john barnes Posted July 19, 2016 Report Share Posted July 19, 2016 (edited) Hi Guys, I am new to the forum & have been living in Mandurah for around 2 1/2 years now. We absolutely love it here & are about to lodge our PR. Once we have this we will be looking to build. I actually work for Ventura homes so naturally we feel building new was the way to go. Has anyone had this process of build new or buy established? Want to gain more information on buying land, building restrictions & site costs? The experiences we have had so far nobody ever explains this in enough detail & if anything we would feel more confused. Friends of ours actually brought some land to build & didnt know their exact site costs which ended up being far more then they had budgeted & now they cannot sell the block or afford the home design they want. Since arriving in WA I have built around 200 homes as a supervisor & recently got into the Design Consultancy side, I am more then happy to help anyone struggling to decide which way to go. I can give you advice on sites works costings, design options to maximize the block of land as well as time frames & any hidden factors no other consultants will explain in enough detail. Thanks, have a great day https://www.facebook.com/John-Barnes-New-Home-Design-Consultant-572218846279101/ Edited September 12, 2016 by john barnes grammer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted July 19, 2016 Report Share Posted July 19, 2016 Sorry - had to edit the FB link as we don't allow them. Have a look at our Business rules and perhaps create a signature Looking forward to your contributions to the forum about your life here in WA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john barnes Posted July 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 Apologies Ali. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edna Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 Hi John Very nice to put up the offer to help people out. I am at the early stages the build project. Am using a company called Gemmill Homes. No works have been started yet, just the design stage at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegg Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 @john barnes ….. we are about 12 months from looking at land / build options . However my question would be - how much of the design process can the client get involved with ? For example if i wanted to move wondows about to make most of scenery/certain view etc ? Im just interested as in the UK i built high end properties and my archetect really made the most of each build ………… But yep really all im asking - is do you pick what house you want ? -or do you pick type closest then say we need to change this this n this ( before build starts obviously ). Thanks in advance Paul n Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verystormy Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 Pegg we built our place last year. You our can be very involved and change lots of things as long as the shape of the house stays the same. For example, we started with a house that was a 4x2, but, we turned it into a 3x2 so one room was massive as my wife works from home as an artist. We also turned the entire back of the house into glass as we had a view. Some changes will not cost anything, some cost, but some can actually reduce costs. For example, put in an extra window can reduce cost, but then add big double glass doors adds cost as you need extra steel. The he big thing to remember when looking at builders and show homes is that what is included in the initial price is very different to a show home. For example, the standard electrical inclusion only covers one socket per room. Try running a kitchen on that! So, you need to budget for all that and you don't get a final price until you do pre start which is a month or two after you have already signed. The he other issue is to watch ground works. The OP implies some companies give guaranteed ground work prices. This is misleading as it is at best a partial guarantee. You need to investigate this yourself before you buy the block. For example, speak to neighbours about any issues they had. Also consider getting it proffessionaly investigated before building. For example, if the building company estimates $10000 for it and you hit clay, then that can blow out by 200k! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john barnes Posted July 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 Hi Edna, wow exciting for you all. Good luck Happy to to advise throughout if you have any questions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john barnes Posted July 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 Hi Guys, every company is slightly different. We generally offer both options..... You can choose our from our many standard designs or if you have an awkward shaped block or a beautiful view etc we can design a "special" for you. Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegg Posted July 20, 2016 Report Share Posted July 20, 2016 Pegg we built our place last year. You our can be very involved and change lots of things as long as the shape of the house stays the same. For example, we started with a house that was a 4x2, but, we turned it into a 3x2 so one room was massive as my wife works from home as an artist. We also turned the entire back of the house into glass as we had a view. Some changes will not cost anything, some cost, but some can actually reduce costs. For example, put in an extra window can reduce cost, but then add big double glass doors adds cost as you need extra steel. The he big thing to remember when looking at builders and show homes is that what is included in the initial price is very different to a show home. For example, the standard electrical inclusion only covers one socket per room. Try running a kitchen on that! So, you need to budget for all that and you don't get a final price until you do pre start which is a month or two after you have already signed. The he other issue is to watch ground works. The OP implies some companies give guaranteed ground work prices. This is misleading as it is at best a partial guarantee. You need to investigate this yourself before you buy the block. For example, speak to neighbours about any issues they had. Also consider getting it proffessionaly investigated before building. For example, if the building company estimates $10000 for it and you hit clay, then that can blow out by 200k! your house sounds fantastic @verystormy !! did you sell it or rent out when you returned to UK ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verystormy Posted July 21, 2016 Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 your house sounds fantastic @verystormy !! did you sell it or rent out when you returned to UK ? Thanks Pegg. It finally sold two weeks ago. A big weight off our shoulders. Though it went for a lot less than we had initially hoped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegg Posted July 21, 2016 Report Share Posted July 21, 2016 clean break for you guys though now, hope alls going well ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duffieldtowers Posted July 22, 2016 Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 We should be at practical completion in the next two weeks. Nearly a year in construction.... you can follow along at home here http://www.duffieldtowers.com - only a few gotchas so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossmoyne Posted July 23, 2016 Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 My daughter and her husband built a new home from scratch and it took almost 2 years from start to finish. They had many problems along the way... from issues with the Land Registry, the Developer, and finally the Builder. All those issues actually came down to the fact that no-one was talking to anyone else. And this was probably because they bought a block on what had previously been a small farm... it was rezoned to residential.... blocks were sold by developers who suddenly disappeared when builders came along! So many issues involved... but 2 years later they are finally in their house. Shame about the feral neighbours that even the cops and the council can't control. Daughter and SIL are just waiting for their house to appreciate in value so they can sell it and move on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bambam Posted August 30, 2016 Report Share Posted August 30, 2016 Hi, Im new to this forum. Its nice that you are offering help to people who need advices. We built a house about 3 years back with Commodore-BCG. they took nearly 1.5 year to complete. They took 7-8 months for approval as it was our 1st home we were not knowing lot of hidden tricks but we are very happy with the material they have used. Till date no cracks nothing. We want to buy one more land and built agian but with a different contractor this time. We are trying to target Rossmoyne and willenton area. Can you please suggest if you know any land available in those areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynel Posted August 31, 2016 Report Share Posted August 31, 2016 Don't forget there are many other ways to build a house. One option is to purchase a site, employ an architect and design team to design and document the house that you want, rather than modify one out of a plan book. This approach allows you to go out to competitive tender with a selection of builders which can give you best value for money in terms of the construction costs, rather than being stuck with a particular companies extra costs which is where they will try and increase their profit for extras and changes, all after you have signed up with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossmoyne Posted August 31, 2016 Report Share Posted August 31, 2016 Hi, Im new to this forum. Its nice that you are offering help to people who need advices. We built a house about 3 years back with Commodore-BCG. they took nearly 1.5 year to complete. They took 7-8 months for approval as it was our 1st home we were not knowing lot of hidden tricks but we are very happy with the material they have used. Till date no cracks nothing. We want to buy one more land and built agian but with a different contractor this time. We trying to target Rossmoyne and willenton area. Can you please suggest if you know any land available in those areas. I doubt very much that you will find much in the way of vacant blocks in either of those suburbs. However there are older homes in those suburbs on the market, and the current trend seems to be buying an older home and demolishing to rebuild. Can be an expensive way to go though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bambam Posted September 1, 2016 Report Share Posted September 1, 2016 We dont mind buying a house which is less than 5 year old. anyone aware about such houses which are sold in Rossmoyne and willenton area?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john barnes Posted September 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 (edited) Hi Bambam, Apologies for the late reply. i would love to help you, we have some fantastic blocks in these areas. feel free to pm me Thanks Edited September 12, 2016 by ali number removed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegg Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 Can i just ask a little question how much deposit is needed to secure land - is there any help to buy land ? anyone ? ;o) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossmoyne Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 Absolutely no idea Pegg. Might be worth having a chat to a Land Agent or Real Estate Agent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegg Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 yep …. will have too ) nice bit of land near me ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verystormy Posted September 13, 2016 Report Share Posted September 13, 2016 Can i just ask a little question how much deposit is needed to secure land - is there any help to buy land ? anyone ? ;o) It is a regular mortgage. Normally you will need 10% deposit and if it is less than 20% you will need to take mortgage insurance which can be very expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegg Posted September 13, 2016 Report Share Posted September 13, 2016 It is a regular mortgage. Normally you will need 10% deposit and if it is less than 20% you will need to take mortgage insurance which can be very expensive. cheers stormy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verystormy Posted September 14, 2016 Report Share Posted September 14, 2016 If you decide to buy land / build, the two biggest issues to think about are covenants and ground conditions. Many suburbs will have restrictive covenants that cover a range of things. For example, we visited an area called Timbers Edge where many of the houses are timber and we loved them, but few suburbs allow them. Our suburb also had covenants that require owners to build the party wall from limestone blocks. So, instead of being able to put up a colour bond fence down the garden for a matter of hundreds it cost 20k to put up two limestone walls. The other important thing are the ground conditions. Builders allow an amount for preparing the ground with an assumption that there are no issues. If there are issues you will need to come up with the cash on top of your mortgage. So, our block had some large stones in the sand. These had to be dug out at a cost of several thousand. But, because we had spoken to the neighbours we had been warned of it and had a geotechnical inspection prior to buying so we could budget for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegg Posted September 14, 2016 Report Share Posted September 14, 2016 again cheers stormy ! and enjoy Scotland - I spent many a childhood holiday there in a remote village , Absolutly stunning scenary … Enjoy ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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