Selection
Sink or Cook Top on Island
I see a lot of island kitchens in display homes and when visiting friends……..one thing that puzzles me is that they all have the sink in the island unit. In my opinion it’s better to have the cooktop on the…
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Internal Doors
Most internal doors these days are of lightweight composite construction. Basically a light timber framework with two hardboard ‘skins’ and a cardboard honeycomb filler. Not the best thing is you have got teenagers who love slamming doors ! These type…
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Pre-Start (Selection) Meeting
Some builders call it Selection, some call it Pre-Start, if you are having a custom built new house it will be Detailed Design. Whatever it’s called this is the stage of the pre-construction planning when the basic floor plan and…
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Door Lock Fail
I thought this photo was worth showing on this site to emphasise thinking about door handles! Its from the Epic Fail website. Well worth a look if you have time to spare. or more Fails and Unusual houses go to What…
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West Facing Solar Hot Water System?
If you are committed to sustainability then space on the North facing roof is at premium. One option may be to look at putting the solar hot water system on a West facing roof. This will mean you can maximise…
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Want a Flat Roof ?
When thinking about a flat roof for your new home my advice is…..a roof can be: Flat. Inexpensive. Have a long leak free life. PICK ANY TWO! Sounds harsh but my experience, and others I have talked to, confirms this…
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Solar Hot Water
With the current emphasis on building efficiency solar hot water systems are pretty much a standard option if not automatically included. These systems incorporate either gas or electricity boosting for cloudy days. Here are a few thoughts on the options…
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New E Book – GUIDE to PRE-START / SELECTION
Once you have paid the deposit on your new house the next big step is the Pre Start or Selection Meeting. (some builders call it the ‘Gallery Meeting’, if you are having a custom built house it may be called…
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Do You Want A Phone Line?
A few years ago having a land line phone was a must have have………….. but is this still the case? We have always had a land line phone but both of us also have mobile phones. Really the mobile is the…
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Gas Plumbing
Most people who have mains gas available will have gas connections for hot water and central heating automatically provided by the builder. But what else do you need to think about? Meter Location You will need the meter somewhere where…
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