The Real Block - Part 1

It's been a long time coming, but we are about to start building. Regular readers (thank you for persevering) will remember that we moved a cottage off our block and then moved a Queenslander onto the block in August 2010 (Moving the Cottage). Since then we've been busy getting all our Council approvals  and thought we were ready to build in September 2010 but we hit a brick wall. In January this year, we finally got our development approval. Since then we've also obtained our final building approval, a driveway approval, pool approval and a plumbing approval. Phew! So now we've got all the paperwork and spent $20k on the paper trail, we are actually ready to start the real work. Stumping has finished, the pool has been dug and the builder will start next week. I'm watching the new series of The Block on Channel 9 and thinking that the contestants have go it easy! We have about 100 times the amount of work to do at our place (which I'm now calling the Real Block)  and there's no way it's going to be finished in 10 weeks. The builder has said 6 months if the weather is good.  I don't really mind if it takes longer as long as I'm in by 1 December, that's my absolute deadline. I can survive in our decrepit rental house with no dishwasher, a dodgy bathroom and boxes up the ceiling until then. No doubt there's going to be bumps along the way!