Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Jul 17, 2021 8:22 am Hi there, I am in the process of going through an architect for a design of a new home in western sydney, in Wollondilly LGA. It will also be my first home. Got a long winded thread here so grab a coffee and a has brown! I have decided to go through the process of engaging an architect to design my home as I didn’t have the best experience with initially engaging a volume builder. I understand going through the option of a custom build or a private builder will be more expensive than a volume builder however I believe this method to be more suited to me given it allows more flexibility and I think the care factor will be higher than it would have been from a volume builder. My main aim is to build a home that has ergonomic factors such as thermal properties of proposed building products and taking into account weather factors that life in western sydney brings such as sunlight, southerly winds, cold winters and the western sun especially in summer. I’m not overly fussed on facades as I think a lot of the options volume builders have look dated over time and lead to more maintenance costs in the long run. I believe I have a floor plan with room layout that is most suitable to what I’m looking for. However my main sticking point is to decide on a preferred construction methodology as I know this ultimately determines the size of home and fit out you can afford that best suits the ergonomic factors I’m after. I have read up on pros and cons on bearers and joists, concrete slabs, reverse brick veneer, standard brick veneer, weather board, hebel walls and hebel floors, skillion roof, hip roof, colourbond roof and roof tiles. Given my property faces north the architect also advised me to consider splitting the roof to allow sunlight from the north and east to enter into the home which he has advised me is a cost effective method of reducing energy bills plus provides an aesthetic appeal to the home. Whilst the architect I’ve appointed has proposed some great ideas to me I’ve advised him ultimately it will come down to what I can afford. I know a private builder won’t provide a comparison for me on the above methods without monetary compensation and the architect won’t have accurate costs and won’t put forward 5-6 different sets of plans for me to get pricing on. I was wondering if anyone on here has had a similar scenario where they’ve come to this point and may have some experiences they wish to share so I can better ascertain the best way forward? Even better has anyone put together spreadsheets before to get an understanding on cost to build vs maintenance and energy bill savings? Some Particulars on the land: 700m2, north facing, dimensions are 20.72m x 33.78m, slopes approx 1m west to east and about 500mm from north west to south east. One easement to contend with which is a stormwater easement along back boundary of property which includes a IAD pit in the south eastern corner of the property. Hope to hear some advice on the above, stay safe in these unprecedented times and hopefully everyone has been smashing Netflix while on lockdown in Sydney 👍🏻 It's all about wireless, self install now. The cost/benefit of wired setups for the house are no longer what they used to be. Lots of wireless options. Eufy, Arlo and… 2 9780 ideal house depends on the site and location as much as internal floor plan....what is the distance from the house to all four boundaries, where is north, describe your… 3 15142 Coming back to your old stomping grounds, huh? Renovations on a budget can be quite the journey. It's like giving your house a new lease on life. The twist of not knowing… 1 3473 |