Advice On Building Your Own Home

[Guest netty999panda]

Hi

 

We're in the process of obtaining a visa to emigrate. What we'd really like to do is buy a piece of land and build our own place once over there. Ideally we'd like to build a four bedroom/2 bathroom place. My husband's not a builder, but is a very good DIYer, and we'd be looking for a builder to build the shell for us and then we'd take over from there. We're keen to move to the Belair/Coromandel Valley area. Can anyone offer any advice as this is a fairly new experience. We have previously renovated two properties, and we're in the middle of renovating our current one. I have experienced building a place before when I was a child, as my dad, who's a builder, built our family home.

 

We have been looking at land prices, and we've also seen the houses you can choose for around $125K upwards where the contractors come in a erect the house for you. This is obviously an option to us, but we thought it would probably be cheaper to do it ourselves. Can anyone who's 'been there and done that' offer us any advice, and give us an idea about how much it costs if you do build yourself? Also, are you allowed to live in a static caravan on the site whilst you build?

 

Many thanks

 

Sarah

[Guest graandjac]

:)Hi , we're in the process of building although its not yet started, The builders prices you see dont inc footings as this is worked out once you have your block by soil testing as there might be rock under the ground.

Also you have to do the stormwater which is really under ground guttering to take all the rain water away but they do do the guttering side of things and the down pipes, you just connect to this.

Also you need to allow for rain water tank and connection to a pump which re cycles it through to your toilet for flushing.This is a requirement depending on which area you are in i have to have a 3000ltr rain water tank for the size of my block which is just under 700sqm. No floor coverings are included in th price.

The builders make a huge profit on "extras" WARNING to anyone building dont get the builders to do any extras you CAN source the trades yourself......rain water, retaining walls, landscaping. Also the basic prices are for a fixed no of lights , sockets etc any extras cost.....and cost alot some builders are $140.00 per light.

 

A new build is easy if you DO YOUR HOMEWORK......there are too many people moaning about the Hidden costs........there not hidden if you do your homework. For someone who can do some diy inside and out you can save heaps. Was told the other day that if you want to self build 100% as in sourcing all the trades then the banks might not finance it unless the one of the builders is doing the project, but need to check this.

Ask lots of questions and more do your homework and you can buils a nice house for a lot cheaper than the uk, our 250sqm 4 bed home in our dream spot going middle of the road on the costs on a 700sqm block is going to cost approx $430,000, this house in the uk would cost £340,000 to £380,000 although iam guessing as i know things are dropping in the uk pretty rapid. good luck cheers Graham

[Guest lynne]

Its best to choose a flat plot as an uneven plot costs more to build on and is more difficult. Also builders will perfer to work on a flat plot than a hilly one because the work is easy and faster to do. So first consider the plot you choose.

 

Our friends have just build a beautiful 5 bedrooms, two story home with balconies facing the see. He done alot of the work himself and it cost 300,000 plus the cost of the land. But he has a wonderful house with a large garage to store his boat.

[Guest graandjac]

Its best to choose a flat plot as an uneven plot costs more to build on and is more difficult. Also builders will perfer to work on a flat plot than a hilly one because the work is easy and faster to do. So first consider the plot you choose.

 

Our friends have just build a beautiful 5 bedrooms, two story home with balconies facing the see. He done alot of the work himself and it cost 300,000 plus the cost of the land. But he has a wonderful house with a large garage to store his boat.

 

Although the flat blocks are cheaper to build on its not a problem to build on a slope , there are not many flat blocks around . For us the slope gives us the chance to have fantastic views and a bit of character to our house, but from the builders point of view there are lots of builders who can build on a slope.cheers Graham

[Guest guest569]

Hi

 

We're in the process of obtaining a visa to emigrate. What we'd really like to do is buy a piece of land and build our own place once over there. Ideally we'd like to build a four bedroom/2 bathroom place. My husband's not a builder, but is a very good DIYer, and we'd be looking for a builder to build the shell for us and then we'd take over from there. We're keen to move to the Belair/Coromandel Valley area. Can anyone offer any advice as this is a fairly new experience. We have previously renovated two properties, and we're in the middle of renovating our current one. I have experienced building a place before when I was a child, as my dad, who's a builder, built our family home.

 

We have been looking at land prices, and we've also seen the houses you can choose for around $125K upwards where the contractors come in a erect the house for you. This is obviously an option to us, but we thought it would probably be cheaper to do it ourselves. Can anyone who's 'been there and done that' offer us any advice, and give us an idea about how much it costs if you do build yourself? Also, are you allowed to live in a static caravan on the site whilst you build?

 

Many thanks

 

Sarah

Although your hubby is a keen DIY expert and probably very capable of finishing your shell i think the silly liscence laws in SA will prevent you from doing any work yourselves.

[Guest graandjac]

:)PP is right with regards to plumbing ,electrics, but you can do lots yourself all landscaping, internal flooring , storm water and tiling etc, you are able to work on your own property more than if charging for a job on someone elses un licensed....think that makes sence..??cheers Graham

[Guest netty999panda]

Hi Lynne

 

Thanks for replying, everyone's been really helpful. Just a couple of questions:

 

Was that £300K or $300K?

 

Did your friend build the place themselves or did they have someone come in and do it for them?

 

Is there plenty of land around? The reason I ask is because I noted that the large building companies buy up large blocks of land and build, much as they do back here in the UK.

 

Lastly, do smaller plots of land, around 900sq mtrs, come up often?

 

Thanks again everyone for your brilliant help!

 

Sarah

[Guest lynne]

that was 300.000 dollars and they had a plumber and electician but they put the floors down themselves and done the bathrooms etc. The area they built the house in is Normanville. There are other plots of land up for sale. But if you work in Adelaide alot of people would consider this distance too far to travel

[Guest graandjac]

Lastly, do smaller plots of land, around 900sq mtrs, come up often?

 

900sqm is not a small block its a very good sized one....!!!!and one of that size in a flat area COSTS there are blocks on the Point development over 1000sqm for $180,000 plus but thay have a serious slope....which means serious build costs. you can get cheeper out in the sticks. cheers Graham

[Guest guest569]

If you don't mind being north of the city and an hour away from the nearest beach you can get large flat plots of land. Worked in Angle Vale today and there might suit your needs.