Starting
Travel Issues
It’s a Saturday morning and your partner says “Why don’t we go and look at some blocks that have been advertised in the paper?” So you jump in the car and in no time at all you are at the…
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Building On Clay Soils
Clay is a fairly common soil type. Although it is quite suitable for building one issue is that some types of clays (‘Reactive’ or ‘Desicated’ clay) that shrink or swell depending on the level of moisture. This can lead to…
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Battleaxe Block
Have you seen a ‘Battleaxe Block’ advertised and wondered what it is?………….Well it is a block that only has a 3-4m frontage on the street. Often these blocks are as a result of subdividing a long block with the rear…
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Standard Building Contract or ‘Owner Builder Contract’
Some small builders may suggest they can package build a house cheaper for you if you become an ‘Owner Builder’*. * Not be confused with True ‘Owner Building’ where you have the skills and propose doing a lot of the…
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Developer Rules/Guidelines
Most developments have some sort of design rules placed on the blocks they sell. For our last house the only rules were; Only one house to be built on the block. All side and rear fences must be green colorbond….
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Buying A Sloping Block.
It doesn’t take much of a slope to mean that costs will increase. For the last house I built, in 2005, a 0.8m slope over a 26m wide by 32m deep block added $4,800 to the cost. That’s for much…
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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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Climate Change Protection
In the thirty years I have been living in Australia the climate seems to have changed. . . . . and not for the better. More severe storms. Worse Bush Fires. More floods. So how does this affect you when…
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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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Live While You Build – Location
When you are getting your new house built do you carry on living in your existing house or move into a rented house.? We have only ever built new houses when we have relocated for work, so its always been…
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