Construction - week 2

We started the week with an hour's drive to Moriyama to Tostem, the company that will make supply our windows and bathroom (maybe toilets and front door, too).

Most of the options for the bathroom we had already chosen. The brochure does not give good examples of the colours, though, so we were hoping to be able to choose these. The shop lacks a computer system that allows the customer to see images on the screen and easily change the colours. In place of this they have small models in which we could change the walls with small samples of the actual material used in the full size version.

The showroom in Moriyama is quite small and not well equipped in terms of windows. Despite their knowing of our visit and having fore-notice of out choice of material, the rep had not managed to bring any examples of the windows that were were interested in. This was disappointing.

By the end of the afternoon, though, we had pretty much decided wihich bathroom and windows we would order. The check sheets for these came through in the week. We now have to check these and submit the order.

There is also now some pressure to decide the front door. We had been looking overseas for wooden doors but will likely now choose a metal door from Tostem, where the builder will get us a 50% discount.

We have managed to get samples of the wood that we will use for the exterior and balcony, the render for the other outside walls and some window samples. From this we will now choose the front door.

Here are some pictures from week 2.

Construction - week 1

Work started on Monday.

Previously the water and electricity had been connected.

First the outline was plotted, then a big, but shallow hole was dug and tree roots removed.

Trenches were added to this hole which outline the rooms of the first floor. Concrete has been added to these trenches and some pipe work is in place for the waste from the 1st and 2nd floor toilets and the 2nd floor bathroom.

Also there has been a delivery of some styrofoam pads. I think these are for insulation above the foundations but below the OM Solar layer of concrete.

Here are a few pictures.


The water tap is visible behind the blue bicycle.

Interest Rate

We have an agreement with Shinsei Bank to borrow 80% of the house price.

Unfortunately they won't make a contract with us until the house is completed and they send their inspector to see that the building meets legal standards. This is unfortunate becasue the mortgage rate seems to be on the increase. There have been two 0.5% rises in the last 6 months, and the way the yen has been getting stronger recently, I anticipate more rises before the build is finished.

I believe that the government will lend us up to 7,200,000 yen at 2%. This is something I wil investigate more in the coming weeks. We may also split the mortgage between fixed and variable rates to hedge our bets.