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Land has finally settled today, bring on the mortgage!
Soil test and survey happened on Monday and reports are back already which is awesome. Soil type is P and we will need a H1 waffle slab which we expected so no rude shocks. That being said we are still waiting on final site costs so let's hope I haven't spoken too soon.
We'll need a site cut of 1.1 meters and fill of 0.9 meters due to our slope and turns out our driveway will be too steep. Our garage will be dropped to 516mm with 2 steps up from garage to internal entry. This makes our garage walls too high apparently so will need to apply for a dispensation from the council.
Also had word from DJM that we would need to apply for a dispensation for the alfresco, but as mentioned previously in the post we already changed windows and sliding doors to french doors at our cost so I am waiting for clarification on why we need dispensation. If we still need to apply, may as well change it back to windows and sliders as per original design (and save $1k if they let us).
Once engineering is completed we wait for building permit and asset protection permit from council.
Would be interesting to know how much site costs you end up with. I may end with a similar soil test results.
I'll let you know once we get them, hopefully next week.
No need for a dispensation for the alfresco as the french doors solve the issue. Another one came up though relating to light and ventilation to the open plan area, have to change the window on the lounge/tv side of the area to full length, 2 meters high instead of 1.3 at our cost of course, but not really complaining, will look nice with the doors etc.
Land has finally settled today, bring on the mortgage!
Soil test and survey happened on Monday and reports are back already which is awesome. Soil type is P and we will need a H1 waffle slab which we expected so no rude shocks. That being said we are still waiting on final site costs so let's hope I haven't spoken too soon.
We'll need a site cut of 1.1 meters and fill of 0.9 meters due to our slope and turns out our driveway will be too steep. Our garage will be dropped to 516mm with 2 steps up from garage to internal entry. This makes our garage walls too high apparently so will need to apply for a dispensation from the council.
Also had word from DJM that we would need to apply for a dispensation for the alfresco, but as mentioned previously in the post we already changed windows and sliding doors to french doors at our cost so I am waiting for clarification on why we need dispensation. If we still need to apply, may as well change it back to windows and sliders as per original design (and save $1k if they let us).
Once engineering is completed we wait for building permit and asset protection permit from council.
Would be interesting to know how much site costs you end up with. I may end with a similar soil test results.
I'll let you know once we get them, hopefully next week.
Did you get your site costs?
Would be interesting to know how much site costs you end up with. I may end with a similar soil test results.
I'll let you know once we get them, hopefully next week.
Did you get your site costs?
Not yet, engineering is due back today so I'm hoping to hear today or Monday.
Hi Clareymoo,
Did you get the site costs back?
Hi Clareymoo,
Did you get the site costs back?
Nope
some issue with Yarra valley water now. Como need something confirmed about sewer location but yvw say they don't have it and developer says they do bla bla bla .. and so we wait more.
Still no site costs. Como have decided we need to make the house split level due to the way the back retaining wall is built. Apparently the walls concrete footings fan out in a pyramid shape under the ground so we can't do a sit cut deep enough to sit a single level house on. Bit annoying but not much we can do. Other people in my estate are having to use smaller house designs or even change builders due to them not wanting to build near the retaining walls.
So this means a structural change to our design of course. The back bedrooms, kids zone and bathroom will be raised 790mm higher and there will be 4 stairs going up. This means our lovely double CSD are no more and we have a door at the left hand side and a big blank wall. We are on holiday in India at the moment but luckily CK from Como was happy to call us international.
We are going to have them put a cutout in the wall where the CSD were going to be, same width, height to be centred in the kids zone, and we will add internal louvres after hand over.
The only other option would have been to remove the alfresco but we didn't want to do that.
Still no site costs. Como have decided we need to make the house split level due to the way the back retaining wall is built. Apparently the walls concrete footings fan out in a pyramid shape under the ground so we can't do a sit cut deep enough to sit a single level house on. Bit annoying but not much we can do. Other people in my estate are having to use smaller house designs or even change builders due to them not wanting to build near the retaining walls.
So this means a structural change to our design of course. The back bedrooms, kids zone and bathroom will be raised 790mm higher and there will be 4 stairs going up. This means our lovely double CSD are no more and we have a door at the left hand side and a big blank wall. We are on holiday in India at the moment but luckily CK from Como was happy to call us international.
We are going to have them put a cutout in the wall where the CSD were going to be, same width, height to be centred in the kids zone, and we will add internal louvres after hand over.
The only other option would have been to remove the alfresco but we didn't want to do that.
Why wouldn't they figure it out earlier.
Still no site costs. Como have decided we need to make the house split level due to the way the back retaining wall is built. Apparently the walls concrete footings fan out in a pyramid shape under the ground so we can't do a sit cut deep enough to sit a single level house on. Bit annoying but not much we can do. Other people in my estate are having to use smaller house designs or even change builders due to them not wanting to build near the retaining walls.
So this means a structural change to our design of course. The back bedrooms, kids zone and bathroom will be raised 790mm higher and there will be 4 stairs going up. This means our lovely double CSD are no more and we have a door at the left hand side and a big blank wall. We are on holiday in India at the moment but luckily CK from Como was happy to call us international.
We are going to have them put a cutout in the wall where the CSD were going to be, same width, height to be centred in the kids zone, and we will add internal louvres after hand over.
The only other option would have been to remove the alfresco but we didn't want to do that.
Why wouldn't they figure it out earlier.
From what I understand the way they built the walls was different to the first engineering report. A lot of us have had rude shocks like this since settlement unfortunately
Still no site costs. Como have decided we need to make the house split level due to the way the back retaining wall is built. Apparently the walls concrete footings fan out in a pyramid shape under the ground so we can't do a sit cut deep enough to sit a single level house on. Bit annoying but not much we can do. Other people in my estate are having to use smaller house designs or even change builders due to them not wanting to build near the retaining walls.
So this means a structural change to our design of course. The back bedrooms, kids zone and bathroom will be raised 790mm higher and there will be 4 stairs going up. This means our lovely double CSD are no more and we have a door at the left hand side and a big blank wall. We are on holiday in India at the moment but luckily CK from Como was happy to call us international.
We are going to have them put a cutout in the wall where the CSD were going to be, same width, height to be centred in the kids zone, and we will add internal louvres after hand over.
The only other option would have been to remove the alfresco but we didn't want to do that.
Why wouldn't they figure it out earlier.
From what I understand the way they built the walls was different to the first engineering report. A lot of us have had rude shocks like this since settlement unfortunately
Ok. So are you going to be charged for it now?
Why wouldn't they figure it out earlier.
From what I understand the way they built the walls was different to the first engineering report. A lot of us have had rude shocks like this since settlement unfortunately
Ok. So are you going to be charged for it now?
Haha yeah of course. Nothing is free
Yeah clareymoo, they will charge for extra work. but are they going to charge admin fee etc. since you are making structural changes post tender?
I would ask for them to share - after all they had your block's engineering and if they didn't advise earlier - no harm in putting your point view
I would ask for them to share - after all they had your block's engineering and if they didn't advise earlier - no harm in putting your point view
Ah you mean the variation fee. I will be fighting that if they charge it.
I would ask for them to share - after all they had your block's engineering and if they didn't advise earlier - no harm in putting your point view
Ah you mean the variation fee. I will be fighting that if they charge it.
Well I would even ask them for reduction in structural fees if charged cos with engineering drawing they should have advised you -
Site costs can only be worked out after soil test but structurally since they have the engineering for the block they could have advised how your house plan would sit
I would ask for them to share - after all they had your block's engineering and if they didn't advise earlier - no harm in putting your point view
Ah you mean the variation fee. I will be fighting that if they charge it.
Well I would even ask them for reduction in structural fees if charged cos with engineering drawing they should have advised you -
Site costs can only be worked out after soil test but structurally since they have the engineering for the block they could have advised how your house plan would sit
Yeah fair point. It's a discussion to have with CK when we're back in the country probably
hi Clareymoo,
I am also considering to build with inspired homes, but not able to build up my confidence abt them as they are not willing to show any of their recents builts. How did you decide on them to build?
hi Clareymoo,
I am also considering to build with inspired homes, but not able to build up my confidence abt them as they are not willing to show any of their recents builts. How did you decide on them to build?
Hi mm we also asked to look at recent builds and they said no. We made the decision to sign based on gut feeling from Charlee and Andrew and also said to ourselves if at any time we didn't feel right we would walk away and forfeit our initial deposit with no worries. We also looked through Arden displays (it was Arden doing their build when we signed, Como now who have split off from Arden anyway). But pretty much gut feeling and the inclusions were much better than our other choice
Hi clarymoo,
We too have been switched from Arden to Como Homes as we have designed a house with Inspired Homes.
I was hoping for an update on your house build.
Did your land title in March?
I was googling Como homes to see if there was any further info apart from the quick phone call to us that Arden weren’t the builder anymore...
I’m wondering on the quality of the workman etc.
Hope to trade stories soon (our land is meant to title mid-June).
thanks for post, we havent decided on the builders yet but still considering Inspired homes. All ur updates will help us reach our decision soon. Pls keep posting your experience with them