Author Archive: Brian
Conventional Drainage
The vast majority of new houses will have a conventional (sometimes called a Gravity, or Open system) storm water drainage system discharging to either: Public Surface Water Drain – Typically in Eastern States Soakwells on Sandy Sites – Mainly in…
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Final Cost – When Do You Find Out?
Some people think that when they pay an initial deposit, and leave the Builders Sales Office they know how much their house will cost…………..If you are unlucky, and/or don’t know how the system works you could be hit for unexpected…
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Water Saving – Fail
Obviously someone wasn’t happy with the flow from the water saving shower head. I only hope they have quick showers! This is from one of my favourite sites There I Fixed it – Red Neck Repairs at http://cheezburger.com For more…
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Removals -The Easier Way
A guest post from Stephen Hodges of Easier Move So it’s moving time to your new house. This phrase can conjure up images of previous terrible moves that took all weekend, caused arguments about how items should be packed or…
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Can You Build On The Boundary?
I have previously talked about Setbacks but with certain limitations it is possible to build on the boundary.Generally rules about building on a boundary apply to all buildings constructed on or within 150mm of a side boundary. Typical Rules Walls…
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Fake Grass – Real Weeds – Fail
This is a reminder that artificial grass is a low maintenance surface Not A No Maintenance surface. The trouble with weeds in artificial grass is that once the roots get into the backing fabric its a major issue to get…
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Underground Pipes
It’s important to make sure you are getting the right type of pipes and fittings that will be underground…..you don’t want to be digging up you garden, or paths, in case of blockages. Pipes Some plumbers will want to use,…
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Setbacks
When you are buying a block one of the issues that controls what you can put on a block is the Setbacks of the main structure. Setbacks vary from council to council and can also vary between neighbourhoods in a…
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House Photo – Fail
Do you get fed up with all those pictures in the magazines about fancy houses that are unattainable to the rest of us? Well this picture comes from the Unhappy Hipsters web site which posts pictures from posh houses together with funny…
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Fire Risk
Understandably there is a lot of talk about Bush Fires at this time of the year…….. but did you know that in a typical year there are around 13,000 domestic fires in Australia. There are also around 80 deaths a…
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