Where do you get $1,000/m2. I get double that. Each building is 250m2 (ground and upper floor together) and costs about $500K.

Since I made the original post, I have engaged the services of a building broker called RCI:

Home

To date RCI have designed the two townhouses I plan to build (I get to own the designs) and have obtained planning approval from the council. We have worked together to do detailed specifications of what fittings and…[Read more]

Thanks once again.

Thanks J4son. That has been a great help.

Just to make sure I have got the correct meaning….

When you wrote “and do just as good a job if not better AS a 3 phase unit” do you mean that the Daiken is better when configured as a 3-phase system or that 1-phase is as good as if not better THAN a 3-phase. I can read it either way, so I’m not sure…[Read more]

Try Emma Everett of Momentum Wealth – [email protected]

She specialises in project managing developments. Somebody recommended her on another forum as someone he uses for project managing his developments as he hasn’t the time to do so himself. I have heard her speak at seminars and she certainly is a smart lady. I haven’t used her…[Read more]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions

Does that 1800 include the pump etc etc plus installation electrician costs if required??

Thanks. Actually no, that is only the item cost. Installation/electrician costs will probably be hidden among the rest of the building costs, so the actually cost difference may well be much more than $1,200. I’ll think I will leave it out. As you say, it…[Read more]

Thanks. That’s good to know as it will probably be towards the end of 2011 before the home is completed, but I am in the design phase now, so I need to plan for the energy rating now.

Thanks Andy.

Thanks all, you’ve been great. Just one more question while I’m on a roll.

The builder who has worked closely with me and who I want to deal with has had a change of salesman since I first started working with them. Both have been great. However, the original salesman said that I would pay so much for initial plans and engineers reports etc., and…[Read more]

Don’t just settle with one builder because he came and gave you a quote…get a few quotes from a few builders and see what is negotiable on price.

Ryan. I got two builders to quote as I wanted some basis for comparison and started the process about 5 months ago. Each required an upfront deposit of about $2K. One of the builders spent a lot of…[Read more]

Thanks RH and Ryan

Thanks. Just the specs I need and explains a design that has been done for me.

If you are completely replacing the fence, then it is not an expense according to the tax office.

A fence is one of the examples given on the ATO website in relation to expenses vs capital items. It differentiates between fence repairs and completely replacing a fence.

Here is the…[Read more]

“park land contribution”

I can only find hits for it in relation to Queensland and then it seems only $500 per lot. I’m in WA.

“park land contributions”

That is something I haven’t heard of before and I will need to check into it. Are you sure this applies to an inner city residential block that is already zoned R60 and can be divided into 5 lots (in my case). I’m surprised no one has mentioned this before, even an expert accountant I consulted.

It’s R60 and the council have already given the OK to subdivide.

He may be a bit far from you, but I have used Michael Prouse in Marmion for some consultation on accounting issues related to investment property and found him excellent. I got his name from elsewhere on this forum.

This is the website…..

http://www.prouse.net.au/

I am not aware of a calculator to do all this, but if you are in WA then you can find the info online.

If you download and go to the end of this document, you will see various tables that set building parameters based on the R-Codes

http://www.planning.wa.gov.au/Publications/1585.aspx