Who's Bought Land - Akora Box Hill

http://akoraboxhill.com.au

Subject explains it all, so I would like to know who's bought from the Akora estate!

I secured Stage 2 - Lot 19, 391sqm in total. This is our first foray in the property market and Box Hill sounds like it will be a lovely community to live and raise a family in.

Contracts now exchanged and eagerly awaiting June 2017 for settlement of land.

So who else is in?

Hi Micdeez!

I replied to a post you did on another thread and just saw this one today.

My reply below:

Newbie here - just joined after many years being a "lurker" like Michael haha =)

Congrats on your holding deposits. Box Hill is going to be an amazing place to live.

My story...

My wife and I built a house in The Ponds that was completed in Oct 2010. The Ponds is a lovely place and we had all intentions of staying, but after we did some research into Box Hill, we decided to put the house on the market after 5+ happy years here. We just accepted an offer yesterday and will be settling in 5weeks (quick I know). Looks like we will be renters for a while...eeek!

I have been doing a lot of research into the current developments on offer - (Maclandgroup, Horizon, Victoria Estate, The Gables etc) and we liked the look and location of "Akora". Not to say that the others aren't going to be amazing, but Akora has been calling out to us for a while now.

For us, the main thing is trying to stick to a reasonable budget. We built with Eden Brae, so know the steps quite well (and all the builders tricks to make you spend more haha). With regards to the block we want, it has to be X wide to fit the designs we have been looking at. The block we had in The Ponds was a 500sqm corner block and as nice as it was, I would prefer something that is smaller that requires a little less maintenance. Not that the gardens were a problem at all, but the grass required more maintenance compared to a standard block.

Rawson Homes are pretty good builders, so it's good to see that there will be some nice house and land packages in Akora.

Michael, it would be hilarious if i ended up next to you. My previous neighbor in The Ponds was a Michael and bloody hell we had some good times and good conversations lol. I blame the beer haha. Have you decided what company you are building with? We have a fair idea who we want to build with and the house design, so just on the hunt for the right block!

Anyway keep in touch.

Cheers.

I forgot to mention that we are thinking of a smaller block in Akora. Lot 29 @ 352sqm (stage 2?) I think.

Cooling off period finishes tomorrow for the couple that bought our house, so with any luck we will be taking a drive out there to secure a block within the next 4 to 6 weeks if all goes well.

Would be great to keep in touch!

I managed to start a community group on Facebook for The Ponds years ago and handed it over to the new admin a few months back (The Ponds NSW 2769) it was called. We started with 2 people and now it has close to 3,000 members. I was thinking of maybe creating a group on Facebook for Akora. It's just a really good way to get to know people and share information. You would be amazed at how good the one in The Ponds was.

Will keep you posted if I get the time to create one.

cheers!

Hi will,

That is great news for you, congratulations on selling your place and securing Akora!

I am stage 2 also, ours is 391sqm so we were happy with the lot size. A few nice designs we liked that fit which was great and whilst narrow, it came down to price for the most part.

Who are you thinking of building with? I'm really keen to hear your thoughts on the builder up sell lol. I'm in the BD environment for work so I can negotiate a good deal but quite new to the market obviously so we need to some homework ourselves.

I am also very keen to join the Facebook group too! Please let me know and I would be happy to use that forum also.

Michael

Hey Michael.

I'll have to take a look at their master plan and see where your block is. By the sounds of it, we will be in the same street if I end up securing the lot in stage 2.

391sqm is a really good size. So have you settled on a design? Price always dictates and things add up, especially when you start changing things here and there.

We have looked into Allcastle homes and although we have given other companies a chance, Allcastle always ends at the top of our list. The design we want is the "Regent Grand" and it should fit nicely on a 12.5m wide block. We considered building with Eden Brae again, but their recent reviews are a little scary, so we have decided to steer clear.

Basically the main thing is that you know what you want in house and have a realistic budget in mind. As soon as you visit a display home, it's always the best of the best, so you instantly fall in love with it! Then when you look at their "base price", it doesn't include the fancy things you see. If you can swing a good deal, you will end up saving a fair bit. But just remember that there are certain things that you can't do cheaply after your home is already built, so may as well include it when you build it.

Also a very important thing to keep in mind is that the base price usually NEVER includes site costs, basix and other hidden charges. So a base price of $250,000 can often reach $300,000+ after it is calculated.

Don't let me scare you though. It's not all doom and gloom. The main thing is to check, double check and triple check every basic inclusion from each builders base price and you will soon discover the home you can realistically build. Some builders actually have a price that includes site costs, basix and all the goodies you expect in a house like Allcastle homes.

Here is the facebook group I created:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/263519677312561/

Might see you there =)

Feel free to ask me anything you like. Building a house can be scary your first time, but it's our second time so quite easy for us.

cheers!

Thanks mate! We are confident also that 391 is a good enough size.

We actually never thought about Allcastle, but might be worthwhile checking out. Our limitation is our lot is 11m wide so whilst length is quite long, we want a double garage. Rawson appear to be one of few to offer what we want. Wisdom homes was willing to work with us though and I think they offer a pretty good package (incl site costs, landscaping vouchers).

All a bit up in the air! We probably won't decide until end of year but am also concerned if price rises occur. When are you thinking about locking in a house design tender? Most builders we approached suggested at least January 2017, although its a great position since everyone wants our business. I am working on a spreadsheet so we can get a clear checklist and comparison of all prospects.

I agree mate your block is a good size. We would have been very happy with that size also. Are you building a single or double? The block we want is 12.5m wide and I think about 29m long.

Very keen to see what kind of packages both builders offer you. It's amazing how different builders offer different things for a similar price. Maybe they don't expect people to shop around lol. Some of them offer jack all compared to others and are a real joke.

It's really funny that you have a spreadsheet. I did exactly the same thing in 2009 before we built our house in The Ponds. Good to see it all in plain site although it does fry the brain a bit haha

We might end up booking an appointment at the end of April to speak with the consultant I have been talking to via email. We know the price of the house we want to build, but the main thing is getting a price indication for the extras before we decide 100%:

#Upgraded facade
#Alfresco with no slab
#Bathroom downstairs off the study
#Butlers pantry

If it seems like a fair deal and within budget, we will most probably try to push it as soon as possible and hopefully try to lock in a price. Have a look at your builders policies because a lot of them like to lock in a price as it guarantees them a client and also gives you piece of mind in case prices to go up.

On another note, do you know what kind of services your block will have running through it? Basically lots of blocks have sewerage, water etc running down the side or at the back of the block. That isn't a problem for most people apart from the future when / if you decide to put in a pool, pergola, deck, concrete slab etc. Sometimes it ends up costing a lot to re-route services. From memory, the block we want is clear of those for now. With the block we are on now @ The Ponds, I chose it for that exact reason. We put in a concrete pool and there were no sewerage lines running across the back yard - just an access point via a PVC pipe & cover which was on the block sketch initially.

We are going to put in another pool, so knowing that kind of thing is extremely important to us. The builder can also make sure that any down pipes are as close to the house as possible (usually 1m from the slab) which also helps if a pool or deck is being installed. Nothing worse than a broken PVC pipe!

It's funny talking about all of this because we never thought we would be building another house for a long time after the first one. That's another reason I'm more than happy to answer any questions you might have because it's 2nd nature to me now. There are so many tips and tricks when you buy land and build and we were in your shoes not long ago. No kids and planning to build our first house...memories

That's awesome, nice upgrades and we didn't even think about the butlers pantry, so if you don't mind my asking, was it an expensive addition?

I know Carly wants bi fold doors in a design we like (check out Rawson Montana 30) with open plan living and wide alfresco. I hear bifold safe stupid expensive though so we need to explore this later. http://www.rawsonhomes.com.au/homes/montana/floorplans


We definitely want double, as there are hardly any spacious singles with our width. Double would maximise the space and give us approx 10m x 10m backyard which will be a decent backyard I reckon.

As far as easements go, left that with my partner, knows the contract better than I (studying law) and she didn't find any easements so we should be good too! We would love a pool maybe one day.

I saw lot 29, so that's only across from us about 3 houses to our right

Thanks mate. After living here for 5 yrs and making good use of the kitchen, we pretty much knew that a butlers pantry would be a good idea for the next house. As for price, not too sure yet. I'd say we have the option of a stone bench with storage underneath or a simple laminate bench with no storage. It all depends on what they can offer and the price. At the end of the day, it is basically a round sink with hot / cold mixer, a bench and most probably a power point for kettle / toaster. Shouldn't cost a lot!

I really like the bi fold doors! We had the stacking (sliding) doors & sliding fly screens here in The Ponds.

Take a good look around at the bi fold doors at the display homes before going ahead (Stegbar is a good brand). They are pretty expensive but well worth it when you want to open up an area like the wide alfresco.

I guess just keep in mind that if you want to enjoy a cool breeze, you have to open either the 1 access door or sections of the bi fold doors. It doesn't sound like a bad thing, but if you aren't a fan of flys, mosquitoes and other bugs like cockroaches, moths, beetles etc, then you might think twice. You can't put fly screens on bi fold doors - that's the only downside (unless they have changed over the years since I last looked) lol.

Hey is that the house you are looking at building possibly? It's a really nice design! Flows really well and the alfresco would be used a lot. It's so cool the way they can design a house to fit blocks these days.

Houses we are thinking of building:

First preference, same facade, but we would change the colours quite a bit:
http://www.allcastlehomes.com.au/wp-con ... Grand1.pdf

Second preference, same facade but we would also change the colours quite a bit:
http://www.allcastlehomes.com.au/wp-con ... mpire1.pdf

Yep I agree with you. No doubt we will see some single homes being built out there, but they will have no yard the poor buggers. 10m x 10m is a really good sized yard too. It's those kinds of things that are worth looking into for the future.

Hey that's good your partner is studying law. She can look over everything with a fine tooth comb. As for a pool, well they aren't that expensive really. Lots of good builders out there. We are thinking of a fiberglass pool this time because concrete pools require more maintenance and take longer to warm up. My profile picture is the pool we had in The Ponds. Here is a link to our house we sold. I'm going to miss the pool =(. http://www.au.open2view.com/properties/392476

I was going to say that on the FB group haha. You are just a few houses away - within waving distance lol. It's pretty funny though considering how many people are buying land and you are one of the only people I have talked to, yet you are in the same street =). Warning - I love a party! Won't go into too much detail, but for New Years Eve I used to heat the pool to 38deg and have our pool cinema running (3m wide screen) with music videos, food, booze etc and have the neighbors around. Nothing more fun than pulling an all-nighter, partying and watching the sun come up =). That's why I think it's funny your name is Michael. The bloke next door was Michael also. "beer o clock?" was a regular text message we would send to each other and meet out the front for a chat and a drink on a fri / sat night. Mind you, I have a love of good quality beer - Japanese beer especially. I really want to brew my own craft beer and build a fridge with a tap on the front =)

Anyway that was a bit off track haha. Talk soon mate.

Thanks for starting this thread.

Does anyone know if contracts can be exchanged for 5% deposit at Akora? I am looking to buy a block from an investment point of view but dont want to block too much cash for almost a year.

Cheers

We like the idea of the butler pantry too, thanks for the tip! I think depending on price of course.

I really like the designs you selected too, both are really nice. If you want my opinion, I like the second facade version. Both look really modern though.

Your house looks lovely Will! The Ponds house. And WOW at the price! That is an amazing win for you, I bet that price when you bought it you would have bitten someone's leg if it was 100k less than that

And all good regarding the parties, I think you have just called yourself into being the resident host for the NYE parties lol.

Let's try to get more people, surely there are many others who just don't know where to discuss their recent Akora purchase. Facebook would be a great start so let's really get that going.

Hey standtall, we negotiated with Christian at Raine and Horne, and they happily accepted 5%.

We were in the same boat too, we had the 10% but would have preferred to improve our cash flow by paying the remaining half in 6 months time.

Just tell them that you will sign the contract at 5% now, and 5% in 6 months. Of course once you and your solicitors are happy with the contract.

I think both Will and I are all good with our land regarding no easements.

I can't say for certain how flat our land is (stage 2), but we have been told that they will design the whole estate to be a little hilly, "less flat, boring" if that makes sense?

Check out the new unofficial Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/263519677312561/
Will also uploaded the blocks and their size.

Cheers

Hey Michael.

No worries at all. Will keep you posted when we sit down with Allcastle and discuss prices. It will all come down to budget with the facade in the end. I know the 2nd facade is cheaper to build, but the large balcony appeals to me on the first design. Decisions decisions! lol. I do like the second facade as well.

Cheers mate. Lots of love and hard work when into the house. We love it as it was out first house that we built and will miss it a lot. We only paid $300k for the 500sqm land and $220k for the house including site costs etc. Pool and landscaping weren't cheap or easy to do - but all worth it. I think if we had sold last year, we would have made more, but we ended up with a good price in the end. Now the clock is ticking as we have to be out on 14th April. I have been applying for rentals and we saw one in McGraths Hill that we liked. Best part is it is just down the road from Akora =)

Hahaha yes my neighbor pretty much relied on me to set things up for our little street parties. It's a great way to have a good friendship with people in the street and I'm sure it will be an interesting mix of people too.

I have made you an admin on the FB page too. Always easier to have 2 admins. I agree, we need more people. It's going to be slow for a while as many people have bought land, but aren't searching for groups yet. Let's face it, it's just farm land now haha. Still, our numbers will grow over time. The Ponds group only had 2 members and now has about 3,000. I started it from scratch and it's crazy busy now.

Talk soon =)

Hi will81 & micdeez I just came across your forum now
My husband and I have secured a lot in Akora estate also and we're building with Rawson Homes

Hey Huntley in the Hills. Congrats!

What design did you choose from Rawson if you don't mind me asking?

We are still looking! Have you driven past it too? They've started the civil works, albeit not a huge amount done. I guess there is progress..

Hi guys,

For all prospective or have purchased land at the Akora estate, please hop over to our Facebook community page, we'd love to have you there!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/263519677312561/

Hi Everyone,

I've bough lot 80 in Akora last month and requested to join fbgroup.
I am building with MDJ homes Hamilton 5 with extended design.
Would love to know if other people have decided to build house with them or any other builder.
Any may be we can all get together and buy fencing or landscaping from one place to make it cheaper and better.

just an idea.

micdeez if you can please add me to group?


thanks