Choosing a Block
Block or House First?

Should you choose the block, or decide on a house design first? Cheaper Land Well my preference has been to build on suburban blocks so we are close to shops, cafes, recreational facilities and public transport. Blocks in these areas…
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Choosing an Area

So here is a map of places withing 50km of where I live now. As you can see it covers City, Suburbs, Bayside, the Coast and Rural Areas. Here are a few things you need to think about when deciding…
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House And Land Packages – Are They A Good Idea?

You often see house and land packages advertised and they may have an attractive price . . . . . but are they a good idea? Here are a few more things to think about: These sort of deals are…
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Country Or City

It’s not as simple as Country or City, there are a lot of areas in between. In the country it can be sea change, tree change, a rural block, or in a small town. In the city it can be…
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7 Things To Think About Standing On A Block

So you have visited the Developers Office and been shown a site plan with some blocks for sale that are the Size, and Orientation, you want. The next thing is to get a copy of the Title Plan and go…
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Sub-Divided Block Issues

Want to build a new house in an established suburb? One way is to look for a subdivided block, or even buy a house on a big block and sub-divide yourself. I see quite a lot of large suburban blocks…
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Beware of Blocks Below The Road

On a summers day, during a period of dry weather, I came across these recently built houses with lines of sandbags! You would think that the houses must have fronted a river! Not much chance of getting a car in…
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Base Plan has 6 Star Energy Rating

But What Does it Mean? If you think it means is that your house will have a 6 Star Energy Rating you could be wrong! You could be up for thousands of dollars of upgrades to meet the required standards….
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Which Way Is North?

Don’t rely on a compass! Or a mobile phone either! There are different Norths True North Grid North Magnetic North The difference can be more than 10 degrees which can affect your view and the solar performance of your house…
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Overflowing Drains

Its not unusual to see local flooding around a house, or on streets, during exceptionally heavy rainfall. If you are unlucky you might even see a manhole ‘Pop It’s Top!’ like this one! This is because the council drains don’t have the…
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