Browse Forums Building Standards; Getting It Right! 1 Feb 20, 2013 2:33 pm Hi all, Need your thoughts urgently... I'm about to sign a purchase contract today. Everything looks fine .... Then i get dropped a big bomb....the building setback is the right distance to the boundary of the vacant block next door. (owned by the same vendor). But the over hang of the verendah on the boundary side is 20cm close to the boundary. Should I be worried? is it a deal breaker? What can i do to project myself from any future problems... Any help is appreciated. Thanks Smeags ---->Some say that a recession is when your neighbour loses his/her job while a depression is when you lose yours!<----- Re: Can 20cm be a deal breaker? 2Feb 20, 2013 4:23 pm Eaves and some verandas are normally allowed to encroach into the setback distance. See http://www.anewhouse.com.au/?p=5010 for typical setback requirements. Most councils have some differences so the best thing is check your councils website or talk to their planning officers The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Can 20cm be a deal breaker? 3Feb 20, 2013 5:39 pm I can give you a little story about our house that we purchased. We have done a major renovation to our house but as part of the process we got a surveyor in and the designers to measure up the existing house. It then came to light that part of our house was 30cms off the boundary. When we submitted our development application to council outlining our new plans it wasn't an issue as we weren't planning to change the part of the house 30cms off the boundary. Ultimately councils are always changing the rules, so when our house was built in the 80s the 30cms was probably legal. It was also a requirement that the houses had an 8 metre setback at the front but due to changes it is now only 6 metres. If you are buying a pre-exisiting house that doesn't now comply with council requirements I don't think they can make you change it. And certainly with our extension/renovation they only required the new parts of the house to comply with the council regulations. Re: Can 20cm be a deal breaker? 5Feb 21, 2013 12:04 pm Pellana I If you are buying a pre-exisiting house that doesn't now comply with council requirements I don't think they can make you change it. Thanks for your note. Its an existing house but the problem is that there is a 'Combined Allottment Statement'. Which means when the permits were issued it had conditions on it. One of the condition was to say if the owner ever sell one block, the verandah must be removed or altered to meet building regulations. Deal breaker for me. They are looking at s173 now so i'll see how they go. Thanks again. Smeags ---->Some say that a recession is when your neighbour loses his/her job while a depression is when you lose yours!<----- Re: Can 20cm be a deal breaker? 6Feb 21, 2013 12:05 pm Casa2 Are we talking about a 150 cm setback being actually 120 cm? No they built the house further inside but when they added the veranda on the second floor the veranda over hangs to 20cm away from the boundary line. ---->Some say that a recession is when your neighbour loses his/her job while a depression is when you lose yours!<----- Re: Can 20cm be a deal breaker? 7Feb 24, 2013 1:21 pm Wow, are 20 cm setback. That's small! Someone must have approved the construction, in which case it should be fine. (I assume it's a 20 cm setback and not a 20 cm protrusion into the neighbours property.) Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 I work with owner, he/she is my man on the ground and I instruct them when to visit the site and take photos and I have other tools in the bag. 4 9669 2 8020 |