Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Aug 16, 2013 11:17 pm Hi All we've been in discussion with Dale Alcock for building our new home. With the assistance of our salesman (who has been excellent so far) through Dale's designers we've mashed up a couple of plans. Thought I'd post here for feedback before committing! Some commentary on the plan - The block is slightly sloping - DAH suggested the split level - I think the powder room would be nicer with the vanity recessed into a wall - maybe we could rotate the master wc? - We want to put a built-in outdoor kitchen along left of alfresco - not sure whether to get Dales to put a half wall there or wait until after build to see how the space feels - The laundry is big because we have two dogs that will be sleeping in there - we'll set it up as a 'mud room' - We're waiting on pricing for the bifold doors - may change back to stackers due to budget (but I really want bifolds) - Was considering asking for a recessed area for the TV cabinet in the living area - The sewing room looks huge (but I have to share that with the other half as a study) - we've set it up so I can see the kids while sewing - I'm not sure what to do with regard to doors on the theatre room - will ultimately want solid doors. Thinking of having sliding solid doors fitted after build. - I want to widen our WIR slightly so we can get shelving on the opposite side, but this will impact the cloak room (I think we can choose a slightly smaller door which might just be enough - I saw a display with 1.5m WIR that had shelving) - I've read it's better to have hot water system near kitchen, but this would impact side access & washing line area. Our current gas hot water takes ages to heat up - I'm not sure if that's the system or the distance to the tap? - In roof storage - we're getting that costed. Has anyone done this after the build and how much did it cost? - Unsure if the undercover porch area is enough All constructive comments welcome. cheers JL My New Home Build with Dale Alcock - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=66662 Landscape Design Thread - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=71784 Re: Dale Alcock Build in Kensington - Plan Feedback 2Aug 17, 2013 5:33 am lovely home plans our home is split level and they are fantastic for sloping blocks well recommended get a price on everything you would like from the builder have it as a wish list of sorts and you can always delete. as if you decide later it could cost you a variation fee. with the alfresco have the wall put in with us we have the outdoor kitchen and had the builder build it. it is a half wall concrete long bench with ceasar stone and on top wood slats. we had a recess left so we could install a bbq and gave the builder the measurements. works perfectly and we even have a bench seat. great idea with the mud room and dogs in laundry (we have little dogs we had a pull out vegie sprayer for the tap so it was easy to wash our dogs. theater room yes go for the recessed area ask for extra noggins in the wall to help support a wall hanging tv. you can then have cabinets either side(my cabinet is abuilt in) go for the sliding doors in the theatre room for space . one thing i wished i had was an extra sliding door in the theatre. it will look nice. price to extend the alfresco area the full length of the back as if it does not fit in budget you can always delete i think it would be worthwhile to have the extra room in the alfresco and open up the back area for wir robe ask about having sliding door sliding back towards the cloak room you should not lose much space that way and the shelving and hangers you can also ask builder to price. or if you do later ask them not to include any rails etc as you may need to pull these out to have your shelving constructed . these are just my opinions Re: Dale Alcock Build in Kensington - Plan Feedback 3Aug 17, 2013 5:13 pm You can get the solid doors done at prestart, we had all our bedrooms swapped over to solid doors and our garage entrance, it didn't cost much. Re: Dale Alcock Build in Kensington - Plan Feedback 4Aug 18, 2013 1:04 am Thanks for the feedback. It's hard to know what to include now and what to leave until pre-start. We've got our prices back for the bifolds...the new configuration requires a Tbar, so all up we're looking at an extra 9.5k...so much money! My New Home Build with Dale Alcock - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=66662 Landscape Design Thread - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=71784 Re: Dale Alcock Build in Kensington - Plan Feedback 5Aug 18, 2013 11:54 am my advice is to get *everything* included now before you sign the contract. Before you sign they are more motivated to be competitive Re: Dale Alcock Build in Kensington - Plan Feedback 6Aug 18, 2013 9:33 pm - The block is slightly sloping - DAH suggested the split level Awesome! Split level homes always add that feeling of luxury to me for some reason! - I think the powder room would be nicer with the vanity recessed into a wall - maybe we could rotate the master wc? I would definitely work on changing the configuration of the powder WC and ensuite WC. There is a lot of wasted space in the powder room and the basins do look nicer recessed in the wall. What is the space above the ensuite WC and between the laundry and powder WC? - We want to put a built-in outdoor kitchen along left of alfresco - not sure whether to get Dales to put a half wall there or wait until after build to see how the space feels If Dales are like my builder then brick walls cost as if they were made of gold! Get it costed and see if it’s worth doing during the build. If it is a crazy price then at least you get the benefit of seeing how the space feels first. - The laundry is big because we have two dogs that will be sleeping in there - we'll set it up as a 'mud room' Doggy door? - We're waiting on pricing for the bifold doors - may change back to stackers due to budget (but I really want bifolds) Sooooo pricey but if they fit in the budget sooo worth it!! - Was considering asking for a recessed area for the TV cabinet in the living area We wanted to do this but again the extra bricks involved made it insane. It would look lovely to put it under the eaves but make sure you have a dropped square bulkhead at the top. Can put lights in them too! - I'm not sure what to do with regard to doors on the theatre room - will ultimately want solid doors. Thinking of having sliding solid doors fitted after build. This is one area where our builder was reasonable with the cost...go to a door place and ask them how much it costs for the doors you want plus installation and you will be shocked! I think it was actually cheaper through our builder...What we ended up doing though was buying the feature doors we wanted and got the builder to hang/paint/furnish them. A lot of hassle later trying to add doors. If you just wanted normal plain solid doors it wasn’t much for us to upgrade for the garage doors to solid core. If you want something more interesting then ask about supplying your own for the builder to install. - I want to widen our WIR slightly so we can get shelving on the opposite side, but this will impact the cloak room (I think we can choose a slightly smaller door which might just be enough - I saw a display with 1.5m WIR that had shelving) Maybe if you just had clothes hanging on the long side and returns and then either side of the opening could be shoe racks which should be a bit thinner than shelving? - I've read it's better to have hot water system near kitchen, but this would impact side access & washing line area. Our current gas hot water takes ages to heat up - I'm not sure if that's the system or the distance to the tap? Never thought of this before but makes sense! - In roof storage - we're getting that costed. Has anyone done this after the build and how much did it cost? My sister was looking into doing this in her home, will see if she got anywhere! - Unsure if the undercover porch area is enough Do you have a picture of the front elevation? Do you want to make it more of a feature? A porch/portico is where a lot of money can just disappear for some reason. Our porch is 1.3 x 1.7 which feels just right, could go a bit smaller but if we went bigger I would of wanted to make it into a Portico with it's own section of roof. Love your plan and looking forward to seeing any changes you make! A random question though, where are you putting towel rails in your ensuite? Just curious cause we have the same layout! Re: Dale Alcock Build in Kensington - Plan Feedback 7Aug 24, 2013 1:28 am Thanks for all the feedback. xxkatxx, our towel rails are going on the wall next to the shower - I'm going to change the way the door swings, so it swings into the bedroom - as long as it opens 180 degrees I think it should sit flush on the wall and not be too much in the way. Off to Dales tomorrow...hopefully to make the last few tweaks. My New Home Build with Dale Alcock - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=66662 Landscape Design Thread - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=71784 Re: Dale Alcock Build in Kensington - Grey Water System 8Sep 07, 2013 1:10 am Does anyone know if a grey water system can be put in after the build? The builder is estimating $3800 which sounds quite expensive (although I haven't costed them so have no idea if that's reasonable). My New Home Build with Dale Alcock - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=66662 Landscape Design Thread - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=71784 Re: Dale Alcock Build in Kensington - Plan Feedback 9Sep 29, 2013 1:06 am Well weve finally signed up! I cant believe how long its taken to get the plan right. Weve been told to choose exterior colours in the next four weeks. The house and fascade is mainly based on the long island. We dont mind those colours so might just go with those...although weve deleted the cladding so it will look a bit different. My New Home Build with Dale Alcock - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=66662 Landscape Design Thread - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=71784 Re: Dale Alcock Build in Kensington - Plan Feedback 10Sep 29, 2013 9:02 am Hi justlearning, Ive just read through your thread. Wow, you have put a lot of work into your plan, everything has its place. Have you decided what to do with the bifolds? Just remember you will need to also budget for some retractable fly screens if you plan on leaving them open at night. They are so expensive, $2-3k?? We priced some up for us and ended up just with the regular ones, but with you might want them for bifolds. Congratulations on finalising the plans. This bit takes the longest so be patient. On the whole we have been very happy with DA. Communication has been excellent, always get quick replies to queries. All the best My build thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=64437 Re: Dale Alcock Build in Kensington - Plan Feedback 11Oct 01, 2013 10:59 am Hi Everyone, Just thought I'd introduce myself. Jemima's off to have a baby so I'm the new gal. If there's anything I can do to help please just let me know, Shannon Dale Alcock Homes. We love building. T: 08 9242 9200 Mon – Fri 8am-5pm Sat - 10-4 thedacrew@dalealcock.com.au http://www.dalealcock.com.au http://www.facebook.com/dalealcockhomes Re: Dale Alcock Build in Kensington - Plan Feedback 12Oct 01, 2013 10:41 pm Posting to follow. Also, I love your plan! Building with Dale Alcock Homes in Aveley Our thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=63880 And yes, my pants are indeed fancy. Re: Dale Alcock Build in Kensington - Plan Feedback 13Oct 01, 2013 11:28 pm Posting to follow , and i must say wow your house is massive . Did you make many changes ? Re: Dale Alcock Build in Kensington - Plan Feedback 14Oct 06, 2013 1:14 am Hi Shannon. Glad to see you following the thread. Pretty good gig you've got there I reckon. Kiwigirl... yes we did make heaps of changes. We drew the rough plan ourselves first. Dales modified their long island plan to match our ideas. Took ages and I have to say the salesman has been really patient and listened closely to us. Pm me if you want his details. Have been told it should take about 8 weeks to prepare building contracts. We also need to get approval from council for boundary walls on both sides of the house. My New Home Build with Dale Alcock - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=66662 Landscape Design Thread - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=71784 Re: Dale Alcock Build in Kensington - Plan Feedback 15Oct 07, 2013 11:27 am Thanks justlearning, i'm well...'just learning' everything now! If I can do anything to help be sure to let me know! Dale Alcock Homes. We love building. T: 08 9242 9200 Mon – Fri 8am-5pm Sat - 10-4 thedacrew@dalealcock.com.au http://www.dalealcock.com.au http://www.facebook.com/dalealcockhomes Re: Dale Alcock Build in Kensington - Plan Feedback 16Oct 24, 2013 11:31 pm We went to the show room today and picked our external colours. Was very painless as we've copied the long island colours. Its all moving very quickly now. We have to decide when to move out. We have our second child due in six weeks and it would probably be easier to move beforehand... better get on to finding a rental...although I don't know how difficult that will be with two big dogs! My New Home Build with Dale Alcock - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=66662 Landscape Design Thread - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=71784 Re: Dale Alcock Build in Kensington - Plan Feedback 17Oct 24, 2013 11:35 pm Oh and our consultant commented today that she hasn't seen a prelim contract with so many changes before! I noticed she was very strict with keeping us focused today...I probably have a reputation already...but hey, as my neighbour keeps reminding me, it's all easy to change now when its just lines on paper. My New Home Build with Dale Alcock - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=66662 Landscape Design Thread - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=71784 Re: Dale Alcock Build in Kensington - Plan Feedback 18Oct 25, 2013 10:12 am Just fyi just learning, we went through the same council as you (town of vic park) and we were told it would take 2 but it actually took 3 months - just a heads up to expect delays. https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=64434 Building our own custom design based on the Elwood by Dale Alcock Land settled - November Plans submitted to council - January Prestart - March Slab - 18 September Brickies - 23 October Re: Dale Alcock Build in Kensington - Plan Feedback 19Nov 03, 2013 10:31 pm Hey Navs luckily we're in the City of South Perth so don't have to deal with Vic Park (I've heard from various sources that they can be painful). I think we'll be the ones holding up the process now. We've decided to stay here until the baby comes and look for a rental in the new year. My New Home Build with Dale Alcock - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=66662 Landscape Design Thread - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=71784 Re: Dale Alcock Build in Kensington - Plan Feedback 20Nov 18, 2013 2:17 pm Hi justlearning, thought I could offer some advice if you are looking to screen your bifolds. There are 2 types of screens which are ideal for that kind of door. Retractable and Pleated. They can be installed to suit your application, ie. one screen across the whole opening or 2 to cover the area - ask about offset or centre opening so as to work with you configuration. Prices and quality do vary, so shop around. Good luck! Cheers Marisa http://www.artilux.com.au Screens for Bi-fold, French and Stacker Doors. 30 years experience. 7 year warranty. Free on-site consultation (Sydney) Joe, it depends on your certifier but we are noticing the ones we deal with are really cracking down. So i would recommend you follow your approved landscaping plans to… 4 10970 Hi Simeon, Thank you for laying it down for us. Makes sense. Appreciate it very much. Have a nice day. Cheers 2 9008 Thank you so much everyone. This all makes a lot of sense. I guess when you talk to a builder who butters up everything to look very polished, you get to start believing… 7 17591 |