Hey all,
Well, I’ve managed to pick up a block of land (850sqm) in sunny Brookwater, about 25 minutes south-west of Brisbane. It’s a planned golfing estate (there is a Greg Norman golf course that the estate is built around) with a *really* tough covenant so el-cheapo project homes aren’t common. This is good – no two houses will look the same and must ‘complement’ the estate as a whole.
We’re looking to build a house to live in and possibly rent out later in a couple of year’s time. The house we’ve spec’d up is by a builder/designer (architects are too expensive), and is about 310sqm: 4 bedroom + study (which has a robe, so technically 5 bedroom), 2 bathrooms, walk in linen closet (!), open plan kitchen, dining and family rooms, as well as a living room, ensuite and walk in robe. All bedrooms have built-ins. Oh, and a double garage with bench space/storage cupboards.
So I’m after any and all suggestions for building houses! For example, pitfalls, the best ‘tips and tricks’, what not to bother with, what to look out for, etc, etc.
Most importantly, what adds value to a house?
We’re looking to hopefully get some capital gain after building which can then be used for another investment.
For example:
* Should we use traditional timber floors or go with the latest craze: bamboo floors? Or tiles?
* Ducted airconditioning or split system?
* Water tanks?
* Number of power outlets in each bedroom/living area?
* What sort of carpets to stay away from?
* Do spa baths add value?
* Is it worth it to go 9-foot ceilings? In all rooms?
* Are pools or spas more sought after?
* Light fittings: all ‘down’ lights or are there better alternatives?
* Security systems?
Any help and ideas appreciated!
Cheers!
— MJ.
Hi MJ,
With regards to your new house you should design it the way you want and then think about it’s rentability if and when you get to that, because circumstances could change.
Brookwater is a nice spot, I should know because I was until recently up the road at Springfield Lakes with all the riff-raff!
In a desirable estate like this your house should hold value well and put you in a good position to invest later on down the track using it’s equity.
Good Luck…G7
Hi Mja,
I’ve been through the hassle of building your own house. I didn’t really like the experience, but the end result seems worth it. Mind you, went with a project home coz cheaper so maybe you’ll be different.
My personal opinion about some of the issues you raised are:
air-cond: I have ducted, and not too sure about split system, but when ducted motor goes, no air cond! Real pain.
power points: Always not enough. But the extra ones in odd positions kinda look silly. Remember that after a while, you change/move furniture, etc.
flooring: only have wood. Personal preference really.
spas: don’t know about added value but don’t use it after a while. Much like the balcony. Looks good though.
Ceilings: I have the 9ft ceilings and because I’m tall I think they’re great!
Alarm system: Got one of those infra red remote ones. Never use it because the remotes run out of battery. More convenient IMHO to get a panel in the wall – always remember then!
Hope that helps
Originally posted by g7:Hi MJ,
With regards to your new house you should design it the way you want and then think about it’s rentability if and when you get to that, because circumstances could change.
Brookwater is a nice spot, I should know because I was until recently up the road at Springfield Lakes with all the riff-raff!
Indeed: this is part of the marketing of Brookwater: the minimum land size is about 650sqm versus 350sqm+ at Springfield lakes.
The other thing the Brookwater marketing is pushing is the ratio of renters to owners… being 10% renters, 90% owner/occupiers.
Could be tricky trying to rent it out in a few years!
In a desirable estate like this your house should hold value well and put you in a good position to invest later on down the track using it’s equity.Hope so! I’ll post the figures after the house gets valued at completion!
— M.
My 5 cents,
High traffic areas can benefit from tiles/floor boards. I chose timber veneer laminate (a couple of mm of timber over a high density fibre composite) because it looks good but lasts forever and is cheap (natural timber does look better, but more expensive and gets dints etc…). I put the laminate in the hall way which connects to the kitchen (tiles) and the meals area which connects off the kitchen and has external access to the backyard and entertaining area. My theory being that traffic will normally flow most down the hall, through the kitchen and in and out the back door.
I left carpet in the living room to keep it feeling cosy. I find tiles/wood in the living room where I sit and watch telly on a cold night just isn’t as nice. Also carpet in the bedrooms.
Light fittings of some sort are a must. bare globes are ok, but you really notice the difference with proper fittings.
Spa and pool: personally I would never buy a house with such things unless I was buying a really expensive house and I was quite rich. Spas and, in particular, pools take heaps of work and money to keep clean and they just don’t get used that much.If I had a choice of only one place to put high ceilings I’d say dining / meals. That “vaulted” feeling seems to work best there.
I wouldn’t worry about “wiring” your house for computing / internet / entertainment. You can do it all much more easily, with greater flexibility and cheaper using wireless technology.
I can’t really comment on air-conditioning. I live in Melbourne in a very well insulated flat that doesn’t get above 27 even on the hottest days (I like 27 degrees too). I do like ceiling fans however. You can combine them with lights and kill two birds with one stone.
My tips for the building:
Read your plans carefully. If there is anything at all you aren’t 100% sure of then ask about it. Get everything in writing, signed and agreed to. Not because people will try to rip you off (though some might) but because your plans will go through so many hands in the process of building that if it isn’t all spelled out in obvious places you will miss out on stuff. If you want a phone jack in the study, make sure it is marked on the plan, in the cable diagram and written into the contract somewhere. The electrician will see one part of the plan, the plasterer another, the frame joiner another and the foreman yet another. If it isn’t in all of those then someone will miss it and it will cost extra. Also, if you block doesn’t butt directly up to the road (and it probably doesn’t) make sure your driveway will be finished including “cross-over”. Otherwise the builder will only finish up to the edge of your property and you’ll have dirt between your drive and the road. The reason is the council may well own the nature strip and you’ll need another permit to build a “cross-over” between the road and your property. (can you tell I got caught out on this?)Also, don’t assume anything about jargon written in the contract, again if you don’t understand it or you think it is ambiguous get it defined and write the definition in the contract. Make sure all prices are quoted including GST and builder’s mark up. Get final prices where possible. And be prepared to pay an extra couple thousand at the end as there will certainly be one or two things extra to be done (like landscaping) regardless how diligent you are.[buz2]
Surrey
Hey’ya Surrey,
Wow… what a detailed post!
How much roughly did you pay for timber laminate?
It seems to be cheaper to have the whole house at 9 foot ceilings, at least according to the builder.
The estimator comes back in about a week with a very detailed number of pages. I’ll examine his work with a microscope!
Good call with the driveway… I’ll make sure we get the driveway right to the road!
I’ve examined getting a watertank installed under the deck…literally getting it ‘buried’. It’ll be connected to the mains (in case the tank goes dry) and also has an overflow pipe back to the street. Because of these two connections, council approval will be required. Another hoop to jump. Yay!
Has anyone installed a watertank on one of their properties? Any interesting stories?
— MJ.
Orhaiginally posted by surreyhughes19905:My 5 cents,
High traffic areas can benefit from tiles/floor boards. I chose timber veneer laminate (a couple of mm of timber over a high density fibre composite) because it looks good but lasts forever and is cheap (natural timber does look better, but more expensive and gets dints etc…). I put the laminate in the hall way which connects to the kitchen (tiles) and the meals area which connects off the kitchen and has external access to the backyard and entertaining area. My theory being that traffic will normally flow most down the hall, through the kitchen and in and out the back door.
I left carpet in the living room to keep it feeling cosy. I find tiles/wood in the living room where I sit and watch telly on a cold night just isn’t as nice. Also carpet in the bedrooms.
Light fittings of some sort are a must. bare globes are ok, but you really notice the difference with proper fittings.
Spa and pool: personally I would never buy a house with such things unless I was buying a really expensive house and I was quite rich. Spas and, in particular, pools take heaps of work and money to keep clean and they just don’t get used that much.If I had a choice of only one place to put high ceilings I’d say dining / meals. That “vaulted” feeling seems to work best there.
I wouldn’t worry about “wiring” your house for computing / internet / entertainment. You can do it all much more easily, with greater flexibility and cheaper using wireless technology.
I can’t really comment on air-conditioning. I live in Melbourne in a very well insulated flat that doesn’t get above 27 even on the hottest days (I like 27 degrees too). I do like ceiling fans however. You can combine them with lights and kill two birds with one stone.
My tips for the building:
Read your plans carefully. If there is anything at all you aren’t 100% sure of then ask about it. Get everything in writing, signed and agreed to. Not because people will try to rip you off (though some might) but because your plans will go through so many hands in the process of building that if it isn’t all spelled out in obvious places you will miss out on stuff. If you want a phone jack in the study, make sure it is marked on the plan, in the cable diagram and written into the contract somewhere. The electrician will see one part of the plan, the plasterer another, the frame joiner another and the foreman yet another. If it isn’t in all of those then someone will miss it and it will cost extra. Also, if you block doesn’t butt directly up to the road (and it probably doesn’t) make sure your driveway will be finished including “cross-over”. Otherwise the builder will only finish up to the edge of your property and you’ll have dirt between your drive and the road. The reason is the council may well own the nature strip and you’ll need another permit to build a “cross-over” between the road and your property. (can you tell I got caught out on this?)Also, don’t assume anything about jargon written in the contract, again if you don’t understand it or you think it is ambiguous get it defined and write the definition in the contract. Make sure all prices are quoted including GST and builder’s mark up. Get final prices where possible. And be prepared to pay an extra couple thousand at the end as there will certainly be one or two things extra to be done (like landscaping) regardless how diligent you are.[buz2]
Surrey
Sounds exciting, mja!
I just want to say, because you’ve mentioned bamboo flooring, that this would be a great and practical choice, since you are thinking of renting it out later.
My husband has just installed a bamboo floor somewhere, I had a look and absolutely loved the look of it! It is ever so hard wearing and also environmentally friendly.If you have it finished with Super Aluminum Oxide finish even better because it is low in dangerous & toxic substances which many people are getting concerned about-especially when there are kids playing on and the floor.
Celivia
Originally posted by Celivia:Sounds exciting, mja!
I just want to say, because you’ve mentioned bamboo flooring, that this would be a great and practical choice, since you are thinking of renting it out later.
My husband has just installed a bamboo floor somewhere, I had a look and absolutely loved the look of it! It is ever so hard wearing and also environmentally friendly.If you have it finished with Super Aluminum Oxide finish even better because it is low in dangerous & toxic substances which many people are getting concerned about-especially when there are kids playing on and the floor.
Celivia
Hey Celivia,
Who did you do your bamboo flooring through? How much per sqm and installation did you pay?
Feel free to PM me if you don’t feel like disclosing anyone’s details!
I’ve got a few quotes from around the Brisbane (and Sunshine Coast!) areas… I’ll share these when I make a decision.
Cheers!
— MJ.
Hi mja, unfortunately I didn’t get bamboo flooring installed, but my husband did it for someone else, who actually had all the bamboo stored already for a while- so all he needed was someone to lay it for him. (I only got to look at the floor and admire it!)[thumbsupanim]
I will pm you some details, but we are based around Sydney so my info will probably not of much help to you.Celivia
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