Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Oct 06, 2009 12:04 am Hello again! Many decades ago (or so it seems), my partner and I bought a piece of land planning to put the beautiful M@sterton Ch!sholm Lodge on it. . . a while later, we realised that the massive slope of our block meant that building the house was going to be VERY expensive, or virtually impossible! A year after that, we are now very happily building a custom split-level house (couldn't do much else! haha!) with a smaller local builder. . . though I still long for the enormous walk-in-robe of the Ch!sholm. Then, lo-and-behold, a few weeks ago we were driving towards our block and noticed that M@sterton were building a house on our street. . . I thought "no. . . it couldn't be" . . . BUT IT WAS! THE CH!SHOLM!!!! AAAARGHHHH! SOMEONE ELSE WAS GETTING MY WIR! But mostly, we were just relieved that we weren't building the same one (we think the house is pretty distinctive and from what we've seen of others building the same house, most have chosen the exterior colours as on the display home. . . which we loved). Would the builder have let us both build in the same street without telling us? (Though I'm sure that we passed through their offices a long time before the people actually building this one, so it was probably never an issue). Has anyone noticed that the same house is going up on their street (or close by) and not been told by the builder? And. . . is anyone building the Ch!sholm???? Re: Anybody built the same house as someone else in the street? 2Oct 06, 2009 12:45 am Yes, today I realised the house next door to mine is the exact same house as the one I am building. The builder didnt tell us, I figured it out for myself by the slab. Our slab is about to be poured. They're slab is already done, with brickwork about to start. I dont know if the builder has to tell you or not, or if its a council thing. I'd like to know though. Re: Anybody built the same house as someone else in the street? 3Oct 06, 2009 6:46 am Nobody has to tell you.... Some estates have covenants forbidding houses within x blocks of each other having the same or very similar facades, but there's nothing to stop you having the same floor plan. We made sure we lodged our application for developer approval quick-smart, so that if somebody else was building the same house (unlikely, since none of the blocks around us were big enough or the right shape), they couldn't have "our" facade. The place we rented while we were building was exactly the same floor plan as the houses either side, and there were four more exactly the same further down the street. It's weird, going into your neighbour's house and finding that you're in an alternate-universe version of your own, where all the furniture is different, and in the wrong places. Re: Anybody built the same house as someone else in the street? 4Oct 06, 2009 6:53 am My estate has a rule that 4 houses either side can't have the same facade.... 5 houses down is the same house and facade as mine... ahh well, our colours and garage doors are quite different! 'A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world.' Louis Pasteur Vegie garden: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27637&start=0 My Backyard Adventure Re: Anybody built the same house as someone else in the street? 5Oct 06, 2009 7:05 am We have alot of houses being built in our estate that are the same, but we have made quite a few changes to the floorplan, as well as the facade to make it completely different to the others. We where not informed by our builder that the same style of houses would be built, but the plans have to go through the developer who can reject any facades that they consider to be too similar to others around them. I remember hearing of someone that had to change there entire colour scheme of the house because they had to change the colours of there facade. Cheers, CMET Re: Anybody built the same house as someone else in the street? 6Oct 06, 2009 7:30 am The house going up next to us has the same floor plan but a different facade (although similar). Doesn't really bother me much I just hope that the facades are different enough to pass the developers different facade tests. Re: Anybody built the same house as someone else in the street? 7Oct 06, 2009 8:25 am Unfortunately our entire street of 10 units or so have the same floor plan with different facades.........we were at that time in a hurrry to get a place as we were expecting our first child.... Re: Anybody built the same house as someone else in the street? 8Oct 06, 2009 8:29 am The house around the corner from us is the same as ours, a Bridgeport 38. They have a triple garage, we have a 2 1/2 garage. Our houses have very, very different facades. We altered a lot of windows and added some, so they look different from the side. Our estate has farm fencing so you can see all around the houses. They also have the same bricks and the same roof tiles. I leave you to fend for yourself, figure things out yourself. Terrence Malick Re: Anybody built the same house as someone else in the street? 9Oct 06, 2009 8:34 am Im sure the builder doesnt have to tell you if some one else is building the same design - anyway I think it would breach confidentiality We are on a development of 34 house/land packages, all same builder, none are the same floor plan as ours. I only know that by watching the houses go up, also our house is too wide for most of the blocks and builder did tell me they dont build many of this floor plan, not because there is anything wrong with it but it is a relatively large 3B home and people tend to build a smaller 3B home or a larger 4B one. However there are about half dozen very narrow blocks at end of our road and they are all being built with the same design, facades pretty similar too, I dont think the council here has any 'rule' about facades not being the same as each other. Re: Anybody built the same house as someone else in the street? 10Oct 06, 2009 9:22 am Im doubting we have another one the same in our estate... when we asked to see a house to walk through it.. they told us there werent any built yet that we could see. And since we have changed the original floor plan so much.. I doubt we will have an issue. Although seeing as we were on a basic budget.. we dont even have a facade (next time gadget - next time!!) and theres alot of people in the street who have very similar house from the front. But then if its just a garage door, front door and front window - how different can you really make it lol we are just happy that no one seems to have our Monument Colorbond Roof yet ! woohooo Re: Anybody built the same house as someone else in the street? 11Oct 06, 2009 7:06 pm Jw023 Yes, today I realised the house next door to mine is the exact same house as the one I am building. The builder didnt tell us, I figured it out for myself by the slab. Our slab is about to be poured. They're slab is already done, with brickwork about to start. I dont know if the builder has to tell you or not, or if its a council thing. I'd like to know though. Oooh. . . Jw023. . . how do you feel about that? Re: Anybody built the same house as someone else in the street? 12Oct 06, 2009 7:08 pm kek Nobody has to tell you.... Some estates have covenants forbidding houses within x blocks of each other having the same or very similar facades, but there's nothing to stop you having the same floor plan. We made sure we lodged our application for developer approval quick-smart, so that if somebody else was building the same house (unlikely, since none of the blocks around us were big enough or the right shape), they couldn't have "our" facade. The place we rented while we were building was exactly the same floor plan as the houses either side, and there were four more exactly the same further down the street. It's weird, going into your neighbour's house and finding that you're in an alternate-universe version of your own, where all the furniture is different, and in the wrong places. Yeah, I've looked at townhouses before that are all built with the same floorplan, and I suppose some estates that are put up by one of the big project builders like Mirvac will have a lot of repeat houses, but I suppose you expect that. Re: Anybody built the same house as someone else in the street? 13Oct 06, 2009 7:10 pm lisanne My estate has a rule that 4 houses either side can't have the same facade.... 5 houses down is the same house and facade as mine... ahh well, our colours and garage doors are quite different! Hey Lisanne. . . I suppose that they'll look a lot different if you have the different colours anyway. Re: Anybody built the same house as someone else in the street? 14Oct 06, 2009 7:10 pm Our estate doesnt have any of these covenants, but surprisingly I havent seen a lot of one facade in the estate! Ive been to other estates, house and land packages selling...the same facade..same colour scheme..same landscaping..RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER!! Re: Anybody built the same house as someone else in the street? 15Oct 06, 2009 7:12 pm actually. . . I suppose the main thing really is the facade. . . I suppose that's the danger of choosing the same facade as is on a display home (like the one we were thinking of having built). . . you see it, you like it, but so do a lot of other people! Re: Anybody built the same house as someone else in the street? 16Oct 06, 2009 7:15 pm The danger with building a house that is on display in the same estate.. is that chances are majority of people will build the same facade..and perhaps same or similar colours. Our facade was on display all the way up in Caroline Springs, there was no way (hopefully) someone else would build the same one!! Re: Anybody built the same house as someone else in the street? 17Oct 06, 2009 7:27 pm nope none of the houses next to us are the same, but there are only 5 new blocks on our street so we're pretty safe. The house next door is using a colour brick I would have liked to use, and I didn't want to be the same, but once I started looking I found other bricks I loved even more anyway Caz & Co ALL MOVED IN!! Now comes all the hard work-decorating.... [b]Blog: http://cazoraz.blogspot.com/ Settling in Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=36993 Re: Anybody built the same house as someone else in the street? 18Oct 06, 2009 7:39 pm Salt&PepperMkII The danger with building a house that is on display in the same estate.. is that chances are majority of people will build the same facade..and perhaps same or similar colours. Our facade was on display all the way up in Caroline Springs, there was no way (hopefully) someone else would build the same one!! Oooh, I don't know! We drove far and wide to look at different display homes. . . it was like an obsession. . . I think it's surprising what lengths people will go to to get their dream home. . . Hahaha! Got you worried now haven't I? Re: Anybody built the same house as someone else in the street? 19Oct 06, 2009 7:41 pm cazoraz nope none of the houses next to us are the same, but there are only 5 new blocks on our street so we're pretty safe. The house next door is using a colour brick I would have liked to use, and I didn't want to be the same, but once I started looking I found other bricks I loved even more anyway Hey cazoraz. . . did it put you off using the same brick because the people next door already had it? I reckon there are people out there who see what they have next door, and decide to have it anyway. . . wouldn't you be gutted if somebody copied you like that? Actually, we're having the same white windows with colonial strips as the people next door to us. . . hope they don't mind! oops Re: Anybody built the same house as someone else in the street? 20Oct 06, 2009 7:44 pm jodge cazoraz nope none of the houses next to us are the same, but there are only 5 new blocks on our street so we're pretty safe. The house next door is using a colour brick I would have liked to use, and I didn't want to be the same, but once I started looking I found other bricks I loved even more anyway Hey cazoraz. . . did it put you off using the same brick because the people next door already had it? I reckon there are people out there who see what they have next door, and decide to have it anyway. . . wouldn't you be gutted if somebody copied you like that? Actually, we're having the same white windows with colonial strips as the people next door to us. . . hope they don't mind! oops yeah it did put me off a bit, i really didn't want us to both have red bricks and dark rooves - it forced me to consider other options but i'm glad it did cos we're now going with a light creamy brick and will look heaps better hope the house on the other side doesn't copy our bricks then.... Caz & Co ALL MOVED IN!! Now comes all the hard work-decorating.... [b]Blog: http://cazoraz.blogspot.com/ Settling in Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=36993 Hi all. I'm thinking of installing an electric gate in front of this street front villa (link below). The gate would be between the bush on the left and the letter box on… 0 2778 Thanks! I'm spoke to the builder I'm not sure if this is all true but basically went along the lines of they considered all options and if I was to compact and fill it… 2 7314 A survey must’ve completed by a certified surveyor. This form part of every DA requirement 3 223632 |