Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Sep 01, 2009 12:05 am I just want to know if you guys have any issue install downlight after handover? Any color different in ceiling and whether you can tell, it have been done after? Did you have extra switch board at the wall? and does it look ugly or any other issue .... Also did you have your builder prewire the switch to a junction box on the ceiling or to a batten and you have it replace with a downlight after handover? Does it look good? Or you have a sparky did everything from switch to downlight without builder did any work? Did it look messy ?? I'm building a single storey I wanted to get all the downlight done after handover but I'm scare it will look unprofessional to many swith board at the wall and also mess up the ceiling etc..... Should I get the builder to install one downlight for each room with dimmer and switch so everything is hook up then I can ask the sparky to install more downlight after handover for those room by continue connecting to those lines. If you have gone through this path before please share you experience. Thank you so much.... Melbourne, Victoria My Journey, My Mistakes, My Issues and My Problems My Blog : http://homebuildingresource.blogspot.com/ Re: Did you install downlight after handover? 2Sep 01, 2009 8:41 am we got our builder just to put the provisions in and not the down lights. For us its easy enough to change them over after to handover.. http://buildingatfreeling.blogspot.com/ Building at Freeling Estate Adelaide MKII WE ARE NOW OFFICIALLY FIRST HOME OWNERS AND WE BUILT A NEW HOME FROM SCRATCH Re: Did you install downlight after handover? 3Sep 01, 2009 2:36 pm Its a little off topic, but I went through the same thought process as you are. These were the reasons I chose to have the builder do it.... * @$115 per d/l * Cost included in mortgage (didnt want to have to find another few $k after handover) * I wanted them banked specifically so pre-wiring could have been difficult. Couldnt have had 1 d/l installed and then chained them up * The cheapest way was to have battens put in where downlights would go and wired into the switches, but I was worried about the final finish of the ceiling and if the batten light was wired too close to joists (I wasnt 100% if the spacing requiements were different). Could have really mucked things up * The house would have looked rediculous with 29 battern lights until we got around to putting in downlights * Could have had junction boxes put in the roof, but cost $10 more per point Also wasnt sure how much effort the sparky would put into "lining them up dead straight". Sparky I got in may have had to run new cables to some of them? Also, @$55 a Jbox, its kind of eating into the potential savings!! * The builders downlights were expensive, but good quality clipsal brand with the appropriate fire proof covers * Worried about more holes in the insulation? * I wanted the interior to be 100% completed when I moved in (minus window coverings of course), will have enough to stress over with fencing, driveway, moving, clothlines, antennas, letterboxes, landscaping............. Reasons why I considered doing it after handover * Priced it up, would have saved about $1k * Could have installed CFLs which the builder didnt offer, but decided halos were the way to go Re: Did you install downlight after handover? 5Sep 01, 2009 4:41 pm I wouldn't advise installing or providing for downlights "AFTER" the building works have been completed .. but there is always the opening "WHILE" the sparky is at work, to ask him to do it for you. Ofcourse he will ask you for the $$ in hand for the material/wire etc, but it will be still cheaper than the builder's fat profit margin cost for each! I intend to get it done by the builder's electrician whenever he's on site. Let see, I'm far away from it .. but my friend who recently completed his house got it done that way.. hes got heaps of downlights, i cant imagine that many being affordable through the builder!! no, ne, never!! --- I don't have a signature - just this sentence saying that I don't have one - that'll do! Re: Did you install downlight after handover? 6Sep 01, 2009 7:05 pm Thank you all . hmmmm look like I have to see how much I save after my electrical appointment if I can save over 2K then I'll do it after and use that 2k toward decking or something..... Anyone else been through this path??? Melbourne, Victoria My Journey, My Mistakes, My Issues and My Problems My Blog : http://homebuildingresource.blogspot.com/ Re: Did you install downlight after handover? 7Sep 01, 2009 10:53 pm I haven't been thru this, but has been advised by someone , you can ask the builder's electrician to put more light points (don't say it's for downlight) and after handover you can ask an electrician to install the downlights. BuildingCostsEstimating Thank you all . hmmmm look like I have to see how much I save after my electrical appointment if I can save over 2K then I'll do it after and use that 2k toward decking or something..... Anyone else been through this path??? Waiting for 2010 Land registration.... Re: Did you install downlight after handover? 8Sep 01, 2009 10:55 pm We got the builders sparky to install #413 plugs where we want them he charged us $30 each, we live next door to our build so it was very easy to speak to the sparky, we were going to get a friend who is a sparky to do them post hand over but it was better to get them done before the gyprock went on. Our builder was going to charge $177 each down light!! Link to clipsal plug: http://www.clipsal.com/trade/products/3 ... sories/413 Re: Did you install downlight after handover? 10Sep 02, 2009 8:07 am We need about 45 down lights and at around $100 per downlight for the builder to put them in that would exceed our entire light fitting budget! We'll buy them for about $20/25 each and pay the electrician on site or another electrician after handover who I couldn't imagine would be charging us $80 per downlight to install them! Re: Did you install downlight after handover? 11Sep 02, 2009 10:08 am We got the builders to do ours, building is a hassle already, there's enough work to do after handover, best to get it done with the build, what's another few $$$ on the mortgage. Ours were $67 to replace existing light and $91 for additional ones, we've got 36 in total. Ben Re: Did you install downlight after handover? 12Sep 02, 2009 2:14 pm Benji We got the builders to do ours, building is a hassle already, there's enough work to do after handover, best to get it done with the build, what's another few $$$ on the mortgage. Ours were $67 to replace existing light and $91 for additional ones, we've got 36 in total. Ben We probably would have "bitten the bullet" and got the builder to do everything too, but @$177 for each down light was ridiculous in our opinion. Re: Did you install downlight after handover? 13Sep 02, 2009 5:05 pm we payed $146 per downlight and dimmers for our place. Reason I didnt do it afterwards was I would end up with a batten in the centre of every room that would make a hole that I would then have to fill and re-paint, you will never get it to match the ceiling paint and this I would see it. If you start getting the building to make provisions you start spending some of the money either way. Its easier to get that sort of thing done from the get go IMO Blog: http://funmore-residence.blogspot.com/ Forum: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=21109 Construction Start - 19/09/09 Slab Poured - 21/10/09 Frame Completed - 25/11/09 Lockup - 22/12/09 Fixing - 22/02/10 Handover & Moved In 30/04/2010 Re: Did you install downlight after handover? 14Sep 02, 2009 8:07 pm We are getting downlights installed afterwards. We planned where we wanted the downlights positioned before the electrical appointment. At the appointment we told them where we wanted each standard batten (which would be a future downlight position) and our mate will change them over to downlights later. Re: Did you install downlight after handover? 15Sep 02, 2009 11:16 pm I'm doing downlights throughout the theatre, family/meals/kitchen, master bedroom and ensuite after i move in. Already spoken with a couple of sparky's and it works out i will save over $2k on downlights alone. I've had the builder put in junction boxes in the roof so the sparky can line everything up neatly. I also had the builder put in all the light switches where i wanted, including in some places dual switches for lights etc. The biggest thing to be aware of is it's not possible (well it is, just seriously messy and expensive) to put light switches on internal walls after you move in. So either get that done by the builder, or find alternative locations on outside/double brick walls. Also be wary of putting in single lights where you want to put in downlights later. It's usually done two ways, either you put it in the middle of the room in which case its either not evenly spaced, or you have to patch a hole. Or alternatively take a guess at where you want to put them, and try to get them to position one in the right location. Again chances are it might not space out properly when you go to add the rest. Cheers, Troy That's a fantastic result! Happy you got it sorted out. cheers Simeon 6 8631 No the fireplace doesn’t work. It’s been enclosed. I’m not sure what was removed, as it was done quite some time ago - well before what I can see with photos online… 2 11569 Can you give advice on how to get missing certificates needed for a form 21? Our bank requires us to provide one but we are missing 4 building certificates from our first… 3 71779 |