Welcome back! Since the house demolition, the site might look quiet, but we've been busy getting it properly set up for the build ahead.
Getting Connected: Why Starlink Saved the Day
Our site office was delivered today, and tomorrow a crane will lift it into position. First, we needed reliable internet.
I tried a 4G MIMO antenna first, but the signal was weak: just 25 Mbps. Then we installed Starlink.
Speeds jumped to 185 to 250 Mbps. Yes, the palm tree blocks part of the satellite view, but it's still about 10 times faster than 4G. For a site office, 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 found the incoming data cable pinched under a footing instead of running 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 sure way to make enemies, especially with Telstra. Cables in the street belong to the carrier, so always lodge a Before You Dig Australia request and check with the carrier before you touch anything that isn't yours.
We also uncovered and 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 $100 LED fittings and went with 5 metres 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 the big-box hardware chains).
Security and Network
The short version: six PoE cameras (power over Ethernet, so one cable carries both power and data) and a siren all run back to a UniFi video recorder, connected to the internet through Starlink. For the network nerds, here's the detail:
- Starlink feeds a UniFi UNVR (the video recorder), and the Starlink's built-in router runs the site office Wi-Fi. If coverage is poor, we'll add a Starlink mesh router and move the UNVR onto its network port.
- Four PoE cameras connect to a UniFi Flex switch, which connects to a UniFi 60W PoE injector.
- The 60W PoE injector connects to the UNVR.
- A UniFi PoE siren connects to the UNVR.
- Two more UniFi cameras connect directly to the UNVR.
- That's six cameras in total, the maximum for this UNVR.
- 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 the timer took three days until I discovered winter mode was accidentally on. Thanks, Holman (their help article sorted it). When in doubt, read 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, and you can see the footprint taking shape. Good news: we only need to dig another 1.4 metres to reach basement floor level. Less soil to move than expected!
We also asked the structural engineer whether we really need the second basement wall closest to the boundary, given the sheet piling going in there is sacrificial (it stays in the ground for good but isn't counted as part of the permanent structure). The answer was yes: that wall acts as a retaining wall. Without it, the other basement wall, about 1.2 m from the boundary, would need to be beefed up to 275 mm thick. We left it as is, because we need to get the structural design finished. If you're building close to a boundary, expect retaining questions like this to affect both your design and your cost.
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 running sprinklers four times a day to keep dust down until we remove the sand. We also have two fully electric utes on site: quiet, zero emissions and perfect for site runs. More on those later!
At this stage it's all about site establishment, so the actual build runs smoothly.
Thanks for following along!
