No Gas Supply? . . . . .No room to put a heat pump Well an Instantaneous Electric Water Heater may be an option. This is a unit in apartment we used to rent As you can see its very compact and is tucked away in a wardrobe. The unit provided all our hot water … Continue reading Instantaneous Electric Water Heater
One check that is often forgotten when buying a house block in an established suburb is how storm water is removed from the site. Forty, or more, years ago when land was cheaper, it was not unusual for blocks to be quite large compared with the size of the house. Disposing of storm water by allowing … Continue reading Stormwater Discharge Point
If you are new to thinking about having a new house built you may have heard the term ‘Project Home Builder’ and wondered what it means. Project Home Builders base their business on building large numbers of houses using a limited range of designs. By cutting down on the proportion of individual design input on each house, … Continue reading What Is A Project Home Builder?
Thinking about putting some skylights in the roof? Planning one of those rooms with a glazed roof panel? You really need to think very carefully before you go ahead! Summer In summer the heat gain and glare can be enormous causing major overheating. A typical North facing 900mm x 900mm sky light can put 3kw of heat … Continue reading Skylights
I recently posted on 6 Reasons Why I Won’t Have a Pool and got some comments back. . . . . . so here are some Alternative Views. Heat Relief – Dive in to cool off on a sweltering day. One suggestion I received was have a TV installed so you can watch it from the … Continue reading 6 Reasons To Have A Pool
Not sure about all those details for your new house you will have to decide on? There is lots to think about: Room Height, Bricks, Roof Material, Electrical, Heating, Cooling, Kitchens, Bathrooms, Tiles, . . the list goes on. Worried about going over Budget? Want Some Help? Here is an E-book to help you prepare … Continue reading Selection / Pre-Start Guide
Having a new house built is probably going to be the most expensive decision you ever take. Did you know that upgrades can add more than 50% to the cost? Be better informed about Choosing a New House. Here is an E-book, for only $4 What’s In The Guide? All the information … Continue reading Choosing a New House
I frequently hear of people being told by their Builder “You can’t use your own Building Inspector!” If your builder says that, he is trying to Con You! ……or Breaking The Law! Here is an explanation based on my last House Contract (HIA Standard Contract) . . . . . . Possession The builder does … Continue reading Using Your Own Building Inspector
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 … Continue reading Designer Fail of the Year
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 / … Continue reading Habitable Rooms
