Hehe nice choice. we have imagine for our external cladding colour. It's a lighter beige where as oak buff is more of a grey beige I think.
Browse Forums Building A New House Re: Simonds Prague Willow Vale QLD 122Mar 28, 2016 9:48 pm Hey JustHeart, good to see you back on the boards! I really enjoyed watching your house progress. It's lovely, and especially the deck out front your hubby did. Top job Re: Simonds Prague Willow Vale QLD 124Mar 29, 2016 7:56 am Tracey70 Just a question off the actual topic, but just wanted to know if there is a way to see if Simonds are overcharging on fixed site costs. Not sure, they usually say it's about $15000 piring is expensive with Simonds. We were going to build somewhere else but it was an awkward lot and site costs blew up to $40000, there's no way we could of done that. So we changed lots to another estate on a flat lot. It ended up being nearly $15000. Re: Simonds Prague Willow Vale QLD 125Mar 29, 2016 8:02 am justheart Hehe nice choice. we have imagine for our external cladding colour. It's a lighter beige where as oak buff is more of a grey beige I think. How is your house going? Do you love it? Is there anything you would change? I remember when I first started I googled Simonds prague and your build showed. Our experience has been super dooper stressful, I'm only now de stressing now I can see the end is near. This journey has been going on for two years. I'm over everything lol! Re: Simonds Prague Willow Vale QLD 126Mar 29, 2016 8:13 am kyliebsmith Tracey70 Just a question off the actual topic, but just wanted to know if there is a way to see if Simonds are overcharging on fixed site costs. Not sure, they usually say it's about $15000 piring is expensive with Simonds. We were going to build somewhere else but it was an awkward lot and site costs blew up to $40000, there's no way we could of done that. So we changed lots to another estate on a flat lot. It ended up being nearly $15000. Yeah they are charging us 15k and the land sales guy was quite surprised it was that expensive as land is flat and no rocks. Re: Simonds Prague Willow Vale QLD 127Mar 29, 2016 8:24 am Just ask them if it concerns you. Our land is flat no rocks also. Re: Simonds Prague Willow Vale QLD 128Mar 29, 2016 8:57 am We had around 1.6m of fall from the back to the front of ours & our fixed site cost was $12,000 but the retaining walls are not included, we have to do those ourselves after handover. Building Simonds Express Westbury Premium in Vic 2015 / 2016 Re: Simonds Prague Willow Vale QLD 129Mar 29, 2016 9:31 am Builders are so expensive. Council approvals are also included. Re: Simonds Prague Willow Vale QLD 130Mar 29, 2016 10:39 am I'm pretty sure they are over-charging for the fixed price but it's swings and roundabouts, at least there's no surprises and they have to cover there back somehow. I brought this up with one of the sales guys and that I felt that they were making extra $$ by over charging (by quite a lot in our case) there's not a lot he could say other than we have a bit of a fall in our land and said its not the easiest soil. We have chosen to continue because we really want fixed Building Simonds Palisade soon.. Re: Simonds Prague Willow Vale QLD 131Mar 29, 2016 11:01 am Site costs are a bit unpredicatable as they don't really know what they got until they start surveying, sampling, testing and digging. Where your ground level ends up and construction of your foundation all have an impact. For example: our site/slab costs were $37,000. For good reason. Our block wasn't flat ... it had a 1 metre fall from front to back and we didn't want the standard 'cut and fill'. We built up the back (organised that before we engaged our builder) with surrounding fill from adjacent blocks. We wanted to keep our block level with the street so our block was flat. Our neighbors have their driveways going downward like they're going into a dungeon and their windows are below ground level. We wanted to avoid that at all costs. We are on soil with the highest movement and had 'uncontrolled fill' so needed traditional raft (no waffle) slab with extra thickened slab, piers and stronger concrete. And yes we also had to retain (did separately). I don't think they rip-off. I think it's normal (no matter what builder you're with) to perhaps feel that way. We did initially ... because you can't see it. Now we've got the experience we understand. $15,000 sounds good Re: Simonds Prague Willow Vale QLD 132Mar 29, 2016 11:01 am Marshall5858 I'm pretty sure they are over-charging for the fixed price but it's swings and roundabouts, at least there's no surprises and they have to cover there back somehow. I brought this up with one of the sales guys and that I felt that they were making extra $$ by over charging (by quite a lot in our case) there's not a lot he could say other than we have a bit of a fall in our land and said its not the easiest soil. We have chosen to continue because we really want fixed Building Simonds Palisade soon.. So many are building Palisades Yeah our sales person said I wouldn't expect it to go over $12000 then we got nearly $40000 and they didn't tell us till we were on our way to sign the contract. But it was on an awkward lot Re: Simonds Prague Willow Vale QLD 133Mar 29, 2016 11:14 am Our site cost was 11,000 our land is higher than our neibours like our driveway goes upward slightly but I think it was a good deal. We also got a very good deal for the Prague at the time too got 20k off the original price so for first time home owners that's a great deal. If I had anything I would change or do differently it will be upgrading ensuite shower to bigger one and upgrading the dining window to bigger window or and kitchen TomCat you know about my dilemma with kitchen hehehe ) but other than that we love it... Is it our forever home probably not... Our family is slowly growing and will need more space!!! I'm due for my 2nd Bub in 3weeks.....!! Yikes... Re: Simonds Prague Willow Vale QLD 134Mar 29, 2016 11:49 am TomCat Site costs are a bit unpredicatable as they don't really know what they got until they start surveying, sampling, testing and digging. Where your ground level ends up and construction of your foundation all have an impact. For example: our site/slab costs were $37,000. For good reason. Our block wasn't flat ... it had a 1 metre fall from front to back and we didn't want the standard 'cut and fill'. We built up the back (organised that before we engaged our builder) with surrounding fill from adjacent blocks. We wanted to keep our block level with the street so our block was flat. Our neighbors have their driveways going downward like they're going into a dungeon and their windows are below ground level. We wanted to avoid that at all costs. We are on soil with the highest movement and had 'uncontrolled fill' so needed traditional raft (no waffle) slab with extra thickened slab, piers and stronger concrete. And yes we also had to retain (did separately). I don't think they rip-off. I think it's normal (no matter what builder you're with) to perhaps feel that way. We did initially ... because you can't see it. Now we've got the experience we understand. $15,000 sounds good $15,000 does sound good, I wouldn't mind if ours where coming in at that haha. Neighboring properties have paid around that mark and we did consider looking at another builder because the first builder had quoted a lot less but not fixed. Oh well, I'm not gonna complain, I like the security the fixed cost brings us even if it is coming in higher than I'd like Re: Simonds Prague Willow Vale QLD 135Mar 29, 2016 12:01 pm Your house is looking good! Your kitchen splashback is so pretty! I'm so impressed with the progress app! Awesome! Assuming they update it! My builder doesn't even return calls or respond to vmails or emails so that is just brilliant! M Y C U S T O M C O R A L B R O N T E 43 ...............Kitchen! 16 Nov 2016 https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=79581 Re: Simonds Prague Willow Vale QLD 136Mar 29, 2016 12:19 pm Our site costs were fixed at just under $16K (that's OH&S, bins, temp fence/etc all included). We were told that basically it works out for the builder when they fix the costs that some sites are more and they make a loss and then with some sites they recoup the cost. If a builder doesn't know the area they may be unwilling to fix the costs or make the fixed cost high because they don't know what they're getting in to, and on the other side, people in later stages of estates may find high fixed costs because the builder has run into a lot of rock or other things. It's kind of a gamble if you think your fixed costs are high and want to un-fix them (I'm sure a few other people read the thread where someone was considering not fixing then they ran into an astronomical amount of rock 45cu or something?!? It would've cost them sooo much ). We have fall from back to front but only the front 4 meters (and about a meter?) the rest of the block is flat. Thankfully that made the build part easy and they didn't have to do anything fancy with our slab. Our driveway is quite steep though and we have a higher than usual step down to our garage but that's about it. We built the Rathdowne with Simonds Express in Western Melbourne Site start Oct. 2015 Keys Jan. 25th, 2015 My build thread -here- Re: Simonds Prague Willow Vale QLD 137Mar 29, 2016 12:20 pm They said that if its not updated to let them know as it co insides with whatever they have. It even has photos and the contracts. But the stages on the app are different to payments so I got an invoice unexpectedly Re: Simonds Prague Willow Vale QLD 138Mar 29, 2016 12:24 pm GemmaS We had around 1.6m of fall from the back to the front of ours & our fixed site cost was $12,000 but the retaining walls are not included, we have to do those ourselves after handover. Our builders tried to tell us that our site needed to be dug out to 1.6m at the back and were going to charge us $14500.. we objected and then agreed on 1.2m and got a local guy to do our site prep.. got the bill last week and was amazed as it only cost us $1300 worth getting a second opinion.. Macedon 322/DFH 2016!! Re: Simonds Prague Willow Vale QLD 139Mar 29, 2016 12:28 pm kyliebsmith They said that if its not updated to let them know as it co insides with whatever they have. It even has photos and the contracts. But the stages on the app are different to payments so I got an invoice unexpectedly I'm a bit jealous of your photos! Maybe our SS knew we were by enough that he didn't have to take any haha I probably would've driven by just as much anyway We built the Rathdowne with Simonds Express in Western Melbourne Site start Oct. 2015 Keys Jan. 25th, 2015 My build thread -here- Re: Simonds Prague Willow Vale QLD 140Mar 29, 2016 12:45 pm I go by like several times a week because it's on my way to work. It's pretty bad really. I think our SS hates it but he doesn't say anything. 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 4724 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 5518 We used a smaller qld builder who went bankrupt about 12 months after completion of ours. It was a shame as they were good and relatively cheap and I would have used… 3 5680 |