Buying Land with Gently Inclined Fall

• 

  websterp on 19/03/2021 - 12:43

  +1

  Is this incline reasonable and will any of the reputable builders have issues with it?

  For the time it took you to write this post you could have easily gotten the most reliable response by ringing or emailing a couple of those "reputable builders"
  I thought this is OZBargain and not I'm a builder AMA.

• 

  ShortyX on 19/03/2021 - 12:48

  What kind of house? On stumps, single level slab, split level? I suggest talking to a builder to determine what's possible then you'll know what your house options are.

• 

  Soluble on 19/03/2021 - 12:50

  +4

  Decent sized block for that slope, I had 1250 with a 4 metre front to back fall which was within most major builders limits. I'd say find a house you like and go see the builder they'll give you an answer on the spot.

• 

  tsunamisurfer on 19/03/2021 - 12:53

  +6

  Virtually all land types can be built on, the classification of soils also comes into it.

  The different factors can be managed by additional engineering, supports, earthworks or design (tiering of houses).

  These just cost a lot more money which you will have to factor in.

  I have been in houses that were previously on sloped land and some of the tiered designs are just wonderful, its almost like a feature.

  • 

    88mph on 20/03/2021 - 16:30

    +1

    Op, in addition to the above, if the house you are building is not on an elevated slab, ensure good quality Agi's are laid by a drainage specialist to drain groundwater away from the foundation. You'll be grateful in a few years…

• 

  netjock on 19/03/2021 - 13:04

  +2

  Build part double story. 1st floor is full size, ground floor fills in all of the space opened up by the slope. Try not to excavate if you can.

• 

  battler on 19/03/2021 - 13:34

  +2

  consider also what is 'up the hill' from you, bacause all their (rain)water run off may come to your place.

• 

  Seraphin7 on 19/03/2021 - 13:50

  +1

  Based solely on what you've written here, you won't have material problems. There may some excavation requirements that will come at a cost, but that's also subject to a range of other factors, most relevantly the quality of the land and the proposed design of your property.

• 

  TheBilly on 19/03/2021 - 13:57

  +1

  Slope: Gently Inclined

  Subjective

  Is this incline reasonable and will any of the reputable builders have issues with it?

  The project home builders will have an issue with it because they work to set designs that your block may not suit so you won't get much love from Home World - there are some there that can do custom homes but they will charge a lot as it derails their production line and will result in them spending more time on your build. You need to go to custom builders where each house they build is different. There are some custom builders that offer value for money and similar pricing per m2 of floor space that you will get from a home world builder but there are some custom home builders that will charge ALOT as they only specialize in bespoke luxury high end homes. When you talk to them they will let you know within a minute or two where they stand.

  How much approx additional cost will be looking at?

  This is hard to impossible to predict right now. Add $20k - $40k to your build budget to be safe because it depends on what you design. You may need to spend a bit of money on soil removal or drop edge beams or a suspended section of slab.

• 

  ozaym on 19/03/2021 - 14:04

  +1

  it shouldn't be an issue at all, however it will affect your design and engineering.

  If you want to cut in to the incline a 2m retaining wall wont be cheap.

  As per @TheBilly I would say 40k is reasonable, if not a bit more.

  • 

    frugalferret on 22/03/2021 - 20:13

    Why would it be a 2m retaining wall. If its ~2m fall over the lot, that would be a max 1m cut and retaining wall on the uphill side, and a max 1m fill and retaining wall on the lower side for a balanced cut/fill.

    1m retaining walls dont need engineering or certification in most states, so the cost for earthworks and construction would be minimal.

• 

  JimB on 19/03/2021 - 14:59

  +1

  It's more than a gentle fall.

  Some builders won't touch it.

  The slope from left to right is more of an issue than front to rear.

  If you're going custom build it won't be an issue but I don't think it will look good if you got a cheap project builder to build it. They'll just make cut the site flat with a high retaining wall on

  At least the back is higher than the front which gives it more street appeal.

• 

  pharkurnell on 19/03/2021 - 15:12

  -1

  Pass….

• 

  Euphemistic on 20/03/2021 - 08:13

  +1

  2m isn’t much. Potentially a retaining wall at back and front to level it, and the wall may not need council approval if under 1m each.

• 

  Trying2SaveABuck on 20/03/2021 - 10:38

  +1

  You will probably need a retaining wall - they can cost between 35-50k normally if you're happy to add this too you cost then go for it

• 

  deme on 20/03/2021 - 13:05

  -1

  I'm an OzBargain certified builder, architect and demolition dude.

  I can tell you absolute certainty that for a 6-9% slip I recommend using explosives to flatten the ground then pat it down with a shovel.

  Seek professional advice OP there so too many factors here including soil composition that aren't listed.

  You can have a house built on basically anything, it's a matter of cost.

  Also it's not a gentle gradient you are being scammed by a REA.

  • 

    s12345 on 21/03/2021 - 00:38

    This is a dumb response. That 'professional advice' is meaningless without geotech which is usually unfeasible or impossible on land you don't own

    Op: most builders I have spoken to look at what the grade will be across the building footprint, then what the driveway grade would need to be and drainage. Some volume builders will do 'split level' some won't, but as others have said, horses for courses and any given builder might not be suitable, it doesn't mean the lot is a dud.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 20/03/2021 - 17:53

  +1

  Avoid cut and fill and expensive retaining walls. Build to the slope if you can, i. e. split level if feasible.
  I'm speaking from experience after making the wrong decision.

  • 

    Logical on 21/03/2021 - 22:09

    -1

    What were the levels on your land? Avoid expensive retaining walls on one hand while spending mega bucks on a split level build with retaining walls within the house footprint?… That doesn't make any sense.

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 22/03/2021 - 08:27

      My extensive retaining wall system failed some years after I had landscaped and put it an inground pool. So there was no access which meant massive costs for crane hire and rebuilding the wall.

• 

  Logical on 21/03/2021 - 22:06

  +2

  Project home builders will do a cut and fill, so divide the heights you Measured in half and those will be the heights of your retaining walls to front/back and both sides. All seem quite reasonable.

• 

  Fever4shakin on 22/03/2021 - 08:25

  +1

  Any builder should be able to work with you to accommodate the slope, it just may cost a bit extra. That said, in lots of areas you'd be hard pressed to find a completely flat block without some level of slope.

  I have a block with a 4m slope front to back and a slight slope left to right. We're starting construction this year and building a split level home. We were actually talking to builders before we secured the land and had picked out a house design and talked with them about our own changes to it. We were able to talk to the builders beforehand about which blocks of land were suitable as we were going into a land ballot. The builder worked with us to make it split level, which was fairly easy with the design we had.

  After we secured the land we received the contour report (it wasn't ready prior to the ballot). Basically if you have the contour report for the land, the builder can put together house plans for the block. This gets presented as a tender and you choose from there whether to go ahead with the builder/ house design - no money paid at this stage. When we got our tender they explained lots of additional costs to do with the slope. So in addition to split level we'd also need deepened edge beams.

  It's also worthwhile joining groups for house building on fb etc. As there's people who have done it before who can give you advice. I am part of a group for my specfic builder and it has been very helpful so far.