Posts by kylie40 • Home Renovation & Building Forum

Re: Bath in ensuite, shower in main bathroomBathrooms and Laundry

11 August 2015

Aug 11, 2015 9:42 am

I would think very few adults have a bath regularly, so I would think most buyers would be put off by not having a shower in their ensuite. An ensuite with shower, toilet and basin off the master bedroom is pretty much standard expectation in houses these days, I'd think. Couples with young kids or ...

I would think very few adults have a bath regularly, so I would think most buyers would be put off by not having a showe...

Re: $103 to Upgrade PP to Include USB?General Discussion

1 August 2015

Aug 01, 2015 10:15 pm

They may become obsolete but should be good for a few years at least, I figured. At $40 each it seemed to me to be worth getting a few. At $100 each, not so much.

They may become obsolete but should be good for a few years at least, I figured. At $40 each it seemed to me to be worth...

Re: Do you regret building a smaller home?General Discussion

1 August 2015

Aug 01, 2015 5:27 pm

I disagree that kids don't need good size bedrooms anymore. Before buying our current house (which we're about to leave) my brother advised me that small kid's bedrooms is fine because they always play in the living areas anyway. That was a mistake! For young kids, even if they play in the living ar...

I disagree that kids don't need good size bedrooms anymore. Before buying our current house (which we're about to leave)...

Re: Do you regret building a smaller home?General Discussion

1 August 2015

Aug 01, 2015 5:18 pm

I think you should make a list of pros & cons: Bigger house: :( bigger mortgage & less money to spend on other things :( more surfaces to clean :( less backyard :) more flexibility in use and arranging furniture (especially as needs change over the years) Smaller house: :( unless your a mini...

I think you should make a list of pros cons: Bigger house: bigger mortgage less money to spend on other things more surf...

Re: Did you build a 3 or 4 bedroom house and why?General Discussion

1 August 2015

Aug 01, 2015 5:05 pm

I'm very curious as to whether people value living space, bedrooms or yard space more. I guess I'm greedy because I want lots of all three! We are building what will be our third home. With each move we have upgraded to more living areas, more/bigger bedrooms and more yard. We have always had a spa...

I'm very curious as to whether people value living space, bedrooms or yard space more. I guess I'm greedy because I want...

Re: Water storage. How much did you have?General Discussion

1 August 2015

Aug 01, 2015 2:07 pm

OMG! I'm only getting 2000L

Re: $103 to Upgrade PP to Include USB?General Discussion

1 August 2015

Aug 01, 2015 2:04 pm

We were also going to be charged $100 or more extra, for them to supply and install power points with built-in USB. There is no extra wiring required so I asked why the inflated price. The answer was the builder and/or electrician covering themselves in for return trips to fix or replace faulty USB ...

We were also going to be charged $100 or more extra, for them to supply and install power points with built-in USB. Ther...

Flame Zone vs BasixBuilding A New House

29 July 2015

Jul 29, 2015 1:17 am

BASIX One benefit we got from the bushfire rating & requirements was a reduction in the requirement for rainwater tanks. In the Basix assesment there’s a section on how much water you’ll use or save. You get points for water-saving bathroom fittings, rainwater tanks, native garden etc, and lose ...

BASIX One benefit we got from the bushfire rating requirements was a reduction in the requirement for rainwater tanks. I...

Bushfire consultantsBuilding A New House

29 July 2015

Jul 29, 2015 12:47 am

BUSHFIRE CONSULTANTS Before submitting my DA to the council, I had gotten some advice from the bushfire consultants, but the council didn’t ask for a bushfire report with my DA, so I thought I’d save money ($400) and not get it. I don’t know if they went off the report with the DA the previous owner...

BUSHFIRE CONSULTANTS Before submitting my DA to the council, I had gotten some advice from the bushfire consultants, but...

WINDOWS in BAL40 and Flame ZoneBuilding A New House

29 July 2015

Jul 29, 2015 12:26 am

WINDOWS Stick to standard sizes & shapes – our architect tried to get us to have a triangular window right up under the gable eaves, regardless of the impossibility of adding the required shutter to that! Note “standard” sizes of windows is a bit of a trick as each window has their own “standard...

WINDOWS Stick to standard sizes shapes – our architect tried to get us to have a triangular window right up under the ga...

House Design in BAL40 and Flame ZoneBuilding A New House

28 July 2015

Jul 28, 2015 11:38 pm

Ideally you will consider the bushfire requirements when starting to design your house, as that will impact on the cost. I recommend hiring a bushfire consultant before you get far into planning your house because they can advise you on ways your design can reduce (or increase) costs of FZ requireme...

Ideally you will consider the bushfire requirements when starting to design your house, as that will impact on the cost....

Re: Info & tips for those building in BAL40 and Flame ZoneBuilding A New House

28 July 2015

Jul 28, 2015 10:46 pm

Hi Caff, welcome to my thread. I look forward to hearing your experiences.

Info & tips for those building in BAL40 and Flame ZoneBuilding A New House

28 July 2015

Jul 28, 2015 9:39 pm

I'm starting this thread to pass on what I've learnt about building in a Flame Zone, in the hope that others will find it useful. Feel free to add your own relevant tips and experiences! Background info: "BAL" rating stands for Bushfire Attack Level. The highest (worst) level is BAL - Flam...

I'm starting this thread to pass on what I've learnt about building in a Flame Zone, in the hope that others will find i...

28 July 2015

Jul 28, 2015 4:35 pm

Some things I've learnt along the way: We have sourced and supplied most of the non-structural stuff for this house we are building, including: all bathroom fittings, all cabinetry, all flooring, all tiles, lights, fans, locks, appliances, electric shutters, even the front door. This was partly to s...

Some things I've learnt along the way: We have sourced and supplied most of the non-structural stuff for this house we a...

18 July 2015

Jul 18, 2015 3:35 pm

Turns out tiling wasn't finished after all. They left too large a gap around the wall mounted tap and will have to pull the tile off and cut a new one to fit. This will be the forth time they've had to pull tiles off the wall & redo it. They used the wrong tile for skirting in the powder room, a...

Turns out tiling wasn't finished after all. They left too large a gap around the wall mounted tap and will have to pull ...

Re: Top mount sink in stone: drainer or no drainer and tapsKitchen Corner

15 July 2015

Jul 15, 2015 12:50 am

Our current kitchen has double undermount sink with no drainer. We have chipped the edge of the granite benchtop at the sink, but on the dark granite it's not really noticeable. Regardless of the risk of chipping, our new kitchen will have another undermount sink because I love that I can wipe the m...

Our current kitchen has double undermount sink with no drainer. We have chipped the edge of the granite benchtop at the ...

Re: list your favorite gadget in kitchen...Kitchen Corner

15 July 2015

Jul 15, 2015 12:31 am

not sure what counts as a gadget, but what I "couldn't live without": dishwasher (hate washing up!) microwave sandwich toaster (we use it every day) my big cake-mixer (I love baking)

not sure what counts as a gadget, but what I couldn't live without: dishwasher (hate washing up!) microwave sandwich toa...

15 July 2015

Jul 15, 2015 12:22 am

Tiling was finished today, plumber is meant to do fix-out this week and next week they will start painting. Then the electrician fix-out. Then I guess they'll be cleaning up. I curious/anxious to see how well they clean up the yard that they've littered with rubble, scraps, lunch wrappings and piles...

Tiling was finished today, plumber is meant to do fix-out this week and next week they will start painting. Then the ele...

UPDATING Custom KDR in Flame ZoneBuilding A New House

15 July 2015

Jul 15, 2015 12:12 am

Well in the 9 1/2 mths since I last posted what was happening with my build - my house is almost finished! I really wanted to keep a diary of the whole build, particularly dates of when things happened because I thought it would be interesting to see how long each stage took; and I did start, but on...

Well in the 9 1/2 mths since I last posted what was happening with my build - my house is almost finished! I really want...

14 July 2015