# Building a new house



## Knobby22 (12 November 2013)

I have bought an inner city block of land 12.5m wide x 38m long with the aim of building a house and living in it.
I plan to spend at least $450K on the house + another 60K for a pool out the back.

What is the best way to go with regard to getting the house designed and built?

1. Go to a pre-designed home builder e.g. Simonds, Boutique homes etc.
2. Tender to an independent builder with plans drawing up by a draftsman.
3. Go to an architect and then tender out.


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## trainspotter (12 November 2013)

Knobby22 said:


> I have bought an inner city block of land 12.5m wide x 38m long with the aim of building a house and living in it.
> I plan to spend at least $450K on the house + another 60K for a pool out the back.
> 
> What is the best way to go with regard to getting the house designed and built?
> ...




Roughly sketch what you require within the inner city block boundaries and take that to a draftsman who will prepare a set of plans for YOU adhering to the council requirements. This way you own the copyright to the design. Put together an addendum specifying EXACTLY what fixtures and fittings are required as well as EXACTLY what the builders responsibilities are. (siteworks, connections to amenities, council fees, insurances etc.) CLEARLY define what you are supplying (wall oven, hot plate, floor coverings, window treatments, crossovers etc) Tender it out to several builders. Pick the builder with the best reputation (irrespective of cost) Keep a close eye on the construction and make SURE you have the site supervisors phone number and meet him on site at least once a week for a progress inspection.

Good luck


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## skc (12 November 2013)

Plenty of good stuff here.

http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewforum.php?f=31&sid=1a5e695ca7b7b34d93d4084f9bef4208


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## Julia (12 November 2013)

Knobby, I'd suggest having a look at the difference in cost between using an architect and using a draftsperson.
If it's not all that much more, I'd strongly recommend using the architect who will give you what you want in terms of design, including incorporating the blend of house and pool, and then oversee the whole project.

The builder chosen is unlikely to attempt to stiff you when he has the architect watching everything he does.


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## burglar (12 November 2013)

Knobby22 said:


> ... 3. Go to an architect and then tender out.




For an architect's opinion of drafts-people!

http://dnarchitecture.com/architect-or-draftsman/


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## Knobby22 (12 November 2013)

Thanks.

Buying a predesigned home is quick, not expensive and relatively stress free however I want a lot of extras and changes and would like my home to be individual.

Many say use a draftsperson if you know what you want as combined with a good trustworthy builder you will get a good result but the design innovation will be limited and you become more reliant on your builder.

An architect, if they are good at their job, could raise the standard to a higher level however the cost will be about $20,000.

It's a tough decision.


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## skc (12 November 2013)

Knobby22 said:


> Thanks.
> 
> Buying a predesigned home is quick, not expensive and relatively stress free however I want a lot of extras and changes and would like my home to be individual.
> 
> ...




May be there's a hybrid architect-lite solution.

Step 1. Go see pre-designed homes and get standard contracts etc so you build your knowledge about what's involved.

Step 2. Go to a draftsperson and get 80% of the stuff on to plans.

Step 3. Get an architect to review it. They may be able to pick up issues overlooked by the draftsperson. 

Step 4. Go back to the draftsperson and make the changes.

Step 3 and 4 may cost you more but could still be cheaper than a full on architect driven solution. The challenge will be to find an architect who's willing to do this kind of piecemeal work.

You might even insert Step 1.5 and get an architect's input on overall site layout. E.g. where are the views, the ground levels, the afternoon sun, overall zones etc, espeically if you have a tricky/unique site.


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## burglar (12 November 2013)

Knobby22 said:


> ... however I want a lot of extras and changes and would like my home to be individual ...




You have already eliminated number one!


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## tech/a (12 November 2013)

Knobby

How big do you want your house.
From your wish list and the resultant costs to build 
Id say 200 square meters is the best you'll get.

I used a designer who had won many awards
and while I invested substantially more than yourself
have better bang for buck (Less / square meter).
Did some myself (Under croft garaging).

Has everything I wanted.
Hasn't got everything the Missus wanted though.
The budget just has limitations!


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## Knobby22 (12 November 2013)

Tech

The following home you can buy for $300,000 and its 330 squares. It's mostly the layout I want.
I would be spending another 150K on top for things like hydronic heating, data cabling, better kitchen, better lighting (I do lighting design), security system. Maybe put the kitchen in a better position, better stairs, wooden floors. etc.  If I had to I could probably throw in a little more money.


http://www.boutiquehomes.com.au/home-design/airlie-33-0
Plenty of other homes like it in this range. I don't think you get the faÃ§ade shown for 300K. Suss on that. The basic faÃ§ade would probably be one of the other choices so that's probably an extra 60K also.


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## trainspotter (12 November 2013)

> The following home you can buy for $300,000 and its 330 squares. It's mostly the layout I want.
> I would be spending another 150K on top for things like hydronic heating, data cabling, better kitchen, better lighting (I do lighting design), security system. Maybe put the kitchen in a better position, better stairs, wooden floors. etc. If I had to I could probably throw in a little more money.
> 
> http://www.boutiquehomes.com.au/home-design/airlie-33-0
> Plenty of other homes like it in this range. I don't think you get the faÃ§ade shown for 300K. Sus on that. The basic faÃ§ade would probably be one of the other choices so that's probably an extra 60K also.





Oooohhhh k ... you have just nominated the builder. Copy write belongs to them. It is called "originality of the plan" and generally the judge don't take kindly to it. As for the specifics of what you are supplying it is required to be written up on the addendum between you and the builder.

Congratulations ... it looks like you are going to build a house and contribute to the Aussie economy. Also kudos on the cbd block. Long and narrow connecting rooms around a central lap pool down the guts. Architect could draw that up in 3 to 4 days. $5k later. Also would use lots of glass and pebbled concrete. Very sophisticated and easy to keep clean with a hose and squidgy. I can see a terrarium as well next to the master bedroom.

PM me if you require sketch plans.

P.S. Move master bed to rear of house and swap WC areas IMO.


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## FxTrader (12 November 2013)

Knobby22 said:


> Buying a predesigned home is quick, not expensive and relatively stress free however I want a lot of extras and changes and would like my home to be individual.
> 
> Many say use a draftsperson if you know what you want as combined with a good trustworthy builder you will get a good result but the design innovation will be limited and you become more reliant on your builder.
> 
> An architect, if they are good at their job, could raise the standard to a higher level however the cost will be about $20,000.



We designed and  built a home 5 years ago now and it was a time consuming and somewhat stressful experience.  Every detail must be specified and if you have not thought out the design carefully, be prepared to pay ridiculous charges for variations.  Expect a custom build with a small builder to cost 20%+ more to build than with the majors.  

If you find a design from one of the major builders that meets 80-90% of your requirements (some even allow significant design mods) then I recommend this route - much less hassle and lower cost.


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## Whiskers (12 November 2013)

Knobby22 said:


> I have bought an inner city block of land 12.5m wide x 38m long with the aim of building a house and living in it.
> I plan to spend at least $450K on the house + another 60K for a pool out the back.
> 
> What is the best way to go with regard to getting the house designed and built?
> ...




For me the draft house design actually starts before I settle on the land, or at least where I will position it on the land... but I'm talking about a few acres to chose from. Gotta be high and dry with plenty of breeze, the morning sun and at least a bit of a view.

You are obviously limited for space in the inner city, but you can still achieve a lot with the plethora of builders out there with predesigned plans, it's pretty easy to jiggle the layout a bit here and there without much if any extra cost from an off the shelf plan as you are thinking.

Have you thought much about the angle of the sun in terms of assisting with heating in the areas where you frequent in the mornings eg kitchen and warm sunny patio to laze around or sip a hot tea on a cold winter morning and shade where you want it.? Also, natural breeze, a corridor through the house and veranda/patio for natural cooling in summer.

Architects can be a bit like fashion designers, come up with something that is pretty trendy now, but becomes unfashionable in a few years time. But if you want some special, unique structural appearance it's an unavoidable cost.

For me, the novelty of fashionable style wears off pretty soon, but a layout and or location that isn't comfortable to live in long term grows on you with intense irritation. Put more focus there up front.

I think you are on the right track working out where you want all the spaces to be first, from off the shelf plans, then decide on the appearance, feel, texture etc (I love natural wood also). Have a walk around display homes of new concepts if you can to help with the feel even if you eventually use an architect. 

Do you take your plan to the block at different times of the day to see how the sunlight and breezes work into the design? That can be very insightful at times, eg if morning sun on verandah or patio is important... you might notice the neighbours place blocks it out at a certain level or time. Need to factor in raising the level or move position for example.

Should be a very enjoyable and rewarding experience if you take your time to work it through well in the planning stage.


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## tech/a (13 November 2013)

Knobby22 said:


> Tech
> 
> The following home you can buy for $300,000 and its 330 squares. It's mostly the layout I want.
> I would be spending another 150K on top for things like hydronic heating, data cabling, better kitchen, better lighting (I do lighting design), security system. Maybe put the kitchen in a better position, better stairs, wooden floors. etc.  If I had to I could probably throw in a little more money.
> ...




Just a couple of quick points.

Project builders can generally get under $1000/squ meter.
Purely because they can mass produce.

If you begin to alter room size and or ceiling heights then this totally stuffs up their mass production and your price.
If you approach a Boutique Builder with a design and start from scratch you'll find $1500-2300/square meter the norm NOT the exception.

Altering things that don't alter the footprint of the development are less invasive when it comes to cost.
Working within constraints with a project builder is easier on the pocket.

Cosmetics like Taps/Tiles/Vanity's/Doors/Handles/even aircon are less of an issue.

Once you go outside of a project build into the realm of Boutique Building---your square meter price will jump dramatically.

So before you take any action away from what you have seen from a project builder be aware that your ideas and budget may not match.

*[ Just noticed your "Project Builders" name is Boutique homes. Be aware that the name doesn't reflect the nature of his operation!! ]*


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## Knobby22 (13 November 2013)

Thanks everyone for the comments.
I have a lot of work to do in making the correct decision but the posts have been quite helpful


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