Building a First Home

[351buzz]

Originally Posted by Dash_XR

Why go to so much trouble/cost with your first house? Regardless of how much you spend on fancy materials and architects it's still going to look small and dated by the time you retire. I'd rather put all the money/effort into the last one to enjoy in retirement not the first one that will end up a rental, unless it's going to be your one and only property?

Not having a go just my 2c.

there's plenty of houses built in the late 50's through to 70's that look ultra modern by todays standards.
http://modernheritage.com.au/mhm/wha...and-early-80s/
but like your saying, you wouldn't build one to rent out. you'd wanna live in it.
I'd say for as long as possible, stuff retirement only.

[zilo]

Originally Posted by Dash_XR

Why go to so much trouble/cost with your first house? Regardless of how much you spend on fancy materials and architects it's still going to look small and dated by the time you retire. I'd rather put all the money/effort into the last one to enjoy in retirement not the first one that will end up a rental, unless it's going to be your one and only property?

Not having a go just my 2c.

Why go to so much trouble to get it right first time?

easy...how many times do you want to pay stamp duty to the govt?

how many real estate commissions do you want to pay?

lawyers?

The fees on just one mistake pays for a proper design up front.

But you can get pottery beige to design a Mc Mansion for you on a napkin instead if you are so inclined......

[jpblue1000]

food for thought...

http://indaily.com.au/design/2014/05...smaller-homes/

JP

[Dash_XR]

Originally Posted by 351buzz

there's plenty of houses built in the late 50's through to 70's that look ultra modern by todays standards.
http://modernheritage.com.au/mhm/wha...and-early-80s/
but like your saying, you wouldn't build one to rent out. you'd wanna live in it.
I'd say for as long as possible, stuff retirement only.

You'll be able to find good examples of everything, I actually prefer older styles but what I meant was just don't over spend on your first if you aren't going to be there forever. Huge first home builder mistake.

[351buzz]

i only linked to that to show that good design, no matter what style, does'nt become dated as you suggested.


In fact I would say the exact opposite, if it is designed well and looks right, then in 10-15 years time when you go to sell it on, or what/whenever, you would have land that has appreciated and a home that was actually worth something, as opposed to the same boring just another volume builders house, which was built so cheaply it's about at the end of it's lifecycle, and hasn't really got anything about it that would excite a potential buyer anyway.

I think a huge first home builder mistake would be to build a 4 bedroom home for someone that's single. but that mightn't be a problem for a FIFO worker as he'd have insanely $$fat stax$$, so 1 of my FIFO mates tells me.

Unless stazza is planning to flip it over quick, which he might have to anyway. I live 40k's from my parents and it's just far enough.

[Franco Cozzo]

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

[jpblue1000]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

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

image

Needs a door between the kitchen and bedroom so the missus wont interupt the garage on her daily journey from the bedroom to the kitchen.

Only Joking don't be so serious!

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by jpblue1000

Needs a door between the kitchen and bedroom so the missus wont interupt the garage on her daily journey from the bedroom to the kitchen.

Only Joking don't be so serious!

Playing Russian roulette with 5 in the chamber with that one

[Uncle Niceguy]

Good advice so far but another consideration that nobody thinks of is hall way size and bathrooms, when my parents built the home they are in now, the bathroom had lotsa thought put in, well the main one anyway it's a three way, that means all three areas can get used at the same time (toilet, shower/bath & vanity) it all works extremely well but as a result they lost focus on a couple other things, like having a hallway that IMO should be another 100mm wider, and a few more wall sockets in the hallway,apart from that though the house is great, ohh they also used an architect witch they think was well worth it as a result 6 years in the house has settled perfectly and looks the part in the street, witch l might add is full of architect designed houses, as a result, our street is very good looking pending changes to a neighbours house.

[351buzz]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

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

Probs go a personal access door as well, unless your roller doors are battery back-up, I'd say your architect would be on to that though. I assumed you used one.

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

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

You could save space in the bathroom, if you installed a wash-bay in the garage,
do away with the bedroom and swing hammocks from the rafters,
and what's the kitchen for? Just use one corner for a walk-in beer fridge, and you'll be set.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

You could save space in the bathroom, if you installed a wash-bay in the garage,
do away with the bedroom and swing hammocks from the rafters,
and what's the kitchen for? Just use one corner for a walk-in beer fridge, and you'll be set.

Or just have microwave meals using a microwave on my toolbox, win!

[351buzz]

with that plan and this builder I don't think you could possibly go wrong

[b0son]

The only advice I will give is don't go with a project home builder. They may seem good value, but that's because they're specced to the price, both in terms of the obvious fitout stuff (quality of kitchens/cabinetry, bathroom finish etc), and the less obvious under-the-skin stuff (type of insulation, electrical, lighting, etc). Go look at a display home. Its the ultimate bait and switch, they show off something that dazzles you, but if you actually want what they've built, its $100k more than the base price (if not more).

They push you to sign the contract ASAP, tell you that there's plenty of scope to 'tweak' the design/finishes after the contract is signed. But the reality is the standard inclusions/options are often rubbish (deliberately) so that you'll want to replace them with quality items, and this is where you get stung. The 'variation'.... if you don't want their dunny, they'll deduct it at their cost, then charge you full RRP plus more for the one you replace it with. Rinse and repeat for every change you make. Before you know it, your budget has stretched by $50k.

Don't be fooled.

At least if you use an independent builder, the choice of everything you use is yours (many project builders don't let you supply anything). You wont be penalized for every deviation you make from the project builder's list of inclusions/options.

[jpblue1000]

Originally Posted by b0son

Don't be fooled.

.

B0son is right. No matter what way you go make sure you've done your research, made your decisions and set your budget before you sign any contract. If that means getting help from a design professional or doing it yourself, make sure you know whet your aiming for and getting in any deal.
There have been plenty of suggestions for a very small portion of the design you need to think about. Don't rush or you will be dissapointed. Your own thought is free. Use it to maximise your house potential and investment of some many hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Justin

[Kieron]

Haven't had time to read all the response here so it may be covered, but one thing I learned with building a home (Plunkett and they were very good) is to ensure you can close off areas. Many house plans are 'open plan' which is cheap space, but try heating/cooling those areas and you can be fighting a loosing battle.

Things like games room/family room/kitchen are typically lumped together and hallways to bedrooms/front of house are open, ie no doors. What I did was added french or solid doors to all those hallway entrances, had walls built between family/games to block it off but double french doors to enter it.

The french doors still let the light through and don't make the rooms seem enclosed yet you can close it off for heating/cooling purposes.

Large windows make the house cheaper to build - less bricks, but they are also big areas with less insulation and could make the room less usable. ie the back bedrooms may have wide floor to ceiling windows, makes the room cold in winter and lets heat in, plus hard to fit furniture.

Think about which way the sun rises/sets and which parts of the house you don't want too heated up. Trick is to have less windows facing the sun.

Try to add storage space. For instance, I had a back bedroom hallway rooms which shared a wall with the family room, I had them build a large linen cupboard with doors opening into the hallway and pinching room from the large family room, again cheap to do.

Typical double lock up garage is 6mx6m, if your block permits, go bigger both ways. Space is relatively cheap and it's worth it if your into cars

Before any landscaping/paving is done, put soak wells in.

Thats just some of the stuff, i'm sure there are more I could think of

[b0son]

Originally Posted by Kieron

Before any landscaping/paving is done, put soak wells in.

why are soak wells so prominent in WA? dont you guys use stormwater pipes? I've yet to see a soak well in NSW

[351buzz]

Originally Posted by Kieron

Think about which way the sun rises/sets and which parts of the house you don't want too heated up. Trick is to have less windows facing the sun.

nah, windows must face the sun/north. this is free heating in the winter.

what you've gotta do is make sure your eaves shade these north facing windows in the summer.

In the winter the sun is very low, and should penetrate into the house through the north facing windows, this will passively heat your slab floor or any other thermal mass structure in the house that gets direct sunlight on it.

In the summer the sun is very high, if your eaves or other shading structures are the right overhang, they block any sunlight entering the north facing windows, therefore no thermal gain from sunlight.

This is why the west side of the house should be reserved for non-living areas.
In the winter west side is virtually in the shade all day. winter temps + no sunlight = not pleasant.
In summer west side will catch the summer sunset, this supercharges the temps at the end of an already stinking hot day, making this room unbearably hot.
west side should be carport, laundry, entry, ect.

this is why it's pot luck when you just pick a house you like the look of and try and fit it on your block of land. this is when you NEED 15-20KW heat-pumps / ac to make them livable

[nstg8a]

Use an architect they say...


Architect will design it to fit the surrounds...


Hmm... Qlds best home?



Lol, just taking the mickey guys

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

Use an architect they say...


Architect will design it to fit the surrounds...


Hmm... Qlds best home?

image

Lol, just taking the mickey guys

Looks like something that should be flying between Earth and Mars lol.

[351buzz]

fixed it for ya

[351buzz]

obvious flaws are the front door opening into the bay, and car parking below sea level.
but my photochop skills is what they is

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by 351buzz

obvious flaws are the front door opening into the bay, and car parking below sea level.
but my photochop skills is what they is

Ahh that explains it then....

More proof that project homes are rubbish!

Hardly any eves, and have they used a cheap car to skimp on the mud needed for the footings???

Geeze, when they said the slab needed extra steel they weren't kidding!

[nstg8a]

Are you ready for the pool?









You sure?

[351buzz]

I'm with the dolphin, I like it.

[Ruination]

Hi Stazza.
Since you're looking at Dale Alcock homes I assume you're in Perth?
I'm in construction and do chippy work for the ABN group, primarily Dale Alcock, out of all the project home builders, they would be the best. No doubt about that.

However If you're still on the lookout for a builder and you want your own thing and not some plan spat at you by the sales rep, I can put you onto a bloke who will build basically anything you're after. Custom houses to the max, and top build quality.
http://www.urbanempirehomes.com.au/

[Kieron]

Originally Posted by 351buzz

nah, windows must face the sun/north. this is free heating in the winter.

what you've gotta do is make sure your eaves shade these north facing windows in the summer.

In the winter the sun is very low, and should penetrate into the house through the north facing windows, this will passively heat your slab floor or any other thermal mass structure in the house that gets direct sunlight on it.

In the summer the sun is very high, if your eaves or other shading structures are the right overhang, they block any sunlight entering the north facing windows, therefore no thermal gain from sunlight.

This is why the west side of the house should be reserved for non-living areas.
In the winter west side is virtually in the shade all day. winter temps + no sunlight = not pleasant.
In summer west side will catch the summer sunset, this supercharges the temps at the end of an already stinking hot day, making this room unbearably hot.
west side should be carport, laundry, entry, ect.

this is why it's pot luck when you just pick a house you like the look of and try and fit it on your block of land. this is when you NEED 15-20KW heat-pumps / ac to make them livable

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.

@b0son, I'm not sure what you use in nsw, stormwater pipes are just pipes to us afaik. Streets themselves here have stormwater drains but homes aren't connected to them and I don't believe we can connect down pipes to the sewage line neither, therefor we have to have soak wells.

Given its hot and we have summer water restrictions here, it would make sense to pipe stormwater to the sewerage systems and have it recycles back into tap water.

[Kieron]

@OP a few other things I just remembered which may still be valid -

With power points on internal walls, have the builder run ducting for the wires, this allows you to run extra cabling (such as tv antenna) at a later date should you need to. Of course, "smart wiring" is well worth going for nowadays too, WiFi may not always cut it.

On any internal walls with exposed corners, ensure steel edges are put in the plastering, stops the edges being damaged.

If you go for a tiled roof, look at having a steel framed roof, typically wood framed roofs have thin batons that warp,causing tiles to "crush up" and potentially cause them to chip/crack.

Get friendly with the supervisor, I did this and got the name of the tradies, used the bricky for some brick walls/letterbox etc, gained access before handover so I could paint all internal walls myself and got the tiler+carpet layer in too.

Also, before the block clearing, go there and collect all the leftover bricks up and stack them down the back, give the bricky a call and have him build your letterbox or walls etc, he may even do it for a carton

[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.

good link, pretty much says what I was saying.

[Ruination]

Originally Posted by Kieron

On any internal walls with exposed corners, ensure steel edges are put in the plastering, stops the edges being damaged.

If you go for a tiled roof, look at having a steel framed roof, typically wood framed roofs have thin batons that warp,causing tiles to "crush up" and potentially cause them to chip/crack.

On render, its pretty standard that they have the metal beading on corners. Unless you're building with someone dodgey.

Also with the metal roof and tiles, you gotta be pretty game with that one! Massive heat generator in summer, and if the thermal bridging is poor, your air con will work wayyyyy too hard. Steel frame also retains heat longer than timber.
Both materials have their pros and cons, one is just way more expensive than the other.