Disney World in Melbourne?
This is a house I drive past every couple of weeks. Each time it reminds me of the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland. All those octagonal rooms and roofs, it must have cost a fortune to build. Have you ever…
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What is the Bushfire Attack Level (BAL)
The BAL is a number that indicates how severely a bush fire is likely to affect your new house. It comes from the Australian Standard AS3959 – 2009. The number is calculated by considering the following factors: The Fire Danger…
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Roof Trusses
Although roof trusses only started being used in Australia in the 1960’s they now have around 80% of the total ‘Pitched Roof’ market. They are all designed using well proven computer programs and manufactured in factory conditions. (the whole process…
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Where Is The Other House?
I saw this curious looking house one rainy day. It looks like it’s one house short of a semi-detached pair. I can only assume the owner saw an example of the house and liked the layout so much they thought…
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Protecting Underground Pipes
One of the problems that happen all too often during a new house build is that Sewers and Drains get filled with concrete. Its normally happens on: A knock down and rebuild project where the sewer connection wasn’t sealed during…
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Construction Loans
Guest post by Callum Scott of Scott Finance Before looking at the difference between a construction loan and a standard mortgage, it is important to realise that the criteria for obtaining a construction loan are pretty much the same as those…
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Extension Fail
I saw this extended house the other day and couldn’t resist sharing it. A fairly standard 60’s house with a pitched roof but someone has dropped a square box on top….So much for sensitive design. Not only that but the…
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Noise Insulation – Plasterboard Options
There are a few plasterboard options when looking to improve the noise insulation. These options in increasing order of cost are: Differing Thickness On Each Face By using different and thicker plasterboards on each wall face, say 13mm and 16mm,…
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Understanding Builders
“The Builder is ripping me off!” and ‘The Builder is overcharging for upgrades!” are two comments I hear regularly. Some of these cries may be justified, but a lot are because the customer doesn’t understand the Builder. Why A Builder…
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Front Path Fail
Looks a bit like a Rustic Type Path . . . . So why do I think this is a Fail? Well even though I was careful, and wearing safety work boots, I nearly rolled my ankle! Just imagine a…
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