No Access to Backyard from outside The House

LAsxBTFD on 06/02/2023 - 09:23
Last edited 06/02/2023 - 12:15 by 1 other user

Floor Plan

Townhouse is under construction and has completed the fixing stage. There is no access to the backyard from the garage and there is no side access gate. Builder has rejected my variation request to replace the proposed lawn area with concreting, they asked me to do this after handover. The front entrance door and the door from garage into the house are both the standard 820mm width doors.

Is it possible to do concreting after handover? Would this create a lot of mess inside the house?

Thanks in advance for all feedback.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • ShortyX on 06/02/2023 - 09:30
    +2

    What is the reason for wanting concrete? If it's for no mowing, perhaps consider artificial grass?

    • AsxBTFD on 06/02/2023 - 09:57

      Artificial grass can be considered, but all the work will still have to go through the house, which means a lot of mess and potential damage to floors and walls.

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 06/02/2023 - 10:26
        +3

        Do it yourself now then? Or at least get the materials back there. No different than what your builder would be doing if they had agreed.

        • poboy on 06/02/2023 - 13:22

          That would have to be agreed by the builder, as possession (and liability) isn't handed over to the owner before certificate of occupancy.

          • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 06/02/2023 - 13:44
            -1

            @poboy: Sure, to the house - not the backyard tho.

            • DashCam AKA Rolts on 06/02/2023 - 13:56

              @Typical16-bitEnjoyer: I think it's the entire site. Family members work in new construction and have seen builders ban clients from entering the building site until pre-handover inspection.

              • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 06/02/2023 - 14:44
                -1

                @DashCam AKA Rolts: Pretty sure they wouldn't object to eyeballing OP drop stuff off in the backyard. Not like the interior is painted yet anyways. OP would just need to ask.

                • MrHyde on 06/02/2023 - 14:58
                  +1

                  @Typical16-bitEnjoyer: The issue is more about security. A builder would not want to take responsibility of someone else's items in case it's gets stolen.

                  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 08/02/2023 - 07:38

                    @MrHyde: Did you look at the plans? How would anyone steal anything except for the builder themselves?

                    • MrHyde on 08/02/2023 - 09:08

                      @Typical16-bitEnjoyer: Far more common than you think. I am assuming this is during build stage.

                      The builder is not living in the house 24hrs a day. Having fencing around the house is a big advertisement to crooks that there is stuff to be stolen.

                      During our own house build; the builder reported a trailer stolen - the theives simply cut open the chain on the fence, backed a car into the site; hitched the trailer and took off with it. The builders then told us lots of stories of things being stolen from other sites; including a pallete of roof tiles; a dishwasher that had not been installed yet; doors, basically anything not bolted down could be stolen.

  • donbot on 06/02/2023 - 09:33
    +16

    Possibly cant do the concrete before handover to comply with permeability requirements of the permit?

    • jjjaar on 06/02/2023 - 12:06
      +1

      Exactly this.

      OP, they won’t be able to release it to you and they’ll be stuck with the costs. Strange they didn’t actually explain this to you though, would have saved both of you hassle.

      Also be aware that even if you concrete it after, you may have a council that does drone checks and they could make you change it back.

      • Euphemistic on 06/02/2023 - 15:18
        +4

        Paint it green. They’ll never know.

  • djones145 on 06/02/2023 - 09:48
    +11

    depending on the council/state there are requirements for green/garden landscape in houses to be a certain percent of the land.

  • NotCheap on 06/02/2023 - 09:49
    +1

    This sounds horrible/bad design….

    Is there any fencing access to the back ? - eg fence on a laneway, accress road or street? - you could remove some of it to access the back?

    Anything is possible, just going to cost you more. Yes you're looking at some mess in the house, and potentially damage as stuff is hauled/barrowed through or machinery brought through (compactors, cement mixers etc). You could potentially pump the conrete through the house and use flooring protection..

    Even with fake lawn, you've gotta bring in gravel/sand to prepare the area, along with compacting it, then more sand over the top.. All of which sounds like will need to go through your house. Unless you can get external access, this will need to come in through your home.

    • AsxBTFD on 06/02/2023 - 09:56
      +1

      yeah horrible Porter Davis design. No access from the back either. Behind the back fencing are other houses.

  • BeamMeUp on 06/02/2023 - 09:54
    +1

    Yes very messy. You could put plastic down but still a risk of wall scuffs. Excavation of the dirt and barrowing it out through the house and the barrowing in of the concrete, also you will need to get the reo in?? If you concrete the lawn i assume you have thought about how will you manage drainage?

  • ManicD on 06/02/2023 - 10:11
    +1

    Crane materials over the house?

  • Payne on 06/02/2023 - 10:13
    +1

    How about adding a small shed to the backyard?

    Then you can bring any new gardening equipment through the house while it's still boxed and store it in the shed.

    • skillet on 08/02/2023 - 18:59

      Lawn clippings and green waste still have to go through the house. Design and planning disaster.

  • peppet on 06/02/2023 - 10:18
    +2

    We have side access but wasn't big enough for machinery so we had the same issue - had to bring machines through the house or crane them over.

    Luckily our rear neighbour is a wonderful person and let us go through their backyard. Is this possible for you? Or any sort of access through the side neighbours or back fence?

    We paid him for the trouble which was well worth avoiding damage to our house or the cost of cranes

  • MS Paint on 06/02/2023 - 10:26

    No access from the back either. Behind the back fencing are other houses.

  • dtc on 06/02/2023 - 10:34
    +3

    Does the garage have a wall to the backyard? If so, punch a door through it. Properly of course.

    Its not uncommon for townhouses not to have direct access to backyards.

    btw, rather than concreting think of paving the back yard. Much easier to control the drainage, not quite as messy to do (you will still need sand and gravel base etc) but gives you much the same result.

  • steff on 06/02/2023 - 10:42
    +2

    Easiest and no mess option - Dichondra lawn.

    Should pass all permeability requirements and doesnt need to be mowed unless you really want to

    • peppet on 06/02/2023 - 14:14
      +1

      Yes! Second Dichondra lawn if you don't plan on much activity out there. Ours took ages to establish but we loved it.

      Decking with the proper drainage as suggested by others is a much better idea than concrete or fake grass too

  • JimmyF on 06/02/2023 - 10:49

    Is it possible to do concreting after handover?

    Yep, drop sheets down throughout the house, and a concrete pump. Run the hose through the house and away you go.

    But as others have said, don't do this unless you have correct drainage etc, maybe go fake grass.

  • Keplaffintech on 06/02/2023 - 10:56
    +2

    It may be against council regulations to concrete that section. Councils typically specify a minimum landscaped area ratio, meaning minimum ratio of land that needs to be green/plants/grass/dirt.

    The purpose of this minimum is to manage load on the stormwater system, and keep the suburb looking respectable.

  • holdenmg on 06/02/2023 - 11:07
    +10

    I'm going with Knock Down and Rebuild. lol

    • Ghost47 on 07/02/2023 - 19:47
      +1

      Yes! The good old KD&R, OP will triple the value of their property in no time flat!

  • rdallen on 06/02/2023 - 11:09
    +2

    You haven't explained why you don't want lawn. Once it is established, there isn't much else you need to do. Just buy a small push mower to mow it:
    https://www.bunnings.com.au/saxon-40cm-push-cylinder-hand-la…

    I know I'd far prefer a small lawn than concrete. I can only imagine how hot that area would get in the middle of summer with concrete.

    And as others have stated: have you got the drainage for concrete?

    • AsxBTFD on 06/02/2023 - 14:32

      Alfresco / outdoor dining

  • Drakesy on 06/02/2023 - 11:28
    +3

    Concreted backyard.. No thanks.

    If it's been designed for lawn, put lawn down.

    I don't get people's aflliction with artificial grass and concrete.
    Sure by all means put a deck down, at least the water can permeate the sand below it.

    Put down artifical grass and you end up with a terrible looking, boiling hot mess in a couple of years that drains poorly and will become lumpy.
    Put down concrete and you'll end up with a terrible looking, boiling hot, impermeable backyard that now will require another soakwell.

    • DoctorCalculon on 09/02/2023 - 11:20

      Put down artifical grass and you end up with a terrible looking, boiling hot mess in a couple of years that drains poorly and will become lumpy.

      Don't forget that you will have weed poking out of those artificial grass during the summer season. Over time, the whole thing will become landfill.

      Buffalo grass is probably the way to go.

  • brendanm on 06/02/2023 - 11:44
    +1

    Is the house only slightly bigger than a double garage?

    • trapper on 06/02/2023 - 13:20
      +1

      Yeah that looks grim. Crazy seeing a garage being almost half the whole house lol

    • AsxBTFD on 06/02/2023 - 14:33

      It's double storey

      • brendanm on 06/02/2023 - 14:47

        So 80m2? Minus the staircase.

        • AsxBTFD on 06/02/2023 - 16:11

          215m2

  • Euphemistic on 06/02/2023 - 11:53
    +1

    Will it get much sun? If it will, keep the grass and get a small electric or battery mower. Concrete will be hot and a heat soak so will radiate heat back into the house. Grass will help keep it cool.

    If it won’t get much sun, maybe paving or decking so there is some way for water to soak through.

    • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 06/02/2023 - 13:47
      -1

      I'd be more worried that a downpour would result in OP displacing a lot of water into a neighbour's property with potentially bad outcomes.

  • Hardlyworkin on 06/02/2023 - 12:47
    +4

    What part of Italy are you from?

    • jv on 06/02/2023 - 13:53
      +1

      Brunswick…

      • JimB on 06/02/2023 - 15:45
        +1

        and'a Footscray

        Megalo Megalo Megalo

        • jv on 06/02/2023 - 19:04

          Megalo Megalo Megalo

          Xepoolima !!!

  • colossus on 07/02/2023 - 13:25
    +1

    Can you add a gate after you take posession?

    • liability on 07/02/2023 - 15:34

      How exactly would you do that?

    • Euphemistic on 07/02/2023 - 16:01

      You didn’t look at the attached plan did you?

      • colossus on 08/02/2023 - 13:30

        Fair question. :-)

        I did, noting it looked impossible if neighbors on each side and at rear. But that was not stated.

  • [Deactivated] on 08/02/2023 - 13:36

    This is reminiscent of Jar Jar Binks' posts

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