5 Wines To Help You Survive Building a House In Perth
Currently my days consist of masking tape, drop sheets, getting up and down ladders, being constantly covered in paint and eating Bunnings sausage sizzles for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our house in the Swan Valley is just about complete – that’s after Mr. Spittoon and I complete the interior painting. It’s been a long 16 month process with only weeks to go and we could never have done it without wine.
I’d like to say that the copious amounts of wine consumed over the last year and a bit were due to celebrating each stage of our build but unfortunately most of the time we were drinking to save our sanity. If there’s two important things we learnt about building in Perth, it’s to choose your building company wisely and without a doubt the best money you will spend is on an independent building inspector. I’m being careful in this post to not go into a full-blown rant, but it’s safe to say that I would not recommend our builder even for the last glass of wine on earth. I would not use their words and class it as ‘living the dream’.
If you have built, are building or thinking of building a house in Perth then I suggest you stock up on the below wines stat. Trust me, you’ll need them!
1. Throughout the build: Champagne & Bubbles
My words cannot say it better than how Winston Churchill put it…
I could not live without Champagne – in victory I deserve it, in defeat I need it
As soon as our slab was down we packed up the champagne sabre and a bottle and headed to our piece of land and concrete. It was such an incredible moment and there was no wine better than bubbles to do it with. When we received the keys last week after everything we had been through with the build we chucked a bottle of Krug in the chilly bin and sat on our kitchen floor surrounded by soon to be painted walls and enjoyed it. An amazing moment and the wine complimented it so well.
Then there were the defeat bottles. When we couldn’t sign off on the final inspection due to the electricity tripping amongst a host of other things, the 66-page building inspection report of items not up to code or standard which took them nearly a month to fix (who cares about doubling up on rent and mortgage payments hey Mr. Builder) and not to mention being bullied into signing off on everything as quickly as possible. Sorry I’m trying not to rant! But it’s safe to say the Champagne helped calm us down during all the pitfalls.
2. When the mortgage payments start rolling in: Cheap Wine
From one extreme to the other I know! Paying a mortgage is not cheap and when you are paying a mortgage AND paying rent alongside having to start paying rates and bills for the new place. Well it adds up. There’s no doubt that you need wine, so to avoid going without you need to buy in bulk and cheaply. I wouldn’t go as far as goon, but bin-ends, cleanskins, case deals are all good options to get you through. Plus if you’re buying in bulk then you’re prepping for #4 on this list!
3. The DIY and moving-in stage: Wine RTD’s
Even if you don’t do the painting yourself, there are typically many things you want to do when you are handed over the keys from sealing paving to fencing, to landscaping and more. Plus of course there is the moving and unpacking! I don’t know about you guys, but when I’m going up and down ladders covered in paint head to toe or finding new homes for all my stuff, I find that drinking out of a bottle in a stubby cooler is the best remedy. It’s easy, versatile and well, I can just chug it back! I don’t mind the Brown Brothers Grape Tree bottles which are a grapey version of cider and the 5.5% alcohol can help when you’re arguing with your partner over painting techniques.. ay Mr. Spittoon 😉
4. The Bunnings Sausage Sizzle match: Red – sparkling, still, strong, weak but most of all cheap
Whether it’s going to look at paint colours yet again or to pick up light bulbs (yep they don’t come with the house, well not with our builder anyway!) you’ll start to get to know the normally confusing layout of your local Bunnings like it’s the back of your hand. But most of all, those $2.50 sausages outside will be a staple in your diet throughout the build – especially if you’re painting. I’ve only had two this week I swear! 
The best thing is, if you’re on shopping duty (typically that’s me) – I’ll load the car with the supplies, grab a bunch of sausage sizzles and take them back to the painting team. Then ‘whatever’ red I can get my hands on will be poured – it’s a match made in heaven I swear. And it can be very cost-effective too! Plus cheap reds go well with pizza, Maccas and all those naughty takeaways which are needed through the painting and moving stages!
5. To help with the move: Wine by the carton
Seriously this is the best excuse to buy wine by the case load. Because well, you’ll need moving boxes right?
And there you have it folks! These wines have helped me survive the move, well nearly, the end is in sight! Another fab resource I would suggest to anyone moving house is the Wine Lovers Guide to Moving House by The Fabulous Ladies Wine Society – it is a great read and holds some very handy tips!
Was there any wine which particularly helped you during building or moving house? Leave a comment below!
You stole the words right out of my mouth Nina 🙂 haha!
I think the lesson here is that there’s a wine makes everything better
Haha thanks Lara, I couldn’t help myself 😉
A most entertaining read ms casey.