Things you forget - summary page 32

If your stairs change direction, don't forget to check that stairs don't have a split landing. Sometimes by moving the top or bottom step, this can be fixed.

My "extras" are 16% of the build cost. I was worried but had no issue in the end. Just don't overdo it.

Really helpful! Thanks!!

Love the idea of having the man whole in the garage! And to put in a lights up there

Thanks guys so many great ideas hope I don't forget them at prestart

Most builders will not cover you under warranty if you use the attic space to place items, as the roof is not designed to hold anything other then the roof tiles and ceiling weight.

(Just read it in my warranty booklet.)

Home building is a life investment and you want to get it right the first time. I'm going through it again and I think this thread is great. I've added some that I think haven't been covered.

~ Fish tank location - might be useful to add a drain under tank for easy drainage and placement of water tank so you can refill the fish tank. Believe it or not, you can use the rain tank to fill up your aquariums (as there are no harsh chemicals to kill the fish). External tap installs are generally $170 each.

~ Sound proofing.

Doors - Most builders use Corinthian doors and they're hollow which is bad if you want block out sounds! There's a type called Corinthian "CORITECH" which is polystyrene and MDF core, semi-solid fill doors. These are supposedly much lighter than solid core doors and will block most acoustic sound (good for theatre room). They cost $140 each door wholesale..

Acoustic batt insulation - These are much better than your typical batt insulation. They are much more dense/heavier. Just had a quote done for my double storey house (490m2). to get it laid in the walls it was about $3600 to all external frames, $4900 to all internal walls and $3400 to the ceiling space between floors. It makes a major difference.

Soundcheck plasterboard - Cost about $8/m2 more but will block out the bass you hear in movies etc. Definately get it quoted if you are building a theatre or drums room

Timber frame Windows - All the display homes have it now. It's in style right now. Most project builders (Plantation, Metric0n, Coral, etc) give you aluminum windows. The ones you see in their display homes are NEVER included by default. If you change from aluminum to timber windows, expect to pay $1000 PER window. Just had my quotes back and todo the 6 window frames in the front elevation of my house was about $6500. Expect to pay about $1500 to upgrade a bi-fold/stacker door from aluminium to timber.

Do you want awning Windows or Sliding windows?
My first house had all sliding windows. Everytime it rain, rain would get in. Now I am going *all* awning. People have illusion you get less wind draft/air but this is not really true. Awning windows will give you better security and better protection from the rain and heat (sun hits the tint), whreas with sliding, the solar rays go right through!) Expect to pay $150 - $450 extra per window to change from sliding to awning window.

Door heights
If you upgrade your house to 2.7m ceiling heights You must upgrade your door heights, otherwise your house will look "odd". Standard doors are 2.04m high, upgraded ones are 2.34m high. Expect to pay an extra $100 per door.

Door widths
Standard door widths are 82cm. You can get them upgraded to 92cm. This will really pay off when loading in big tables, furniture, etc. Not only that, it makes the house look better. Try visiting a display homes. Most will not tell you that everything was upgraded. Cost about $100 per door.

Kitchen island benchtop
Keep in mind most companies cannot go over 1.4m width until there are joins.

Kitchen kickboards
Stainless steal linings under the cupboards which make homes look more modern. Expect to pay up to $700 to have these.
Sample: http://www.edgefurn.com.au/sites/defaul ... 0Image.png

Skirtings
Generally display homes have theirs increased. It gives it a better look.

Wind ratings
N2, N3, N4, N5
If you live behind a bush (e.g. no other houses) expect to pay a further $4000 . This is because your house will be classified as a different wind rating and the house will need to be stronger.

Garage Zero Lot
If you're building a house and it will be "zero lotted", e.g. right next to the fence. This will generally cost $750 in extra costs.

Buying Land
Before buying a piece of land, do not sign the contract unless the boundary pegs are located on that piece of land. This is because without boundary pegs, you will need to pay $400-$600 to get them resurveyed once you build. If they aren't there, your builder may proceed without boundary pegs but this could bring up future land disputes if you indeed did build over your neighbours land.

Opaque/translucent glazing
Do you want privacy? You can add these to the insides of the glass (for entrance door/pergola glass handrail) at the time the builder installs it. They should last longer than the ones that you stick on later on

House Tint
Get all your windows pre-tinted at the factory. The tints are "inside" the glass. You can get bronze tinting, grey tinting, etc. Costs usually $600+ upwards todo an entire house.

Brickwork or Painted Paneling over garage
Most project builders do paneling over garage. This is because it is cheaper for them. Some people don't like that look. Expect to pay $1000 to get it bricked.

Termite Barriers
Most homes use termite barriers these days. Do a visual inspection after these are added to your home and ensure no concrete or crap has fallen into them. Theres a few threads were people are now complaining about termites eating their house and apparently the termites crossed into the house on concrete droppings that was poured over the termite barrier!

we got aluminum awning windows.
our last house had the sliding windows and we found them hard to open, the rain coming through and they can come out easy.
I picked the awning windows because I wanted the window to be about 1m wide so I can put furniture on the both sides of the window, so I don't need security screens and the rain cant come in.

Probably already mentioned,but anyway, don't forget to retrieve any building materials you can, which might be of use in the future...
We went around the yard picking up anything (bricks/tiles etc) that was in ok condition.

Was absolutely worth the effort :
- enough bricks to build the front corner (incorporating letterbox) of the fence.
- enough roof tiles (and then some) to replace those damaged when Solar was installed.