One of the member introduced us to the forum, so here is our first post!
We are building a new house East of (sunny) Melbourne!
We have started a blog, if anyone is interested, here is the link: http://eehouse.blogspot.com/
We would like to share our experience, and perhaps assist someone who is thinking of buying a vacant block, in a subdivision.
As mentioned in the blog, one has to be very careful and request/study a document called a Property Service Plan. Issued by the water company, it reflects the state of the pipes layout on the block (storm water & sewer).
We got caught ourselves, and our solicitor who did the conveyancing for us got caught as well. The document attached with the section 32 (plan of subdivision) only showed where the easements should be. It never mentioned the sewer pipe from the existing house, running right thru our block…
We had to redirect the pipe at our cost. So just a word of caution there!..
Another problem we encountered relates to the electric meter.
Because of a small section of common property at the entrance of the “battle axe” configuration of the block, the energy company made us group the 2 meters.
The existing house at the front had its meter box near the entrance door, with an overhead cable coming from a pole located on the nature strip. Nothing wrong with that!
But once again, at our cost, we had to run the mains for that house: underground, up the side wall and into the roof cavity back to the switchboard.
Bureaucracy at its best!...
Anyway, it everything is fixed now.
Construction has started, and so far so good.
Except of course for the roof trusses manufacturer who stuffed up, and fabricated the trusses using the wrong timber! Everything has to be re-done. We ordered Blueframe timber, the one with a light blue colour, termite treated. They used just plain timber….
Aaaahhhhh….!