Hi guys,
I'm considering purchasing a block of land which has an approximate 3m fall from top to bottom of the block, sloping downwards from the back of the yard (approx 16x39 block). I'm looking to build with Porter Davis and they've given me some really rough site costs (20-35k) but obviously this is just speculation until I pay a deposit and they actually do a survey report.
Am I the only person that has been concerned about getting accurate site costs prior to purchasing a block? While the estimate from the sales person is probably reasonable, by leaving it just as an "estimate" they could potentially turn around and say it's actually going to cost $100,000 or something ridiculous. You might be thinking, well yeah you would just lose your deposit though if you change your mind, but in actual fact I would be stuck purchasing an expensive block of land that no longer can be built on within my budget.
So my question is, how can I get some assurances on site cost expectations before purchasing the block to minimise my risk?
Additionally, I have no experience with retaining walls and am struggling to think about how this block would be structured.
PD told me they would "cut and fill" which I believe might minimise some of the 3M fall, but down the sides of the property am I going to need massive retaining walls? And what about at the back of the property? The house design has a patio out the back, which I also to flow straight onto a pool as one. Does this mean I would need to put a big 3M retaining wall at the back of the property too?
Appreciate any thoughts and insights you can provide!