Hi - Just started the visa application but have an important question re. work once in Oz. My husband is a Building Contractor in the UK with his own Company building new houses as well as extensions etc. Can anyone tell us what certificates are required to set up as a Property Developer. Have searched the site and have found various articles on courses that need to be attended to gain a certificate, what will this entail? Also, can anyone shed any light on whether an NHBC approved Contractor means anything over there as I have read that it is internationally recognised. Help please.

Thanks
Nicky

No idea but thought i would bump it for you.

NHBC means jack shit here in Qld. Where are you heading to as each state varies in it's acceptance of overseas quals?

Afaik anyone can be a property developer in Aussie !

I can go out, buy a old run down Weatherboard house on a big block of land in say Glenroy....(12 ks from the CBD) Big blocks in Glenroy Melbourne, and put 5 townhouses on it. People do it all the time here. No license needed. Just need to get a bank loan, the banks are more than willing to do that.

The local Italian and Greek community have been doing this for years in Melbourne.

Come and get it

Thanks for the reply, we have thought we would head to the Perth area but were really concerned with all the stories of not being able to work until had certain qualifications etc. Now looking at all the replies, maybe we are worrying unnecessarily and it is more relaxed than we thought. I hope so.

Thanks
Nicky

The reply above your last one doesnt tell the full story...... in such situations, there are often loads of relatives & friends with different trades, all of whom are legally qualified to do to the various things.....plumbers, sparkies, etc.

In your case, you couldn't legally just turn up, buy a block and put a coupla houses on it (providing planning and building permission were granted) that you yourself build with your bare hands. You'd need to contract out the work.

There are also rules relating to DIY addition/extension work....a search on this site may help.


(Remember, this is the country in which pub landlords are supposed to engage a qualified electrician to change a lightbulb!, and u used not to be allowed to change a washer in your own home....not sure if that rule still exists.)

Good luck with everything

How exactly do you define property developer then. ? Are we talking builder, or someone that knows their area, and what will work and wont work ? I'm curious as to what the difference is in UK eyes ? What exactly is the difference between a UK Builder and a Uk property developer ????


A Chinese fellow, up the road from me here, in Coburg, (central Melbourne) bought an old weatherboard on a massive block, Contracted out to build a development of 30 flats, over 3 stories. He has made a mint. He would have had to borrow, or find at least 2 million dollars to make a further 2 million though. Probably sweating blood in the 18 - 24 month process.

Anyone can do this, you just need the guts to put everything you own into your project. Quite frankly I havn't. The banks will almost certainly fund anything like this here.

You wouldnt need the licence to buy the land, but would certainly need the licence and assorted crap to actually build the townhouses Knowing someone nice in council would probably help too