Late in September we had our colour selection meeting. It seems so long ago now that we can't remember what things looked like, you just keep your fingers crossed that you made some good decisions.
That was shortly followed by the tender meeting where we first learnt how much of a problem the power lines would be since they did not even clear the minimum required height above a driveway of 4.6 meters. The builders need 6m clearance to avoid the need for spotters, another cost that adds no value to the house.
Kate pestered the power company continuously to get some action, including escalating up. I have no doubt that if she had not done that if would have taken 2 months longer to get resolved. They presented back two options; relocate the neighbours power line to a pit and have a trench dug to reconnect it to their power meter, or get it raised to the minimum height required. The former would cost over $2000 for the pit and then the cost of the trench and reconnection would be determined when someone went to have another look. The later the power company would do for free, but not until 2nd week of December.
After speaking to an electrician who indicated the trench and reconnection could cost a few thousand, he said he could arrange to have the power line raised much faster than the power company. Finally early this week that was done using a extension pole on the neighbour's roof.
The phone and foxtel lines were also move to a pit and reconnected. The strange thing with those lines is that they never talked to our neighbour. They just returned home one day to find they had been moved. Telstra were also able to do this without digging up the front yard, they must have used some kind of boring machine that did not disturb the fence or garden.
Our neighbour has been very understanding and even though we try to pop by when we can to update him, he is surprised at what tradies have done without any paper work and direct approval. As are we.
The power line issue has delayed us about 5 weeks, but if Kate had not nagged it could easily have been over 2 months.
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