Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Jul 03, 2014 7:19 am Newbie here...
Been looking for a villa/ small house or apartment with courtyard in and around Maylands and can't find anything that fits, or we lost on offer and or pets are not allowed and we have a small toy poodle. So here goes, I am about to sign a contract on a rear block of 329m on a kinda busy road still close to the city.... I have no idea about building... Am I crazy to do that? My argument is that the house will cost me probably what I would pay for a smaller or not as nice house and will have it designed to what I want. I also hope that it would add value and with first home buyers grant and stamp duty lower it would make more sense to buy? Rear strata no strata fees as only 3 plots, north facing with easement area. Want to build a nice 3x2x2 house with no activity or theatre. The 3rd bedroom will be study and planning to have 2 master bedrooms. Still looking at builders and from recommendations looking at celebrations, aveling, dale Alcock and as I would like to build a house I will call home. I do FIFO and do long stints and so will have to get a Building Inspector as I probably won't be around to check on the build. Not sure what I am looking for at this time, just wondering if this is doable? Any thoughts, suggestions would be appreciated..... Also how realistic is it to move in to my new home in about 11 months if I get the block this month and sign with a builder by end of September? Re: Newbie, about to sign contract for land - am I CRAZY? 2Jul 03, 2014 9:04 am its a great idea. we are building because its the only way to get the size and layout we want. it takes about 6 months to do the paper work and 6-8 months to build Re: Newbie, about to sign contract for land - am I CRAZY? 3Jul 03, 2014 10:52 am your timins may vary especially depending on design, builder and council. It could go swimingly and you could be in by 11 months. Buf from the sound sof it youre thinking custom design, whihc in itself present a lengthier design process that just picking a house form a project plan. Creator of superduperonium, expert at expert things, nobel laureate, can hold my breath for 10 minutes. Re: Newbie, about to sign contract for land - am I CRAZY? 4Jul 04, 2014 8:42 am Timing is a tricky one, but 11 months may be achievable- our land settled in September and we were in by May, BUT ours was not a custom build which I know can add some time and complexity. Re: Newbie, about to sign contract for land - am I CRAZY? 5Jul 04, 2014 1:55 pm We did a similar thing and purchased a rear strata near freo. Love our house and we know we have a house that is probably already worth more than what we paid given sales in the area. You can look at my thread to see some of the joys and complexities of building rear strata. Without sounds negative I think 11 Mths is a little unrealistic. We brought land august 2012, started scoping builders and doing plans sept 2012, only signed in dec 12 (it is a slow process waiting for ppl to get back to you. Prestart march 13, slab July 13, keys feb 14 and we got to move in march 14. So we did take out time to find a builder - but I am pleased we did. I met with most of the builders you are considering, plus lots more. Came close to aveling and DA. There are a few rear builds on this forum from perth now - so I am sure those guys will help you out if you have any questions! Consider site costs: most builders will say bw 30-50k for rear build. Also consider these houses take longer to build and are more expensive... They usually come with own special issues (again my thread will give you an idea - our house took ages because it was hard to run services down the back). But I would take these issues any day - I love our house and I love living close to everything. goodluck Re: Newbie, about to sign contract for land - am I CRAZY? 6Jul 05, 2014 4:41 am Thanks everyone.
Asj25 I see where you are coming from. Oh, the complexities. I thought the location and price is good $ for 329m excluding driveway. It's about 5km from CBD though there is not many in the area and especially in that price range. The guy selling the land is quite nice though when I asked what's the soil he just said that's builder to find out. It may be it but he built a house next door so thought he would be happy to share that. There is a house and land package available for 535k though I am not sold on the builder. As you said I think I will take time to chose the builder. Sorry not well versed with this site yet who did you build with? What is the best way to find the best builder and best price? It all seems like a daunting task. We have easement restrictions however it's not an issue as it is in the area where I wanted lawn anyway. Ok, time to read and read through more info here. As you have already moved in could you share what was your initial quote and what was the end amount? Thanks so much Re: Newbie, about to sign contract for land - am I CRAZY? 7Jul 06, 2014 1:33 am Hey. For some reason I can never PM from my phone. And joys of old area - the cables in the area all need to be replaced so we can't get internet for who knows how long. Our block had loads of 'packages'' advertised - we met with those builders but didn't go through them. You can pay to get you own site survey. I would then negotiate with the builder then to have that cost removed from your contract. Cost us about $700. Once you have site survey you could get pretty accurate quotes from builders. I found redink and aveling reasonable. Costs so you get an idea: an extra few thousand to run services, retaining walls - we didn't need many but still cost around $6k, do you need fencing? These blocks often have a lot of fences I. E. Our side fence is 60m - you can imagine that is expensive if you need to replace them all. The driveways can be expensive because you need a turning circle ie; our turning circle is just over 100sq/m which is almost 1/4 of our Block - this adds a lot of $$ for paving/concreting, we spent about $10k on paving after we moved in. You also get charges like $1k-ish for 'carting' costs. Is the block 100% flat? I thought ours was flat but had a slight slope which needed to be filled. I would say add $50k to that package price and you prob have a rough figure to build and finish it. FYI - I thought that number was crazy too, but it all adds up Re: Newbie, about to sign contract for land - am I CRAZY? 8Jul 06, 2014 6:03 am Thanks asj, I ended up reading your posts last night....was a very late night for me I have learnt a fair bit, I am now wondering whether it is all worth it. Wow 50k extra! I noticed you did tiling yourself. I was thinking to get my dad do that but someone told me the builder won't give warranty if wet rooms not done by them? Also did you find you have saved lots doing it yourself? I too am trying to think of having as small mortgage as possible, however do not want to stress over everything especially if I won't be often around. 50k on the other hand is a bit more than I anticipated. Thanks for all the info. I noticed a lot of people seem to think battleaxe lots/ rear homes are not as desired and resale value would be lower though I think if I am closer to the city it would be a plus point. Plus I actually would prefer to be at the back then in the middle. There will be only about 20m of fence that will need replacement. The other side neighbour just building house on the other side. The block was advertised as from 330k and now the land owner is asking 340k, so will see how I go. Re: Newbie, about to sign contract for land - am I CRAZY? 9Jul 06, 2014 12:43 pm Hmm goodluck! It depends on the area. Most blocks in my area have been battle axed - they seem to sell well. Two blocks on my street have gone up in the last few months and sold crazy quick. So I wouldn't think resale is an issue. Plus people will always be looking for property close to CBD. 50k - 11k paving, 11k, flooring, $1-2k painting, $3-4k electrics, $5k curtains, $2k skirting, $3k fencing, then you have gardens, retic, washing line, letterbox, antenna, service connections. Adds up quick Tiling was a bit cheaper. And I much prefer the job our tiler did on our subway tiles - redink tiler had to replace some tiles and he did a rubbish job, so wouldn't have wanted him to do anymore Re: Newbie, about to sign contract for land - am I CRAZY? 10Jul 06, 2014 9:46 pm Good Luck with whatever decision you make. With your 11 months to completion, that is really hit and miss luck of the draw. We have had friends who have singed with a builder and moved in within 12 months. Us on the other hand, we signed with our builder in Feb 13 and the sales consultant told us it was realistic for us to be in the house within 12 months. Our build did not commence until the 12 month mark so we are looking at 18-20 months from signing to completion. We are using a Building Inspector to check our build at each stage. He has provided a comprehensive report each time, yet our builder is very reluctant to acknowledge anything raised in the report, although most issues raised have been very minor. At least we have issues documented and proof that we have raised them with the builder if there is any problems post build. Re: Newbie, about to sign contract for land - am I CRAZY? 11Jul 06, 2014 10:38 pm Thanks asj, lots to think about. I wish I could find a builder I could trust to do it all. Gingaskippy - building inspector is sure the way to go for me. I am only worried about the site costs, however seeing a builder is offering the place for $535k as a land and house package it looks like there should be no surprises. Are the builders just buying jobs or do they actually make money offering house and land package? I am just trying to see how much I have to budget for to have a perfect home to move into. One third of the drive way is paved too where the existing home is so it will be I guess for the remaining two houses to have it completed. More I read less I seem to understand and I do not want to underestimate. 12 months seems so faraway too, 18 even longer.... Mmm long time to be constantly stressed out. Would you guys build again or would you categorically say not again!? Re: Newbie, about to sign contract for land - am I CRAZY? 12Jul 06, 2014 11:12 pm Hey there, Just catching up on your thread. I'm building for the first time pretty close to your proposed area. As far as site costs are concerned, how close are you to the Swan River? Speaking in very general terms, proximity to the river will see an increase of clay content in the soil and that what makes site costs skyrocket. Clay takes a lot more work to stablise in preparation for a slab. I'm building in a suburb along the river, but I'm lucky to have metres and metres of sandy sand under my feet. That's what you want. BMWorld I am only worried about the site costs, however seeing a builder is offering the place for $535k as a land and house package it looks like there should be no surprises. Are the builders just buying jobs or do they actually make money offering house and land package? Ooo, careful do not lure yourself into a false sense of security with house and land packages. These 'safe' packages are almost exclusively in new subdivisions, which is a very different ball game to established suburbs. Subdivision lots come with a lot of knowledge. 5-10 years worth of studies, reports and approvals go into developing a piece of land. These lots often have metres of clean sand fill brought in and would have been examined as part of a prior geotechnical report. Builders know what they are dealing with, so they may be able to offer some kind of fixed site cost. Plus, subdivision lots have all the services already connected. You won't get that in a rear strata. The builder will definitely make money, that's granted! In a subdivision, the price points are set by the developer. It's complicated and I don't understand the economics of it all, but from what I've seen from my time in the industry, everyone makes money. If they offer 'cheap' deals on one lot, the cost is being recovered elsewhere. Like asj25 said, $50k on top of a package price would be a reasonable estimate. BMWorld More I read less I seem to understand and I do not want to underestimate. 12 months seems so faraway too, 18 even longer.... Mmm long time to be constantly stressed out. 18 months sounds about right. From thinking about building, to handover. Provided things don't go horribly wrong, I think you can plan for a 1.5 year timeframe. Always have a contingency plan though, in case things do go pear-shaped... BMWorld Would you guys build again or would you categorically say not again!? I haven't even finished my first build and I think I have the build bug. I'm already thinking about what I'll do in my next home. Perhaps next time I'll go through a small builder though, get a custom design. Who knows! I should probably focus on getting through the first build. Re: Newbie, about to sign contract for land - am I CRAZY? 13Jul 07, 2014 12:17 am Thanks PR. I am not very close to the river, not far off beaufort st and it's a subdivision, front old house sold separately and middle and rear plot up for sale. I am looking into the rear one. The site looks like it's all sand and the builder who is offering the land package has built 3 houses for the same land owner next door so I guess they know it's all good and yes I was told all services are there as that's the requirement to subdivide land? Oh decisions. I am thinking to bite the bullet and do it. I am inclined to get a custom made house with a smaller builder as want to have a use of the northern aspect as much as I can. Current rental is so cold inside, colder than outside I will certainly get a building inspector. Would you know how much would yup save doing floors, tiles yourself? I would prefer to have it all done so I could just move in, though if it meant saving thousands $$$ I would consider the option. Re: Newbie, about to sign contract for land - am I CRAZY? 14Jul 07, 2014 11:40 pm You will self save money - and have more control over quality/range of selection if you pick floors etc yourself. Also u would look into whether the existing paving would need to be pulled up to lay services etc. A lot of builders would remove that paving before they even start. DA told us we had to remove our driveway, pay for a temporary driveway and then repave. Very expensive. Though you have the benefit of being able to split the cost with the middle block I am sure. I also wonder how access etc would go if the two blocks are sold at different times. And built on by different builders .. Interesting... If you are happy with the location and price go for it. Pick your builder, take your time and use an inspector to put your mind at ease. Will be great! Re: Newbie, about to sign contract for land - am I CRAZY? 15Jul 08, 2014 12:34 am Thanks asj, I am about to make an offer. Of course I want to make sure I save $ so now struggling to figure out if I am paying right price. It is so hard for someone as indecisive as I am I can see now there could be issues getting to my house if middle block is built later on or different builder. Did not think about that how it could potentially effect me... I am quite happy with the location and although I would prefer frontage in a quiet street, I do not think there are that many still around and or very affordable. Re: Newbie, about to sign contract for land - am I CRAZY? 16Jul 08, 2014 8:37 am BMWorld Thanks asj, I can see now there could be issues getting to my house if middle block is built later on or different builder. Did not think about that how it could potentially effect me... do you mean access due to machinery, equipment materials being on your drive? If so youll need to have a convo with the builders about what you expect from them and times you require unimpeded access. Just be a normal adult and there shouldnt bee to many issues. Creator of superduperonium, expert at expert things, nobel laureate, can hold my breath for 10 minutes. Re: Newbie, about to sign contract for land - am I CRAZY? 18Jul 09, 2014 1:54 am looks like it is all happening... local agent seems to think the land value is about right... well sort of I think I paid 10k extra over what the agent said it was... I may just bite the bullet and do it. Its not the best of locations, etc but I am not in for buying ocean view property I can get a decent cozy house I am after so stressed already about the long process... fingers crossed. Hi All, see above image. The required setback from the rear boundary in my case is 5m, as you can see the shape of the site and location of the boundary is slightly… 0 8463 Would anyone on this forum know of a builder/company in Brisbane with house designs for a shallow block. I have a block 20 x 20 so with front and rear set backs I need a… 0 4747 |