Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Sep 27, 2012 12:41 am I was wondering how feasible it would be to get a Double-Story home custom-designed and built for a flat narrow block (say 10m - 13m wide) for under $250k? (this refers to Hills District in Sydney). The problem is that some blocks really require a custom design to make best use of narrow or oddly-shaped sites. Builders like "Wisdom" have packages at around $250 to $260k for small / narrow blocks. These include a reasonable amount of inclusions. Can anyone relate any positive experiences of going down that route. e.g. getting a home designed, tendered through a building broker and then built? (including the traditional project-home "inclusions" although perhaps on a tighter budget) What designers do the developers use? What brokers do the developers use? Can these people also handle the fit-out side of things? (floor coverings, fittings, kitchens, etc) How much could be realistically be saved over going down the project-home route? I always thought that it was the slab size and the roof area the drove the build-cost, however single-story homes seem to be cheaper to build than doubles, even though the actual floor space is the same (or is this just excessive margins on double-story project homes?). Although double-story homes usually have a 3rd bathroom (powder room), not that one toilet and hand basin should be a significant cost-driver. Build thread: here Land Nov 12, Contract 6/07/13, Consent 15/08/13, Start 20/09/13, Slab 25/09/13, Frame 4/10/13, Brick 21/10/13, Roof 2/11/13, Lock-up 17/12/13, Handover 3/3/14 Re: Design, tendering and building for under $250k? 2Sep 27, 2012 8:02 am I doubt $250 is a reasonable budget Maybe for a very small two storey home?? Our builder does custom designs. Most custom designs work on around $1000-$1500sqm. So you may get a 250sqmhome for that price. There are extra costs in building two story in relationto steel beams and the support required in building up. Project homes are definetely cheaper than custom. Maybe look at some of the cheaper two story builders at homeworld, wincrest, sekusui, allcastle and beechwood do one Re: Design, tendering and building for under $250k? 3Sep 27, 2012 10:03 pm Double storey definitely costs more than single per sqm. Just be sure to check the inclusions, its unlikely they include everything you want and therefore upgrades to add up quickly. Re: Design, tendering and building for under $250k? 4Sep 28, 2012 4:30 pm I have heard that $2000-$2500 per sqm for custom builds. I am custom building, although we are still waiting for costings to come back, i would be expecting in the price range. Re: Design, tendering and building for under $250k? 5Oct 05, 2012 11:00 pm I think I'm steering away from the idea. The hidden costs scare me (just trying to fit within a budget). It was a thought that I could make effective use of a small block if I went down the custom-build route. Build thread: here Land Nov 12, Contract 6/07/13, Consent 15/08/13, Start 20/09/13, Slab 25/09/13, Frame 4/10/13, Brick 21/10/13, Roof 2/11/13, Lock-up 17/12/13, Handover 3/3/14 Re: Design, tendering and building for under $250k? 6Oct 07, 2012 8:08 am Custom building will ensure you fully utilize the space you have available. Unfortunately cost wise it is always more than a volume builder... I've found so far the additional cost is greater with the custom builder, but less with each variation. With volume builders its often the other way around, so do check what extra's your going to add in before determining price. Building Standards; Getting It Right! There doesn't look to be any rebate in the slab to prevent water from scooting under the window. AS4654 is the Australian standard to look at/refer to. They have… 1 10148 From a pure legal perspective, if you've signed the variation, it is a very high bar to have it set aside. No-one can give you legal advice on a forum, but you would need… 3 5477 ideal house depends on the site and location as much as internal floor plan....what is the distance from the house to all four boundaries, where is north, describe your… 3 15157 |