Building a First Home

[MercurySilver]

Originally Posted by jpblue1000

What do you expect for 1000 dollars?
You got a design! that came from many years of study, and practice and experience then advertising, premises to work out of and insurances, wages, etc. That is not free we don't give design away, you pay for it and I suggest at 1K you got it cheap, doesnt matter that you may not have used the design you were provided with a service with an outcome. the architect provided you with intellectual property, supported by accredited systems, legal recourse and an act of parliament which governs how the architect acts! This is not cheap. What you didn't get, as you didn't pay for it, was all the rest the profession can offer, that many in this thread who have actually used the complete services are vouching for. That may hev been refinement of design, documentation, tender, on site management in a drive for quality in design and construction.
Architects will always offer fee proposals if asked, ask first and don't be stung by a bill you cant afford.
Did you see them do the drawing?

JP

what do i expect for $1000?
i would expect something better than talking to someone for 40 odd mins to an hr watching him do a drawing (taking the ideas from mine i put in front of him) that took him literally half an hr
it wasnt a super flash massive drawing either
it was on an a4 sized bit of paper and was basic, it looked good tho and we liked the design
i respect what they do and how they can see an end product etc but friggin hell at 1000 bucks for an hrs work!
if he built the house we ended up choosing thru a well know company it would have been three times the amount of money
mind you the guy did design the canteen at my work and it is pretty flash
im pretty happy with what i have now
if you can afford an architect then go for it
they are smart and know everything you prob dont when it comes to house building....you pay for the knowledge and skill

[jpblue1000]

Originally Posted by MercurySilver

it looked good tho and we liked the design
i respect what they do and how they can see an end product etc but friggin hell at 1000 bucks for an hrs work!

But that's my point. You got a design, a good one at that and sometimes a good design doesn't need 100's of drawings to illustrate it and sometimes doesn't take a long time.
The Architects job is to take your ideas and turn them into reality, while offering advice, comment and ideas of their own to solve particular problems and create a legal, safe and appropriate edifice. and an hours work is the culmination of a career of learning, practicing and developing what they do.
The Price you paid was one for design, for an idea, not for labor, you paid for intellectual property not a object. That does not come cheap, and the architect you used obviously agreed. But as mentioned if you were really unhappy take it up with their governing body. they will listen to you!.

As for being expensive I have just offered a young couple a design to planning stage for $4500 on a 300K budget. they are extremely happy as they are getting a bespoke house they can build to a budget and have had input into the design. Their Builder is charging them 11K to document and get certification...I think they are paying too much for that, but the theory is they may save on construction if the builder has input into the detail! Time will tell on this little experiment.

JP

[Iggle Piggle]

I think most of it has already been covered but the three mistakes I made were not enough powerpoints, not enough storage, and no stipper pole.

[Kieron]

Originally Posted by 351buzz

good link, pretty much says what I was saying.

I quite clearly says Choose a North Facing Block, multiple times. You disagreed with me saying to chose a north/south facing block but you saying what you said is the same as the doc?

If what I said was right (which is what is written in that doc AND has been common knowledge here by people who live and build house here in WA like myself for decades), then you were incorrect in stating what I said was wrong and should have simply elaborated on what I said

[nuthin' fancy]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

I had the plans made up for my future first house, check it out:

image

You need glass in between the bedroom and garage so you can admire what you have....

[351buzz]

Originally Posted by Kieron

I quite clearly says Choose a North Facing Block, multiple times. You disagreed with me saying to chose a north/south facing block but you saying what you said is the same as the doc?

If what I said was right (which is what is written in that doc AND has been common knowledge here by people who live and build house here in WA like myself for decades), then you were incorrect in stating what I said was wrong and should have simply elaborated on what I said

so is it "I (as in you) quite clearly says" multiple times? or "It (as in the doc) says multiple times?.
because I never saw in your post where you said to buy a north facing block.

we can agree that a north facing block is the one you want. with a south facing block you would want most of your windows to the back of your house.
so north/south facing block is not a thing. ie it's either a north facing block with most of your windows at the front/north of your house OR a south facing block with most of your windows at the back/north of your house.

the only part I quoted on was the bit where you stated to not point your windows to the sun. Which IS north, this IS wrong, as I stated and as it states in the doc. This is why I couldn't elaborate on what you said without disagreeing as politely as possible.

It doesn't matter if your in WA as opposed to VIC (or anywhere else in the southern hemispere) sun rises in the east to sets in the west. The path it takes in winter is much lower into the northerly sky, and directly above in the summer. If you live at a higher latitude and want to block the sun out for longer into the autumn and spring months you run a longer eave, therefore only getting sunlight INTO your house in the dead of winter.

[351buzz]

Originally Posted by Kieron

Might be different in Vic mate, but here in the west it's quite common to try and build north/south facing homes, we aren't as cold.

What you're don't want here is the front of your house heated in the morning where all the windows typically are, then all the back of your house heated in the evening or visa versa. Sides of houses are almost always up against fencing which protect the side windows from direct sunlight.

Actually, have a look at this -
http://www.synergy.net.au/docs/energ...cient_home.pdf
Synergy is wa's main power supplier.

I get what your saying in this post, totally agree.
What's a north/south facing home? windows on both sides or is it a north facing home, and/or a south facing home?

I see it was 18c in perth today. 7c here with rain going sideways. at least I'm sitting inside infront of the fire, eating some humble pie

[Kieron]

A north/south home would typically be north facing, the large windows would be at the front/back and open onto main bedroom,lounge @ front and at the back, maybe a bedroom or two and/or games room (rumpus in Vic??)

All other rooms, beds/kitchen/laundry would typically have windows on the left/right of the house and more often than not, facing a fence.

As an extreme example, in the desert, you wouldn't want the sun coming in but in the Antarctic, you would. Funny though, igloos don't have windows