Welcome back to our latest site update!
Since our last video—the house demolition—things might look quiet at first glance. But trust me, we've been busy getting the site properly set up for the build ahead.
Getting Connected: Why Starlink Saved the Day
Today we had our site office delivered, and tomorrow a crane will lift it into position. But first—we needed to ensure we had reliable internet established.
To begin with I tried setting up a 4G MIMO antenna, but the signal was weak—just 25 Mbps. Then we installed a Starlink Roam.
After installing and setting up the Starlink Roam unit, wow—speeds jumped to 185–250 Mbps. Yes, the palm tree blocks part of the satellite view, but honestly? It's still 10 times faster than 4G. For a site office setup, Starlink has been a game-changer.
Site Setup: Fencing, Awnings, and DIY Fixes
We've got those fancy (read: expensive) temporary fences up. They kept breaking in the wind, so instead of buying $30 braces, we built our own.
We also added awnings to the container—we roll them out during the day and bring them in at night so they don't flap around. Speaking of containers: we actually bought ours (not rented), which means we can drill holes without worrying about angry rental companies chasing us down.
Pro tip: never drill into a rented container unless you enjoy making "friends" with accounts receivable teams!
Hidden Surprises Underground
While digging near the comms pit, we discovered the incoming data cable was pinched under a footing—not properly run through conduit. No wonder the previous owners had internet issues! We carefully excavated, cut the cable nearby, and pulled it back into the pit.
Why so careful? Because cutting everyone's internet is a surefire way to make enemies—especially with Telstra. And trust me, you don't want Telstra as a "friend."We also uncovered and properly capped off old stormwater and sewer lines.
Should've done this earlier, but concrete and debris blocked access. Lesson learned: always check what's hiding underground before demo day!
The Site Office Container
Before the new office goes up tomorrow, we gave our storage container a serious upgrade:
- Mini kitchen setup: microwave, fridge, coffee machine (essential!)
- Printer running on Wi-Fi via our Starlink router
- Pressure cleaner, vacuums, and all the tools you'd expect
- A chandelier (going into the new residence) and Sonos speaker because why not? Even worksites deserve ambiance
- Ceiling fan to keep things bearable in the heat
For lighting, we skipped expensive $100 LED fittings and went with 5 meters of LED strip in a channel—same price, way more coverage. Shoutout to our local Ideal store for friendly, old-school service (and better prices than big-box hardware chains).
Security and Network
We've built a basic network setup that includes:
- Starlink feeds into a UniFi UNVR. We're using the starlink inbuilr router for site office wifi. If covereage is shitty, we'' get an additional starlink mesh router to extend covererage, and reconnect the UNVR to the mesh router RJ45 port, relocating it from the direct connection to the Starlink Mini RJ45.
- Four POE-powered cameras connect into the Unifi Flex, then the flex connects into the Unifi 60W POE injector.
- The Unifi 60w POE injector connects to the UNVR
- A Unifi Siren - POE connects into the UNVR
- Two Unifi cameras not running through the flex connected directly into the UNVR
- There are a total 6 cameras which is the maximum for this UNVR unit.
- The Electrician installed four 15-amp power points and a sub-board
We added a lockbox for padlocks and a timer-controlled sprinkler system for dust suppression. Programming that timer took three days until I discovered "winter mode" was accidentally on—thanks Hollman website (when in doubt always read and follow the instructions 😄_
Marking the Build Footprint
Matt spent today marking out the house grid using fluorescent paint based on the architect's early works pack. The entire home is designed on a grid system for precision.
We've pegged all corners and basement walls—you can actually see the footprint taking shape. Good news: we only need to dig another 1.4 meters to reach the basement floor level. Less soil to move than expected!
We did have another discussion with the structural engineer about the proximity of the two basement walls, and if we really need the second wall closest to the boundary given we have sheet piling (sacrificial) being installed. The answer we got back from them was "yes" its needed. The wall closest to the sheet piling acts as a retaining wall. If we remove that wall, the basement wall, around 1.2m away from the boundary, would need to be beefed up to 275mm thick to counter the removal. We decided just to leave this as is - we need to get the structural design finished.
What's Next?
Tomorrow the crane lifts the site office into place. Then comes our next challenge: building stairs with a landing and handrail to access it (without crossing the property boundary—council "friendships" are expensive!).
We're also running sprinklers four times daily to keep dust down until we remove the sand. Oh, and we have two 100% electric utes on site.
They are quiet, zero emissions, and perfect for site runs. More on those later!
It's all about site establishment at this point in time now—so the actual build goes smoothly.
Thanks for following along!
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