kendalanita

Currently awaiting skilled migration visa - submitted 4.5.07 (not heard anything yet). Just wondering, if we buy a plot of land out there now are we allowed to build our own house on it when we arrive?
How long till we hear something? Soon I hope!

The Bloke

You can build your own house, but you will have to apply for an Owner-builder permit......

http://www.bsa.qld.gov.au/Home/Build...lderPermit.htm
...... and organise all sub-contractor ie plumbers, electricans etc and council building inspections.

AndyR1976

the other option is to go to one of the major housebuilders!

there are a lot of comapnies that will build a house for you - you provide the land, they usually have a large selection of homes to choose from (or can custom design one with one of their architects). Then they do all the work.

Often these companies are cheaper than doing it yourself (because they have all the staff , know-how and build thousands of homes each years so know where to get everything cheaper). Also, you can negotiate with them exactly how much you wnat them to do (ie, they can do everything from the Council approvals through to landscpaing before you move in OR you may choose to reduce costs by doing landscaping yourself, or by just getting them to do the house until lock-up stage then you fit out the interior!)

its a pretty good option - espcially if you want to avoid the headaches and if your not familiar with the system!

A

lolylew

not sure where yr going to - but in perth i know a company called perceptions.co.au build houses for you - was watching a place down under yesterday on sky+, the skeggs from the show purchased a plot of land and then went to this company to have their house built. (i paused it and wrote the company name down - have been on their site today - quite good).

there is also another one i know of rossnorthhomes.com.au i know they build homes, great web site, but not sure if they will build one on your own plot of land. if you find out let me know cus they have some good designs too.

lisa
x

ps how will you buy your land - will you go on a rekki or do it without seeing it?

AndyR1976

Yeah, there are literally hundreds of them!!

Depends where you are building - some only work in Sydney, others only in NSW or QLD or wherever!

There is actually a massive heap of display homes at a place called Kellyville in Sydney - if its still there!

Basically, about 20 of the major housebuilders got together and each built 2-3 homes all next to each other so that people could get an idea what the companies were capable of! they are open to the public and you can wander around to check out these homes and see if any of the designs/builders catch you eye! I would suggest doing this even if you are going to build your own home - you will get lots of ideas on design/bathrooms/sizes of rooms etc that you can then incorporate into your own design! You can have a look not only at the outside of the homes but also the inside. PLUS, most of the homes have had others come in as well (ie landscape gardeners, fincing onctractors, pool builders) so you can have a look and get an idea on what you would like in your yard as well!!

NickyC

http://www.homeworld.com.au/

snappy

We have done just that. Instead of going with one builder we opted for the owner builder option as it gave us the flexibility to choose which tradesman we had working on our house, it also allowed us to make a few savings from sourcing the materials ourselves. It is also a MASSIVE headache in regards to a lot of running around, red tape and leg work but I am very happy we have chosen this option as we have saved ourselves thousands by going this route.

Tambo

good god

Perceptions as a builder DO NOT USE them - should be called deceptions.

Wankers built my house here in perth took 2 yrs to build and I am still waiting for them to come back to finish off some minor jobs a year after being in the house.

Apparently do a good job but i would never use them again, dont care about you as a customer, hard to contact and do not return phone calls...........

they are shite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MisterTwo

There are certain covenants on land where the house should be built within a certain time - ours was 5 years. I would however be very wary of buying land without seeing it first. There are so many things to consider, is the land flat (this reduces site costs), is the frontage wide enough for the house you are likely to want. You could get a huge block but if it is long and thin then you are limited to house designs you can have. Also you have to consider the estate you are on. Is there a decent outlook from the front or are you going to look straight into someone else's living room. Is there a double storey house behind who can look straight into your house. The speed at which things happen you may as well buy when you arrive. At least you can look around and get a feel for the good areas. Like the UK Australia has it's fair share of undesirable and down right sh*t areas.

Our skilled visa took 6 months from start to finish, so you will probably hear within another month or so.

Good Luck by the way.

danbex85

Hi,
Sorry but I couldnt help but notice your name. Do you live in Kendal, Cumbria? I have just moved from Kendal to Oz at xmas.

As for your question about land I'm actually a real estate agent here (I used to work for The Cumberland when I was in Kendal) and anyone can buy a block of land unless a special covenant has been put on it suce as it can only be bought by locals (this is very rare). Do be careful though, because on some new developments there will be a clause that states that if you dont start building on the land within a year of purchasing it and have building completed within 2 years of commencement on the building they will simply take the land back from you and give you what you paid for it. If you are going to buy a block then be careful when reading the contract as it may have some clauses similar to the above.

Anyways, good luck with the move from Kendal, when are you hoping to move here?

Dan
[email protected]