Type of house to buy?
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 195
Type of house to buy?
Hi
We are thinking of buying a house soon but can't decide what type of house to buy. We have been told that the house we are renting most likely contains asbestos and that as long as we don't disturb it we should be OK . Apparently this can be a problem renovating a house like this! The house is built on steel poles and when someone moves about too fast the house sways and you almost feel seasick. The walls are also very thin and traffic noise is a problem. Obviously we don't want to stay here too long and would not want to buy a house like this.
Other houses are made of wood which I'm not too keen on. Some houses, especially the stylish queenslanders, look great but in a lot of areas the houses look like sheds and the paint is peeling where they haven't been maintained which makes the area look a bit run down.
We have looked at modern houses which look fabulous. Trouble is unless you can afford a large plot of land the house almosts fills the entire plot so you are only a metre away from the next house and with no room for a pool. Also I can't understand why they have so much timber in the structure, especially when they have termites and white ants here.
I have been told that the type of house we are renting is the best type for the queensland weather because it keeps cool. I have also been told that it can get very cold here in the winter so that means this house with it's paper thin walls will get very cold. Would it not be better to build houses with very thick walls to keep the heat out in summer and the heat in during winter.
Are there any lovely mediterranean style houses in Brisbane with thick stone or even rendered breezeblock walls? If there is do they still have to be treated for termites and white ants, etc?
Just want to feel that the house will still be standing in 50 years time!
Kathy
We are thinking of buying a house soon but can't decide what type of house to buy. We have been told that the house we are renting most likely contains asbestos and that as long as we don't disturb it we should be OK . Apparently this can be a problem renovating a house like this! The house is built on steel poles and when someone moves about too fast the house sways and you almost feel seasick. The walls are also very thin and traffic noise is a problem. Obviously we don't want to stay here too long and would not want to buy a house like this.
Other houses are made of wood which I'm not too keen on. Some houses, especially the stylish queenslanders, look great but in a lot of areas the houses look like sheds and the paint is peeling where they haven't been maintained which makes the area look a bit run down.
We have looked at modern houses which look fabulous. Trouble is unless you can afford a large plot of land the house almosts fills the entire plot so you are only a metre away from the next house and with no room for a pool. Also I can't understand why they have so much timber in the structure, especially when they have termites and white ants here.
I have been told that the type of house we are renting is the best type for the queensland weather because it keeps cool. I have also been told that it can get very cold here in the winter so that means this house with it's paper thin walls will get very cold. Would it not be better to build houses with very thick walls to keep the heat out in summer and the heat in during winter.
Are there any lovely mediterranean style houses in Brisbane with thick stone or even rendered breezeblock walls? If there is do they still have to be treated for termites and white ants, etc?
Just want to feel that the house will still be standing in 50 years time!
Kathy
#2
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Joined: Mar 2006
Location: Pelican Waters
Posts: 374
Re: Type of house to buy?
Originally Posted by kt.2006
Hi
We are thinking of buying a house soon but can't decide what type of house to buy.
Kathy
We are thinking of buying a house soon but can't decide what type of house to buy.
Kathy
Your current rental does not sound that old as you say its on steel posts unless it has been re stumped and wooden posts been replaced. Yes they do build some a bit flimsy and then go onto say it keeps you cool in summer. We had a contemporary Queens lander which was only 18mths old, beautiful house but come summer it was bloody hot and in winter it did get cold, we ended up putting insulation in the roof space. What a difference this made both winter and summer.
We noticed if we went into our neighbours house (Brick and tiles) it was so much cooler. We have now moved and are in a house with rendered block walls and on the ground not on posts, we have tiled floors and Air conditioning so much cooler even without the AC switched on.
There are lovely Mediterranean style house all over not just Brisbane, we live on the sunshine coast and there are loads just look at the mentioned real estate web site. For you info even if you have concrete slab on the floor and block walls you still need termite protection which is built in during construction. I am waiting for the termite man to arrive as I write just for the yearly inspection, just because this is a new house we need it for the building warranty.
Also here you will see people tend to move house around 5-7 years so you will not need to worry about the house lasting 50 yrs.
#3
Re: Type of house to buy?
Originally Posted by kt.2006
Hi
We are thinking of buying a house soon but can't decide what type of house to buy. We have been told that the house we are renting most likely contains asbestos and that as long as we don't disturb it we should be OK . Apparently this can be a problem renovating a house like this! The house is built on steel poles and when someone moves about too fast the house sways and you almost feel seasick. The walls are also very thin and traffic noise is a problem. Obviously we don't want to stay here too long and would not want to buy a house like this.
Other houses are made of wood which I'm not too keen on. Some houses, especially the stylish queenslanders, look great but in a lot of areas the houses look like sheds and the paint is peeling where they haven't been maintained which makes the area look a bit run down.
We have looked at modern houses which look fabulous. Trouble is unless you can afford a large plot of land the house almosts fills the entire plot so you are only a metre away from the next house and with no room for a pool. Also I can't understand why they have so much timber in the structure, especially when they have termites and white ants here.
I have been told that the type of house we are renting is the best type for the queensland weather because it keeps cool. I have also been told that it can get very cold here in the winter so that means this house with it's paper thin walls will get very cold. Would it not be better to build houses with very thick walls to keep the heat out in summer and the heat in during winter.
Are there any lovely mediterranean style houses in Brisbane with thick stone or even rendered breezeblock walls? If there is do they still have to be treated for termites and white ants, etc?
Just want to feel that the house will still be standing in 50 years time!
Kathy
We are thinking of buying a house soon but can't decide what type of house to buy. We have been told that the house we are renting most likely contains asbestos and that as long as we don't disturb it we should be OK . Apparently this can be a problem renovating a house like this! The house is built on steel poles and when someone moves about too fast the house sways and you almost feel seasick. The walls are also very thin and traffic noise is a problem. Obviously we don't want to stay here too long and would not want to buy a house like this.
Other houses are made of wood which I'm not too keen on. Some houses, especially the stylish queenslanders, look great but in a lot of areas the houses look like sheds and the paint is peeling where they haven't been maintained which makes the area look a bit run down.
We have looked at modern houses which look fabulous. Trouble is unless you can afford a large plot of land the house almosts fills the entire plot so you are only a metre away from the next house and with no room for a pool. Also I can't understand why they have so much timber in the structure, especially when they have termites and white ants here.
I have been told that the type of house we are renting is the best type for the queensland weather because it keeps cool. I have also been told that it can get very cold here in the winter so that means this house with it's paper thin walls will get very cold. Would it not be better to build houses with very thick walls to keep the heat out in summer and the heat in during winter.
Are there any lovely mediterranean style houses in Brisbane with thick stone or even rendered breezeblock walls? If there is do they still have to be treated for termites and white ants, etc?
Just want to feel that the house will still be standing in 50 years time!
Kathy
#4
Re: Type of house to buy?
Originally Posted by kt.2006
Hi
We are thinking of buying a house soon but can't decide what type of house to buy. We have been told that the house we are renting most likely contains asbestos and that as long as we don't disturb it we should be OK . Apparently this can be a problem renovating a house like this! The house is built on steel poles and when someone moves about too fast the house sways and you almost feel seasick. The walls are also very thin and traffic noise is a problem. Obviously we don't want to stay here too long and would not want to buy a house like this.
Other houses are made of wood which I'm not too keen on. Some houses, especially the stylish queenslanders, look great but in a lot of areas the houses look like sheds and the paint is peeling where they haven't been maintained which makes the area look a bit run down.
We have looked at modern houses which look fabulous. Trouble is unless you can afford a large plot of land the house almosts fills the entire plot so you are only a metre away from the next house and with no room for a pool. Also I can't understand why they have so much timber in the structure, especially when they have termites and white ants here.
I have been told that the type of house we are renting is the best type for the queensland weather because it keeps cool. I have also been told that it can get very cold here in the winter so that means this house with it's paper thin walls will get very cold. Would it not be better to build houses with very thick walls to keep the heat out in summer and the heat in during winter.
Are there any lovely mediterranean style houses in Brisbane with thick stone or even rendered breezeblock walls? If there is do they still have to be treated for termites and white ants, etc?
Just want to feel that the house will still be standing in 50 years time!
Kathy
We are thinking of buying a house soon but can't decide what type of house to buy. We have been told that the house we are renting most likely contains asbestos and that as long as we don't disturb it we should be OK . Apparently this can be a problem renovating a house like this! The house is built on steel poles and when someone moves about too fast the house sways and you almost feel seasick. The walls are also very thin and traffic noise is a problem. Obviously we don't want to stay here too long and would not want to buy a house like this.
Other houses are made of wood which I'm not too keen on. Some houses, especially the stylish queenslanders, look great but in a lot of areas the houses look like sheds and the paint is peeling where they haven't been maintained which makes the area look a bit run down.
We have looked at modern houses which look fabulous. Trouble is unless you can afford a large plot of land the house almosts fills the entire plot so you are only a metre away from the next house and with no room for a pool. Also I can't understand why they have so much timber in the structure, especially when they have termites and white ants here.
I have been told that the type of house we are renting is the best type for the queensland weather because it keeps cool. I have also been told that it can get very cold here in the winter so that means this house with it's paper thin walls will get very cold. Would it not be better to build houses with very thick walls to keep the heat out in summer and the heat in during winter.
Are there any lovely mediterranean style houses in Brisbane with thick stone or even rendered breezeblock walls? If there is do they still have to be treated for termites and white ants, etc?
Just want to feel that the house will still be standing in 50 years time!
Kathy
The longest time you will spend doing one of these is probably on gap filling and painting (this style typically has wooden walls - VJs aka tongue & groove) where you end up filling the gap between every plank with flexi-filler. Oh that and casement window painting. QLDers often have whole sides of the house filled with windows, each with 5-8 panes. Our 'only' has 28 windows (176 panes), but there are houses around town with 48-50 windows on 3/4 sides. Pure joy.
Because they are made of wood, they are also constantly moving, expanding and contracting, so something you fix up one month will probably need redoing the next month.
Give me good old bricks and mortar any day !!
#5
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 195
Re: Type of house to buy?
Originally Posted by Mandy&Cliff
You dont say what area you are in. Have a look at www.realestate.com.au all you do is select the state then select suburbs, this will give you an idea of the style of houses in the area you are looking.
Your current rental does not sound that old as you say its on steel posts unless it has been re stumped and wooden posts been replaced. Yes they do build some a bit flimsy and then go onto say it keeps you cool in summer. We had a contemporary Queens lander which was only 18mths old, beautiful house but come summer it was bloody hot and in winter it did get cold, we ended up putting insulation in the roof space. What a difference this made both winter and summer.
We noticed if we went into our neighbours house (Brick and tiles) it was so much cooler. We have now moved and are in a house with rendered block walls and on the ground not on posts, we have tiled floors and Air conditioning so much cooler even without the AC switched on.
There are lovely Mediterranean style house all over not just Brisbane, we live on the sunshine coast and there are loads just look at the mentioned real estate web site. For you info even if you have concrete slab on the floor and block walls you still need termite protection which is built in during construction. I am waiting for the termite man to arrive as I write just for the yearly inspection, just because this is a new house we need it for the building warranty.
Also here you will see people tend to move house around 5-7 years so you will not need to worry about the house lasting 50 yrs.
Your current rental does not sound that old as you say its on steel posts unless it has been re stumped and wooden posts been replaced. Yes they do build some a bit flimsy and then go onto say it keeps you cool in summer. We had a contemporary Queens lander which was only 18mths old, beautiful house but come summer it was bloody hot and in winter it did get cold, we ended up putting insulation in the roof space. What a difference this made both winter and summer.
We noticed if we went into our neighbours house (Brick and tiles) it was so much cooler. We have now moved and are in a house with rendered block walls and on the ground not on posts, we have tiled floors and Air conditioning so much cooler even without the AC switched on.
There are lovely Mediterranean style house all over not just Brisbane, we live on the sunshine coast and there are loads just look at the mentioned real estate web site. For you info even if you have concrete slab on the floor and block walls you still need termite protection which is built in during construction. I am waiting for the termite man to arrive as I write just for the yearly inspection, just because this is a new house we need it for the building warranty.
Also here you will see people tend to move house around 5-7 years so you will not need to worry about the house lasting 50 yrs.
#6
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 195
Re: Type of house to buy?
Originally Posted by mackinnon
Pay special attention to security, many Australian houses, IMHO, could be broken into by a screwdriver-toting teenager.
#7
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 195
Re: Type of house to buy?
Originally Posted by lostpom
Don't get a Queenslander if you're planning to renovate, well, unless you have lots of spare time. Myself and OH have been working full time on renovating her 1930's Queenslander since last August !!! Will be finished in about 4 weeks now, but what a headache. Mind you, everything needed replacing, total rewire, re-plumbing & soil waste, new bathroom, new kitchen, floor sanding, garden dug out & replanted etc...etc...
The longest time you will spend doing one of these is probably on gap filling and painting (this style typically has wooden walls - VJs aka tongue & groove) where you end up filling the gap between every plank with flexi-filler. Oh that and casement window painting. QLDers often have whole sides of the house filled with windows, each with 5-8 panes. Our 'only' has 28 windows (176 panes), but there are houses around town with 48-50 windows on 3/4 sides. Pure joy.
Because they are made of wood, they are also constantly moving, expanding and contracting, so something you fix up one month will probably need redoing the next month.
Give me good old bricks and mortar any day !!
The longest time you will spend doing one of these is probably on gap filling and painting (this style typically has wooden walls - VJs aka tongue & groove) where you end up filling the gap between every plank with flexi-filler. Oh that and casement window painting. QLDers often have whole sides of the house filled with windows, each with 5-8 panes. Our 'only' has 28 windows (176 panes), but there are houses around town with 48-50 windows on 3/4 sides. Pure joy.
Because they are made of wood, they are also constantly moving, expanding and contracting, so something you fix up one month will probably need redoing the next month.
Give me good old bricks and mortar any day !!
#8
Prisoner of Her Majesty
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: Chapel Hill, Brisbane
Posts: 838
Re: Type of house to buy?
We've just bought a Queenslander which has been standing for 80+ years and withstood the Bulimba floods in the 1970s...I reckon it will still be around for another 50
And also, if you ask me, when in Rome...
R
And also, if you ask me, when in Rome...
R
#9
Re: Type of house to buy?
These Queenslander houses are just beautiful, but you lot have put me off! I cannot face a lifetime of DIY
#10
Rocket Scientist
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Dreamland AKA Brisbane which is a different country to the UK
Posts: 6,911
Re: Type of house to buy?
Originally Posted by samnrob2
We've just bought a Queenslander which has been standing for 80+ years and withstood the Bulimba floods in the 1970s...I reckon it will still be around for another 50
And also, if you ask me, when in Rome...
R
And also, if you ask me, when in Rome...
R
#11
Re: Type of house to buy?
Originally Posted by kt.2006
Hi
We have been told that the house we are renting most likely contains asbestos and that as long as we don't disturb it we should be OK . Apparently this can be a problem renovating a house like this!
...
Other houses are made of wood which I'm not too keen on.
...
Are there any lovely mediterranean style houses in Brisbane with thick stone or even rendered breezeblock walls? If there is do they still have to be treated for termites and white ants, etc?
Just want to feel that the house will still be standing in 50 years time!
We have been told that the house we are renting most likely contains asbestos and that as long as we don't disturb it we should be OK . Apparently this can be a problem renovating a house like this!
...
Other houses are made of wood which I'm not too keen on.
...
Are there any lovely mediterranean style houses in Brisbane with thick stone or even rendered breezeblock walls? If there is do they still have to be treated for termites and white ants, etc?
Just want to feel that the house will still be standing in 50 years time!
Wood is very common here as a building material, which means tha the builders understand how to build with it. - Why are you not keen on wood?
Yes - any house with wood in it (skirting boards, stud work in the walls, window frames etc.) is potentially termite food. The advantage of the wooden built Queenslanders is that the wood is mostly visible so you can easily inspect for termite evidence. The only case of termite infestation I have seen was in one of our cousin's houses - brick and tile, they had 6 monthly inspections - the termites did the damage in part of the framing of an internal wall - all in less than 6 months
Originally Posted by lostpom
Don't get a Queenslander if you're planning to renovate, well, unless you have lots of spare time. Myself and OH have been working full time on renovating her 1930's Queenslander since last August !!! Will be finished in about 4 weeks now, but what a headache. Mind you, everything needed replacing, total rewire, re-plumbing & soil waste, new bathroom, new kitchen, floor sanding, garden dug out & replanted etc...etc...
The longest time you will spend doing one of these is probably on gap filling and painting (this style typically has wooden walls - VJs aka tongue & groove) where you end up filling the gap between every plank with flexi-filler. Oh that and casement window painting. QLDers often have whole sides of the house filled with windows, each with 5-8 panes. Our 'only' has 28 windows (176 panes), but there are houses around town with 48-50 windows on 3/4 sides. Pure joy.
Because they are made of wood, they are also constantly moving, expanding and contracting, so something you fix up one month will probably need redoing the next month.
Give me good old bricks and mortar any day !!
The longest time you will spend doing one of these is probably on gap filling and painting (this style typically has wooden walls - VJs aka tongue & groove) where you end up filling the gap between every plank with flexi-filler. Oh that and casement window painting. QLDers often have whole sides of the house filled with windows, each with 5-8 panes. Our 'only' has 28 windows (176 panes), but there are houses around town with 48-50 windows on 3/4 sides. Pure joy.
Because they are made of wood, they are also constantly moving, expanding and contracting, so something you fix up one month will probably need redoing the next month.
Give me good old bricks and mortar any day !!
Surely the point of VJs is the gaps can expand and contract with heat and movement. Why would you be filling the gaps?
I agree there is probably a bit more fiddly painting in a Queenslander - but then it was the same in the UK - houses with character tended to need a little more effort. My cottage in the UK had wooden windows - nothing else would have been allowed as it was listed. Also, the brick and lime lortar walls had to be repointed - a lot of hard work - comparable with the effort to repaint the wooden cladding on a Queenslander.
Yes, painting the wooden casement windows is a pain - but worth it to have all those windows that you can open in the summer to let the cooling breeze through. Modern houses, fewer windows, less breeze.
Originally Posted by kt.2006
... I am concerned that some people might not realise that if they carry out diy to these properties they might be exposing themselves to asbestos dust.
Originally Posted by kt.2006
Thanks for the advice. I do quite like the old queenslander houses but I can't quite get used to putting down my hard earned money for anything that isn't bricks and mortar. I would not be able to sleep at night worrying about various insects munching away at my wooden house :scared:
As for houses that will still be standing in 50 years. My UK cottage was built of bricks, lime mortar and horsehair reinforced plaster on a wooden frame and had been standing for at least 300 years. Our current house is a Queenslander that is about 100 years old and I reckon it is good for another 100.
Cheers,
DagBoy
#13
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Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Dreamland AKA Brisbane which is a different country to the UK
Posts: 6,911
Re: Type of house to buy?
Originally Posted by milliesmum
Dont be put off by some of the less than factual comments on here if you like the Qlder style of house - we have one & absolutely adore it. We are currently renovating (because most of ours hasnt been touched since the 1950's :scared: ), but once its done we dont expect to have to do anything major to it apart from paint for the foreseeable future . (read:- before we die ).
#14
Re: Type of house to buy?
Originally Posted by MrsDagboy
You're right, it looks lovely!
Dont be put off by some of the less than factual comments on here if you like the Qlder style of house - we have one & absolutely adore it. We are currently renovating (because most of ours hasnt been touched since the 1950's :scared: ), but once its done we dont expect to have to do anything major to it apart from paint for the foreseeable future . (read:- before we die ).
Dont be put off by some of the less than factual comments on here if you like the Qlder style of house - we have one & absolutely adore it. We are currently renovating (because most of ours hasnt been touched since the 1950's :scared: ), but once its done we dont expect to have to do anything major to it apart from paint for the foreseeable future . (read:- before we die ).
I do love this style, I mean who wouldn't? Will need to do some more investigating, Thanks MrsDagboy
#15
Banned
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,551
Re: Type of house to buy?
Originally Posted by kt.2006
Hi
We are thinking of buying a house soon but can't decide what type of house to buy. We have been told that the house we are renting most likely contains asbestos and that as long as we don't disturb it we should be OK . Apparently this can be a problem renovating a house like this! The house is built on steel poles and when someone moves about too fast the house sways and you almost feel seasick. The walls are also very thin and traffic noise is a problem. Obviously we don't want to stay here too long and would not want to buy a house like this.
Other houses are made of wood which I'm not too keen on. Some houses, especially the stylish queenslanders, look great but in a lot of areas the houses look like sheds and the paint is peeling where they haven't been maintained which makes the area look a bit run down.
We have looked at modern houses which look fabulous. Trouble is unless you can afford a large plot of land the house almosts fills the entire plot so you are only a metre away from the next house and with no room for a pool. Also I can't understand why they have so much timber in the structure, especially when they have termites and white ants here.
I have been told that the type of house we are renting is the best type for the queensland weather because it keeps cool. I have also been told that it can get very cold here in the winter so that means this house with it's paper thin walls will get very cold. Would it not be better to build houses with very thick walls to keep the heat out in summer and the heat in during winter.
Are there any lovely mediterranean style houses in Brisbane with thick stone or even rendered breezeblock walls? If there is do they still have to be treated for termites and white ants, etc?
Just want to feel that the house will still be standing in 50 years time!
Kathy
We are thinking of buying a house soon but can't decide what type of house to buy. We have been told that the house we are renting most likely contains asbestos and that as long as we don't disturb it we should be OK . Apparently this can be a problem renovating a house like this! The house is built on steel poles and when someone moves about too fast the house sways and you almost feel seasick. The walls are also very thin and traffic noise is a problem. Obviously we don't want to stay here too long and would not want to buy a house like this.
Other houses are made of wood which I'm not too keen on. Some houses, especially the stylish queenslanders, look great but in a lot of areas the houses look like sheds and the paint is peeling where they haven't been maintained which makes the area look a bit run down.
We have looked at modern houses which look fabulous. Trouble is unless you can afford a large plot of land the house almosts fills the entire plot so you are only a metre away from the next house and with no room for a pool. Also I can't understand why they have so much timber in the structure, especially when they have termites and white ants here.
I have been told that the type of house we are renting is the best type for the queensland weather because it keeps cool. I have also been told that it can get very cold here in the winter so that means this house with it's paper thin walls will get very cold. Would it not be better to build houses with very thick walls to keep the heat out in summer and the heat in during winter.
Are there any lovely mediterranean style houses in Brisbane with thick stone or even rendered breezeblock walls? If there is do they still have to be treated for termites and white ants, etc?
Just want to feel that the house will still be standing in 50 years time!
Kathy
Are there any lovely mediterranean style houses in Brisbane with thick stone or even rendered breezeblock walls? heaps in Perth lol
Wood houses are fine as long as no pest problems.
I'd go for stone/brick persoanlly if I had my way.