Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Mar 21, 2012 9:44 pm Drum roll please!!!! Here is my very own thread about my husband and I building our first home here in Queensland. Please don't hesitate to jump in and offer advice or opinions I am ready to design a beautiful family home. ~ okjorg viewtopic.php?f=31&t=55196&p=844089#p844089 Settlement date - 13 Jan Final plans - 24 Sept Council approval - 21 Oct First peg in the ground - 7 Nov Re: I'm 3.8km from the ocean................ 2Mar 21, 2012 9:45 pm Okay so I am slowly getting to know this forum and am finding it absolutely invaluable.... I will be posting a few pictures of our outlook and the slope of our block, as well as a house plan I have been playing around with so far. Our block of land is one acre on a gentle slope. It is our intention to build up on some sort of steel flooring system for minimal earthworks and also to utilise the views to the absolute fullest. I will scan a copy of the plan and post it for you all to see the size of rooms etc. I am clueless when it comes to falls of land etc. but I have included a contour plan I sourced from the developers of the estate. I can faintly read the numbers when I blow it right up on adobe but I don't know what these numbers mean!!!! The front of design (entry) is facing the road so will be facing east. Therefore the back of the design(kitchen/family room) will be facing west. I have a shed planned and with council right now. It will be 10.5m x 7m and tucked in down behind bedroom three and four (with 15m of backyard and a 1 metre high retaining wall in-between). But I am hoping that I may be able to get a car parked UNDER the rumpus or the lounge room if we use steel piers to build up on. This could potentially work but it depends on what those damn numbers on the contour plan mean!!!!!!! gggrrrrrr I think I need as much advice as possible!!! Thanks again for replying Stay tuned for some visuals!!!! ~ okjorg viewtopic.php?f=31&t=55196&p=844089#p844089 Settlement date - 13 Jan Final plans - 24 Sept Council approval - 21 Oct First peg in the ground - 7 Nov Re: I'm 3.8km from the ocean................ 3Mar 21, 2012 9:46 pm ~ okjorg viewtopic.php?f=31&t=55196&p=844089#p844089 Settlement date - 13 Jan Final plans - 24 Sept Council approval - 21 Oct First peg in the ground - 7 Nov Re: I'm 3.8km from the ocean................ 4Mar 21, 2012 9:49 pm Yay! Congratulations okjorg! I have some questions!!!! - Bedrooms. . . ideal sizes? I notice in your plan that you have a guest room over the other side of the house. . . a reason for this? Re: I'm 3.8km from the ocean................ 5Mar 21, 2012 9:54 pm Wow!!! Hi!!! I love that you do this for fun I will post the original plan with room sizes because I quite liked the sizes of the rooms in this plan.... You can see in the original plan the guest house had an ensuite over on the north side. As I've deleted things out of the plan...... third bathroom included... I was kind of stuck with a bedroom in the middle of the living areas........... Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ ~ okjorg viewtopic.php?f=31&t=55196&p=844089#p844089 Settlement date - 13 Jan Final plans - 24 Sept Council approval - 21 Oct First peg in the ground - 7 Nov Re: I'm 3.8km from the ocean................ 7Mar 21, 2012 10:03 pm I think I fell in love with this design in particular because: The symmetry of the front of the house The size of it........ but soon realised I had to pay for it and therefore this is why I have started slashing at this poor plan!!! The verandahs because of the Queensland weather and the fact that I could imagine a garage/storage room going in under the north rooms with out too much earthmoving. It is really hard to actually pin point WHY you like something!!!!!!!! ~ okjorg viewtopic.php?f=31&t=55196&p=844089#p844089 Settlement date - 13 Jan Final plans - 24 Sept Council approval - 21 Oct First peg in the ground - 7 Nov Re: I'm 3.8km from the ocean................ 8Mar 21, 2012 10:05 pm Did you have a particular kitchen style in mind? Galley, island, c-shaped etc (I don't know any more!) Personally I don't like corners, as corner cupboards are a pain. . . how did I end up with two corner cupboards in my kitchen??? aarghhh! Re: I'm 3.8km from the ocean................ 9Mar 21, 2012 10:09 pm Haha, tell me about it! Symmetry is very good, and the verandahs. . . they are typically Queensland (and beautiful) Yes. . . size is always good. I like to try and minimize hallways and wasted space, and give lots of storage. . . do you like storage? Re: I'm 3.8km from the ocean................ 11Mar 21, 2012 10:32 pm Storage is GOOD, which is another reason I loved the Castlereagh.... I have always envisioned having an island in the kitchen with benches and cupboard space along all the walls......... But being at a friends house last week (with a couple of bottles of merlot) we absolutely picked apart her house. She really didn't put any thought into and just picked from a group of plans basically. And the one thing she can't stand now is the fact her kitchen is full of corners and she has no bench space!!!!!!! AARRGGHHH that would drive me crazy!!!!!!!! She loves my rental which has a nice galley kitchen no corners. So lots of storage and kitchen bench space - Love both I am scurrying around getting shed plans and a couple of piccys for you!!!!! SO EXCITED!!!! ~ okjorg viewtopic.php?f=31&t=55196&p=844089#p844089 Settlement date - 13 Jan Final plans - 24 Sept Council approval - 21 Oct First peg in the ground - 7 Nov Re: I'm 3.8km from the ocean................ 12Mar 21, 2012 10:39 pm haha. . . it's amazing what a bit of experience will do. Galley kitchen is good. Island bench is also good, as you can have bar stools underneath them. . . is that something you'd like? Good actually to do a google images search on things like kitchens, see if there's anything you fall in love with. . . somebody a couple of weeks ago insisted on a 1.35m wide island bench. . . I didn't know what all the fuss was about until I found one on google images. . . oooohhhhhhh Yeah. . . post them pics Re: I'm 3.8km from the ocean................ 13Mar 21, 2012 11:11 pm hhhmmmm hang on I just caught what you said........ I don't actually have a plot map with the shed on the land...... but I will draw a mud map and post it..... I hope this helps!!! The council regulations here call for 10m off the front boundary and 6m off the side boundaries. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Here is the shed layout Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This 10.5m x 7m shed will be this first thing on the property Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Please don't laugh at my efforts!! heehee but this is a basic layout of how we were thinking of having the property! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This a shot from the bottom corner (NE) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This is a shot from where the shed will be (poor trees have to go!!) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ And this is a shot to the Islands ~ okjorg viewtopic.php?f=31&t=55196&p=844089#p844089 Settlement date - 13 Jan Final plans - 24 Sept Council approval - 21 Oct First peg in the ground - 7 Nov Re: I'm 3.8km from the ocean................ 14Mar 21, 2012 11:29 pm Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Something like this kitchen bench with all the drawers?? This is what I imagine in my head!! ~ okjorg viewtopic.php?f=31&t=55196&p=844089#p844089 Settlement date - 13 Jan Final plans - 24 Sept Council approval - 21 Oct First peg in the ground - 7 Nov Re: I'm 3.8km from the ocean................ 15Mar 22, 2012 12:15 am ~ okjorg viewtopic.php?f=31&t=55196&p=844089#p844089 Settlement date - 13 Jan Final plans - 24 Sept Council approval - 21 Oct First peg in the ground - 7 Nov Re: I'm 3.8km from the ocean................ 16Mar 22, 2012 9:35 am yay!!! You have your own thread! And jodge heard my pleas for help and is on to it. I didn't want to out jodge before she chose to herself, but now that she is here I will say that without doubt she is brilliant! I have a toilet in my house named after her. (Long story - see my thread). Dee is also good at this stuff (as you saw on the other thread). I definitely think you need to switch that bed 2 with the dining... If you like galley kitchens then that is even better and will work well flowing between the family, kitchen then dining (from south to north). The way you had your kitchen before with pantry and fridge so far away looked awkward. There is a triangle rule about designing kitchens, but I can't quite remember it myself. jodge, I also loved okjorg's symmetry and bedroom wing in the original design. if you have lots of breezes, then you should definitely try to use those and avoid a ducted air-con. We have done the same. Did you check out that House Orientation thread I mentioned? Some great tips in there... OK ... so now the fun begins!! SunshineT's Build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=34585 Designs start: 4/12/09 DA: 5/7/11 Demo: 22/12/11 Slab: 24/2/12 Keys: 31/8/12 Re: I'm 3.8km from the ocean................ 17Mar 22, 2012 10:06 am Thank you thank you Sunshine, I am so excited Jo, Dee and yourself are on my side!!!!! I feel like we might end up with something truly special!!!!! I have skipped through a few blogs and love love love everyones particular patches of Australia so happy and proud to be building........ but check back in a year or so when I am in the middle of it all!!!! HA! Might not be so happy and proud then!!!!!!! I am in the process of reading your thread Sunshine so I can't wait to learn more about you all as I read more. A toilet named after Jo........ INDEED!! I love your idea of moving the dining room over next to the lounge area..... with big bi-folds...... that sounds like a beautiful spot to watch the sailboats Some sort of galley kitchen with an island bench would be ideal, lots of drawer and cupboards and I agree where the fridge was just not quite right......... I have also heard of this triangle rule..... the crazier the shape of the triangle the harder it is to get from sink, to stove, to fridge. ????????? Does this sound right?? I am really trying to get the room placement right because we truly do have amazing breezes all the time and we will install fans but hopefully we will get away without Air conditioning at all!!! Your thread on house orientation is very helpful, but I am really not sure......... how different is Queensland compared to NSW and Vic????? When talking about solar movements and such???????? Am I thinking correctly with all the 1.8m wide verandahs and the 3m deck at the back??? Will that deck stop my kitchen from getting too hot in the afternoons and will the verandahs allow me to keep the windows open while we have our intense afternoon downpours of rain????????? ~ okjorg viewtopic.php?f=31&t=55196&p=844089#p844089 Settlement date - 13 Jan Final plans - 24 Sept Council approval - 21 Oct First peg in the ground - 7 Nov Re: I'm 3.8km from the ocean................ 18Mar 22, 2012 10:07 am Juping onboard here. Deemaree Kyndylan Capers: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=46852 My blog: http://www.sufficientlysufficient.blogspot.com/ Re: I'm 3.8km from the ocean................ 19Mar 22, 2012 10:15 am Jump away Dee!!!!!! I am throwing a lot of questions out there today!!! Everyone has me fired up ~ okjorg viewtopic.php?f=31&t=55196&p=844089#p844089 Settlement date - 13 Jan Final plans - 24 Sept Council approval - 21 Oct First peg in the ground - 7 Nov Re: I'm 3.8km from the ocean................ 20Mar 22, 2012 10:21 am Have you had a look at these sites? http://www.climatesmart.qld.gov.au/your ... esign.html www.sustainable-homes.org.au/07_coordin ... _intro.doc www.sustainable-homes.org.au/00_downloads/brochure1.pdf Deemaree Kyndylan Capers: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=46852 My blog: http://www.sufficientlysufficient.blogspot.com/ Thank you so much everyone. This all makes a lot of sense. I guess when you talk to a builder who butters up everything to look very polished, you get to start believing… 7 17580 thank you! do we need to get this or our builder before we commence new build on the block? 2 10410 Hi, did you get any money from insurance? if you did, does it match what you've already paid the builders? 3 9563 |