Thanks for making 40,000 views

It's great to reach the milestone of 40,000 views of our blog before we move in.

Thanks for your encouraging comments and for tuning in regularly. We hope to keep this blog going as a way for residents to communicate after we move in.

One issue discussed earlier in the blog which we have not sorted out is how we will manage the flow of cars (and trucks) along Jones Street. I was reminded of this last week when I visited the site and trucks were queuing up to access the site. Maybe it won't be a problem, but I imagine there will be a bit of backing up when cars going in and cars going out meet in the middle.

I guess we'll see.

One of the other owners contacted me last week, advising how important it is to have a good strata manager. He had some bad stories from the building he currently lives is, where some apartments have a dozen or more students living in them, with poor consequences for noise and mess around the building. The strata manager does nothing to stop it.

This is something we need to be active on at HM if we are to create a special community. We don't want overcrowding (which is illegal anyway) and a highly transient population. Of course, many of the apartments will be rented out, but hopefully a solid core will be stable residents who cherish the place.

So I spoke to our appointed strata manager, Sailesh, and I am encouraged by his enthusiasm. He seems like a good guy. He works for Netstrata, which looks like a substantial business. He sent me this friendly note as a way of reaching out to us.

Dear Graham

It was very nice talking to you over the phone.

I intend providing the best management of Harbour Mill in Pyrmont. Hope to chat soon.

Thank you

Regards,

Sailesh Shakya Strata Manager

Front driveway almost there

It feels like a long final straight but we can see the finishing line, especially now the dirt is finally covered. The front driveway has been concreted, and will now be finished in a top 'skin' of asphalt which will look much better than concrete.

We also have an attractive lamp post at the end of the drive - who will be the first to give it a whack?

The external lift also looks pretty sharp, finished in black, like a monument at the end of the forecourt. The lighting goes down the steps so it should look good at night. The whole place is looking stylish from the outside.

It's official!!! Ceerose has sent advice today, Friday 23 October

For any apartment owner, this is one of the milestones we have been waiting for. Letters have been sent to solicitors with expected settlement, inspection and occupation dates.

We look forward to meeting some of you in about a month from now.

More from Ceerose on moving and settling

A couple more snippets from our favourite developer/builder:

On how we will move

"I am coordinating with the agent, Robert and the proposed strata manager the exact plan for moving in. Each development has a slightly different procedure. Truck traffic is going to be an issue on the main settlement." 

On when we will settle

"I am expecting to be ready to settle in 3 weeks. Purchasers will have up to 3 weeks after that to settle. But this is only an estimate. I will explain this in a bit more detail today in my letter."

We've not there yet, but we've come a long way ...

It's finally happening!!!

We received this from Ceerose today, Tuesday 20 October. 

"The reason for my email is that our Marketing and IT Department has been following Elana's website and thought it was fantastic.

It's nice when purchasers show an interest in the product and process of construction.

FYI, the strata plan was lodged today by our surveyors. I am planning tomorrow to send out an email to the solicitors for all purchasers confirming this and also letting them know about the settlement process and expected date for the occupation certificate."

We're checking what those dates are. All we can say is ... bring it on.

Come on, boys, put in a big week

Visited on Sunday and I'm optimistic the end October building completion is possible. We said we would not post another picture of a dirt driveway, so here's the progress.

This concreted section looks like it will be paved in the middle, and it joins up to the paved section along the driveway, like this.

Oops, now we've revealed that the rest of the forecourt is not finished, so we might as well give the whole game away.

I know it looks messy but I don't see why this should take too long to complete. I think this whole section will be ashphalt (a mixture of bitumen and rock) and once the section is levelled, it's one decent pour. Surely that's easier than pavers. So come on, lads, make it happen this week.

One good thing this photo shows is the neat paved finish linking the building to the external lift. The door into the ground floor is on the right, after the car park entrance and before the glass screens.

Update from the developer/builder (unofficially)

One of our eager readers pestered Ceerose until she finally received a response. Really, they should be telling everybody directly, but let's be thankful for small mercies:

"Ceerose rang back this morning and advised me all the construction will cease end of this month. It will need 2 weeks to get strata approval following that. So we are looking for mid-end of November for inspection and settlement afterward."

Also from the Herald, 12 October 2015, talk of making the Sydney Fish Market into a world-class facility. It includes 'upgrading linkages to the city' which will make it a more vibrant area, with HM more connected to the city.  

"The Sydney Fish Market and UrbanGrowth NSW have committed to work together to rejuvenate what is both a Sydney landmark and a key part of the state government's Bays Precinct urban renewal ambition.
The aim is to create, as a top priority, a "re-imagined Sydney Fish Market" as the centrepiece of a proposed Bays Market District on Blackwattle Bay.
The chief executive of UrbanGrowth NSW, David Pitchford, said a "competitive process" for the creation of The Bays Market District would start in 2016.
"UrbanGrowth NSW has an ambition to create a new, world-class market precinct and dining destination connected to the water in Blackwattle Bay, and centred around a rejuvenated Sydney Fish Market," he said.
The general manager of Sydney Fish Market, Bryan Skepper, said his aim was to maintain the authenticity of market – with its wholesale auction – and retail activity, while improving the amenity, upgrading the linkages to the city, and broadening the offer.
"Our ambition is to become a key tourist destination on the western edge of the central business district while also acting as a gateway to the future Bays Precinct," he said.
The Sydney Fish Market, which is controlled by two seafood industry groups,occupies a prime 3-hectare waterfront site on a 30-year lease.
In the past, it has attempted redevelopment on its own. A memorandum of understanding, signed on Monday, commits Urban Growth and the Fish Market to work together on the project."

There are no atrium upper windows

There has been an active discussion on the blog about the upper windows expected on the atrium side of some apartments. For anyone who is wondering what this means, here's an early artist's impression of the atrium.

And here's what it actually looks like (although obviously it will look much better than this when the doors are painted and floor carpeted, with the mural and plants added).

Obviously, there are many changes over the years after an initial design, and the atrium looks significantly different. We will all feel differently about this. Personally, I think the black rails are more in keeping with the overall design of the building than the brown wood, although it does make the building feel more 'industrial'.

And the upper windows? They would have made the apartments lighter, but when I first saw the design, I did wonder about the loss of privacy. Could people see inside the apartment from the opposite level, one floor up? Or standing on a chair? It might have worked with opaque glass. I can understand why many people wanted it.

For the person who asked about the noise, the floor is now carpeted in a relatively soft carpet which should deaden the noise.

Just to confirm the windows have gone from the design, Maria sent in a photograph from September 2014 of her one-bedroom apartment, 3rd floor, facing east, and there are no upper windows.

NSW Government Survey into buying off-the-plan

We said we would not post another photograph of an uncompleted driveway into Harbour Mill, so nothing to show you today. It's still a work-in-progress. The building itself, though, looks great.

There have been many comments on the blog about sunset clauses, where the developer can cancel the contract after a certain date. There is more coverage of the issue in the media today. See the extract below from today's Sydney Morning Herald.

I'm not sure whether every sunset clause at HM is the same, but in our case, it is 31 March 2016. Do others have this date? That is six months from now, and I'm confident Ceerose is highly ethical, and as its website says, it has "a commitment to the very highest standards of integrity". I believe they are trying to finish as soon as possible.

But others are less fortunate, and hundreds of purchasers are losing their apartments in other buildings. This would be a devastating experience, given all the expectation, excitement, build up ... and cost.

The NSW Government is conducting a survey on experiences buying off the plan, and the more people who express the view that a developer should not be able to rescind a contract, the more likely the laws will change.

The survey is available on this link and is only open until 14 October 2015.

Buying off the plan 

Survey - Buying property off the plan The NSW Government has launched a survey inviting you to share your experience of buying property off the plan. Your feedback will help to inform a review of the current laws regulating this type of sale. To find out more and access the survey, visit the Buying property off the plan page.The survey closes on 14 October 2015.

From The Sydney Morning Herald, 9 October 2015

Hundreds of off-the-plan purchasers across Sydney – who paid deposits two to three years ago – have had their contracts torn up and apartments placed back onto the market.   

Claiming the developers are cashing in on record high property prices, the buyers are now taking action.

After an investigation by Domain into boutique Surry Hills block East Central where seven contracts were rescinded by the developer Ash Samadi and most of the units were then resold for up to 50 per cent more, it’s been revealed that at least three other new buildings in Sydney are also embroiled in similar controversy. 

Tara Ende [middle], John Seale [left] and Lee Sim [right] all had their contracts rescinded in Surry Hills. Photo: Brendan Esposito

The developers of newly completed, or nearly completed, apartment blocks in Lidcombe, Wolli Creek and Hurstville have also rescinded contracts with off-the-plan buyers.