]

$70!!!!!! :eek :eek :eek

Our Council Tax is nigh on £1,500 per year - that's ahem 55 times as much as you're paying!!!!! :(

We need to get over there fast :exit

[Moorf]

OMG $70 A YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mind you, not complaining at $1050 a year down here but $70!! :eek

[Singel]

:eek :eek :eek this morning, we woke up with our heads still spinning with disbelief over the 'dirt cheap' council tax. :eek :eek :eek
Back in our mind, we still feel that it is too good to be true :oops: In this world, there is no such thing as free lunch.
So, at our workplace, we talk to our kiwi bosses and colleagues about it. They all sound the same : "IT CAN'T BE RIGHT"

This evening, we will put the bill under the microscope to see any information that we had misread, misunderstood or missed out.
If we can't find anything, we will ring the council for an explanation.

:eek :eek :eek

[Annierobrigado]

hello ivy

i just opened the forum thread on your pictures, and i am so amazed and thrilled that there is such a place in nz. looks like one of the posh villages here in manila but without the hustle and bustle and the very intimidating price tag. the place looks absolutely wonderful and i am chaffing at the bit as to why i am not down there yet this minute!

a few questions though; where does mark work, how far is it from your house, are you working too? what fields? did you buy the house cash or financing? (this last question is kinda embarrassing, but pardon my curiosity, i just need to know so i have some idea what to do when i get there in terms of buying a house). is there a hospital/medical center nearby? what about churches? (we're catholic)

the pictures are really great, thanks for sharing them. i have probably sighed about a thousand times while browsing through your pics and links.

;)
annie

[Singel]

:eek :eek :eek this morning, we woke up with our heads still spinning with disbelief over the 'dirt cheap' council tax. :eek :eek :eek
Back in our mind, we still feel that it is too good to be true :oops: In this world, there is no such thing as free lunch.
So, at our workplace, we talk to our kiwi bosses and colleagues about it. They all sound the same : "IT CAN'T BE RIGHT"

This evening, we will put the bill under the microscope to see any information that we had misread, misunderstood or missed out.
If we can't find anything, we will ring the council for an explanation.

:eek :eek :eek
This evening, we spoke to our kiwi neighbour and was told that we are right, it is $70 per year but only for Regional Auckland Council. We should receive the quarterly council tax bill from the Manukau City Council soon...............Whew, that sound right! I will keep you posted when the bill arrive.

For Annie, here are the information :P
My hubby is a software engineer and he works in Mt. Wellington. I work as an administrator in Onehunga. The daily commute by car to our workplace is about 30 mins each way during the rush hours. For our house, we pay 20% in cash and the balance through financing. I understand that PRs could get up to 95% financing.

There are 10 churches including a Catholic church in Manurewa Central which is about 5 mins drive.

Nearby facilities :
- a couple of medical centers and a 24-hour Accident & Medical Clinic
- supermarkets (Foodtown, New World, Woolworth)
- major retail stores, including a DIY store Mega Mitre10
- garden centers

Hospitals managed by Auckland Health Board :
Manukau Super Clinic & Elective Surgery unit (less than a year old) - 15 mins drive
Papakura Maternity unit - 10 mins drive

Facilities at the Manukau City Central (15 mins drive)
1. New convention/event center (3 months old) http://www.pacific.org.nz/introduction.html
2. Theme park http://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand/attractions/sightseeing-and-leisure/theme-and-leisure-parks/auckland/rainbows-end/
3. Cinema village
4. Shopping complex and retail stores

By the way, there is a farm near the new Wattle Cove Primary/Intermediate school ..........................so the little ones could smell the cow dungs and hear the cow calling, how about that ;)
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-145704.jpg

Talk to you tomorrow with more photos :cheers

[Singel]

Too bad that we can't get close to the cows, they are fenced 200 metres up the slope. Well at least, we still could see them roaming around. This dairy farm is the only one left in this peninsula.

Alright................. what is next? :uhoh

mmmmmmm..................... lets talk about the transport links :yes

There is a train station at Manurewa Central and the train arrives every 15 mins during the rush hours. Beginning of this year, my hubby took the train to the CBD to renew his passport and the journey is about 35 mins.

The bus no. 456 will take us to Manurewa Central and Manukau City Central.

What about road links?

It is 2 mins drive to motorway 1, this is the route that my hubby took to go to Mt. Wellington.
It is 4 mins drive to motorway 20, this is the route that I took to go to Onehunga.

Oh, by the way, it is 10 mins drive to the Botanical Gardens http://www.arc.govt.nz/auckland-regional-parks/botanic-gardens/botanic-gardens_home.cfm

Well, today is a nice and warm day, let's go for a stroll at the beach :cool

Beach 1
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050717-150128.jpg


Beach 2
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-143408.jpg


Beach 3
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-143054.jpg


Beach 4
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050724-144138.jpg


.....................how do you feel now ;) :cool

more photos tomorrow :cheers

[Cardiff Irons]

I feel........................jealous!!!! :laugh :cheers :cheers

[Annierobrigado]

hello ivy; cardiff irons

my eyes grew rounder and i sighed again...

annie

[Singel]

how about a close up of the beach.................. :mrgreen: :cool

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/IMG_3663.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/IMG_3657.jpg


If you don't fancy swimming in the sea water, you could take a 2-min drive to this place for a dip http://www.manukau.govt.nz/rec11.htm


Today's weather is great, so we took a walk along the reserve :cool

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050723-140800.jpg

O! before I forget, we just received the tax letter from Manukau City Council. It is $298.63 per quarter, that is, $1170.54 per year. In total, we will have to pay $1240 in council taxes to ARC & MCC.
Catch up with you tomorrow :cheers

[ISan]

AAAARCH, Ivy stop posting these pictures! I am sitting here at work logging into the forum and can't help myself from daydreaming about this place. It looks great! I'd love to see more of this in November.

Right, going back into daydreaming mode again......

Ingrid

[Bruckner]

I love looking at your pictures. Please keep posting them!

Emily

[Hannah-NL]

Hah Ingrid at least You'll BE there in november ;)

Let's keep our fingers crossed all our plans will work out eh?
That BBQ on the beach, either this year or next year for Christmas is what we're aiming at. The Next Dutch Meet that is!

Ivy, keep on posting, we can't get enough of it! :nice1

[Singel]

Ingrid - I was afraid that you come, fell in love with the place and refuse to leave :laugh :laugh :laugh

Hannah - we need you here to start the fire for our BBQ ;)

Steve, Gil, Kim, Spodie, Aug & Feb, Moorf, Deborah, Debs, Annie, Emily and those who are reading - you are most welcome to join us :cheers


Mmmmmmm................next :P


We are DIY novice and buying new house is our only choice. Today, I want to share with you about buying new homes here.

First of all, we visit the showhomes........................
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/IMG_3687.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050723-135038.jpg

Next, we have to decide whether to buy :
1) ready-build and move-in home
2) from plan and choose the colour for the exterior and interior of the house

We take the 2nd option because we want to put our stamp on the house. We get the lawyer to vet the house purchase contract before we put down 10% as deposit to go unconditional. At this stage, the foundation (cement) of the house had already laid and the building of the house will start.

I have an appointment with an interior designer (arrange by the developer) to assist in colour selection. I guess my hushand has to trust my taste :laugh

We want to install additional fixtures such as heat pump and build-in vacuum system and this must be done before the roof is up. We are not allowed to install anything once the house is capped. By the way, the house comes with gas heating points but we choose to use heat pump instead.

The developer send letters to keep us inform of the progression of the construction and also the supervisor-in-charge. Every weekends, we went to see and film the progress of the house. One of our neighbours was living in Napier while his house was being built. The developer took photos of the various stages of the construction and sent it to him.

When the house is ready, we were asked to inspect the house and the surrounding. We are happy and satisfy after the viewing, we authorise our lawyer to complete the sales.

Well, what do you think?

Have a lovely and fruitful weekends ! :P

Good Luck and Success with whatever you are doing :nice1

Talk to you next week and of course, with more photos.

:cheers

[gil]

Wow Ivy, this looks wonderful. Thank you for the thorough explanation of how to go about it, it's very interesting and useful!!
We had our house valued earlier this week, so now, do we-don't we put it up for sale yet....!!
By the way, are you really having a BBQ? In the winter? We had ONE here last summer, and none so far this summer :wah
look forward to joining you one day (not too far off, we hope),
Have a great weekend,
Gil

[Smiler]

Ivy

It looks so easy, quick and simple in NZ. I have bought new off plan before in UK and it took ages (8-10 months) and the quality was c**p. Put me off buying new for ever.

Sounds so much more simple there and I can't wait to hear what you think of the quality. Thanks for posting the pics too. Looking forward to more.

Gil that is just the best dog picture EVER. :nice1

Deborah

[gil]

Thank you Deborah, it is a gorgeous picture I agree. They say dog owners are supposed to look like their dogs, so this slim, long-legged one would be my preference over and above the short, stubby, barrel-chested Staffie we actually own. :mrgreen:
Gil

[Debbie]

Singel,
Thanks for the pics, brightened up another very rainy summers day. How long did the build take? Do you have an idea how many building plots there are going to be at Wattle Cove?
Longing to be there.
Debbie

[gil]

Apologies in advance if this is a very, very dim question :oops: but is Wattle Cove in the same area as Howick? I'm not very good with maps/spatial relationships (there I go reinforcing the gender stereotype, but that's just how I am, and my eldest daughter and my son too). It would help me get my bearings a bit.
Many thanks,
Gil

[Debbie]

Gil,
There are no dumb questions, thanks for asking, I was also wanting to be clear as to where Wattle Cove is. I have my where to live in Auckland book and have found Wattle Downs (pg212) is this one and the same?


Keep the photos coming.
Debbie

[kiwidebs]

Ivy, once again fabulous pics and a wonderful write up. Keep 'em coming - and we'll def come for the bbq once we get there.

Thanks
Debs

PS Gil, I've been looking at your doggy avatar too, I think it is a great pic.

[Singel]

Howick is about 40 mins drive from here.

Wattle Cove is in the peninsula of Wattle Downs. It is on the west, facing the Tasman Sea (between Aus and NZ)

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/manurewa.gif


Howick is on the east, facing the South Pacific Ocean
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/howick.gif

Hope that this information helps.

:cheers

[gil]

Ivy, you are a treasure! :clap :clap Thank you for explaining and even putting maps in :nice1 That's realy helped me get my bearings.
many thanks,
Gil

[Debbie]

Ivy,
What a gem. Thanks for that.
Debbie

[Singel]

Gil - THAT is an interesting dog that I have ever see :cool

Deborah - We are impressed with the workmanship and the quality materials that are used inside and outside the house, in particularly, attention to details (sound like some sort of sales pitch :laugh) Our immediate neighbour is a tradesman and he told us that he went to look at those houses which were underconstruction to find out what type of materials are being used before he bought the house. The house has a 7-year MasterBuilder warranty http://www.masterbuilder.org.nz/

Debbie - There are plenty of building plots which could take 3 to 4 years to finish.


OK, here comes the interesting part.............................. :mrgreen:

Things that are included in the house price :

1) Wall paper thoughout the house and garage.
2) Carpet throughout the house except kitchen, bathroom, ensuite and entrance hall. The 2-storey homes have fireplace and some have wooden flooring in the family, lounge and kitchen area.
3) Tiles for kitchen, bathroom, ensuite and entrance hall.
4) Lightings inside and outside the house, including the garage.
5) Fully-fitted kitchen including dishwasher, oven, stove, exhaust and waste disposer.
6) Fully-fitted bathroom including bath and shower unit.
7) Fully-fitted ensuite including shower unit.
8) Masterbedroom has a walk-in wardrobe with shelves and railing.
9) Guest bedrooms have build-in wardrobes with shelves and railing.
10) Build-in storage cupboards with shelves in the entrance hall and bedroom walkway.
11) Mained gas for hot water, heating and cooking.
12) Patio for the back garden.
13) Landscape the front garden with plants and trees.
14) Wooden fences and gates
15) Alarm systems
16) Grass seeds for the back garden.

Besides, choosing the colours, I could choose the door knobs and the door handles (for the kitchen).

Basically, the house is in a move-in condition, just put up the curtains and you could start living in it.

Alright, a quick tour of our single-storey home :P


1) The Kitchen
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20041227-150807.jpg

2) The Dining area has sliding doors to the garden
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/dsc00235.jpg

3) The Masterbedroom
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/dsc00233.jpg

4) The Bathroom
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/sa400006.jpg

:cheers

[kiwidebs]

Ivy, you have a beautiful house. I especially love that kitchen. Did you get to choose the finish (ie the colour of the units)? Thank you for sharing with us.

Debs

[Debbie]

Ivy,
Your house looks great, Wattle Cove looks great, NZ looks great.....
Envy is a terrible thing,

:wah :wah
we hope so much that we will be there soon.

Can you say how long it took for them to build your house? and could you have input in things like the kitchen unit layout?
Love the kitchen units, were they one of the options you were given or did you pick them special.

Im very keen on cooking with gas,(it's all I've ever known) so it's great to hear that it's available there. I may try and fit my beloved range cooker in the container yet!!

Keep the posts coming.

debbie

[gil]

Ivy, your house looks beautiful. I really really hope we'll be able to visit you one day soon! :smile
Keep the wonderful posts coming, you're an inspiration!
Gil

[Annierobrigado]

haloo ivy

my eyes grew rounder again when i saw the pics of your house. its so nice and cozy! are there only 2 of you, do you have children? how many rooms does your house have?

thanks for sharing the pics. and the info about what is included in the sale price. it's really worth the quoted prices in the website.

annie

[ISan]

Hi Ivy,

Love your house. It looks wonderful. Please keep the pictures coming!

[Singel]

Debs - the showhomes have kitchens in various modern colours for finishing ideas. You could call me old-fashioned, I choose a more conversative finishing for my kitchen.

Debbie - it took 4 months to build our house, not sure about the double-storey house. I was given only one kitchen layout and the designer modify it to include my request for a wine rack (this is the only thing that I have change). My neighbour has an island in the kitchen, so the kitchen design varied according to the layout of the house.


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/sa400007.jpg

Annie - it is only 2 of us in the house, no children. All the single-storey houses have 4 bedrooms. The 2-storey houses have either 4 or 5 bedrooms.

By the way, due to the multi-million dollars development here which takes a few years to complete, the developer had set up office here (5 mins walk from my house). It is really good that all the house constructions are under closed supervision and at the same time, attend to the needs of potential buyers or home owners.

:cheers

[Moorf]

:hi Really enjoying reading your posts and pics are great! :nice1 It's my new soap opera.. "Wattle Cove".

Congrats on such a beautiful home too :cheers

[Debbie]

Including a wine rack, my kinds girl :clap :clap :clap
But it looks sadly like my rack at home, empty. :wah :wah
Debbie

[Singel]

an empty wine rack, now also housed my knick-knacks :wah :wah :wah

:hi Moorf - the bill is on your way, our rate is cheaper than Sky :laugh :laugh :laugh


One day, I ran out of milk in my fridge and gonna take a 15-min walk to the dairy........................

( farm ? )


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/sa400004.jpg

At the side of the building, there is a fish-and-chip/Chinese takeway


on my way, I saw these little ones............................


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/Singel8/20050806-155256.jpg

..........................how about that?

:cheers

[Cardiff Irons]

Fantastic. Keep 'em coming Ivy :nice1

They'll end up renaming the place to "Ivy's Wattle Cove" :mrgreen:

[Moorf]

My goodness.. girls with proper dolls and not a Burberry cap in sight ! :P :laugh

[Debbie]

And not one of them looking like a Britany Spears what-a-be. A place where kids can play out side with out having a hovering anxiouse parent,
:clap :clap
and look playing and exercise and the same time. !!
Its' so sad, if you had taken that photo around here you probably would have had the police around to check out your intentions. My cousin took her camera to the local out door swimming pool to record her sons first trip to a proper pool and the manager told her she would have to give him the camera film or she would be excorted off the premissess (sp).
The need to protect is one thing but... :uhoh
There was a thread a while back that asked about old fashioned NZ values, this photo in so many ways sums up what I'm looking for.
Keep them coming, I also am hooked on Wattle Cove.
Debbie

[gil]

Spot on Debbie. I asked about old-fashioned NZ values, and this, I agree is part of it. :mrgreen: I hadn't made the connectiont ill you pointed it out, but sooo true.
Gil

[Annierobrigado]

hello ivy

i liked the dairy farm. does it have a complete grocery too? did you bring all your appliances when you migrated or did you buy them in nz?

thanks for the wonderful pics. they make nz come so alive for me.

moorf - now we just need to let the camera pan to ivy taking her walks down wattle avenue (hehe, i just thought of the name of the street).. and then "we will return after a short break"...

the returning saga of wattle cove...

cheers!
annie

[Singel]

My goodness.. girls with proper dolls and not a Burberry cap in sight ! :P :laugh
And not one of them looking like a Britany Spears what-a-be. A place where kids can play out side with out having a hovering anxiouse parent,
:clap :clap
and look playing and exercise and the same time. !!

There was a thread a while back that asked about old fashioned NZ values, this photo in so many ways sums up what I'm looking for.
The carefree childhood that these little girls had, reflect the relaxed and easy going kiwi environment. :smile :P


Ok, Annie :yes
I was just kidding, it is not a farm ;) Here the grocery shop is known as "dairy". The dairy has limited range of provisions due to the space. It is still good enough to meet the basic household needs, of course, you got to pay a bit more. It is a convenient store if you need something very quickly and it opens everyday including public holidays.

We ship all our appliances here. We have electrical stuff from UK and Holland, we just change the plugs to the NZ ones. Not sure about the voltage of your electrical appliances in Philippines?


Hmmmm................. just a thought, for your budgeting.
If you want to install extras in the new build, here are the pricing (including GST) :

1) Heat Pump, provide heating in winter and airconditioning in summer
We have 3 blowers + a compressor = $10k
Our neighbour has 1 blower + a compressor = $3.5k

2) Build-in vacuum systems + vacuum outlet in the kitchen = $1750

3) Underfloor heating for kitchen, bathroom and ensuite = $2500
We did not install this.

We find the suppliers of item 1 & 2 ourselves and get them to see the developer for installation arrangement.

For item 3, the developer could arrange it for you.


:P Last Sunday, we celebrate our wedding anniversary at this restaurant (5-min drive) known as Old Flame Memory Lane : http://dineout.co.nz/restaurant.php?rest=3839&restaurant_name=Old%20Fla me%20Memory%20Lane%20Restaurant
:nice1 Great atmosphere, Yummy food, Excellent service at the costs of $35 per head exclude drinks (eat as much as you want).


Well, time to go and talk to you again in the next episode of Wattle Cove...............
Have a wonderful weekends :cheers

[gil]

Congratulations! :mrgreen: How many years? We've known each other 27 years, but only been married ten....it's a long story! ;) Restaurant looks groovy!
Gil