stu:0

[QUOTE=Jessie James;4495769]Blinded by the light I'd say

Im not blinded by no light my friend Im holding on to the house in the uk for 12-18 months before we decide what to do. You cant tell me every new build is total crap. We will probably hunt around various builders and check out there work before commiting. We dont need no six bedroom mansion, there is only me and the girlfriend but yes we would like the pool and cinema room. I would downsize on property size to put qulity gear in. Its only the materials you use that make it crap.

Stu

Wol

A year or two ago nothing would have persuaded us to build a frame house: solid walls they must be!

However, a decent quality frame construction *does* have some advantages. The structure moves in any house, and a solid wall shows that movement straight away: the cornices crack, skirtings gape and doors bind. Frame houses will move the same way but the effects are never as apparent.

The lighter construction also means less foundation work, and thus lower costs in this department. Brick veneer walls can also have a higher insulation standard than cavity walls.

Our own build has specified 90mm (rather than 70mm) framing, and acoustic insulation on all internals. Now that the gyprock is up the walls do "feel" solid compared with un-sound-insulated framed walls. Plus of course the parts of the house that are not used can be kept at a low temperature and not take so much heat from the lived-in rooms.

All in all I think the pros and cons of each construction even out in the end, and I wouldn't worry either way.

A much bigger worry is the actual *standard* of build!

andicee

No doubt some have bad experiences. I've been on BE long enough to have read a lot of horror stories. I'm sorry to hear you had a bad time. Building a house is stressful at the best of times tho. In the short time I've been here the owners I've met have all, without exception, slowed the job, have tried to get extras without paying for them and are constantly trying to make changes to the original plans that they agreed to. Add this to the fact that when they supply their own fittings, I.E. lights, they are usually the cheapest possible fittings that they can find. Usually KMart 'specials'. They are awkward to fit and look shite when up. Who gets the blame for this d'you reckon? Why spend $400K plus on the build and put $40 ceiling fans up????
The mob we're wiring for, a big builder in Brisbane, and you'll have to PM me to find out who, have a manager AND managing director, roving around sites daily, checking the work of all trades, making sure socket outlets and lights are going in where they should be, even measuring to make sure. If it's wrong, we change it.

Andy

Exile

Sounds like they are more on the ball in Brisbane. It really is the wild west over here in Perth as far as building goes.

andicee

[QUOTE=stu:0;4496443] Go for it mate. Don't take no flannel from anyone. They'll tell you anything over here. I had one agent tell me that I didn't need a pool cos the property had aircon. Excuse me love, need has nothing to do with it...I WANT a pool. And I got one! Or rather got a house cheap enough that I'm having a brand new pool built.

The materials are only 50% of it tho geez. The way they're put in is the other
50%

Andy

welshpom

Nope. We're not building, the builder is. He's licensed.

andicee

I do call the trades assisstant who's working with me Clint Eastwood mind you

want2bthere

no the idea of 4 of us in a caravan doesnt fill me with happiness, but steve is such a perfectionist he'd have a hard time letting anyone else build our house........................so caravans are wonderful arent they

stu:0

[QUOTE=andicee;4496600] Its like i said earier when your in the trade you know good from bad and you can pull the buggers up on it when there doing it. Average jo blogs has no idea until the job is done and things come back to bite you. I just cant wait to get out there and check some of thes new builds out. They all look very nice on a shiny lap top screen but i get the impression they will be a little like changing rooms, on closer inspection not to clever? We'll see.


Stu

arkon

[QUOTE=stu:0;4497524] I've spent the last few months checking out builds in progress in Port Mac, with an idea to build and make some money back in the long run. I even managed to be allowed to go on the slabs walk around and examine the builds in all stages. There is only one word to describe what I saw in each and every job 'Shocking'. The attitude of the so called craftsmen seems to be 'out of sight out of mind'. The quality of the work on the frame and noggins allone were terrible, The slabs all seem fine as to the roof finnishes, but the structural stuff underneth that the end user will never see is just poor in the extreem. I saw external brick walls that didn't follow a straight line (somehting hard to notice once it's finnished but when it's only a few feet heigh very easy to see).

The materials used all seem to be on the skimpy side, wood frames are very light so are the roof trusses, infact I'm amased they stay on in a gale. Inside the tiles, worktops and flooring all seem way to thin.

All the houses I went in that were complete looked stunning and a million dollars, but having now seen plenty in progress, it's all only skin deep.

It left me going right off the idea of getting builders to do it. I think I would now only do it myself as coordinator and sub contract and specify everything myself, even down to the thickness of frame wood to use. Just my 2'ps worth.

stu:0

[QUOTE=arkon;4499263] Sounds like the best way to do it mate, may cost a little more but its peace of mind that you'v then got a quality build. I think most people need to do what youve done but then again you have to know what your looking for,you obviously do. A little reaserch goes a long way!

Stu

Off2Oz

[QUOTE=stu:0;4499321] My OH works on new builds here in the UK. He's a dryliner. Which is to say that he puts the plasterboard up in internal rooms within the new builds. Tacking to stud walls or plasterboarding to brick walls.

I have to say everything that everyone has said is applicable in this country. You'll get bad tradespeople wherever you go. You only have to look at the fact that building companies are employing people that can't even speak English.

My OH takes pride in his work. The work he does is bloody hard work. Have you ever tried lifting a 9ft long piece of plasterboard. He carries over 30-40 sheets of these every day. Unfortunately there are some that don't take the same amount of pride.

The horror stories that he comes home and tells me about what tradespeople get up to are unbelievable.

Sorry to rant but just wanted to add that really.

arkon

[QUOTE=KevinJanine;4499513] I don't doubt it for a second. But you really need to see under the hood here on most builds and I think he will be agog. You have to ask the one big question, 'How to they build so big and luxurious looking at that price when the raw materials here are at least the same as home if not more?'

Something has to give and in my view it's the substance and quality of the materials and the saving on labour time you get by just banging them up as quick as possible.

I would recomend to all, before you do the standard land and house package here, have a good look at the works in progress, you might then decide to owner build instead!

stu:0

[QUOTE=arkon;4499538] I think you hit the nail on the head there, how do they build such big houses that start as little as the equivalant of £60-70,000. It has to be down to materials.
And yes you do get bad tradesmen wherever you go. Im a sparky and have seen plenty of shocking stuff(ignore the pun ) over the years but i work on the theory i wont leave anything that i wouldnt accept in my own home. Plus there is the safety side of things.

chilli

you lot are not painting a very good picture.