Monthly Archive: April 2014
Quirky Rome Apartment 2
Earlier this week I posted about the quirky apartment we have rented in Rome. Here are a couple more photographs. The first shows the wall that separates the entrance hall from the Bathroom / Laundry. The wall is a translucent…
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Quirky Rome Apartment
I am on holiday in Rome at the moment. When I travel, rather than stop in a Hotel, I prefer to rent an apartment and feel a little bit more like a local. The apartment I am renting here is…
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Teapot Chimney
I saw this whimsical chimney while I was out and about in Melbourne’s South East Suburbs the other day. It was on a 1930 house with a few Art Deco features. It certainly made me smile! Sorry about the picture…
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Onsite Stormwater Dention – Why
If you want to redevelop or subdivide an existing urban house block, you might find that a planning condition is that you will need to provide On-site Stormwater Detention (OSD). You may also find it is a condition on individual…
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Types of Floor Joists
Build a single storey house on a slab and you don’t need joists . . . . but if you have a suspended floor, or you have a two storey house, your structure will need joists. When I first started…
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Forever Home
I often hear people talking about ‘Our Forever Home’ . . . . . . . well this is a $2,000,000 Forever Home. Some of the features include: Located in extensive ‘Gated Community’. Very quiet neighbours. Marble lined walls. Air…
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DIY Painting, Is It Worth It?
Painting doesn’t seem so hard to do. Some people say “Why not paint our new house ourselves rather than pay the builder and save money?” Well I have done plenty of painting of individual rooms over the years but I wouldn’t attempt…
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Beware of Escalation Clauses
What Are Escalation Clauses These are a way of allowing for inflation. Basically it provides a way for the builder to increase his costs in line with inflation. The Clause will quote an inflation index which can be used to…
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Risks of DIY Remodeling
One of my favourite ‘Waste of Time’ activities is reading the Not Always Right website. Below is a recent post which indicates the problems of DIY house remodeling! Going Totally Off The Wall (I work for a company that builds homes…
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Termites
Did you know Australia has around 15 species of termite which can damage the timbers in your new house. Although some species of timber are resistant to termites none are termite-proof. In practice any structure containing wood can be attacked, unless protective measures are taken. Even…
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