Browse Forums Building A New House Re: GJ Gardner - Mandalay 298 - QLD 126Jul 15, 2016 7:00 am [quote="hazza80"]Fiat - your thread is awesome and can't wait to read more about it and see more photos. Thanks for sharing them in here too. Re: finance - bit in the air again. Our solution the other day is not a goer. I've asked the broker to look further into the valuation - $46k off, is a long way off! [/quote Thanks Hazza Oh poo! 46k is a huge amount to be off - did you include extras? We added separate quotes for landscaping, Window covering and solar which they forgot to include in the first val. As soon as our broker pointed it out they changed it. Re: GJ Gardner - Mandalay 298 - QLD 127Jul 18, 2016 1:39 pm We think we've found a solution. We're dropping the 5kw solar pack from the contract (shouldn't affect valuation) which will allow us to make the difference and cop the LMI. We'll get the same solar pack after settlement (just means furniture upgrading will wait). New contract being made at the moment. Then back to broker and valuer (should be fine), and sign the finance docs. Realising that at this point, things I think should take 2 days, take a week. Hopefully GJ will have their 5% next week and it's in council by late next week. Re: GJ Gardner - Mandalay 298 - QLD 129Jul 18, 2016 5:35 pm With the rainy weather over the weekend, and waiting for the contract/finance to sort out, I did a mock of the proposed landscaping. Added up round about square metres of different aspects of the property and I think we'll be turfing around about 1100m2 - will try getting by without a ride-on for a while. Any problems that someone sees, or other ideas? The trees in the bottom part of the block are in a covenant - can garden in that area but can't build any permanent structures. After the pool area - it slopes slightly (40-50cm) over the last 40 or so metres. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: GJ Gardner - Mandalay 298 - QLD 130Jul 18, 2016 5:43 pm That will look stunning! Are you doing yourself or having a landscaper do it? Maybe if you need to save a few $$ you could think about turfing up to the end of the sheds and then using grass seed for the rest? That's what we're going to try and if the seed doesn't take we'll turf the last part of the yard next year. Cannot wait for your build to start!! Re: GJ Gardner - Mandalay 298 - QLD 131Jul 18, 2016 6:27 pm Good that you've found a solution, are you having to compromise on anything else? We are having to cop some LMI as well not ideal but neither is my living situation so just grin and bare it Can't wait to see your landscaping to come to life that is just gorgeous GJ Gardner Modified Coolum 277 viewtopic.php?t=83643 Re: GJ Gardner - Mandalay 298 - QLD 132Jul 18, 2016 6:38 pm Re: our build starting - you and me both! I'm biting at the bit - hence trying to keep myself occupied while waiting for this admin to sort out (I really hope the new contract is ready tomorrow). Keeping updated with your build is the most exciting part of this experience at the moment! Great to see yours coming together so well - and it looks awesome! We'll probably invest in a landscaper to advise on our overall plan and which plants he/she thinks will suit the look we're after. After that, we'll tackle as much of it as we can - may invest in some dingo work here and there. I'm expecting to buy/hire a compactor as one thing I want to make sure we get correct, is drainage. Looking at our timeline, I'm expecting our build to be at hand-over by around late January- early February (that's allowing for 3 weeks stoppage over Christmas break). The first month would likely be edging garden beds and getting surrounding land flat/sloped. Will apply to take some long service leave (2 weeks) leading into Easter, totaling 4 weeks of getting stuck into it. Hopefully we can get a rainwater tank in early (before hand-over) and let it start collecting before the turfing! Your suggestion with the turf is pretty much where our heads are at. Hopefully our variation costs are where I'm estimating them to be (haven't had a price list yet), and our landscaping budget stays as is. One of our neighbours is a real green thumb and I'm pretty sure he'll provide some useful suggestions along the way. He's also a retired builder himself, and even though we're local, I'm sure he will keep us up-to-date on how things were done (construction wise)! We want to keep it quite bushy (neat bushy) past the shed area - a visit there 2 weeks ago for 10-15mins, we had 9 kookaburras flying around our block and in the reserve behind, chatting away to each other - bloody awesome! Re: GJ Gardner - Mandalay 298 - QLD 133Jul 18, 2016 6:58 pm charlibear Good that you've found a solution, are you having to compromise on anything else? We are having to cop some LMI as well not ideal but neither is my living situation so just grin and bare it Can't wait to see your landscaping to come to life that is just gorgeous GJ Gardner Modified Coolum 277 viewtopic.php?t=83643 Taking the solar out and adding a few hundred extra dollars should be all that's needed to get us over the line. The compromise here is that we'll use about half the money we're currently spending on rent, to install the same solar system on interest free. Having the big pool, shed and larger house (ducted air-con) - we're gonna need that solar system! Our last residence we had a 5kw system (small pool) and it saved us about $500 per quarter. Our variations may throw a spanner in the works yet. I asked for a price list last Friday to check my estimates 'marry-up' with their prices. The LMI isn't ideal, but I see it as almost equivalent to the stamp-duty on a similar priced property - money down the drain either way! Our other option was to have a guarantor - we thought about it (saves LMI), but the potential headaches and relationship stresses turned us off this option. We got some clarification on why our value was lower than we hoped for - basically, not enough sales in the area at the price point. They weren't doubting the worth of the build - just the previous sales. We're confident in what we're buying into. Re: GJ Gardner - Mandalay 298 - QLD 135Jul 22, 2016 1:38 pm Nope... just that our new contract (solarless) is back with the bank - since Tuesday arvo. Maybe Monday, we'll know?? Re: GJ Gardner - Mandalay 298 - QLD 136Jul 22, 2016 2:36 pm hazza80 With the rainy weather over the weekend, and waiting for the contract/finance to sort out, I did a mock of the proposed landscaping. Added up round about square metres of different aspects of the property and I think we'll be turfing around about 1100m2 - will try getting by without a ride-on for a while. Any problems that someone sees, or other ideas? The trees in the bottom part of the block are in a covenant - can garden in that area but can't build any permanent structures. After the pool area - it slopes slightly (40-50cm) over the last 40 or so metres. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ 1100m2 of turf is a lot for a residential property. Did you consider dropping the soil in and throwing some seed down? Let it grow while you're waiting on the build. Try this over an extended area out the back. You could have most of your yard well grassed by handover. Leave the turfing for the front and other areas which may be more visible or see higher usage. Re: GJ Gardner - Mandalay 298 - QLD 137Jul 22, 2016 9:47 pm I hear ya, but we haven't had a lot of success with seeds in the past so we'll probably try and turf as much we can afford. If we need to seed we probably will. See what's best after the scrape. Re: GJ Gardner - Mandalay 298 - QLD 138Jul 25, 2016 3:57 pm Got the OK from the broker to place our 5% deposit today - so that's done!
Should be submitted to council tomorrow. Apparently they're quite fast - except for septic systems - which of course, we have! Pretty good feeling to know it's finally going to council! Re: GJ Gardner - Mandalay 298 - QLD 139Jul 25, 2016 4:24 pm Congratulations Hazza!! Can't wait until I am at your stage submitting plans to council. How long does your council take? My builder advised my council is usually 4 weeks or 6 weeks at Xmas time We have a septic system too so hopefully that doesn't delay our DA. Ideally I'd like my tank up around the end of November to get the water from the storms we here GJ Gardner Modified Coolum 277 viewtopic.php?t=83643 May I ask why you chose not to use GJ Gardiner? I'm actually meeting with one of the sales guys tomorrow for an appointment. Definitely not signing anything yet… 3 13263 Hi all. Anyone know when the $11,000 limit was set in legislation for renovations in QLD? Ive been renovating for 5 years now and this was the limit back then. As we know,… 0 4252 Hi, I contracted a Builder to do a Garage to Bedroom + ensuite conversion (Class 1a), the Builder engaged the Certifier and Engineer and received BDA from the Certifier… 0 5034 |