Monthly Archive: May 2012
Understanding your Survey Plan
I’m used to look at survey plans but I do understand that most people struggle to understand them. Here is a quick guide to help you understand the survey plan for your new house. The plan below shows a survey…
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Door Opening
One of the small things that can really make a difference to your house is how doors open……..but its one thing that is frequently forgotten. This sketch shows a typical bedroom and ensuite layout. (I know it doesn’t show the…
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Boundary Fence Fail
Driving along a quiet Werribee Street the other day I had to stop to take a picture of this! Are they trying to recreate the Berlin Wall? Is it a World War 2 Buff trying to create his own Colditz?…
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Don’t Over Develop
I’ve heard people say that they have got the best house on the street……………………..but when you see it, its got the smallest garden, or sometimes no garden at all. They have overdeveloped and spent money they will never get…
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Understanding Retaining Walls
Its quite usual when you have a sloping site to need a retaining wall to make the land you build on level, or just have a flat garden. Retaining walls however are not simple structures. They have to withstand significant…
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Car House
Like your car so much you want to sleep in it? Well the owner of this house loved his VW Beetle so much he built his house to look like the car. He must have been very keen as I…
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Water Views? or Flood Risk?
Lots of people want water views ………….but if the water view is a River, or even a Small Creek, there can be a flooding risk. The quiet creek in this photo is about 300mm deep and 3m wide. After a…
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Concrete – After the Concrete is Laid
Some people think that concrete is strong enough the day after it is laid…….. Some people think that concrete ‘dries’…….. Both are WRONG! Hardening is a complex chemical reaction which requires time and moisture. Concrete takes at least a month…
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Bunker Fail
I saw this house a few months ago in a Melbourne Northern suburb I couldn’t believe that someone had designed a house to look like a World War II bunker. Perhaps you think I am being a bit harsh?……………. Well…
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Brick Fences
As I travel around the Melbourne Suburbs I see lots of brick fences……….. A problem with a large proportion is that they have obvious cracks. If you don’t believe me just walk around your neighborhood and look at a few…
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