Tender away

Our Tender letter application has been sent away to head office now, and there was a lot of stuff on there!  I can't believe just how many items there are just to make the place wheelchair accessible.  I'm dreading the figure that comes back on the Tender.  It will be interesting to see at the end of all this just how much extra we had to pay to make the house accessible.

If only the entire building industry practiced 'Universal Design' principals so that all houses were accessible.  The costs of modification in years to come must be astronomical.  Not everyone is affected, but most families would have to experience, at some point in life, to some degree, someone that requires some help.  Whether it be within a bathroom and having grab rails, or just wide enough doorways for entry with a wheelchair, or a walker.  It's not until you think of all the little things around a house that can be a problem, that you realise how many issues there can be!  I was surprised myself at how many tiny things we have had to address, and I live these kinds of circumstances everyday.  I'm sure there is someone out there in internet land that is far more articulate than I am that has written of these issues.

OK, lighter side of things.  I received in the mail a revised ''cut and paste" copy of the plans with the changes we are making and also a site plan with the house sitting on it.  The house fits like a glove!  It's really close!  I would love to have a much bigger yard for the kids, but the budget just didn't allow for it.  But... looking at the site plan and putting my year 8 geometry to use, it looks as though to the side of the house the kids will have a good 49.5m2, but all up around 124.5m2, just in a funny shape going up behind the bedrooms and around to the back.  That should be enough room for their cubby and to cause some havoc, but it would be nice to have more space.  Luckily on the estate plan, there is going to be a massive park at the end of the street, which will be a flat push too.  Hopefully the footpaths and lips on and off the street will be nice and accessible.  They should be, being new, but you never know.

The kids are getting a basketball ring for Christmas (hopefully they aren't reading this), and my initial thoughts are that it could go in the front yard by the driveway. 

Not sure how Stacey feels about this, but I am happy to go outside with them when they want to play.  I know as I kid I hated playing on hoops that were mounted in a grassed area.  Plus, if it's in the driveway it's much easier for me to play with them.  The other plus is, the paved area in front of a 3 car garage is going to pretty big!  We're talking about 10m x 5.5m.  So Stace :))))))), if you're reading this before I am talking to you about, this is the case I am presenting.....lol.