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Gyprocking the internal walls in the three bedrooms would probably be easier for you than applying a rendered coat or hard plaster finish. You could use 10 mm plasterboard and direct stick if the brick walls are even enough (the alternative would be to fix the plasterboard onto timber battens). You would need to flush the plasterboard and place cornices, then refix the skirting. Getting a good finish with the flushing is the hardest part of the exercise in my experience.
Building the residences yourselves with no building experience would be fraught with risk. You would need to ensure that the buildings comply in every respect with the Building Code; be responsible for OHS on the site during construction; and be responsible for the soundness of the buildings for 6 years after construction. You would need to use qualified electricians and plumbers. I strongly recommend that you use a builder for the work.
The First Home Owners Grant applies to an existing dwelling that will be retained, or to a comprehensive contract to build a new dwelling. You would need to buy the house using your own resources, then apply for the grant/s to build the new dwellings. This is predicated by your intentions to live in the two dwellings for at least 6 months after they are completed. An owner/builder arrangement to build the new residences may not be acceptable to the FEHB who would expect to see a formal contract with a registered builder. You would need to arrange for the block to be subdivided and for the plans to be approved by Council before you could enter into a formal contract with a builder. So you will need to outlay a lot of money without any return on your investment for at least 6 months after the residences have been built.
Before you do anything at all you should seek the advice of a good accountant who could guide you through the maze you are looking to enter.Not sure what you are trying to do. If this is an existing tiled roof you would need to remove the tiles to install the Anticon over the tiling battens. Is there smoke damage to all roof framing – battens, rafters or trusses, ceiling joists? If so, how were you looking to hide the smoke damage to the rest of the roof framing? Anticon is usually used under sheet metal roofing, where the reflective foil facing prevents the build up of condensation in the roof. A foil sarking is usually placed over the battens with a tiled roof increased weatherproofing (again, you would need to remove the tiles to place the sarking), then a thermal insulation blanket placed on the ceiling between joists.
You could try using turf paving blocks to prevent soil compaction and minimise grass wear. These are hexagonal blocks made of UV stabilised plastic, that interlock together. They will support the weight of a vehicle and allow grass to grow without being affected by vehicles. They are easy enough to place, can be cut to size. Just a thought.
I would be reluctant to use this finish in one of my rentals. Once applied it would be very difficult to convert back to a flat plaster finish. It is apparently more popular in the US but I haven't seen many (if any) houses in Australia where a heavy textured finish has been successfully applied to an internal wall. I would rather repair the plastered surface of a hard plastered wall, or flush up a plasterboard wall and then apply a good flat acrylic paint. I used a suede finish in a rental a while ago and even converting that back to a smooth finish for repainting was a laborious job.
For general economics, "Economics for Dummies" is a good read, for a basic understanding of economic principles. A good book to read is "What Every Property Investor Needs To Know About Finance and the Law" by Michael Yardney.
Well yes any type of radiant or micrathermic radiant panel heater is expensive to run.
If a heater is rated at 2.4kW (2400W) and the cost of power is (say) 15c per kW hour then the heater will cost 2.4 x 15c = 36c per hour to run. If it runs all day at the same rate it will cost 24 x 36c = $8.64. A heat pump (air conditioning) is the most cost effective way of heating a house, after the initial cost outlay.The Nobo heaters are radiant panel heaters; that is, they heat by radiation and the room occupant needs to be near enough to the unit to benefit from its radiant warmth (the same principle as a bar radiator). They have been in New Zealand for a little while, still catching on in Australia as far as I am aware. There are other panel heaters available that heat by a combination of radiant heat and convection. A friend of mine has an Omega Altise, which is a micrathermic radiant panel heater, with radiant/ convective heating. He is fairly happy with it, the convective aspect will warm the average-sized room fairly well. It is 2400W and cost him about $220. There are quite a few micrathermic panel heaters available on the market.
I thought the Rinnai range was gas, not familiar with an electric panel heater in the Rinnai range.
A heat pump (refrigerated air conditioning) is recognised as the most cost effective means of heating a house. One or two high wall split-type air conditioners in your IP would attract the tenants and would allow you to increase the rent (and you could enjoy the air conditioning in the mean time).
There can be no more than 18 risers in a flight of stairs (i.e. in a set of risers not interrupted by a landing or floor). Does your existing staircase have more than 18 risers in an uninterrupted flight?
I don't think you have any choice but to comply with current BCA requirements in building a new set of stairs. The builders would also have a legal responsibility to comply. You would need to seek Development Approval from your local Council.The saving in not using a builder essentially comes from not paying the builder's profit margin. This could be offset by the saving in buying materials at trade prices (provided the builder passes on those savings) and in better financial control of subcontractor prices.
I'm not certain, but I think the 6 year rule that applies to owner-builder work is unique to WA. In other states that period is less. You need (as an owner-builder) to provide warranty insurance to the purchaser if selling your owner-built property within 6 years.
Personally I have never regretted using an experienced builder for a renovation or new house. Their expertise is worth paying for, and the job inevitably gets done faster than I could do it (and time means money).I have replaced Versilux and asbestos in small areas but not through an entire house. The vertical joints indicate the location of studs. I'm not sure from your description whether the joining strips are plastic H-moulds or timber cover battens. If H-moulds they are first nailed to the studs and the sheets are slotted into the small "channels" on either side. It would be impossible to remove H-moulds without destroying the wall sheeting.
If timber battens these could be removed and the exposed joints filled and flushed, although that would be quite a task as the gaps between sheets could be fairly wide.
So can you check which method of jointing has been used?It's fairly odd that the joints are irregularly spaced as the sheets and stud spacings should be regular.
If you are removing an internal wall you need to be sure (as has already been highlighted) that it is not a load-bearing wall. A first check would be to look at the roof framing: a gang-nail truss roof structure would mean that the internal walls are not taking any roof load. A traditional roof structure with rafters/ under purlins etc would mean that you will need an engineer's calculation on the size of the beam to support any roof framing above; the Council would need to see these calculations as part of the application for building approval. If the wall is not load bearing you could remove it fairly easily yourself, by taking off the wall lining and cutting the studs/ noggings behind, then framing the opening and fixing on architraves. If a good carpenter did that it might take a day and cost you about $500, my guess. Two walls might be $1,000 to $1,500.
A new extension would cost about $1,500 per sm in brick veneer, so 15 m2 = say $25,000 not including en suite. A bathroom fitout could add about $15,000 to that amount.The first thing you should do is have a meeting with planners at the Council, to establish their initial reaction to the subdivision of the property. Expect a cool response, the Council of Norwood, Payneham and St Peters traditionally takes a negative stance on subdividing properties that have similarly large properties as neighbours.
The shower plumbing may be leaking, particularly at the breeching piece which is a common problem; have a plumber carry out a pressure test to see whether that is the case. Apply silicone jointing at the floor/ wall junctions and at internal corners in the shower. Make sure that any jointing in the tiling looks sound.
No expert here but check with the Council that a 3 townhouse development is likely to be approved, i.e. strata or Torrens title (or what that's called in Vic). Do the sums on the development costs vs. likely sales costs to establish an estimated profit for the development (work on at least 20% profit after all development costs). Are you able to rent the existing property while seeking Development Approval, which may take up to 12 months? Make sure that you have an appropriate tax structure in place, e.g company or trust. Is there a soils test available for the property or can you determine an expected soil profile from a soils map of the area, to see what effect it may have on footing design for the townhouses. Check any other town house developments in the area as a guide to standard of construction and finishes.
There is always a temptation to buy (what seems) hot property while visiting a holiday destination. Prices of apartments in new Gold Coast high rise developments drop appreciably at around settlement date, when a lot of apartments come up for sale (or resale). I would be loathe to burn the 10% deposit but you would need to hold the apartment for a lot longer than 3 years to see any reasonable capital growth.
I would suggest buying the apartment and looking for a permanent tenant. But do your sums to see what rental return you could get, as the demand for rental apartments in the building at settlement is likely to be low as well.The building cost itself can't be depreciated if constructed prior to July 1985 (residential) or July 1982 (non-residential). However legislation allows all plant and equipment to be given a new effective life from settlement date and is depreciated at various rates generally ranging from 5% to 20%. This is available for any investment property regardless of age and covers such items such as floor coverings, blinds, water tanks, air-conditioning and white goods etc. A depreciation report is always worthwhile.
In removing the vinyl flooring to replace it there would also be some residual depreciation value in the flooring that you can claim. If you are looking to replace the flooring throughout the house it may be worthwhile having a scrapping report prepared by a quantity surveyor so that you can write off the vinyl before you throw it out. The same applies to other depreciable items that may have been damaged, such as curtains, stove, etc.
The very first thing you need to do is speak to the Council and find out in principle whether the block can be subdivided; talk to a planning officer at the Council. Unless it is an exceptionally large block I would be surprised if a single level duplex was viable; work out the area of each unit (allow 2 or 3 bedrooms, living, bathrooms, laundry, garage and circulation) to verify whether a single or two-level building is required. Work out the total building area and try to estimate the building costs using $/ m2 from other similar buildings in the area (a real estate agent might help with that information), and add site works, paving and landscaping. If the figures show a reasonable profit margin (20% +) after costs then once the property has settled (assuming you have to buy the block) the formal application to Council can begin. Apply for Development Consent, Subdivision Certificate and Construction Certificate (I think that's what they're called in NSW).
This is Development 101, a lot to pick up if you haven't done it before so take one step at a time: first approach the Council to see whether a subdivision of the block can be undertaken.The consulting engineer who does the footing designs for any houses in a mine subsidence area will need to factor subsidence into his designs. He should also recommend other design features (e.g. articulation joints, avoidance of brickwork above doorways and window openings) to minimise any damage due to subsidence. This will most likely add to the building cost, compared to a building with standardised footings. If there is any fill on the site it will be recognised in the soils test and the engineer's recommendations will include allowance for that as well. The Mine Subsidence Board provides design guidelines that the consulting engineer should be aware of.
The Mine Subsidence Board will endorse the designs when they are submitted for Development Approval. Provided the houses are built in accordance with the consulting engineer's recommendations and are endorsed by the Mine Subsidence Board you should not have any liability for future damage due to subsidence. Should any damage occur due to subsidence the owner could apply to the Board for compensation.
With documented evidence that the houses have been built to minimise subsidence and have been approved by the Mine Subsidence Board, the loan approvals and reaction from potential buyers should be favourable.
