pegg Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 Hey guys, just a question regarding land ..... i know in Oz it seems the norm - that you buy the land and then you source which firm to build house / or land and house package etc etc However is it possible to buy the land - stick an airstream on it ( or prob cheap caravan ) and basically build house yourself ? Being a builder i built our house here in the UK and im sure the building process cant differ that much . But just got thinking that i maybe able to do it abit cheaper and take alittle longer in building it to keep costs down . I supose i also need to look into self build mortgages too ! Any thoughts greatly recieved ) Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verystormy Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Yes, you can do it. My next door neighbour is most of the way through it. But, you need a special license. However, it may not be cheaper. Also, there are a lot of restrictions on putting a caravan or something else to live in while you build. Most areas would not permit it and instead people rent a house while they build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annjean Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 You maybe able to live in a caravan in the country but councils would not allow it otherwise, you can get an owner builders licence to do it yourself or with contractors but you do have to do a owner builders course. Some areas also say the house must be completed in a certain amount of time, also when we bought our land we had to start building within 2 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynel Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 You maybe able to live in a caravan in the country but councils would not allow it otherwise, you can get an owner builders licence to do it yourself or with contractors but you do have to do a owner builders course. Some areas also say the house must be completed in a certain amount of time, also when we bought our land we had to start building within 2 years. You don't have to do a course for an owner/builder licence, you have to prove competency on a points basis, see attached link. http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/publications/form-75-owner-builder-application-form Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikkis2000 Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 There can be restrictions around finance too so make sure you get a good broker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynel Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 I think generally you have to have money up front for each stage of the build, and only at key stages will the bank release money. You would probably end up needing upwards of 30-50% of construction costs (at a complete guess) to enable works to continue whilst the bank releases funds. The total Loan to value ratio for an owner builder project can be capped at 50-80% for lenders so not as flexible as other mortgages which can go up to 95%lvr. the bank may also wish to see a contingency on top of the minimum savings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegg Posted May 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Ah , ok guys cheers ...... sounds funny having to prove that im competent in building since ive been doing it for so long , hey its easy ;o) But did think that obviously these guys get the materials at the right price and so on ...... but wonder if i could do a deal with a company and i would do all brickwork ? Anyhow not there yet but gives me something to think about ) I think when you build your own house and youve always built bespoke properties for people - i just get twitchy and a bit obsessed with quality etc ....... perhaps just let wife deal with it ! Thanks again guys Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Druid Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Most building companies dont employ tradies, they rely on a pool of self employed tradies, some building companies will allow you to "nominate" tradies, so if you go looking for a builder that will allow you to nominate yourself then you shouldnt have a problem, one of my neighbors who built with Dale Alkock recently nominated a lot of his tradies, as all of his school mates were tradies of varying skills, he even did the smart wiring himself through his company, so it can be done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegg Posted May 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Most building companies dont employ tradies, they rely on a pool of self employed tradies, some building companies will allow you to "nominate" tradies, so if you go looking for a builder that will allow you to nominate yourself then you shouldnt have a problem, one of my neighbors who built with Dale Alkock recently nominated a lot of his tradies, as all of his school mates were tradies of varying skills, he even did the smart wiring himself through his company, so it can be done This is all sounding pretty good ...... although i do fancy a change of career once in Oz , i could just about manage one last build ;o) Cheers guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.