Wow thats awesome, so great to hear a success story like that.
I am building the Melrose design
Browse Forums Owner Builder Forum Re: GSB - Site scrap pics 83Nov 29, 2010 7:17 pm Congratulations on beginning your new home! We're in Ballarat and have only just heard of the Group Self Build scheme. A a new project is starting here in Feb/March 2011. We're currently making inquiries and so far, your blog is the only information I've come across other than what's published on housing department website. We've registered our interest, and are waiting for more information to be sent to us. I'd love to hear more about what you're currently up to, and from others who have been part of these projects in the past. I guess that we can obtain official information from the department of housing about the house design etc, but it's the personal stories of how you go working with a team of other self builders, problems that have arisen etc that I'm most interested in. May I ask how you fit in the building around family commitments? We have two kids, so our biggest concern would be finding someone to mind the kids each weekend and not neglecting them! I look forward to following your progress. Good luck! Re: GSB - Site scrap pics 84Nov 29, 2010 7:56 pm As a matter of fact, our building advisor will also be the building advisor for the Ballarat group. I can tell you he is fantastic!! He organises everything, all quotes, tradies etc, all you have to do is turn up on the day & do the work, but he does work you hard, so if you are not afraid of some hard work, you will do well. We have achieved so much in only 16 weekends, all because of the building advisor. We have some couples in our group who also have children, and usually both parents dont work the whole weekend. So maybe you could just work one day a week, but usually that means that you wont be given any jobs that require you to be there full time, so you would just help out any crews that need the help. We found that we have a great team to work with, all again because of the building advisor who ensures that the group chosen will work well together. He also monitors the "harmony" of the group closely and makes adjustments to crews or pulls people into line where required. What I find the hardest is keeping the housework, washing, cooking etc maintained when there is so much time spent at the houses. You also need to be prepared to do some extra work during the week if required, the more work done, the quicker you will be in your new home. Although the scheme is based on no deposit home ownership, be prepared to fork out some funds for extras, i.e if you want to upgrade bricks, have ducted heating/cooling etc etc. The budget set by the department is the bare minimum and is very basic. From what I have heard, the Ballarat GSB is in a great area, so I would jump in while you can, and if you can get the First Home Builders Grant, you will end up with even more equity at the end! Dont hesitate to ask any further questions All the best with it! Re: GSB - Site scrap pics 85Dec 01, 2010 6:13 pm I think that was the hardest thing about doing self build the keeping the harmony of the group! Some people are so self involved with there now house and some of the ladys of the group can become abit catty at times.. I had a knee dislocation half way though which left me on croutches for 2 months and some people weren't that understanding on how I couldn't do the hard yards for a few months even though we always managed to complete our full hours each week.. And gave me abit of a hard time.. At the start everyone is very friendly towards the end u want to rip each others heads off, lol but I guess it is like any work place if u are working in extream conditions ( cold, rain, hail, 45 degree heat. But u do manage and it is well worth it.. Best tip is to save some cash for your back landscaping as at the end u don't want to pick up another tool and start another project right away I have a few pics of my build still.. If anyone is interested I will post pics of a pretty standard gsb house Re: GSB - Site scrap pics 86Dec 01, 2010 7:25 pm Thanks for your prompt reply! I guess we have a lot more to find out, but it's great to know that the project supervisor knows what they are doing. We do have some savings, and would be prepared to put in money to get a better home. We're fairly new to Ballarat, and I didn't know the area where they are building, but have been for a drive out there - it's an estate that is only a few years old (maybe 3 at most) and seems really nice. It's on the very outskirts of town, but is attached to a small town with new supermarket, corner shop, pub and primary school with a very good reputation... All sounds very promising! Do you have any idea of how many applicants they usually have? Will we be fighting for a place in the program? Were you able to see 'display homes' of what you are building? Sometimes its hard to visualise what a house is like just from seeing the plans. We'll be driving through Pakenham before mid Dec, so I might see if we can go for a drive and see some of the places that are being built by your group... without asking you to disclose your new address, Frosty, are you able to tell us which estate you're in? Or maybe we'll get to Bendigo one day too. As far as the group getting along, I guess it's all part of working in a team, and I imagine that you start to become more and more attached to your own dream home, and want to know that everyone else is working as hard as yourself. I imagine that it's very hard to not become emotionally involved in the project... it's taking up a lot of your life, and then will become your life! Enjoy your work this weekend! J Re: GSB - Site scrap pics 87Dec 01, 2010 7:35 pm I would love to see some photos of your house. Agreed with the Landscaping, we are trying to do a few bits here & there where possible. In relation to the Ballarat group, I am not sure how many applications there has been, I think they handed out 12 info packages in the shopping centre a few weeks ago. The group is based on 1st in best dressed, which means you have the 1st pick of the blocks and designs ( as they wont let 2 of the same houses be next to each other) We managed to walk through a few of the houses from the previous groups to see what the houses are like. The department also provided us with addresses of houses in the area that were the same, and we had a look through one that was finished. We have Colorado, Melrose, Montana designs in our group, so if you want to look through any of those, you are welcome to come to Bendigo anytime. The estate where our houses are is just off Westwood Drive, not sure if there is an estate name though. If you ask Gary at the department, he will actually give you addresses where the same design that you are looking at are in Pakenham, and that way you can have a look at the outside! Thanks Re: GSB - Site scrap pics 90Dec 19, 2010 11:04 am What a fantastic project! Can't wait to see how this one finishes. Congrats Frosty! Enjoy every hair tearing moment it'll be SO worth it. What a GREAT way to meet the neighbours too! prin x - Planning to renovate/extend and add on. Dec 10 - Soil test & Bush fire report completed. Jan 11 - Final drafting plans ready. Re: GSB - Site scrap pics 91Jan 21, 2011 7:15 pm Well, Hello everyone! I didn't really think our build had quite so much interest. Yes, program is going along swimmingly, and although I've been neglecting this thread, we have 3 houses completed bricked, almost 5 with tiles, 9 houses with frames and roof trusses and NOW we have 10 slabs down!! Yep, we are household #10!!! Some pics for you all!! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Frame being delivered tomorrow, should be up Sunday!!! I'll take more photos of whats going on site with the rest of the group. ~W~ Building our forever home - Lilium Estate Clyde - Land due May 2019 Built our first home - Pakenham - 2011 Re: GSB - We're back!! SLAB PICs PAGE 5! 93Jan 21, 2011 8:34 pm I know, I can't believe it's actually real!!! it's been SOOOOOOOO long!!! Of course, our bricks are made in QLD . . . so thats going to be interesting. Although, I don't think our bricking is due until at least the end of Feb, so hopefully that issue is fixed by then! ~W~ Building our forever home - Lilium Estate Clyde - Land due May 2019 Built our first home - Pakenham - 2011 Re: GSB - We're back!! SLAB PICs PAGE 5! 94Jan 22, 2011 10:32 am Frames going up RIGHT NOW!!! I know this is all going to slow right back down very shortly, but man, progress is FUN!!!! ~W~ Building our forever home - Lilium Estate Clyde - Land due May 2019 Built our first home - Pakenham - 2011 Frosty's GSB - LOTS OF FRAME PICS!!!! 95Jan 23, 2011 1:17 pm Frame pics!!! Looking into our walk-in robe and en suite Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Hubby putting together the garage frame! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I got up a ladder, this is our family room, and you can see the doors through to the formal lounge (library) and laundry Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The bedroom window in my daughters room, love the size! The rooms aren't huge (or even big!) but I like how light they should be!! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Standing on the "play" side of the house looking into the family/kitchen/dinning. This big gap is a sliding door between two big windows. The window on the otherside is the kitchen, with a sliding door our to where our little deck will be. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The deck will go down this side. This photo is from inside the garage, and a smaller roller door will be here. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The backyard. Not as small as we thought, but we would have loved the house moved forward 2 meters. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The big driveway. If we'd realised the house was so far back, we'd have really pushed to have it brought forward. But we'll put in a gate from the backyard and a full front fence. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The front of the house and the boys finishing off the garage! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ ~W~ Building our forever home - Lilium Estate Clyde - Land due May 2019 Built our first home - Pakenham - 2011 Re: Frosty's GSB - LOTS OF FRAME PICS!!! Page 5! 97Feb 06, 2011 10:34 am Very interesting to read about this. With my Dad's involvement with the Vic Ministry of Housing in the 80's he travelled to Chile in the early 90's and saw the Group Self Build system operating there and brought back the program to the Vic Government. He ran it for them and one of my Brother whom is a carpenter ran several groups including metro Melbourne and Echuca of all places! Not being a builder myself I even went out and assisted some families on the weekend installing box-bay windows and stuff and the families were fantastic. Coincidentally there were a lot of Central and South American families involved with the program initially around Melbourne and yes we were building in the traditional "Ministry" areas such as Coolaroo. It would be interesting to see the areas now though. Don't fall for the "Freebies" scam Re: Frosty's GSB - LOTS OF FRAME PICS!!! Page 5! 98Feb 06, 2011 11:44 am fantastic frosty i loved the frame stage it gave you a better understanding of what your home will really be like congrats stay safe happy building DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair to do it properly you need to dig out the garden and waterproof the outside of the wall. There are some products you can put on the face of the bricks but the water is… 2 4624 Hi All, Recently we have signed a contract with Burbank and we are not aware that they have just DORSET, SURREY, HAMPSHIRE, KENT, PILBARA and REDGUM bricks from PGH are… 0 3164 |