Re: Brisbane advice
 

No wonder the parking is always full in the shopping centre and the place is empty. :rolleyes:

Maybe they should introduce pay & display. :eek:






(ok that was a cruel joke) http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...ons/icon10.gif

Re: Brisbane advice
 

Well, the city (or as it is called in australia, the CBD - central business district) is nearly all brand new. Every now and then you'll notice an older looking building in the CBD that has somehow slipped through the cracks and escaped demolition. Between 1km and 3km out, you have a mix of drafty shacks, small apartment complexes and other newer buildings. Between 3km and 10km out, drafty shacks can be found in abundance. Once you get past 10km, the majority of houses are brick/modern builds.

Re: Brisbane advice
 

Believe it or not, the 'drafty shack' is the best type of house to have up here. The original 'Queenslander" style of house (timber construction up on stumps) allowed the breezes to flow all around the house to help keep it cool in summer - and there may be as many as 10 days in winter when you will want to have some heating on. Modern brick houses will need the air conditioning running 24/7 to keep them comfortable, costing heaps.

We have a timber house built in 1954 and we've never bothered to install air conditioning. In the summer we leave the windows open (you need flyscreens installed all round) and the breeze is usually enough to keep things comfortable.

Older timber houses (like ours) will be hardwood throughout. Modern houses are pine timber frames with brick (or other material) external cladding.

As for creepy crawlies, the only things we find are the little geckos. Oh, and ants and cockroaches, but they will get into any sort of house if you don't have it treated regularly. And make sure you are protected against termites!

Re: Brisbane advice
 

Kjcherokee

You mention insects and geckos but forgot the all important 8 legged friends.... Surely they squeeze in too

Bingobob

Love the spreadsheet very useful.... Did you not consider the Gap???? Its difficult to know how to contact school during the long holiday to find out place availability.... We'll probably end up meeting at some school's gate....

Re: Brisbane advice
 

If it is any help I have noticed no difference in the number of spiders inside the house between the modern and character homes I have lived in. In fact I have seen less but that may just be a coincidence. A lot more outside/under the house though as there seem to be more bits and pieces to hang their web off. I like watching them and leave them alone so that probably contributes. More possums as well. Probably goes with the extra trees you find in the leafy established inner areas.

While there are plenty of drafty shacks there are also lots of renovated ones that feel just as well lined/sealed as a modern brick and tile.

IMO the shacks have a far nicer feel to them then the modern homes and suit our climate better. The raised verandahs and decks are fantastic and the flow of the homes just feel better. They are also far more interesting to look at and decorate. Personal opinion of course. Obviously the lower budget ones can be terrible if they are not maintained. I have also used the a/c far less though I'm not sure how much of this can be contributed to the aspect. In queensland 'drafty' is a good thing :thumbsup:

Re: Brisbane advice
 

I live in a Queenslander and absolutely love it. I wouldn't live in one in Northern Europe or South Eastern Australia but for our climate it's great. We have full wrap around veranda among other features. It's much more beautiful than modern places in my opinion.

Re: Brisbane advice
 

We've also had a snake or two in the house ... but we are out in the sticks ... reminds me, must do some mowing ... :o

We also just had a rat infestation in the roof, chucked some poison up there when all else failed and have been living with the smell of decaying rat(s) for the past couple of weeks.

Life in the country, might as well embrace it ... couldn't do 'urban' now ...

Regarding needing air-con in brick homes, this isn't true here but we have added West-facing window blinds and insulation ... Lord knows how the previous occupants survived ...

Re: Brisbane advice
 

Rats in the roof or Possums? We always have Possums on our roof. It sounds like somebody's breaking in but the cute little creatures and we treat them like pets.

Re: Brisbane advice
 

Definitely rat according to the pest man, we get possums too but they don't cause us any grief ... in any case when the weather warms up everything tends to move out ...

Damn, that mowing ain't doing itself ... :frown:

Re: Brisbane advice
 

Rats are also sometimes a problem under the QLDers. In laws have rats, have house sit for them and hear them scurrying around underneath.

Re: Brisbane advice
 

We were looking at QLDers before we settled on this place, couldn't find one in decent nick for our kind of money (just over $300k a few years ago) so we settled on a modest brick house on a good chunk of land.

The best thing we did, apart from the blinds and insulation, was to put a big patio on the back ... more guttering to clean though :D

Re: Brisbane advice
 

Yes, a big deck (the biggest you can afford or fit in) is the best investment you can make - as long as it's roofed so you can sit out there during the summer rainstorms. Ours is about 8m x 5m and is the most used 'room' in the house. Would have made it bigger if we could have fitted it in.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...house-deck.jpg

Re: Brisbane advice
 

:thumbup:

Didn't enjoy digging out the ground though, in retrospect I could have brought in some mechanical assistance but I needed to exercise ... I'm listening to the rain clatter down on it now ... a marvellous sound, from sky to roof to gutter to tank ...

Re: Brisbane advice
 

Although the kids are on holiday, you will find that the admin staff are there for a lot of the holiday period.

I did this a couple of years ago, but you will get the picture:

Re: Brisbane advice
 

Yes Indooroopilly Shopping Centre car park is notorious for illegal park 'n ride commuters. They do crack down every now and then but not enough to make it fair for everyone. It is also the place you are most likely to get your car dinged by 'fellow' customers.