G'day larry_z
There are many ways to find custom home builders online;
Houzz.com.au
Productreview.com.au
Instagram
hi pages.com.au
If you can get a reliable referral from a friend,…

hahaha - I've honestly never heard that before!
I'll have a look back in the posts now

Passive can get pretty pricey!
As a civil energy system engineer, I've worked on a wide range of systems.
To get what you want, it's important to combine the right level…

Hey savagepuppy
In fairness to builders, they're at the mercy of the insurers, and conditions change constantly.
They might not know their discount…

Hey banjoDan
To clarify - when you say KISS - do you mean ?
The majority of passive cooling effects would be hard…

Hey annadeeCee
Regarding capturing passive energy, what is the goal? Are you aiming for full passive house certification? Or simply a reduction on…

Hey all!
From speaking to some Builder on the ground in Melbourne, they have done a flat markup up across all cost centres in some cases of 7% - 12%.
Small…

Yes, typically the client maintains a copyright on the drawings they work up with you.
So you would need to start from scratch on new plans.
The final price usually ends…

Hey dvan
I wrote a blog with
Feel free to ask any questions also - would be happy to help out!

Thanks for sending that through. The proposed plan seems functional but the budget may end up being quite tight.
The issue with working with existing building is that you never…

Yes that is how I read it too.
However, I would just send them an email & ask for written clarification in any case.
The exact number of all electrical…

Thanks for the response.
Having a fixed start date & timeframe stipulated is a good pick up. It's one that most people don't think about when signing.
People tend to…

Hey spazzen
That's a great case study. All this information would be very helpful for someone starting out. The internet does not provide…

Great work cd12JD
Really enjoyed reading about your journey!

Hi kelmartian
Does the agreement you signed give you the right to get prices from other builders?
The issues in the industry now are…

When signing either a HIA or MBA contract, be aware that you don't automatically have access to the site. The public isn't allowed on construction sites for "safety reasons". It…

Hey zeeextra
Has the cooling off period for the contract finished?
You may be liable for damages but in most cases if you just…

Hey jasperdmx
Typically the switches & points would be a seperate item.
For example if the builder offered;
Cooktop
Rangehood
Dishwasher
20 points & switches
You would be left…

Hey melandBlitz
Good luck with your project.
that gives details about the different stages of a custom home build. Extensions follow a similar process.…

Hey vov
How's the project coming along?
If you want to find out if the project is feasible, you should have an engineer…

Hey bbarbosa85 - good luck with your build!
There is a lot of great info on here to lean on.
How far along in…

That's great, best of luck. I hope the tender comes back as expected.
Understanding what custom builders quote includes and excludes can be tricky.
Builders should provide a breakdown of…

Hey ,
I think your best option at this point would be to get a layer of self levelling screed put on top of the slab.

It would cost another $1,500…

Hey everyone
I started blogging a few weeks ago about custom home building & renovations. I'm a civil engineer turned project manager, and have been involved in dozens of home building…

Hey there, Prash.
I read your post and thought I could assist.
Your choice of a custom builder or one of the big new home builders depends on how complex your design…

Hi there KnockItDown
Your whole journey was fascinating to read. What an adventure!
How did you go about preparing the tender for builders?
Did an estimator do a BOQ estimate for you?
I have…