and more progress........ the house is being insulated against Melbourne's hot summers and even cooler winters http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c169/SimFer/Insulationfront.jpg a view from the back - the roof tiles are ready to be laid :D http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c169/SimFer/Insulationback....

Here's another update for anyone who is interested. The house is finally locked up :D http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c169/SimFer/Brick34.jpg ......... and the plasterboard has been hung http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c169/SimFer/Plaster.jpg

Thanks Adrian. The builder is Enterprise Contructions. No inspector other than myself. I'm building in Essendon.

good call Johnny. Some people's piece of string is a lot longer than others. a client of mine is building a 170sq home at a cost of $6.5m :shock: my 3 bedroom plus study single story brick home will likely end up costing $1,500 per square metre....................and then the fun starts with the lan...

What about an inside toilet? lol - that would help..................as long as it's the flushing type and not just a bucket of water :P

$6,500 to remove a 1938 weatherboard. the demolisher cleared the site of trees and concrete. There was also asbestos.

Hi Amber. Welcome. Good luck with your property. I'm enjoying my building process so far and am taking every issue in my stride. Whilst you can't expect there to be no hurdles, a positive approach should hold you well in dealing with them. With regards to gardening, I too am a novice. This is why I ...

Hi and welcome :D

There is currently many options in regards to synthetic grass which look great, the grass requires no water or hard work. The grass also handles dog droppings!!! Check out a company based in melbourne, http://www.smartgrass.com.au I find that repulsive - sorry. Nothing beats the natural feel or the...

Hi I'm Simon, a financial planner from Melbourne. I am currently in the process of building a new home. I hope to learn a lot and also contribute where I can. Cheers :D

Great response Earl - you took the words out of my mouth. I can't think of anything else to add.

Hi Mustang, I too was concerned about granite in the kitchen so I opted for caesarstone. Same for the laundry. I did however choose granite for the bathrooms cos the look cannot be beaten. In fact marble is the sexiest of all but I was too much of a wimp to get that. I think that the bottom line is ...

I guess that it comes down to personal preference. A friend of mine has sydney bluegum flooring and spotted gum cabinets with black granite tops. It looks lovely and rich and not overbearing. In our case we have a different style of home so have gone white cabinets against brushbox flooring. This is...

I'm still very much in the early stages of choosing a landscape designer. I intend to see a few more before I commit. I got the fright of my life when i heard $5k for drawings. Based on his hourly fee it worked out to around 60 hours worth of work. I'm a financial planner who develops pretty complex...

Hi mek, I'm building out west too :D Good luck finding a builder that you are happy with. We drove around a lot to see what we liked before choosing a builder - it's funny what you can find out about a builder just by supplying the address details to the local council.

Economies of scale would play a big part. Generally the more you buy the cheaper you can get it for. Another thing might be that the larger builders continually develop innovative ways of designing and building which can reduce costs.

I haven't dealt with them personally so take my comments with a grain of salt. I looked at a C&J home a few years back when they had a display in bundoora. I'm not sure how many different designes they have but this was an edwardian. Whilst it seemed like a quality home I found them to be rather...

Welcome Phil. Keep us updated on your eventual decision and progress.

Hi windowexpert, can you provide some examples of the windows you describe