Greada Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Hi i need some advice regards building on a small lot of 320m in doubleview . Maybe some of you done it before, how much is to build smaller double story house on a small lot , and how long will take to build it. Any tips advice ??? Builder recommendation ? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chris955 Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 320m ? Seriously ? That is tiny, I assumed there was a minimum plot size. I cant help with your questions but just amazed blocks are getting so small. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greada Posted March 25, 2013 Author Share Posted March 25, 2013 Perth is going mad , seen blocks of 200m in inner city area ......you can only build up ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chris955 Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Bloody hell, 200m, that is insane. Our house was on more than 1000m as is our house here, I cant imagine 5 houses on the block. Anyway this isnt helping with your questions. Is it possible to build on 3 levels, even one underground ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest30085 Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I'm not making this into a UK vs Oz thread and i know generally plots are bigger in Oz (not everywhere before Im shot down) but for the millions of people living in a victorian terraced property, when the ground floor footprint is around 45m2 including outdoor space, then 320m2 sounds quite roomy! :laugh: I suppose it's all down to perspective and what you've come from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moirclan Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 i would think even a small double storey would be at least a year from the time they lay the pad , the best thing would be to google the builders your intrested in and see what people have to say about them as there are always sites on google about problems people have with builders , 320 is a small block but there are more and more of them being sub divided into this size , it just requires more thought on the type , and placement of the house on the block , why not go and visit some builders with the plans of the block and see what alternatives and ideas they suggest this may give you a clue to which builder is right for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Que Sera Sera Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Can't answer you question but do know that some blocks have a minimum size house you have to build. I know I always expected a maximum but never a minimum. So sometimes you have to almost cover the entire block with house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Can't answer you question but do know that some blocks have a minimum size house you have to build. I know I always expected a maximum but never a minimum. So sometimes you have to almost cover the entire block with house. They have a few like that not far from here and the idea is to sell them as 'low maintenance plots to young professional couples without children, who dont want to spend their weekends gardening. The one i got to see was a nice house but the only patch outside was just big enough for a BBQ and small 2 seater table.. Its not my cup of tea but i understand where the developers are coming from. Cal x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I would expect to pay around $350k upwards - a lot will depend on access to the site and the site works needed, two storey houses cost a lot more to build than equivilant sized single storey. if I'd realised quite how much before we started I think I would have spent more on a larger block and reduced the cost of building (the land gains in value whilst the house depreciates) - our site works were $30k and scaffolding $50k! Of course it depends where you want to live and whether larger vacant blocks are available - Doubleview is a great location! Our house took 6 months from the day they were first on site to the day we got the keys and 9 months from when we signed the building contract but that was because we chose a small family builder - the larger builders take longer and a year is probably average, I've known it take two. As for recommended builders, a friend built with Ventura Homes and they do small block two storey, we also looked at Platinum Homes ourselves but decided against them in the end as we were concerned they were really outside our budget and costs would escalate. We went with Cedar Homes but I don't think they would build houses suitable for a small block. You might find this useful: http://www.newhomesguide.com.au/homes/double-storey/ I would add $50 -100k onto the prices there for site works and all the other additional costs (speaking from bitter experience) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greada Posted March 25, 2013 Author Share Posted March 25, 2013 Thank you for all replays guys We haven't bought the land yet but seen couple lots for 375k in doubleview . We are thinking about moving to Perth from Brisbane because of the job offer . I have spend whole week on real estate.com.au and to be honest i could not find anything in 550-600k range ...( most houses are under offer) Any recommendation on areas not to far from the city ,safe ,with good schools ? Would you guys build or buy older house in present market ? Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I posted yesterday about suggestions of suburbs in Perth around that price range so I'll bump it up for you. It's a sellers market in Perth at the moment or so we are told - I am hoping that is the case as my house goes up for sale in the next week or two There are only about 8000 houses for sale in the whole of WA and the $500-600k proce bracket is where most sales are - we're being told of houses being on the market for 3 hours! I assume you will need to rent in the first instance anyway so the decision to build has to be partly decided by whether you can afford to rent and pay increasing mortgage payments at the same time - it can take a year or even more and especially the big builders get the house to a stage where they have most of the money and it can take ages then from practcal completion to final finish. If you want to live close to the city then the choice of blocks will be limited and probably just as hard to find as a house, the new 'master planned' estates are all much further out - Canningvale would possibly be the nearest area to the CBD where there is still significant building. Whether you like those estates is a matter of taste - I really dislike them but many people love them, each to their own. If you haven't built before you do need to be aware of a lot of hidden costs, there is pretty much no way you could buy a small block for $375k and build a double storey house on it for a total of $550-600k. I think you'd be lucky to do it for $700K and for that you could buy a very nice 3 x 2 in Doubleview or indeed many other areas. We looked at houses around $500-600k and didn't like any of them so we bought a block for $280k believing we could build for that budget - we ended up going $30k over budget and moving into a house far from complete - it has taken over two years of working away at it slowly as and when we could afford both the time and the money and we have had a very miserable life as a result. Please look into the total cost very carefully, including light fittings, flooring, painting (another $25k!!!), landscaping) quoted at $47k!!!) before deciding to build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greada Posted March 26, 2013 Author Share Posted March 26, 2013 Thanks Jules We have build our house in Brisbane 4 years ago and i have to say that it was so diffrent experience to yours .We had a allowance of 10k in our contract for work site , on the end we paid 7 k so 3 k less then expected Builder was great build on time no hidden cost etc....i may think twice about building in wa or even moving there at this stage . I am working in Wa and flying over every 3 weeks , i thought that living closer to the job will be better for us. I have seen few older houses on big blocks in Bassendean , how s this area like ? Will subdividing in this areas would be a good idea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eera Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 You need to check with Council about what the setbacks and easements are before you start looking at designs, and find out whether there's a covenant on the estate which limits what you can do; generally councils require at least m between eaves (or boundaries) of the houses and the covenant may require things like side access or limit the size and materials you can use. Once you have that information all you have to do is to measure what the frontage of the block is and tell various designers/ builders you have an Xm frontage, what can they do for you. And allow 30 to 50% over the base price of any house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 I would suggest a stay over on one of your trips and a good look around the suburbs you fancy. Even visits to suburbs you haven't considered may change your thinking altogether. Visit some of the show homes. I've had friends build and some have had bad experiences, others have had good ones. No-one can predict which way house prices will go so it's always going to be a gamble. I have seen quite a few 3 story houses where they have garage below the top two stories. A lot of them near the beach where it's sandy and probably quite easy to put a story below ground. Don't know if this would be feasible on a small plot in the area you mention. No point in moving over here and spending all your spare time and money finishing off a house. Eats into the time you should be out enjoying what Perth has to offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Thanks Jules We have build our house in Brisbane 4 years ago and i have to say that it was so diffrent experience to yours .We had a allowance of 10k in our contract for work site , on the end we paid 7 k so 3 k less then expected Builder was great build on time no hidden cost etc....i may think twice about building in wa or even moving there at this stage . I am working in Wa and flying over every 3 weeks , i thought that living closer to the job will be better for us. I have seen few older houses on big blocks in Bassendean , how s this area like ? Will subdividing in this areas would be a good idea? I wouldn't think building in WA would be much different than building in Brisbane (although WA does like it's bureaucracy!), I think what would make a difference is if you built a single storey house before or you built on a larger block. When I say 'hidden' costs what I mean is when you look in the papers or on websites like the one I shared that is the basic build cost of the house - things like site works are not included, our contract included an allowance of $30k for siteworks - it wasn't hidden as such but if we'd know the siteworks for the block we bought would be $30K we might have bought a different one! Building on a small block especially if there are easements can escalate costs. If you build on a 'masterplanned' estate then the siteworks are much lower as the utilities have been planned for and $10k is quite normal. I also think it makes a difference whether you are building a 'starter home' or something more upmarket - the builders aimed at the lower end of the market know that the purchases don't have much captital so the final houses can be quite complete - 'turn key' as they call them. Once you move up into the $300k plus market there seems to be an assumption that you will have additional capital and prefer to arrange flooring, painting, landscaping etc. yourself (because it will actually be cheaper) and so it is not included in the base cost. The base cost of ours was $215k and final cost $349k and that was far from 'turn key'. You have good taste Bassendean is also a good location - East of Perth provides the very best value IMHO. Locals pointed us in that direction when we moved here but like all good poms the lure of beachside was too much LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggie McT Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Hi Greada, I hope I can help. We bought a rear block in Yokine (on a gorgeous tree lined street with $1m + homes, 5 mins from my husband's work, 10 from mine). It is about 320 sq metres including driveway, but buildable space excluding driveway is only 280 sq metres. Bear in mind as a rear block council requires a large turning circle at the front, and we also have a 2 metre easement all across the rear boundary which all comes out of our 280 sq metres before we start to design! We bought it for about $300k, which we feel was a great deal. We looked at lots of areas, and felt that Yokine gave us most for our money in terms of location and feel. It is also an established area so more likely to hold its value. The lot size and restrictions no doubt helped the price! We are at the point of applying for planning permission. Our house will be just over 250 sq metres, including garage and alfresco. The house itself will be about 186 sq metres. We will have a double garage, small study, large open plan kitchen/dining/living room downstairs, walk in pantry, laundry room, powder room. A separate sitting room upstairs, with four bedrooms (master bed large with WIR and good sized ensuite, secondary bedrooms not large but not pokey) large upstairs bathroom, linen closet etc. Outside we have room for a plunge pool (About 4.5 metres X 3.5 metres), big alfresco, built in BBQ, small play area for kids, plenty of room for drying area for laundry etc hidden from rest of outdoor space. We are delighted with what we are getting for our money. We will be living in a great location, in a very generous sized house by urban standards. We will not have a lot of outdoor space but we will be living blocks from two large reserves with playgrounds etc. I think you are going down the right route looking at areas like Doubleview and trying to find a small lot in an established area. Yes lot sizes are small by some standards, but not when you consider the location and that you can build up! They are selling lots in Alkimos for $1k per sq metre which is absolutely bats to my mind! Good luck with your search! Maggie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggie McT Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 PS I also agree with Jules re costs. Advice generally is to add about 20% to the contract price to get your final finished price. Short list of things not included in a good builders contract price: painting of internal walls, floor coverings, window treatments, air conditioning (ducting included but not system), most landscaping (we get a 30 sq metre paving allowance, that's it), house alarm, electrical upgrade (standard is 1 power point per room), lighting upgrade (standard is one light per room). You may also choose to upgrade things like benchtops, tiling, sinks, water heater, appliances etc, depending on the builder you choose, the quality of their spec, and your own personal preferences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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