Somersoft have monthly meeting, usually in the eastern suburbs. Check it out for more info.

Oscar

A town planner or companies specialising in obtaining the relevant permits/DA would be the way to go in order to see if you can develop your block and to maximise the block e.g. how many units, highest and best use etc

Cheers
Oscar

^ ^ What Scott said. Adding extra concrete on top is risky without proper reinforcement.

Maybe put some photo's up so we can all see?

Oscar

Hi Tankimh,

Later this week I'm going to put up a "How to do a feasibility" post up. This will answer most if not all of your questions. Seems to be a demand for this type of knowledge lately.

Oscar

http://house.ksou.cn/  is a good one too.

Cheers
Oscar

Well the bricks have been acid washed so they look nice and clean now. The stormwater is taking much longer than usual due to the boulders! I haven't seen so much come out of the ground before. It would usually take a day but Wednesday will be Day 3. Should be all finished though.

The tilers are in tiling the laundry and bathrooms. I'll put some…[Read more]

AC, land is about 495m2. Not large at all!

Cheers
Oscar

Cheers AC. Should be finished in 4 weeks or so. Weather is a pain lately. I'll put some more pics up tomorrow. Finally finishing off the stormwater….massive rocks everywhere!

Oscar

HI Mikko

I used to teach the Cert 4 in Building and Construction. It's not a prerequisite, BUT, it is favorably looked upon and you will learn other aspects of building – such as how to prepare a contract, understanding the law governing the industry and how to prepare the required documentation to the building board. In Victoria they have been…[Read more]

3 weeks since the last update and a lot has happened. I've uploaded more photo's than usual.

Monday was a great day. I turned up to the site and saw the electricity crew installing the second electrical pit (power needed for units 2 & 3).  The estimated installation date was mid July so this came about 7 weeks early. I can really push along fast…[Read more]

Hi Wilko

They are all 2 bedroom units. I'll probably keep one for myself as a rental.

Cheers
Oscar

If vendor finance is they way you proceed Paul will be your man to contact. He's been doing it in a business like manner for a number of years.

Oscar

Hey Joe,

It is actually 5%. Each council then decides what they want to charge. Eg. Brimbank 2%, Darebin 3%, Latrobe 5%. When you develop in a new subdivision (3+ dwellings) no contributions are payable as the council cannot double dip. The original land developer has already paid this.

The beauty of a 2 lot subdivision is the fact the no…[Read more]

Hi Bella K,

Being a property forum where we assist one another have you considered offering this piece of information with no money involved? Good karma.

Oscar

Too good to refuse. I've just fixed my loan for my block of units that i don't intend to sell.

Cheers
Oscar

A couple of options:

* As the guys have said take some time off work, but preplan this so you can hit the ground running

* Ask some of the local agents who they use for this type of work. You might find that some agents use registered builders for their handyman/small reno work. See what you can negotiate. They could be your eyes and ears while…[Read more]

Once you provide all information required to your builder there shouldn't be any variations. What you should establish from the outset is how your builder will treat any variations YOU CHOOSE to do during the build.

Also, some builders deliberately keep the initial price low so that they can win your business but then slug you with variation…[Read more]

Nothing wrong with that. Have a list of questions to ask based on what you want in a broker and go from there.

Good luck
Oscar

Catts, what's made you choosing them over others?

Oscar

I've uploaded a few photo's from the morning. The last week has seen the electrician do his rough in and electrical meters put in place. The plumbers have also done there rough ins. The internal walls have been straightened and the cavity sliders placed into position too. The boys today have wrapped the house and installed the wall and ceiling…[Read more]