Cairns Build - Better Homes Queensland - 1st builders clean!

danrts · Oct 29, 2010 4:09 pm

We are building in Cairns with Better Homes. So far so good. We signed a contract for out plot of land in February 2010. It took quite a few months to get the floorplan right, having been through three designs. I gave up on what the builders had proposed and ended up spending about 3 months trying to nut out a design that incorporate the rainforest at the rear, the elevation at the front, the rock wall on the left ... and finally the odd shape of the block. I got frustrated with cutting and pasting bits of paper so ended up learning to use a drawing program Google Sketchup to draw up the house. You Tube was great in showing me how to use this program! The contract with Better Homes Queensland (Mark was the awesome sales guy) was signed in mid September and the in house draftsman did a great job in finishing it up. It was approved by council within about 3 days since Better Homes use a private building certifier. Surveyor plotted the house on 11th October and the pool was dug 12th Oct. Finally today, slab got poured!!

Block
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/danielt25/New%20House/IMG_7444a.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/danielt25/New%20House/IMG_7435a.jpg

My sketchup sketchs

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/danielt25/frontelevation.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/danielt25/New%20House/sketchuplabelled.jpg

the real floorplan

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/danielt25/New%20House/floorplan.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/danielt25/New%20House/IMG_9066a.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/danielt25/New%20House/IMG_9071a.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/danielt25/New%20House/IMG_9097.jpg

kiwi · Oct 29, 2010 6:12 pm

you are back with your own thread!! yay!!
love the new plan, still love the view...
all the very best!!!!

danrts · Oct 30, 2010 7:12 pm

The slab got poured yesterday

Prob not much activity until block work starts which is scheduled for Thursday

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/danielt25/New%20House/IMG_9102.jpg

ESB · Oct 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Love the view ... gorgeous!

danrts · Nov 05, 2010 7:12 am

The block work has started. Luckily it only started raining late in the day.

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/danielt25/New%20House/IMG_9112.jpg

Tamara1975 · Nov 05, 2010 8:44 am

Wow. Can't wait to see your progress. I love the floorplan. Very unique!!

danrts · Nov 06, 2010 8:39 am

Hi Tamara

It was a difficult block to get a floor plan that worked. The rock wall on the left of the block is an eye sore so I tried to focus the attention away from that. Then there's the rainforest at the rear and some elevation at the front to try to capture. The block tapers at the front and narrows down the side which added another obstacle. One builder charged us $1000 for a preliminary floorplan and put all 4 bedrooms with rooms with windows looking out to the rock wall (apart from the main bedroom)! So it was a few months trying to work out how to take the focus away from the rock wall. In the end, I put the powder, laundry, bathroom on that rock wall and one bedroom, but that bedroom only has a window looking out to the rainforest. The kitchen and the pantry both have glass panels but they are long and 500mm high so hopefully the rock wall will look OK in real life.

danrts · Nov 10, 2010 9:53 am

The blockwork is slowly going up

the entire back area seems now complete

powder room window, laundry door opening, and bathroom louver opening

kitchen window and pantry window (rock wall doesn't look so bad through the narrow opening)

from main bedroom looking back

Lex · Nov 10, 2010 10:37 am

Very nice to see a custom plan, AND in Cairns!! I think it will be a great house, well done!

May I ask, out of interest, what is underneath the black plastic here in your slab formwork?
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And if you know how thick is your slab? They seem to be building right on top of the slab, there is no rebate like with bricks??

Also, you seem to be on heavy clay soil? ... what is the soil classification and slab classification if you know?

Raleighfarm · Nov 10, 2010 10:45 am

Love the floor plan Darnts.

on progress. Are you in RV estate? We are building on the tablelands. Can't wait to see more progress for you, especially before it gets too wet. They a re predicting a good one this year.

danrts · Nov 10, 2010 3:28 pm

Hi Lex

The slab construction is designed for site class S. There is sand underneath the black plastic. sorry, I can't remember what the soil type is.

Mark, our Better Homes sales consultant told me this about the slab:

the slab is 100mm thick, the perimeter is 250mm, footing is generally 400mm deep, the reason block work has no grooves in the slab, it is a totally different method of construction as brick venner (very common down south) we put the block directly onto the slab, with steel inside to reinforce. after, we render & paint the join between the slab & blockwork. this also seals the mortar join. we never use internal bracing as they do down south, as our external wall is also our bracing wall, in other words all the houses are like mini aircraft hangers. the only time i would use braced walls is for ligthweigtht construction or to support an upper slab.

seast · Nov 10, 2010 5:06 pm

Fabulous plan!!! Can't wait to see the final product.

Lex · Nov 10, 2010 7:47 pm

Thanks very much for such a comprehensive reply, danrts! I think I have 'a thing' for slabs, so when I see one where I don't actually know what I'm looking at, I just have to find out!! :oops:

Donski · Nov 10, 2010 8:05 pm

WOW Danrts!! LOVING your view!! Looks like you are going to have one gorgeous house

Great floorplan too- I love how all the minor bedrooms are tucked away on one side of the house. Look forward to watching your build

kiwi · Nov 10, 2010 8:11 pm

you really do have a rock wall view..literally ay!

danrts · Nov 11, 2010 10:16 am

Thanks! It's slowly coming together, it's nice to see something new each day. The weather has been good apart from the downpour a month ago which really got us worried that the wet season had started and nothing was going to get done. The Better Homes crowd have been excellent so far. Things are happening to schedule with no significant delays. They were able to get the plan approved within I think 3 days or less by a private certifier rather than waiting weeks going via council. The site supervisor, Greg is on the ball which is always a help, it's good to get explanations in lay terms for why things are done a particular way. I've only met him once but he emails or calls if we have any concerns. Mark Davies, our salesperson was very proficient as this plan required endless changes before the contract was signed. Rather than have to wait days to get a draftsman to alter the plan to move walls / windows, Mark was able to move them on the plan and have them emailed back, sometimes as quick as 10 minutes or less!

looking towards the living area

support post for patio

eventual location of the kitchen and pantry

danrts · Nov 12, 2010 6:33 am

The block work appears almost complete, maybe today or Monday. The trusses will hopefully start on Wednesday

elevated shot, I'm losing my reference point

from the rear of the pool towards the front of the house

Raleighfarm · Nov 12, 2010 12:32 pm

Looking great danrts!

TinaG · Nov 12, 2010 2:20 pm

Looking good, love the floor plan

danrts · Nov 17, 2010 8:27 pm

The roof trusses started today