chatty34

Really interested to read this thread. Will be watching it through to the end hopefully. Had you already come down in price before you knocked more off for the soil being rated P.
Have just fallen in love with a plot ourselves which is up for $320,000 but would really like to pay $300,00 for it, would this be a reasonable offer do you think?

232Bar

Most of the agents we dealt with while looking to buy the house reckoned around 2-3% was a normal 'knock-down' amount

lee/jane

as an example the plot we eventually bought was priced at 450,000 i offered 380,000 and after a few weeks hard bargaining we finally paid 395,000 plus the stamp duty ( oh yes dont forget that ) of 11,000 so quite a saving.

also dont forget that as soon as you put down a deposit get it with fianance approval as this gives you a get out cluase should you need one.

sorry about the spelling

Hels

Actually, we had a win on this one. We got the deposit in at $1500. As we are offering an unconditional contract, she was silly not to accept it. Even our agent said he was suprised she put up as much of a fight as she did.

Today I was out at all the display homes in the area collecting plans. A few possibilities, but I dare say we will cut and paste alot of the ideas and eventually come up with something we like.

We also had the woman over tonight from the Homeowner Building Scheme and will be signing up this week. The service they offer is quite thorough and I can see where its going to help us quite alot over the course of this build. I love that I can give them our plans(when we have them), the quotes and they will give you a list of all the amounts of materials you will need to build the house so you can just go and buy that amount, or at least question a Tradie if he comes back with a higher amount of eg bricks.

I have to say, am getting pretty excited about this little project of ours!!

Hels

Shaz,

I didnt put an offer in at all until I found out what the soil test was. I would ask the selling agent if one had already been done. Also ask if there are any covenants on the block before you put an offer in at all. That knowledge will give you the bargaining power to offer what you think its worth.

Hels

Luckily, in Victoria you dont have to do any course to Owner/Build.

I would always check with your State's requirements as they vary greatly.

Wol

Good news. We are still at the preliminary stages, getting the plans drawn up by the draughtsman ready for quotes and DA. Keep us up to date!

Hels

Thanks!! We are now going to be looking for a Draughtsman. We are considering using the same guy Mum did, but will shop and ask around. We have been doing some driving around and looking at houses we like the look of and have been looking at corner blocks and different ways people have approached them to get some ideas for ours.

I am guessing the next few stages are going to be a little more long winded than the first stage has been. Will be off to the Council tomorrow to pick up the Owner Builder pack so we can apply for the certificate we need to owner/build. That takes about 3 weeks supposedly. Should get the contracts for the land tomorrow so will be ringing around to Solicitors for the best price and should have contracts signed by the end of the week.

Thats about it for us for the moment.

H

Hels

Just thought I would put an update as a few things have come up in the last couple of weeks and we only signed for the land today!!

We were out looking at the block 2 weeks ago and a woman walked past with her dog and asked if we were buying the block. We said we were thinking about it and she pointed to the house next door on one side and the house 2 doors up on the other said and said that they were housing commission houses(council houses). Needless to say we kind of freaked out a little and called the Estate Agent. He checked it out and found out the land was bought by an organisation called Loddon Mallee Housing which does provide emergency housing and council type housing. So I called them up and asked what the houses would be used for and supposedly they are called 'Affordable Housing' where they build the house and whoever is going to move in pitches in with labour and the house is signed over to them on a low interest mortgage. So its pretty much owner/occupier just like it would be normally. So we decided to go ahead. But just a warning, check out what houses are around you...they build them all over the place now. Not just in crappy suburbs.

Then, the Solicitor got the Mines Certificate back and it said that somewhere on our block, not sure exactly though, was a registered mine shaft that had been filled. They dont know where it is to 30 meters! So we again freaked out and talked to the Agent. He said the surveyors for the Vendor had gone over the whole estate and identified the mines they could and there wasnt one on our block. They have done earthmoving and all on the block and still no sign, so with a special clause stating that if a mine is found, the vendor will fix it at their cost, anytime in the future...we signed the contracts!!

So, now settlement is on the 30th June. We now have to get a plan sorted and quotes and stuff sorted with a view to start building sometime in July/August hopefully!!

Ozzidoc

Thanks for the update - very exciting for you.

milliesmum

This is very interesting, we are considering building a house,

does the company you mentioned privide you with a complete list of the building materials you need, ie quantity surveying?

have you had to employ a seperate structural engineer or does the draughtsman do it for you?

last question, how do you get a list of reputable builders and tradies, do you go out to tender?

I admire you for taking on such a challenge, it must be saving you lots of money, but what worries me is the stress! You are brave!

Good luck with it and I shall follow your progress.

Teliko21

Wow, I admire all of those who organise a house build themselves. We are building a modified project home through a company (scheduled to start in about 6 weeks time!!!) and that is stressful enoguh at the moment

Hels

Hi and thanks!! I have a bit of an advantage having had my Mum just go through the project and in just on 5 months the house has been built. She has sourced alot of the tradies, but HBS gives you a list of local tradies that have been tried and tested as a starting point.

Yes, HBS will do up a list of all the materials and quantaties that you need once you have your plans done and sourced the materials you want to use. Thats one of the things you pay for in the cost of HBS.

As far as the structural Engineer & draughtsman go, not to that point yet! We havent got all the stuff we need to get going yet, so as soon as I get it all together, I will post another update.

I am totally prepared for it to be stressful, however once Mum had her quotes and lined up all the tradies, hers has run really smoothly. I will get some pics tomorrow and see if I cant post them. I am probably going to use very similar materials to hers as I like the look of it and its quite cheap.


Teliko21- Mum has used a project builder in the past and says she would NEVER use one again after doing this house. She said although it was more work, it was so much LESS stressful as she had alot more control over the build.

milliesmum

Thanks for answering my questions Hels I hope it all goes smoothly for you, still think you are very brave but it looks like you have things under control, for now anyway