Browse Forums Building A New House Re: Highlands Estate Craigieburn 102May 20, 2009 3:51 pm greetings all! I too am a highlander. Well, we own the land, still waiting on final approval for the house. It's SO nerve wracking waiting for it!!! I don't want to have the land without a house! We've got a piece of land in release 47, lot number 4728. It's a lovely (decent sized) corner block which faces a reserve, so I can't wait for the build to begin. We've gone with Henley (and I must admit, the product review site FREAKED me out) but I'm hoping it all goes well. On the plus side, my sister-in-law's brother is a foreman, and has offered to inspect the site at each stage for us - which is great!! I'm beginning to wonder if we got taken for a ride on the land price though. Did many people here get the opportunity to bargain them down on price? They wouldn't budge for me - and I am usually a good negotiater. Pending the final approval coming in, we're expecting to start construction in 4 weeks. I am very paranoid about the idea of the frame going up in winter (because of rain etc) and I am stressing my wife out with all my 'possible scenarios'!!. Overall Henley has been pretty good - but they've tried to stiff us a few times for inclusions etc etc - but I managed to screw them down a few times on a number of issues. By the way, we're building the Carinya 283. If anyone has any hot tips for landscapers as well, let me know! I've been looking at Baileyana and Super Gardens... but not sure which way to lean. The other thing I thought I'd mention, doesn't anyone else find it odd that if you are building first before your neighbours, that you have to pay for the fence cost and then get them to reimburse you??! Too bad if you get a pain of a neighbour who doesn't pay their half of the fence..... Re: Highlands Estate Craigieburn 103May 21, 2009 1:12 pm jcjuice - we were luck we got all our fencing and front landscaping included in the price of our block. Just so you knowe, the corner decorative fencing is a cost of $175 per m.....this i know becasue we paid for some extra fencing. The supplier also charges like a wounded bull for the gates as well, one 1m gate cost us $595, but you don't have a choice as there is onyl one supplier given to your from Stockland. they may also charge your a small job fee of $175. So i hope you are saving up for fencing!!! Good luck and will have a look where your are. Sharon & Paul ********************* Creating Youngs Castle Heywood 29 in Craigieburn http://youngscastle.blogspot.com/ Re: Highlands Estate Craigieburn 104May 21, 2009 1:25 pm Thanks shaz. What do you mean by gates though? I can't see why we would even need any gates (front access driveway)... Also - after reading through the Memorandum of Common provisions, it seems to me that I can use any fencer I want as long as they meet the guidelines of height (1.8m from memory), and colour (grey ridge I think it's called), and style (colourbond). Which supplier did you have to use for the fencing? Cheers chris Re: Highlands Estate Craigieburn 105May 21, 2009 2:35 pm Maybe they have changed thing, but the corner blocks require the 'special fencing' and in our part of the estate and most place i have seen around it has the 3 black rungs on top, this is the fencing that costs the most. We found that this colour was also not a standard colour but a special order. I hope for your sake that it has all changed. We ordered gates on the return so that we have access from the front yard to the back yard. Sharon & Paul ********************* Creating Youngs Castle Heywood 29 in Craigieburn http://youngscastle.blogspot.com/ Re: Highlands Estate Craigieburn 106May 21, 2009 2:47 pm good point... I wouldn't mind a gate from front of the yard to the back either... damned... Better start saving then!!! (mebbe it's worth giving Stocklands a call at Highlands as well to see what their requirements are as well). I assume you have to get some sort of sign off from them for the fencing. Is it the same for landscaping? In terms of needing to show them your plans or whatever? Cheers Chris Re: Highlands Estate Craigieburn 107May 21, 2009 3:33 pm jcjuice good point... I wouldn't mind a gate from front of the yard to the back either... damned... Better start saving then!!! (mebbe it's worth giving Stocklands a call at Highlands as well to see what their requirements are as well). I assume you have to get some sort of sign off from them for the fencing. Is it the same for landscaping? In terms of needing to show them your plans or whatever? Cheers Chris As far as i remember you have 6 months to do your landscaping after the handover ... and i believe you get all the requirement information in the contract letter Re: Highlands Estate Craigieburn 108May 21, 2009 4:59 pm Hi to you all I too am building for my second time in Craigieburn. I use to own a place in the Mt Ridley area. I built through Henl&y. Dead set the worst people to deal with all the way up to the State Manager. He rudely insulted my ex wife. Long story short. Don't do it. BEWARE. PM me for stories. I recently also bought a block in the newbury estate stage 61 on Krummel Ave. I've been waiting forever for my land release. I suspect it has taken so long as they haven't sold all the blocks yet. My parents have reserved a block in future developments. They have sold their house and are pulling their hair out waiting!! I'm looking at building Chelsea III with Porter D@vis (small house but its only for my son and I) I'm nervous about building with anyone after the long list of things Henl&y did to me. Porter Davis I've read have a great reputation in the north, north west. Good to hear a few people here are nice unlike the locals Also being someone who works for a telco (biggest) Craigieburn doesn't have a DSLAM but a RIM as mentioned. Also if you have a 3G mobile. WELCOME TO BLACK SPOT CITY. Roaming will be your friend. Good area Craigieburn and cheap considering 25 clicks to town. Bring back V/Line and get rid of connex!! B Re: Highlands Estate Craigieburn 109May 24, 2009 11:18 am jcjuice i too just bought land in stage 47 (4734), its a very nice area! i too think that the price was a little too high, just wondering how much did you pay and what size was the block ? Re: Highlands Estate Craigieburn 111May 25, 2009 7:38 am ludjak jcjuice i too just bought land in stage 47 (4734), its a very nice area! i too think that the price was a little too high, just wondering how much did you pay and what size was the block ? wow, you're only 5 houses down from me. We paid $169,000 for the land - which is 572m2. According to the plans I found, your block is only 28m2 smaller - so I assume we paid a similar amount (although I'm not sure if they charge a premium for corner blocks or not?!). We did get a slightly reduced price on the land primarily because Stockland stuffed us up (by selling another block from under our feet after we'd agreed to purchase it). Re: Highlands Estate Craigieburn 112May 25, 2009 11:15 am We paid $155k for 603m2 corner block which included all fencing and front landscaping...and that we just over 12 months ago... Sharon & Paul ********************* Creating Youngs Castle Heywood 29 in Craigieburn http://youngscastle.blogspot.com/ Re: Highlands Estate Craigieburn 113May 25, 2009 11:28 am go on and gloat shaz... No surprise though. 12 months ago everything was much cheaper - so that wou'd just been the going rate no doubt. Even in the space of 3 months the house we bought has gone up 3k on the base figure (up 164k to 167k)... First home owners grant obviously inflated prices a lot.. Re: Highlands Estate Craigieburn 114May 25, 2009 9:17 pm jcjuice ludjak jcjuice i too just bought land in stage 47 (4734), its a very nice area! i too think that the price was a little too high, just wondering how much did you pay and what size was the block ? wow, you're only 5 houses down from me. We paid $169,000 for the land - which is 572m2. According to the plans I found, your block is only 28m2 smaller - so I assume we paid a similar amount (although I'm not sure if they charge a premium for corner blocks or not?!). We did get a slightly reduced price on the land primarily because Stockland stuffed us up (by selling another block from under our feet after we'd agreed to purchase it). yyer 5 doors down haha yer the block that i have is 544m2 we paid 168,000 that was in feb, it was suppose to be 173,000 but they stuffed up and gave the wrong price. **apparently** just like you i guess, but corner blocks should sell for a little cheaper tho, thats what stockland told me! guess were going to be talking alot now! like stuff up alot huh Re: Highlands Estate Craigieburn 115May 27, 2009 5:24 pm Hi Guys does anybody know for sure whether the $32000 new FHOG grant will be applicable from the 1st of july? the state revenue office website says that the govt has released a statement in the media on the 6th of last month but it's still subjective to legislative approval. Any input would be highly appreciated. Re: Highlands Estate Craigieburn 116May 28, 2009 1:21 pm Still waiting on the legislation to pass for the $32000 hopefully we should find out in the next few weeks. We are also settling our land tomorrow from stage 83 although as of yesterday there is still a mound of dirt on our land errrr and our cross over was put on the wrong side. Not happy. Re: Highlands Estate Craigieburn 117May 29, 2009 12:37 pm Anyone been out to Stage 61 lately. Settlement date today, was wondering if they have completed the roads, crossovers, footpaths and cleared the land from excess rocks/dirt. Re: Highlands Estate Craigieburn 118May 30, 2009 11:07 am just got the update that 63 and 64 are titled and the settlement is on 12th Re: Highlands Estate Craigieburn 119Jun 01, 2009 6:12 pm Hello everyone, thought I'd make my little addition into this thread by saying that I've purchased a block in stage 60 and am well into the building process. I too am building in Kennet Way... would like to know who I'd be neighbouring myself! Hi so sorry for the late reply. I already contacted them and they wouldn't tell me instead they tried to get me to talk to one of their home coordinators and I'm not… 2 6680 A lot of those Covenants are put in place at the time the Developers are still involved and marketing a certain look and they get ignored or expire after a time. If the… 1 3333 |