Home Builder Advice

Frankensnore on 22/09/2020 - 09:23

Hi all,

I'm looking to knock down and rebuild my home. Do you have recommendation of which builder to use, or avoid?

Also looking for tip whether it is worthwhile to go custom design.

For information, my land is narrow 10m wide in suburban Sydney. When we bought it agent told us that we may be able to build up to 70% of the land area due to the small size. But I took their words as pinch of salt since I can't find anything on the web about this.

We are completely 'green' on this, and appreciate any tips (what to watch out for, etc)

Home & Garden

Comments

  • 87percent on 22/09/2020 - 09:29
    +4

    Geez, it’s not like a REA to lie to you to get a sale…

    • Frankensnore on 22/09/2020 - 09:31

      99.99% they said is a lie. The 0.01% they said is obvious information, they would be stupid to lie on that.

  • klonky on 22/09/2020 - 09:36
    +1

    Start with understanding what planning restrictions apply to your block then engage a draftsperson or architect. Avoid the builders who do plans and build for you, there would be considerable mark up on those. Get someone to do your plans and see if what you want is feasible, then ask friends if they have used any builders or call a bunch to see if they can give you quotes. Always get atleast three so you know if youre under paying or over paying for it.

    • Frankensnore on 22/09/2020 - 10:03

      I was thinking to get it from Home Builder like Hudson Homes, Mojo, Metricon, etc. Based on what you are suggesting, this is a bad idea?

      • netjock on 22/09/2020 - 11:05
        +2

        Large builders build en mass their own designs. Any changes and it will cost you an arm and a leg.

    • TheBilly on 22/09/2020 - 13:28

      Avoid the builders who do plans and build for you, there would be considerable mark up on those?

      I don't feel this is entirely accurate. I do custom in-house designs for people and then build it and one of the main reasons people use me is because I am cheaper - I'm sure there are other reasons as well, but this is a standout item and it is what it is I'm not shy of that. Unfortunately with construction there is no magical way that builders can cut cost, the cost of construction is reasonably uniform, and most of the meat for the 'reputable' builders is going towards paying for those display homes, big offices, staff, utes, trucks etc.

  • Logical on 22/09/2020 - 11:01

    The other interpretation is that you can build a house with a GFA equal to that of 70% of the land area. No drama at all, I built a 660m2 house on a 700m2 block of land still having a backyard of 13m x 17.5m and a front open area of 6m x 17.5m.

    • pjetson on 22/09/2020 - 11:38
      +2

      You built a house with a 660m2 footprint on a 700m2 block and still had 330m2 of yard space left? Was your builder's previous job the Tardis?

      • Frankensnore on 22/09/2020 - 11:53
        -1

        It's not Logical. Check out that name!

      • klonky on 22/09/2020 - 12:25
        +2

        2 storeys? :)

        • Logical on 22/09/2020 - 14:06

          4 levels on a sloping block

          • Logical on 22/09/2020 - 15:09

            @Logical: Total of 4 separate levels with 3 levels high at any point of the house on a section view.

      • Logical on 22/09/2020 - 14:13

        Took about 1 year to design. Also built a 40cm model of the house to see how it all worked cut into the ground etc

  • netjock on 22/09/2020 - 11:03

    10m wide but how long.

    70% might not be wrong depending on whether you need to have Xm of offset from the street / easements etc.

    Custom design = $, unless you are doing it to simplify it to make it easy to build but then I wouldn't put it beyond builders to rip you off anyways and pocket the savings.

    If you got the time (and you don't intend to sell it) you might want to do owner builder.

    Choosing a builder: you could ask for previous jobs they have done and go door knocking / call to see if people are happy to chat. Otherwise go around the local area and see who is almost complete and speak to the owners (best way as builders can't give you phone numbers of their mates / best jobs).

    • Frankensnore on 22/09/2020 - 11:55

      It's 47m long.

      I don't intent to sell it, but the more time it takes to build, the more rent I wasted, the more interest I lost. Money that could better be spent on the property itself.

      Good tip on asking around the neighbourhood. Thanks!

      • netjock on 22/09/2020 - 12:40
        +1

        I am not going to MS paint this.

        You have 10m width block. Assuming no gap required on either side.

        Single garage would be 3m (of 10) or double garage would be 6m (of 10). You probably won't want a drive way down the side of the block.

        If you have a single garage then you'll need to leave 5 - 6m of drive way for an extra visitor space.

        I'd sketch it out on a piece of paper. 1cm square blocks for each square meter and see what options you have.

        Good luck. Yes it is a pain in the back side. I had a 3 year stint of project managing building single story units on blocks (demolition and rebuild) and it take persistence and stamina to get it through.

  • TheBilly on 22/09/2020 - 13:49
    +1

    Appreciate any tips (what to watch out for, etc)

    Establish your budget before you go any further and waste your time. Talk to a broker, login to your net bank and check the balance, lift up the mattress, open the stash of cash in the walls, call your long lost aunt, take on a second job. But ultimately budget is king, no point in looking at the biggest house you can build on your block if you don't have the money to do it.

    Once you have set a budget, then shop around within that budget so you know what you can get for your money. However note that the cost of construction is proportional to size of the house. The bigger you build the more it will cost you, very simple. So don't waste time looking at a 400m2 house if you have the budget for a 200m2 house. Shopping around will only net a small benefit, for example; if you think you will be able to squeeze the cost of a 400m2 house cost into the budget of a 200m2 house, it just won't happen. You can possibly squeeze 220m2 of house into a 200m2 of budget by shopping around but such a big gap just isn't possible and will be a waste of your time. So just be realistic with your expectation.

    Hope this helps.

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