gpo1971 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Ha ha, brilliant. Remind me to put 'window sills' on the big THINGS YOU'LL MISS IN OZ list alongside walls frozen sausages and sleet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabo Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Milk and eggs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 On the house building fro t we find them shocking quality. They look nice, but that's all. A good example is the one that is just being finished opposite us. It now looks stunning that is is rendered and sat there all white. But when it was bare brick I couldn't believe what I was seeing as there were holes big enough to put a football through in the exterior walls. This is a $2million house being built by one of WA's top builders. I spoke to a building manager recently who said that WA houses are only expected to last 17 years. Unbelievable. On the cheap front. Transport is better and cheaper here. Council tax is far cheaper and the local council gives a lot more for the money. We are a bit funny with food as prefer to buy organic when ever possible and know something about it's origins and don't buy anything pre made (I will be spending tomorrow making stocks for the freezer) and so we find it very expensive here and to be honest the quality isn't as good. We were down Margaret River and had fun going around producers and growers and boutique foodie places and on the last night while sat eating some cheese and things we realized that the best food we had all week was imported (French cheese and things). Though beef here can be excellent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 On the house building fro t we find them shocking quality. They look nice, but that's all. A good example is the one that is just being finished opposite us. It now looks stunning that is is rendered and sat there all white. But when it was bare brick I couldn't believe what I was seeing as there were holes big enough to put a football through in the exterior walls. This is a $2million house being built by one of WA's top builders. were they windows? We are a bit funny with food as prefer to buy organic when ever possible and know something about it's origins and don't buy anything pre made (I will be spending tomorrow making stocks for the freezer) and so we find it very expensive here and to be honest the quality isn't as good. We were down Margaret River and had fun going around producers and growers and boutique foodie places and on the last night while sat eating some cheese and things we realized that the best food we had all week was imported (French cheese and things). Though beef here can be excellent 100% agree on both counts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjscjs Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 The houses in Australia are generally very flimsy...we noticed that they don't have proper window sills -not a big problem you may think- but the reason is the walls aren't thick enough to make one....! The insulation is appalling and double glazing is incredibly rare...don't think you don't need it in winter!. The cost of aircon is just the same as having your heating on all year round here. The same problems exist there as here but the sun shines more....I believe the trade off is massive....& I don't just mean family & friends. Houses in Australia are flimsy is an understatement. They are also built with what most British people would consider to be outdated materials. "Smoke alarms save lives", as the advertising campaign constantly tells us. No smoke alarms gonna save you when the place takes 12 minutes to become a pile of ash on the ground Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest littlesarah Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 To be fair, those people who live in an area classed as 'flame zone' have to build to a different standard from those who don't live in a bush fire prone area. The rules changed after the awful Victorian bush fires in 2009. A friend of my husband had to jump through lots of hoops just to put a covered deck on the back of his house. I'd be up for clearing our block in 5 years if I thought we'd stand a chance of building at a price we could afford! In the meantime we have a fire survival plan, that mostly involves leaving the house if the fire danger gets above 'extreme'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabo Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Wot, like bricks and timber? Houses in Australia are flimsy is an understatement. They are also built with what most British people would consider to be outdated materials. "Smoke alarms save lives", as the advertising campaign constantly tells us. No smoke alarms gonna save you when the place takes 12 minutes to become a pile of ash on the ground Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 But you haven't actually lived here, have you? I can assure you - being sort of in the trade - that standards of insulation are way worse, and general build quality is frankly unimpressive. The construction industry in the UK isn't exactly modern, in Australia it's a good 15-20 years further back again I can also assure you that energy prices per unit are as described You don't actually live here in the uk do you, lets shut PIO we can't comment anymore because we only live in one country, check out the cost of living threads from THOSE who live in Ausratalia, not my views, if had bothered to read my post, the houses are bulit to withstand cyclones and have every mod con and more going, i have been in over 100 showhomes, if you have bought a cheap house its your fault. Energy prices are similar, but most of the people in Australia SAID, AGAIN THEM NOT ME, that they use less, so their bills are cheaper, but in some areas where the weathers not as good, its almost the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreatToBeBritish Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Ha ha, brilliant. Remind me to put 'window sills' on the big THINGS YOU'LL MISS IN OZ list alongside walls frozen sausages and sleet. We have been in our new build for 6 months now and I have not thought about window sills! I WANT WINDOW SILLS!!!! WHY DON'T THEY PUT THEM IN??? :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 We have been in our new build for 6 months now and I have not thought about window sills! I WANT WINDOW SILLS!!!! WHY DON'T THEY PUT THEM IN??? :-) cos the walls are too thin! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest17301 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Ive got window sills......:dull: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Ive got window sills......:dull: I always thought you were a bit thick :0) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpo1971 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Give me 5 minutes everyone, I'm just ringing Barnesy & Farnsey, see if they're free to participate in WINDOW-SILL AID 2012. Bob Geldof said he's in, anything that helps under-privileged Poms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest17301 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Why did I just thank HarpoDom for calling me thick? He might just have something...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamjar Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 We have been in our new build for 6 months now and I have not thought about window sills! I WANT WINDOW SILLS!!!! WHY DON'T THEY PUT THEM IN??? :-) How is your new build??? Apparently you should enjoy it now, because according to this thread you only have 16 1/2 yrs more to enjoy it - surely they cant be that bad. Dont they out down proper concrete foundation and build with bricks etc etc. Obviously the none structual partition walls from room to room are made of nothing, just like the UK. Bit concerning as we like the look of the new buils in WA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surflen22 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 How is your new build??? Apparently you should enjoy it now, because according to this thread you only have 16 1/2 yrs more to enjoy it - surely they cant be that bad. Dont they out down proper concrete foundation and build with bricks etc etc. Obviously the none structual partition walls from room to room are made of nothing, just like the UK. Bit concerning as we like the look of the new buils in WA. There are proper foundations - at least in the houses I looked at! Also, most walls are constructed of double brick in WA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpo1971 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 David Attenborough whispered voice Each night, at the stroke of midnight, the air across the plains of Western Australia is filled with the rumble of yet more houses collapsing as they reach their 17 year expiry date. Like an elephant graveyard, and a bit similar to what Logan's Run predicted many years ago, all good things must come to an end. Plus, the building game needs a good shove in the right direction. Oh, and the sausages are crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleW Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Ive got window sills......:dull: So have I, and insulation and solid foundations. Oh, and my power bill is half what I paid living in the UK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chardy Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 If you want a decent house (and window sills) then owner build (like self build in the UK). Don't put up with a builders shoddy box you could build a solid, long lasting house with a layout to suit you for less money (20-30% less) or go higher spec/larger for the same as your mainstream builder cardboard box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 If you want a decent house (and window sills) then owner build (like self build in the UK). Don't put up with a builders shoddy box you could build a solid, long lasting house with a layout to suit you for less money (20-30% less) or go higher spec/larger for the same as your mainstream builder cardboard box. you're needed: http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/chewing-fat/145514-necessary-make-everything-scratch.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AKA63029 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 We've replaced our window frames and glass to a better quality (I'm sure if people were building they could have it put in right away), the glass isn't flimsy andgives a similar insulation to double glazing, which totally reduced our heating costs lasts winter. Window sills attract clutter (IMHO), and whilst I have one in my Aus house - I can't say I miss them terribly. Public transport is much cheaper than what we were used to in the UK - I can get the train into the city for less than $4 where a short bus ride in the UK cost over 2 GBP (and I can't imagine that in the 5 years i've been away it got cheaper). And as a nature buff Ali I always made sure I bought or rented and older property. Plenty of older houses available with window sills thus attracting the occasional Red Back.:yes::jiggy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chardy Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 you're needed:http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/chewing-fat/145514-necessary-make-everything-scratch.html Sorry but owner building your own house (not the same as instructing a developer to do it) should be the norm not the exception, it is in many other European countries. They are (mostly) built better, last longer and are much more sustainable. Our current UK house (built 4 years ago) is still at least 5 years ahead of current minimum building regulations in terms of insulation. You simply cannot equate it to making your own food/clothes etc ! And yes I may well build my own car (kit car) when in Oz (no cold damp pokey garage to work in like here- great stuff !) and maybe a boat too - hardly "rustic" living just plain and simply "modern". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conniebygaslight Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Ha ha, brilliant. Remind me to put 'window sills' on the big THINGS YOU'LL MISS IN OZ list alongside walls frozen sausages and sleet. It wasn't the point of not having window sills for something to put on them-if you read my post properly it was an indication of the thickness of the walls! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conniebygaslight Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 My walls in UK are 13inches thick...this is part of our new extension so are very well insulated...the rest of the house is nearly 100 years old so I suspect the walls will be thicker. My Aussie brother in law is a builder andis coming over to UK for Easter. He can never get over the quality of building over here. Even our new builds which personally I think are dreadful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conniebygaslight Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 You don't actually live here in the uk do you, lets shut PIO we can't comment anymore because we only live in one country, check out the cost of living threads from THOSE who live in Ausratalia, not my views, if had bothered to read my post, the houses are bulit to withstand cyclones and have every mod con and more going, i have been in over 100 showhomes, if you have bought a cheap house its your fault. Energy prices are similar, but most of the people in Australia SAID, AGAIN THEM NOT ME, that they use less, so their bills are cheaper, but in some areas where the weathers not as good, its almost the same. 100 show homes on your holidays.....crikey bet you're a barrell of laughs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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