Overlooking – Direct Line of Sight

An important issue when building a new house is Overlooking . . . . . . you won’t want to be overlooked by your neighbours . . . . . . and you need to avoid overlooking them, otherwise they will have grounds to object to your new house!

The Regulations refer to a ‘Direct Line of Sight’ which has a particular meaning . This is based on:

  • The view below a horizontal line 1.7m (a typical eye line) above the floor
  • A horizontal view of 45 degrees either side of straight in front of the view.
  •  A horizontal distance of 9m

This is further is illustrated below:

View from a Habitable Room

The regulations are concerned with the view from a  ‘Habitable Room’ such as a living room, but not a ‘Non Habitable Room’ like a corridor. (see the following link to find out which are Habitable, and Non-Habitable rooms. See this link: Habitable Room )

Vertical Line of Site

Horizontal Line of Sight

 

View from a Raised Open Area

A Raised Open Space is an area of more than 2m2  above normal ground level and can include: Balconies, Patios,  Decks,  Terraces, or a landing.

Vertical Line of Site

Horizontal Line of Sight

Exclusion

There is no ‘Direct Line of Sight’ if . . . . . The floor level of the room or the raised open space is less than 800mm above ground level at the boundary, and there is a visual barrier at least 1·8m high at the boundary.

 

This link will explain: How To Avoid Overlooking

 

 

Designer Fail of the Year

Someone sent me this picture entitled plumber fail of the year but that’s a bit harsh!

The plumber only put the toilet where the plan showed it! . . .  and he didn’t design the floor plan.

Even then the situation could have been saved by the carpenter simply making the door open outwards rather than into the toilet! . . . . . . . . .Not only would this give more room in the toilet but it would be safer. (see why at: Separate Toilets)

 

For other posts about House layouts see Plans

More plumbing information and 24 pages of Check Lists in the ‘Selection / Pre-Start Guide’

 

Habitable Rooms

What is a Habitable Room?

You see the phase in several planning and building documents with regard to things like Ceiling Height (see Room Height) and  Overlooking.

Well according to the Building Code of Australia (BCA)

A Habitable Room is ” A room used for normal domestic activities”

Habitable Rooms Include: 

  • Living / Lounge / Family rooms
  • Bedrooms
  • Television Room/Home Theater
  • Kitchen
  • Dining Room
  • Sewing Room/Study
  • Music Room
  • Playroom/Family Room
  • Sunroom

Habitable Room Normally Excludes:

  • Bathrooms / Ensuites / Toilets
  • Laundry/Clothes Drying Room
  • Pantry
  • Walk-in Wardrobe
  • Corridor/Hallway/Lobby
  • and “Other spaces of a specialised nature occupied neither frequently nor for extended periods.”

 

Also see  Overlooking

Cooling Options – Add On Refrigerated Cooling

Don’t like the builder’s standard Evaporative Cooling System?

A cost effective option I have found to work well is adding a centralised refrigerated unit to the standard ducted heating.

This means both systems share the same controls, fans, ducts and outlets and will also operate for the same zones.

Some builders will allow this as an upgrade while others will want you to install the unit using your own supplier after handover.

Organising Later Installation

If you can’t get the builder to include the cooling system i would recommend you get them to do the following:

  • Contact Proposed Cooling Equipment Supplier. Find out duct size, and the power supply that your system will need.
  • Upgrade the duct sizes. Cooling systems need large diameter ducts than heating systems.
  • Provide electrical power to the site of the external unit.

This preparatory work should cost around $1,000 dollars for a single storey house but will give a much faster and neater final job.

 

A disadvantage of a central systems is it, like ducted heating, it is less effective in maintaining the required temperature in rooms that are closed off from the return air vent.

 

More about Heating and Cooling  in the ‘anewhouse Selection / Pre-Start Guide’ including 24 pages of Check Lists.

 

Drinker’s Door Lock

As it’s coming up to the Festive Season it might be worth thinking about specifying this lock for the front door of your new home.

Remember getting home after one drink too many and having trouble getting your key in that tiny keyhole?

Well this lock is there to help you. . . . . . . Just get the key in the ‘V’ above the keyhole and slide it down.

Thanks to gajitz.com where you can find out more about this interesting idea.

Still too hard? . . . . .  Perhaps you need to look at the Drinkers Doorbell

 

For more Fails and Unusual House Photos go to: What the………………….?

 

Bushfire Upgrades

To determine exactly what is needed in the way of ‘Bushfire Upgrades’ .

A full examination of the location and the house design is required

Its your safety so its worth getting an expert!

Likely Extras

The following are typical extras for a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) 12.5 zone:

  • All roof vents, wall vents and weep holes to have ember/spark guards made from corrosion resistant metal mesh with max aperture size of 2mm (See Photo)
  • External doors and windows to be provided with corrosion resistant metal mesh (steel aluminium or bronze)
  • Upgraded glass such as A-grade safety glass (min 4mm)
  • Weatherboards should be fibre cement (min 6mm thick). You may be able to use some external wood features but it will depend on the location and the type of wood
  • All external surface material joints less than 3mm
  • Weather strips or draught excluder to garage panel lift doors with a max gap of 3mm. (Roller door may be a better option)
  • A tiled roof to have full sarking  installed directly below roof battens
  • All external above ground gas and water pipes to be metal.
  • Protect air conditioning as it can ‘suck’ embers towards it. (See link for Evaporative Cooling)

Expect to pay an extra $5000 to $10,000 depending on the size of the house.

With a higher BAL , the cost will rise further with upgrades such as fire shutters.

Not Fire Proof

Its worth bearing in mind  that the upgrades will make your new home ‘Fire Resistant‘ not ‘Fire Proof

 

To find out more see: ‘What is the Bushfire Attack Level‘

 

Bridging Finance Basics

Guest post by Callum Scott of Scott Finance

Buying Your Next Home

. . . .  but haven’t sold your current house?

You can put your home on the market, sell it, settle and then rent while waiting for your new home to be built. For some people this can be a real hassle!

The Alternative

You can obtain bridging finance.

In simple terms, it means that your lender can increase the amount of your loan to cover the purchase of your next one before the sale, or settlement, on your current one. On settlement of your original, funds are then applied to reduce the total loan outstanding.

Of course, over this period you will be paying out a lot more in interest payments, but it is usually for a short period such as six months for an existing property, or one year where a new property is being built.

One possible disadvantage with this facility is that if your home takes longer than expected to sell, interest repayments will be larger than expected. Therefore it makes sense to build this possibility into your planning. You will also need sufficient equity in your existing home to qualify for this type of loan.

Some lenders will charge a higher rate for this facility whereas others will simply apply their standard variable rate.

 

Saving Costs During Bridging Period

Most lenders will offer an interest-only option with the loan reverting to principal and interest once the funds of the sale have been applied to the total loan amount.

Some lenders will capitalise interest payments during this period. This means you make no interest payments, with the interest amounts being added to the amount that you owe.

At completion you then recommence repayments which would be typically higher as the principal you now owe is larger.

 

For no cost advice about new house finance contact: Scott Finance

 

 

Can $21,000,000 Buy An Attractive House?

Well what do you think? . . . . . . . . Looks like a fire station to me!

 

Here is what the Agent says:

” Reflecting the iconic modernism of architect Charles Gwathmey, this exquisite 8000+/- sq. ft. 7 bedroom, 11.5 bath, masterpiece displays his genius in use of space, light, materials and flow that blur the line between architecture and art”. 

Interested? . . . . . There are more pictures at: www.sotherbyshomes.com

 

For more Fails and unusual houses go to What the………….?

 

 

Levels of Bushfire Attack

A Bushfire Assessment of your new house will put it in one of the following 6 levels:

Bushfire Attack Level

(BAL)

Description of Predicted Bushfire Attack and Levels of Exposure

BAL – Low

There is insufficient risk to warrant specific construction requirements

BAL – 12.5

Ember attack (Burning twigs, branches or leaves  airborne and carried  on the wind ) with heat flux* up to 12.5kW/ m2 (Heat flux = Amount of heat transferred per unit area per unit time to a surface)

BAL – 19

Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers together with increasing heat flux between 12.5 and 19 kW /m2 

BAL – 29

Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers together with increasing heat flux between 19 and 29 kW m2

BAL – 40

Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by wind borne embers together with increasing heat flux (29 – 40 kW/m2) with the increased likelihood of exposure to flames

BAL -FZ

Direct exposure to flames from fire front in addition to heat flux and ember attack

*As a comparison the Heat flux from the Sun is around 400 W/m2.

 

Remember these levels are based on the BAL when the house is being planned. If you build and then fill the garden with shrubs and trees a few years later the Level, and the Risk, will be higher!

 

Don’t think that because you are in a suburb that you will be automatically be in a ‘BAL Low’ Area. Some suburban areas can still be at risk!

 

What Is The Bushfire Attack Level explains what factors are used in the Assessment

 

Submersible Pumps

As well as the more common pressure pumps you will frequently see submersible pumps at your local supplier . . . . . So what’s the difference?

 

Characteristics of Submersible Pumps:

Most domestic submersible pumps come with an attached float switch which switches the pump on when the water level rises, and off before it runs dry.

  • They’re Quiet  The surrounding water absorbs any noise.
  • Don’t Need Priming  As the pump sits under the water it doesn’t need to be primed, which also improves efficiency.
  • Rarely Block These are centrifugal pumps, which can pass reasonably large solid particles.
  • Pump From Bottom of Tank/Well Useful  for emptying things, but bad if you need the best water quality (The worst water is typically at the bottom of a tank see: Understanding Tank Water Quality)

Uses

Best for transferring water in constant flow rate applications such as:

  • Emptying tanks
  • In a sump to keep basements dry
  • Pumping Storm Water
  • Pumping Grey Water
  • Irrigation systems (make sure there is a filter smaller than any nozzles)

 

Make sure you get the correct size pump, see: Pump Size

 

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