Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Sep 03, 2013 10:52 pm Long time reader its now time to create a thread. A chance drive by last November lead us to think about an alternative for our now family of five currently living on a 450 sq m block in a 3x2 to a newly built 4x2 on a 360 sq m block with the added bonus of a park right out the front, a rear laneway, 200m from the beach, 250m from a cafe and soon to be opened IGA and 5 min bike ride to the kids school... Then to find a builder. A chance ad seen in the Saturday West lead us to contact Ben Trager Homes. 9 months later, earthworks have started and we are ready to go. Finding a design that could accommodate front living to overlook the park and having rear access to the laneway was our first challenge, together with getting the bedroom configuration right for the kids given our youngest at the time was 6 months old. After realising that in the near future he would be old enough to have his room upstairs and to avoid arguments in the future, we chose the Prano design with a number of modifications. The original Prano design is as follows: http://www.bentragerhomes.com.au/home/premium/44/prano We started by reversing the design with living at the front overlooking the park which required the upper floor to be modified to suit (plus a bath in the bathroom). A modified kitchen/WIP/WIL layout and extended verandah followed resulting in a comfortable size for five on a compact lot. The verandah was enlarged to run down the side of the kitchen to help with morning summer sun and to create a space to have outdoor kitchen etc and not being the first thing seen when entering the house from the park. The verandah and resulting front yard will be like a terrace / balcony as we sit about 700mm / 5 steps above the park. Due to the orientation will be well shaded and protected from wind in the hot summer. In the kitchen, we moved the sink and added the u shape bench creating a server window to the verandah. A great lesson from our existing house where we all congregate around kitchen bench (kids homework, guests entertaining etc) leaving no food prep area. The pantry is big enough to store appliances also. The relocated fridge recess adds heads of space and we added a 'phone zone' next to it. Another lesson from our existing house. The theatre will be a kids playroom and the dropzone from garage will be great as kids rooms upstairs so helps with school bags, shoes etc. Site Plan Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Ground Floor Plan Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Upper Floor Plan Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Front Elevation Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ From my reading, there is a lot of interest in timelines and colour schemes! Our timeline as follows: - Early December 2012: First Contact with BT Homes (through office not display) - Mid January 2013: Sales Sketch Plans - Mid February 2013: Signed Contract for Block - Late February 2013: Signed PPA with builder subject to finance approval - Mid April 2013: Conditional Finance Approval - Mid May 2013: Land Settled - Early June 2013: Building Contracts Signed - Mid June 2013: Prestart - Mid July 2013: Final Plans Signed and Conditional Finance for House - Late August: Earthworks Started - 2 & 3 September: Footings and Slab Completed External Colour Scheme Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Excitement today with the slab going down. It has been a long six months since we signed with the builder, but he have no time commitments so this reduces stress levels a little. Slap This Morning (Viewed From Front Left of Block) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Slap This Afternoon (Viewed from Rear Laneway) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I hope you enjoy. It has been great reading all your posts so now its my turn to return the favour. My Thread (Halls Head Beach House): viewtopic.php?f=31&t=67006 Re: Halls Head Beach House 2Sep 03, 2013 11:00 pm Welcome & congratulations on your slab. Great use of the block. Can't wait to see updates. Re: Halls Head Beach House 3Sep 03, 2013 11:08 pm Congratulations. Look forward to following your build Re: Halls Head Beach House 4Sep 04, 2013 12:10 am Looks great, I really like the rear entry style of block and the houses you can build as a result - although it can present some challenges in living out front arrangements. Congratulations on the slab! Demo + Build in Rivervale, Western Australia Moved in June 2014 http://rivervale.tumblr.com/ Building Thread Re: Halls Head Beach House 5Sep 04, 2013 12:36 am Congrats on the slab!! Look forward to following along with your build ![]() My Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=62841 Re: Halls Head Beach House 6Sep 04, 2013 5:34 am conslabulations the floor plan is great and takes full advantage of everything Re: Halls Head Beach House 7Sep 13, 2013 12:27 pm congratulations on the slab mrsmith. we're also considering building a prano and would appreciate any feedback you have on how accommodating BT were with making the changes you wanted? Obviously you ended up with a floor plan you liked, did altering the floor plan have a significant impact on the cost? Re: Halls Head Beach House 8Sep 13, 2013 2:40 pm Things are really happening now. Since the slap went down early last week, drains have been completed, electrical connection and this morning a nice delivery. SS has confirmed brickies starting next Wednesday.... (oh - and first payment. Its no longer a dream!) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ My Thread (Halls Head Beach House): viewtopic.php?f=31&t=67006 Re: Halls Head Beach House 9Sep 13, 2013 2:58 pm ![]() congratulations on the slab mrsmith. we're also considering building a prano and would appreciate any feedback you have on how accommodating BT were with making the changes you wanted? Obviously you ended up with a floor plan you liked, did altering the floor plan have a significant impact on the cost? Hi Elferlo. BT were great on accommodating changes. Our initial enquiry wasn't through sales, but eventually ended up there following Christmas break. It can be a hassle not dealing direct with the designer, but this is the project builder model. Having said that, we were clear on what we wanted which was living area at the front but rear garage. This is not a common design with project builders, however we don't have a standard lot. Our costs did add up but most of that was adding and extending the verandah due to roof lines being modified and extending the kitchen, plus changes upstairs to accommodate the reversed ground level, but with significant improvement (our only request was to include a bath and they took care of the rest). We also asked for doors out of the garage and suggestions to add eaves was made by the designers and this worked out well for us. The Prano design really works for us though. From cross breezes we like have a house two rooms wide (not two and a half like most designs). The kitchen, laundry, WIP and WIL was a stand out. But most of all it was the specifications on a two storey product that were most impressive. Concrete slab, timber frame upstairs, impressive elevation, good choices of appliances and fixtures and no nonsense. Good luck. Enjoy the ride. Be patient and don't rush! Its your house so it needs to work for you! My Thread (Halls Head Beach House): viewtopic.php?f=31&t=67006 Re: Halls Head Beach House 10Sep 13, 2013 6:59 pm ![]() Things are really happening now. Since the slap went down early last week, drains have been completed, electrical connection and this morning a nice delivery. SS has confirmed brickies starting next Wednesday.... (oh - and first payment. Its no longer a dream!) Bricks!! Congratulations. Like you, we've just paid for the slab. Also had a call from Nikola, our bricks will be delivered at the end of next week with brickies the week after (weather permitting). They've really got a shift on, haven't they? Re: Halls Head Beach House 11Sep 13, 2013 7:19 pm ![]() ![]() congratulations on the slab mrsmith. we're also considering building a prano and would appreciate any feedback you have on how accommodating BT were with making the changes you wanted? Obviously you ended up with a floor plan you liked, did altering the floor plan have a significant impact on the cost? Hi Elferlo. BT were great on accommodating changes. Our initial enquiry wasn't through sales, but eventually ended up there following Christmas break. It can be a hassle not dealing direct with the designer, but this is the project builder model. Having said that, we were clear on what we wanted which was living area at the front but rear garage. This is not a common design with project builders, however we don't have a standard lot. Our costs did add up but most of that was adding and extending the verandah due to roof lines being modified and extending the kitchen, plus changes upstairs to accommodate the reversed ground level, but with significant improvement (our only request was to include a bath and they took care of the rest). We also asked for doors out of the garage and suggestions to add eaves was made by the designers and this worked out well for us. The Prano design really works for us though. From cross breezes we like have a house two rooms wide (not two and a half like most designs). The kitchen, laundry, WIP and WIL was a stand out. But most of all it was the specifications on a two storey product that were most impressive. Concrete slab, timber frame upstairs, impressive elevation, good choices of appliances and fixtures and no nonsense. Good luck. Enjoy the ride. Be patient and don't rush! Its your house so it needs to work for you! Elferlo. We are building with BT, too (look at the link in my signature) And like mrsmith made some significant changes to the design (Rokeby in our case). BT were great with it. It was actually the sales rep that gave us the idea to go for a balcony and change the first floor layout. Our changes cost about $28K but would probably add three times that in value. As for value for money, we couldn't find anyone to get close to the BT specs, size & flexibility. And the upgrade costs, in general, seem very competeive compared to most other builders too. Re: Halls Head Beach House 12Sep 13, 2013 11:24 pm Yay for bricks! Both yours and OWF's build is powering along, exciting times ![]() My Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=62841 Re: Halls Head Beach House 13Sep 14, 2013 10:00 am Congratulations! Can't wait to see more! Dale Alcock Build in Honeywood Our Thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=70204&p=1154102#p1154102 Re: Halls Head Beach House 14Oct 04, 2013 12:43 am Hi mrsmith, how are things progressing? My Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=62841 Re: Halls Head Beach House 15Oct 04, 2013 11:03 am ![]() Hi mrsmith, how are things progressing? Progressing very slowly. All bricks, frames, materials delivered nearly three weeks ago, with brickies booked to start straight away. Not surprisingly the weather got in the way of a start, but no action yet. Hopefully a drive-by today there will be some progress. Your place is coming along well. Looks good. My Thread (Halls Head Beach House): viewtopic.php?f=31&t=67006 Re: Halls Head Beach House 16Oct 07, 2013 12:57 am Thanks ![]() My Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=62841 Re: Halls Head Beach House 17Oct 15, 2013 9:18 pm Hi mrs smith. Just wanted to say hi and that your design is different, clever and going to be super practical. Love it and love the area you're building in. Seascapes has come a long way, with blocks now disappearing fast, great new shops, good schools and the best thing is it also has a lovely beach and some great little parks. Used to live there too. Will follow your build, this is one double storey I really like the look of. ![]() ![]() Re: Halls Head Beach House 20Oct 15, 2013 10:21 pm ![]() Hi mrs smith. Just wanted to say hi and that your design is different, clever and going to be super practical. Love it and love the area you're building in. Seascapes has come a long way, with blocks now disappearing fast, great new shops, good schools and the best thing is it also has a lovely beach and some great little parks. Used to live there too. Will follow your build, this is one double storey I really like the look of. ![]() ![]() Thanks for the comments. All the things you mention (different, clever and practical) sums up what we wanted to do without blowing a budget and being realistic about what we can afford. We have done well with the block given it was designed for a specific house and land package that did not evenuate so a 'standard house' would not quite fit. Kids and wife are at school in the area so are the friends, sports clubs and I work locally so my communte will double from 5 mins to 10 mins, but I do school drop off anyway so will actually reduce! Now it would be great to have some progress. My Thread (Halls Head Beach House): viewtopic.php?f=31&t=67006 It would not be practical for the builder to do it like this as it would be hard for plumber to plumb up in and around the niche. They will either just bend the plastic… 1 4145 ![]() Good on you for having a go I am the opposite of DIY (so will pay a builder) - our vibe is industrial/simple so current thinking is 150mm concrete and then internally is… 3 27884 Hi Planning 90mm R2.5 between joists as a minimum in my upcoming extension on stumps. Will see if it's feasible to add more in any way after talking with the builder or… 1 1825 |