Things you forget - summary page 32

To carry on from Steely Dans excellent compilation work..........

I have added a couple of "categories" and tidied the list up a bit.
I also added in the new suggestions from Steely Dans list on page 11 to the latest posts and I have also added a couple of my own suggestions.

As always, latest updates are IN RED

This allows anyone following the thread to quickly see new things in the list.

SUGGESTION 1: If you carry out maintenance on the list, please remove existing red tags, and mark the NEW text with red ................
SUGGESTION 2: Where both applicable and appropriate, consider inserting web-links to external products.
SUGGESTION 3: Get a Mod to update the thread title to reflect the new location of the revised list.

Thanks guys for a great resource !!



Site works and administration:

• Keep diary of all dates once construction starts and all notes of conversations, emails, costs etc with builder in case something needs to be discussed and clarified
• Don’t get builder to do everything just what can’t be completed post build. Save 30% mark-up on items like carpets, floor tiles, wardrobe shelving, paving, painting, fireplaces etc
• Consider getting you flooring laid as part of the builders contract so that it is covered by builders insurance
• Ask for excess sand to be removed from site if not required
• Shop around and compare inclusions between builders, if you want something that isn’t offered by one you may be able to get it included or at least find out the price difference
• Visit builders selection rooms before signing contract to find out what is included and how much it costs
• Ask council/builder for refund of kerb / path damage bond if it has been paid
• Apply for stamp duty refund if built within guidelines and timeframe
• If you are doing a knockdown rebuild and have gas, make sure you allow for abolishment fees for gas / electrical services if applicable
• Check you haven’t paid land tax on improved land
• Ask bank how much they value your property once completed
• Find out land value from the Valuer General
• Check builder doesn’t bury any rubbish on site
• Obtain all warranties, instruction manuals, serial numbers for all products installed in the house from the builder
• Ensure copies of your plans and personal details are not dumped into skip
• Make sure contract reflects that the start date is the date that work commences onsite and not the later date after provision of evidence of funding.
• Check that contract only allows for rainy days being claimed before roofing is installed and only if there has been more than 5mm of rain.
• Make sure you know the fall/slope of your land, the flatter your lot the less site costs you’ll incur, most site costs go to cut and fill as well as building retaining walls. Most volume builders won’t build on sites with a fall greater than 3 metres.
• Check the orientation of your block, if the front is north facing then ideally your living areas should be in the front of the house with the bedrooms on the cooler east side, if the rear is north facing, best location for living area is at the back.
• Check the Building Commission's website for a list of builders that it has prosecuted:
(Victoria) http://www.buildingcommission.com.au/ww ... 35-m-s.asp
• The other thing we did was get an independent build inspector on the final visit. We pretended he was thru the bank and they wouldn't release funds until everything was fixed prior to handover
• At the end of your build, prior to final inspection, check your provisional sums and ask your builder to confirm the final PS costings. Query them on it and ask to see a breakdown of invoices for the PS work performed. You should be entitled to a refund for "under-costs" or items not used (ie, they PS you for a concrete pump but did not use one)
• Wear gumboots before going to your site


House:

• Install frames on open doorways in case you want to install doors later
• If you can’t afford to install a door in certain areas and rooms, install a fastwall lintel so it’s easier and cheaper to install later
• Do any doors come with security locks?
• Ask what locks are keyed-alike so you don’t end up with multiple keys to lock up doors
• Are door stops included and installed?
• Consider installing a secure internal door from garage into house instead of lightweight non lockable standard door
• Consider rebating external stacker/sliding doors so that the door sill is flush with the concrete slab and there is no ledge
• Check what type of timber the external doors are made of, as cheap timber will warp after being exposed to elements after 12 months, consider using fibreglass external doors instead
• Upgrade carpet underlay
• Can skirting boards be laid by builder after handover if organising own flooring installation?
• Check building specifications contract about skirting for tiles, floor tile is sometimes counted as skirting tile and builder will only tile skirting to 200mm, if you want full height skirting you may need to pay extra
• Do you have fly screens and window locks?
• Check all windows open in preferred direction
• Check which windows are fixed and which ones can be opened, important if you want cross air ventilation
• Check location of windows is exactly where you want on final plan before signing off Also check window outlook, would you get a better view if a window was on a different wall ?
• Check window heights....
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-HOLH ... window.JPG
• Check all windows are the same (sliding/awning) and from the same manufacturer so you don’t have two sets of keys
• Think about location of water tanks, clothesline, bbq, shed, vege patch, letterbox type
• Perhaps include letterbox in building contract, if you want to build one after handover consider materials and ask builder to leave any leftover bricks behind
• Insulate west wall for radiant heat with glare-shield or something similar, no need to do whole house
• Install or extend eaves
• If you want passive heating/cooling and the rear of your house is north facing, locate veranda/pergola/alfresco to the side and not the back, preferably the west side as extra shading to the house from the sun
• Keep your floor-plan shallow, the sun can’t penetrate more than 4 metres through standard 7 foot windows if you want lots of natural light and you don’t want to install skylights.
• Check the location of the crossover matches the location of the garage for the house you want to build, while you can reverse the floor-plan it may impact negatively on your energy efficiency if your living areas are on the opposite side to where you want them to get the most sun and light.
• Consider double glazing for your windows as appropriate
• Check location of manhole, in relation to ducted heating if it is too close to all the big ducts then you can’t access any other part of the roof space
• Duckboards in ceiling cavity
• Bathrooms to have floor to ceiling tiling at time of tender or contract
• Check height of tiling in bathroom - if you are not tiling to the ceiling, make sure it will accommodate the vertical rail of a hand-held shower
• Sliding (mirror) wardrobe doors
• If you are having an attic pull down man hole thing ... in your garage, clear of door motor and tracks
• Lock on any door from the garage to the house.
• Add sliding cavity door to ensuite so bedroom or WIR doesn't get full of steam
• Put in a door in the hallway between the front and back of house to shut it off


Structural:

• Warranty if you install things yourself (ie you put tiles down and later slab cracks, who will replace the tiles)
• Be aware of the INTERNAL dimensions of your garage. Can you park a 4WD drive in there WITH a tow bar fitted?
• Rear garage roller door - allows incredible access (Double-hinge doors may be an even better option)
• Skylights to bathrooms / toilets save a lot of energy costs
• White Ant treatment / barrier / chemical / re-treatment (Photos of pipe locations)
• Ask for a big shelving unit or a cabinet in the garage
• Perhaps consider taller doors if you're raising your ceiling height
• See if you can make the staircase wider than normal for moving stuff upstairs
• Have your insect screens and window locks supplied at the same time as the windows
• Insist on a three-coat paint job (1 * sealer, 2 * top coats)
• Ask for 2 rolled coats of paint on the inside. Otherwise some painters might spray the first coat and roll the second. This can sometimes result in walls that scratch easily, streaked and over spray on window frames.
• Eaves for energy saving
• Raised ceilings
• Check cornices on bulkheads…..Do you want cornices there?
• For split level homes make sure the builder does brick stairs if you are tiling as you can't tile wooden stairs
• Double rebated entry door jambs. Double rebated door jambs allows you to fit a fly wire or security door without the need for costly modifications.


Lighting:

• Consider lights in the roof with switch near manhole, or power-point so you can use a string of "party lights"
• Consider power points in the floor for table and floor lamps so you don’t have to run extension leads across the floor and behind furniture
• Check that light fixtures also includes the light globes
• Install light and power point in walk-in pantry (consider sensor light ?)
http://www.arlec.com.au/viewProduct.asp ... alogueID=5
• Install outdoor light near clothesline
• Consider external lights around perimeter of house so wiring goes through the bricks
• Light switch inside access door from garage into house so you can turn on hall light before entering the house at night
• Dim lights (LED or sensor) in hallway(s) for night-lighting (600mm above floor level)
• A small light in the feature niche in the en-suite that’s low voltage (for midnight pees )
• 12v/LED Lighting - check that they EACH have appropriate and properly fitted covers in the ceiling space. Don't want to be singing the Bloodhound Gang "The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire!"
• Sensor lights and exhaust fan in toilets. Save energy costs as they will turn themselves off
• We have downlights in the eaves at the back of our house - they are fantastic - both for entertaining and so much better than flood/spot lights


Electrical:

• Install as many power points and TV points as you can, it’s cheaper now than later
• Install power point in hallways for vacuuming.
• Install power point near cordless phone
• Install power point(s) for charging mobile phones (kitchen / hall / bedroom / study as applicable to you)
• Powerpoint near slow-combustion wood heater for fan forced function
• Install power points on internal back walls for external lighting, sensor lights etc
• Consider installing extra power points in garage for second fridge and dryer
• Consider double power point installed in front eaves for Xmas lights
• Consider power point in ceiling cavity can be useful for Christmas lights along roof perimeter
• Remember external power point to connect pump for water tanks or along internal wall closest to tanks
• Provision for power and lighting in shed (Run conduit if necessary to eventual shed location)
• Consider power point in broom cupboard if you have rechargeable dust buster or vacuum cleaner
• Install electrical conduit under driveway or path to provide 12 volt electricity for garden lighting
• Check heights of power points and antenna points (or some sort of "rear access") for wall mounted tv (don't forget VCR / PVR / Audio if required).
• Install door bell, important if you have a big house and living areas at rear of house
• Drill hole in brick(s) for brickies to use these brick(s) at doorbell / external light(s) locations
• Check location of light switches, if installing double doors where none existed originally ensure the light switches aren’t hidden behind doors when opened
• Make sure electrical cabling allows for bats insulation to external walls
• Allow extra TV points and power points in main living area so you can change orientation of the room and position of the TV
• Cable from garage / carport to inside behind front door to put switch to open / close roller doors from inside
• If not installing ducted heating/cooling install lights in the ceiling cavity with light switch next to manhole opening
• Install household surge protector at meter
• If you have under bench microwave, consider installing an extra power switch at nearest power point so it can be easily switched on/off to save power
• Move electrical switchboard into garage (or under stairs in two storey house) for security and easier access
• Install single GPO in meter box for reticulation system
• Install lots of conduits from ceiling cavity into internal wall, you don’t need to connect them all and the electrician can install blank plates ready for future use when needed
• Add a conduit for phone and TV cable for Foxtel installation, if it’s on a cavity wall there is no problem if it isn’t it’s a real pain.
• Install conduits in single brick external walls
• Install junction boxes to run outside lights, 5 downlights under eaves are equivalent to same power usage as two exterior lights
• Install junction boxes instead of lights if unsure of light selections
• Consider installing outdoor TV point
• Talk to electrician about multiple circuits for load-spreading
• If considering pool think about getting circuit for pool equipment now
• Cable trays in ceiling for power & data cables
• 32 Amp power outlet in garage - within 5 years we will see a far greater uptake of Hybrid/Electric cars, these vehicle will require a standard 32 Amp outlet
• Power points in the master bedroom en suite for electric tooth brushes, hair iron and dryer on BOTH (for DH & DW) sides of vanity, could be fitted under / on side of vanity / cupboard to keep cords tidy.
• Smoke detector locations
• Consider a waterproof outdoor power point for future pool or area where you may need power
• Add "Master" switch near front door to allow all "non-essential" circuits to be turned off when leaving the house
• See end for DATA suggestions


Plumbing:

• Solar water heating
• Rain water tanks for garden watering/car washing
• 2 recycled water taps
• Move laundry taps to be down in the cabinet next to the machine
• Double storey house? ... Have your builder connect a tap to exterior balconies
• Check downpipe locations, last thing you want is a downpipe in front of your feature wall.
• Insulate cold water pipe and hot water pipe.
• Install capped water point and power points to the roof if you intend on getting evaporative cooling installed later
• If installing evaporative cooling, run in the PVC drainpipe for excess water in brick cavity at pre-lay
• Consider floor drainage holes in laundry, bathroom and kitchen. Makes cleaning easier and handy if appliances flood/leak (need replenishing with water to keep water-seal from sewer)
• Install hot water system as close as possible to kitchen as that is where you use small amounts of hot water the most
• If your house is long consider two hot water units
• Check the location of your HWS, it might be in the way between where your laundry exit is and the location of your clothesline. You might not have enough room to get past easily, especially if its on blind side of house.
• Also, check the location of your HWS to ensure that there is "side-of-the-house" access as required.
• Make sure your hot water heater is seated on a concrete footing (or slab) rather than on top of the ground
• Provision for grey-water collection from laundry, baths and showers if not connecting straight away
• Consider locations of outside taps, do you need two right next to each other if they will be split by a pool fence, so you can have one in the pool area
• Pre lay any storm-water pipes under paving, paths and driveways, saves digging up later
• Consider pre-laying the toilet vent PVC pipe in the wall cavity so is not visible other than outlet through roof
• Install extra outdoor taps for backyard as garden hose is often not long enough to reach entire space
• Make sure taps are placed at correct spots on drawings
• Check location of downpipes

Services:

• For ducted vacuuming measure the distance between ducts on the plans to ensure the hoses are long enough to reach the entire house or invest in a longer hose
• Check site for closest gas point, water point and phone conduit, builder will use the closest path to connect these services which may not be what you want/expect.
• Consider exhaust fan in the laundry or openable window // check that venting from exhausts in bathrooms and kitchen goes outside, not to roofs space. If you have sarking under your tiles you may not be able to vent into the roof space
• Lay a 4” PVC pipe under driveway before it’s laid so water pipe can be laid for reticulated water to front garden
• Check drainage for backyard, ensure drains connected to downpipes
• Ensure security sensors will not be behind curtains, doors etc….
• Multiple Outdoor taps (particularly on a large home)


Heating / Cooling:

• Multiple Split system Air Con units that run off a single compressor. Cool only the rooms being used, can work out cheaper on energy costs
• Provision for split air conditioners if installing later, think about location in relation to external walls
• If installing a split system air conditioner, run a separate circuit from the indoor unit to a junction box on external wall for the outdoor unit and an interconnecting cable between the two units.
• Check the location of ceiling vents for heating and cooling in bedrooms so they aren’t directly above occupants heads when beds are moved in
• Consider zoned heating so bedrooms and living areas are on separate lines
• Ducted air conditioning vent in laundry and down stairs toilet if required


Kitchen:

• Check size of fridge recess as most Korean fridges Samsung, LG etc are 900mm wide which is standard width of recess, ask to increase to 1000mm to cover all brands.
• Check fridge depth if you might consider one of the “larger” units
• Provision for water tap in fridge recess for future proofing
• Alternatively don’t install water tap behind fridge, install it inside kitchen cupboards instead
• Check dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, fridge, microwave spaces will fit the models you want
• Check height of rangehood so you don’t hit your head when cooking over stove
• Check cupboard height
• Size of pot draws... builder is offering 3 sets of pot draws, but two of them are so skinny that you can't fit any thing in them (one is oversized)
• Get adjustable shelves in kitchen cupboards for different sized items
• Useful link if you want those soft closing drawers and want a more affordable option
http://www.tim-and-tina.com/
• Proximity of windows to gas cooktop - will a breeze coming in the window affect the cooking flame?
• Careful where dishwasher is positioned - you don't want to have to close the dishwasher to open the cupboard that clean dishes go in
• Ensure you specify in your contract that splashback must be installed as 'one piece' 'no joins' 'single sheet of glass', because the builder may use "off-cuts" and install your splashback as 3 pieces (for example)
• Mitered edges, waterfall benches in kitchen
• Location of o/h cupboards in kitchen, is the face flush with wall? Ours wasn’t and I had to get it amended
• Height of kitchen bench
• More cupboards in the kitchen. Storage is never enough.
• Install power points on kitchen island
• Consider having a water filter installed at the kitchen sink
• Proximity of windows to gas cook-top - will a breeze coming in the window affect the cooking flame?

Bathroom:

• Think about window size in bathrooms, big windows can make bathrooms feel cold
• Frosted windows on toilets/bathrooms
• Don't have toilet windows that cannot be properly closed / sealed (ie, those with just fly-wire at the top)
• Check which way shower doors open and stipulate door opening direction in contract for all doors (entry, pantry, wardrobes, shower, internal)
• Ask for tiles to be cleaned and sealed in wet areas so grout doesn’t stain, especially around toilet bowls
• Check location of taps in shower so you don’t have to retract arm through the water after turning hot water on
• Wall mount bathroom taps saves water pooling around taps and easier to clean
• Consider installing an open shower recess instead of shower cabinet
• Consider adding glass-shield to both sides of shower screens
• Consider nib walls between shower recess and vanity
• Think about where you want a medicine cabinet?
• Do you want privacy locks in bathrooms?
• Small alcoves (or glass shelves) in the showers to put shampoos and soap so they don't all end up on the shower floor (Scala glass shelf from Reece (http://www.reece.com.au/bathrooms/products/2261358 )


Bedroom:

• Think about sliding doors for built in robes, not just for saving space but also so you’re not restricted on placement of furniture
• Delete all shelving for walk in robes and built in robes if sourcing own shelving after handover and ensure clothes rails aren’t installed as well
• Consider increasing width of built in robes, standard width is 500mm which catches on clothes when closing door
• Check line of sight when people walk in front door and master suite door is open


Laundry:

• Check that laundry trough has bypass drain
• Consider pull out or pull-down ironing board in laundry for quick ironing jobs
• Drying cupboard in laundry, install heating duct in cupboard to dry clothes
• Lots of linen cupboard space
• Consider a “hanging rod” fitted under overhead cupboards
• Consider ventilation in the laundr
• Sliding entry door, easier when sorting through clothes (takes less internal room)
• I used a 'drop-in' style laundry tub - into a long run of bench top (same laminate as kitchen) for a streamlined look
• Tall cupboard in laundry minus shelves to take vacuum cleaner, ironing board & brooms
• If you will be wall-mounting your dryer get the chippy to install timber for the brackets, if you are going for a large (USA style) gas dryer, fit vent in walls
http://jpmark.com.au/Text/1173135234406 ... 1867-4775/


Living Areas:

• Check measurements of furniture, allow 12mm for render on walls and don’t forget floor coverings as well when calculating width/height for recesses, alcoves etc
• Ask for wider openings to passageways than the standard, makes it easier to move furniture without having to pull them apart, scratch or bump into corners
• At framing stage, take photos of walls in all rooms before gyprock goes on so you know location of studs and noggins for later You will need this help
• Remember curtains and carpet reduce echo in large open plan areas
• Install sound insulation in internal walls
• If you love hanging lots of pictures, photos etc get builder to install an extra row of nogging so you have a solid row of wood to hang from instead of plasterboard
• Consider installing doors to close off open plan areas, provides greater flexibility when kids get older
• Leave enough space at the side of windows or doors for window coverings. (we have a sliding door with a window either side in our master bedroom and there's not a great deal of space for curtains to pull back against the wall, so they don't cover the window.)


Alfresco / Patio

• Check ceiling height in alfresco is high enough if you want to install a ceiling fan
• Check material used for ceiling roof in alfresco is for outdoors and not indoors
• Install outdoor gas point (for a BBQ / heaters or similar)
• Consider external light switches in alfresco
• Consider external power points in alfresco
• Consider speakers / sound for this area (speaker / amp location)
• Consider an extra tap for an outdoor alfresco
• Consider using stainless steel where possible (BBQ frames / lights / fan etc)


Garage:

• Consider installing manhole in garage so tradesman can do all the work from inside the garage and not the house
• Lock on garage-access manhole
• Check height of garage door in case it needs to be raised for 4WD vehicles and hatchbacks
• Consider workshop/storeroom on side of garage, allows extra room for opening car doors, storing bicycles rather than paying for shed later
• Ensure driveway is cut into the gutter where it joins the road so car doesn’t touch the bottom when pulling into driveway

DATA

• Foxtel - Wants data
• TV - Wants data
• HD Media Players - Wants data
• DVD players - Wants data
• Computer - Wants data
• Printer - Wants data
• Networked hard drives - Wants data
• Home Security system often requires a second dedicated phone point
• A proper Comms external enclosure... + FTTH Internal Lead In
to have an External FTTH ONT mounted inside it.. something like this:
http://www.brenclosures.com.au/nbn-enclosure.htm
• Or get it as part of the full enclosure kit like this
http://www.hagerbr.com.au/enclosures/do ... 0/4386.htm
• A FTTH Compliant Internal Lead In

This is the best Thread for me, ie First home buyer ! Thank you to everyone!!

we need to put 'summary on page 20' now peeps, in the subject line

the OB might have dissappeared now. Yes a mod will do it, they are GREAT like that.
im sure it will be sorted in no time

wow great thread. I have built twice and prob won't build again but I couldn't resist copying and saving the summary on this page to my computer .

done

cheers

Hi dreamcometrue, a great tip, my wife is very hate mice.

Do you mind post some pictures where and how to seal properly? Are mice able to break it with their teeth? Also which kind of tape or steel wool to use? Do we need to ask the tradie to put them in or sneak into the house during construction and do it ourselves?

This is where the dishwasher is connected and hose comes into cupboard. It looks like a previous tenant stuffed a heap of paper or cloth into the hole.



This is the drain from the kitchen sink; as this is a rental, I have put sticky tape around the hole



The next two are in the bathroom, the first is showing the vanity unit near the floor tile so that you can get an idea of what the second picture is of:



This is the same picture as previous but holding the camera under the edge of the drawer in the corner. You can see that there is a hole where the joinery stopped.



Basically if there is any hole in your wall that goes to the wall cavity, mice can get in because they can get into the wall cavity via the roof or the breathing gaps in the brickwork. One place I thought of while living in the rental is under the garage door that leads inside the house - in our previous house we didn't have one so it wasn't an issue. Maybe a good weather strip would help in this instance.

I just use regular steel wool - even the soap pads would do, the mice can't chew through it, I don't believe. They could probably chew through tape but being sticky it may be enough of a deterrent.
You could just go around after handover and check for gaps.
Other people may have good ideas on keeping out 'unwanted visitors'