GreenTea

We were finding it very difficult to find a house we could afford and would actualy live in. However we finaly got a dellapodated wooden shed, and we love it.


What have you thought of the housing and what will you buy or have bought?

Wendy

We went for the 'doer upper' as well. Mostly because you get more land and house for your money, plus our house is double brick so a lot more sturdy than one with a timber frame.

BadgeIsBack

Double brick is great and am I right in saying it is termite proof without a timber supported roof?

Our house is a 25 year old modest 3x2 - not appreciably bigger than a small detached home in the UK although it has features that endear it to us like an ensuite etc fairly good sized rooms by UK standards. It's on an acre and has a huge deck and pool.

We're going to add a double storey extension later on and have a master bedroom, ensuite and sitting area over a family room keeping the old house as a kitchen/library/sort of formal area which the family wanting quiet can use.

Until then I'm building a 6mx6m workshop study/retreat down the back and we might even convert the garage into a useable room by lining and drought-proofing it.

Wendy

Erm, I have no idea Haven't found any, so I guess so

I didn't think ours was that big, but my OH measured around it on google earth (yes, I think he was bored that day ) and we could fit the house we had in the UK 7 times into our yard I'm not sure if you just forget how small the houses are in the UK.

Our intention is to do this up, and then in about 4 years time sell and buy something smaller. That's when my son will have finished school and moved out - he and his mates are apparantly all going to get a house together (that'll be fun! )

Buzzy--Bee

You do forget. Even after being in NZ on holiday for 1 month a few years ago we returned to our semi-detached in Ruislip and were surprised how small it was! Goodness knows what we'd think if we saw it again now.

English houses are apparently an average of 81m2 floor space. Australian ones are about 250m2 on average. HOWEVER English suburban gardens are in the main bigger than Australian suburban gardens, which is why people like me and Badge have bought acreage..........

Buzzy

nurselindsey

We have bought some land and are building as we found that we really couldn't afford the sort of house we wanted (when including the cost of stamp duty). Andy is a disasterous DIYer and it would have cost us shed loads to get people in to do the work. We are very happy with what we have decided and quids in cos we couldn't have bought it although the downside is that we have to rent for 12 months and at the latter stages of the build we have to pay rent and a portion of the mortgage

Lindsey

walaj

we have ended up in a single level 1940s house - 3 bedrms like UK (main a bit bigger, 2nd smaller 3rd around the same), bathroom smaller (& it was a small one in UK), 2nd toilet is now outside! The only extra house space is the sun/play rm. We have also gone back to avocado & pink colour schemes

However the 'little' bit of land past the pool is about the same as back yard in UK, with the remaining backyard probably bigger than the size of the whole block in the UK. Of course no pool in the UK, but then this cost nearly double what we sold the UK place for.

Plan is for rebuild, but that is several years off.

spartacus

Love the old Queenslanders and Federation style housing and in an ideal world that's what we would have gone for.

However we always had 'doeruppers' in the UK, and I just don't have the motivation anymore, so we've gone for a house and land package on a development with this bunch here:

http://www.mirvac.com.au/forsale/qld...y/index_a.html

Nothing to do but landscaping.

kezzabird

I love the federation style houses down here in Tas too. But we have just bought a fabulous 3 bed house on 10 acres. Its on one level and has amazing veiws of the valley below. Its not a federation style but is a solid brick home built 20 years ago, with 2 family rooms it has plenty of room for us, and lots of potential to extend, and subdivide at a later stage.

Amazulu

A 4x2 brick, double storey that needs work done (the place was run-down but liveable), on a 2500sqm semi-rural block. We are about to embark on an extension and renovation (new kitchen/bathrooms/bedrooms etc) to the place that should take 6 months. We have done extensive work to the pool and other outdoor areas. A 9x6m shed/workshop/garage, electric gates and new fencing will be installed in the next few months.

I love it there.

Timber Floor Au

In order.

1. mates double garage for 3 months, concrete, green tree frogs and huntsman !

2. a 5 acre block with lowset, pool, sheds, paddocks, and a huge dam. Landscaped island, and palms, beaut grass/lawns.

3. a 7 acre rental, with 40ft x 30ft lounge !!! 5 beds, and a spa. Scrub/bush block, very treed

4. a 4 bed 5 acre rental , no pool, mongrel block, but brand new. All grass, and rock

5. a 4 bed new house we built ourselves, on 10 acres, just sold. No Landscaping apart from a island we did !

6. bought a new place ( 12 yrs old ) 2.5 acres ( 1 hectare ), pool, 2 houses, 6/7 beds. Fully landscaped.

Weird way round lol !

Ste

moneypenny20

We bought a 4x2 timber frame low set which is not the nicest BUT it's on an acre and a half of fab land, five minutes from the sea. We got the worst house on the best street whilst not knowing it was the best street. It's not a dooer upper, it's got 'good bones' and just needed tidying up and ripping the so called flower beds out so that you could look out of the windows Can't see us moving for a fair long while.

cufc

Does it matter a homes a home!!!

shiels

Well, we brought a 3x1 which will shortly become a 4x2 as we are currently renovating it!!! Looks like a building site at the moment!!! Apparently ours is a good street too!! C x

Simba

We have bought a block of land the builders start next month building a 4x2.