Author: Brian April 12, 2016

If you are planning to be an Owner Build I recommend that you spend a couple of hours watching the ‘Build My Own Home’ Video series by Bill Pearson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJPmM0T789M&list=PLh5B6MCXRHiHlpIpo4vXngKyiysQMmvgK

I had a bit of a Q&A with Bill as follows:

Bill is 67 years old and doesn’t have any building trade qualifications, although he has had plenty of hands on experience of renovating since his teenage years,

The site is a 2,2 hectare block about an hours drive from Newcastle, NSW

Timescale

1. Bought block and started planning in February 2013
2. Upper storey floorplan selected (Kitome), heavily modified, Lower storey self designed, engineered & drawn up April 2013.
3. Development Approval July 2013
4. Earthworks commenced August 2013
5. Shed slab poured & shed self erection begun September 2013
6. House slab poured October 2013
7. Shed finished & power connected to site November 2013
8. On site waste system installed & commissioned December 2013
9. Move caravan from park & live on site –Christmas Eve 2013
10. House lock up – January 2016
11. Projected finish / occupation certificate – June 2016

Having talked to many Owner Builders this timescale wouldn’t be unusual – Brian

Cost

• Kit home $77k
• Lower storey & sewage, $68k
• Current expected cost at occupancy without land $210k (land $120k)

Expected valuation $425k

Challenges

• Finding good tradies willing to  come away from population centres, waiting months for their quotes, then waiting months for them to come to do the work. Many local tradies were either crap, quoted three times what they should, or both.
• Looking at the big picture. Too terrifying most of the  time. You just have to focus on one job at a time, one week at a time.

Positives

• Maintaining personal motivation & energy – although the closer to the end – the more tired.
• Satisfaction of looking back at what has been accomplished as each job/stage was finished

For the full list of Videos check out this link: Build My Own House