Beagle House
Not actually a house . . . . but you can stay the night in the dog for only $98 a night. I’m not so sure about that staircase going up just below the tail though!! The ‘Dog’…
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Underground Garage
Basement, or underground garages are becoming more popular. Its one way of getting a bigger house on a smaller inner suburban block. Before you make a decision to go for this solution its worth thinking about the cost, and the…
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Building Certification Inspections
All house builds have to be inspected to check on their compliance with the Building Code of Australia. These Certification Inspections used to be carried out by the Local Council. Nowadays there is no requirement for a builder to use…
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Mind Your Head
I have mentioned several times about not getting a bigger house than you need . . . . . . . . But this could be going a bit too far! And how do you reach the controls? I certainly…
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How Adverse Possession Can Affect Buying A Block
Did you know its still possible to take over ownership of someone else’s private land? This makes it important to check the Land Title Plan dimensions against the actual site dimensions of your new house block for the following reasons:…
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Investment Property or New Home
Guest post by Callum Scott of Scott Finance Are you building for yourself? . . . or will it be a rental property? Over the last part of the 20th century home ownership has been around 70% but has now slipped to 67.5%….
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Floor Space Ratio, or Plot Ratio
When you are buying a new house block it’s important you understand how much of the block you can build on! One way in which NSW councils prevent Over development is by prescribing a ‘Floor Space Ration’ (FSR). The same…
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Charged Rainwater Collection
Thanks to SaveH2O, of Supadiverta This diagram indicates a charged rainwater collection system. These are sometimes called either a “wet” or a “pressure” system. NB. This diagram has been simplified for clarity. A leaf diverter, and an adequate overflow, must…
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Overflow Fail
Lucky it wasn’t raining when I was walking down this Melbourne street ! Not only does this rainwater tank discharge the overflow over the footpath. . . It discharges it at shoulder level. It’s sad but I don’t…
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Insulation Basics – Double Brick Walls
I have previously carried out a worked example of the insulation of a Brick Veneer Wall, so as a comparison here is double brick wall. I have also shown (in brackets) the effect of using a hebel block in place…
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