Hi guys,
Over the weekend we have hit our first problem with our build, even though it is not a major one. The problem is the people who own the land next door have started to build about 5m from our fence line (this is basically what we were going to do too. The problem crops up that our zoning guideline states that we cannot be within 15m of a dwelling not in our ownership.
We basically have 2 options the first is the easiest and probably the one we will go with.
1. Move the house location physically on our block so we are not within the 15m restriction zone. This will reduce the distance to our fence on the other side however
2. To get planning permission from the local council to override the planning restriction. This could be a costly and drawn out process with no guarantee of success so you can see my reluctance to go down this path.
We will hopefully make a decision over the next couple of days and I will keep you all informed about our progress
Cheers Michael
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Septic system
Hi guys just thought I would update on how everything is going. I will endeavor to make weekly or fortnightly postings on how everything is going. We have received our quote for our septic system which is about $6,500 for the system not including the plumbing to the house and an additional $400 for the permits etc from council that the contractor is taking care of.
The system consists of
- The septic tank
- 24sqm sand filter
- 1000 Lt pump well
- submersible pump
- 250 sqm irrigation system
- visual alarm
- chlorination chamber
From what I have read elsewhere the system we use in Victoria can be very different to those used in other states. Ours discharges onto the land and only requires pumping of the tank for maintenance rather than really emptying them.
The system consists of
- The septic tank
- 24sqm sand filter
- 1000 Lt pump well
- submersible pump
- 250 sqm irrigation system
- visual alarm
- chlorination chamber
From what I have read elsewhere the system we use in Victoria can be very different to those used in other states. Ours discharges onto the land and only requires pumping of the tank for maintenance rather than really emptying them.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Photos
Hi, Sorry havn't posted in a few weeks but been a bit frantic. We have just recieved our certificate of conscent to allow us to be owner builders, the structural engineers is nearly finished our drawings and we have just applied for our septic permit through council. So after we get all that done we can get our building permit and we will be good to go.
If have just added some photos of the block of land and of a model of the house that we have had done. There will be more of the model, my fiancée is going to take some more artistic ones so should have them up soon too
If have just added some photos of the block of land and of a model of the house that we have had done. There will be more of the model, my fiancée is going to take some more artistic ones so should have them up soon too
Monday, September 13, 2010
5 star energy rating
Hi all,
As many of you may be aware there is a requirement in Victoria for any new house to meet a minimum standard of 5 stars in terms of energy rating. There are many places you can get these done and many surveyors or draftsmen are trained and accredited to do it.
Basically you will submit your plans, elevations etc with any information about construction techniques, insulation types, window types and building fabric (eg: bricks or timber clad).
The amount you pay will vary slightly from certifier to certifier but we paid $200 for ours and was done within a week of submitting our plans etc. What you need to be careful of is that once the rating is done you can't really change the plans as they stamp as set of plans as being compliant and they need to be submitted to your building surveyor for the building permit.
Our house achieved a 7.2 star rating without taking into account any appliances apart from solar hot water. Most house can have the appliances taken into account from what I understand but its best to check with your certifier. That also means you have to have all you appliances picked etc before it goes in for assessment.
Our next step is getting our engineers drawings then we can submit to get out building permit and get the project going.
As many of you may be aware there is a requirement in Victoria for any new house to meet a minimum standard of 5 stars in terms of energy rating. There are many places you can get these done and many surveyors or draftsmen are trained and accredited to do it.
Basically you will submit your plans, elevations etc with any information about construction techniques, insulation types, window types and building fabric (eg: bricks or timber clad).
The amount you pay will vary slightly from certifier to certifier but we paid $200 for ours and was done within a week of submitting our plans etc. What you need to be careful of is that once the rating is done you can't really change the plans as they stamp as set of plans as being compliant and they need to be submitted to your building surveyor for the building permit.
Our house achieved a 7.2 star rating without taking into account any appliances apart from solar hot water. Most house can have the appliances taken into account from what I understand but its best to check with your certifier. That also means you have to have all you appliances picked etc before it goes in for assessment.
Our next step is getting our engineers drawings then we can submit to get out building permit and get the project going.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Bushfire assessment
In Victoria, I'm not sure about other states of Australia, you will need to get a bushfire assessment if building in any rural area no matter what you think the risk to your property is. This bushfire assessment is part of the building permit process and most building surveyors will probably be able to recommend someone in your area.
The assessment basically consists of a trained assessor going to site to look around and then making determinations of the level of risk associated with the surrounding vegetation. There are many different classifications and more information will be available from the assessor.
The different rating that the assessor gives the property and the location of the house will determine things like what precautions you would need to take. In some cases like ours we are at a sufficient distance from the nearest fire source that we don't need to change the building in any way. However additions like fire shutters or fire suppression systems might be needed, however your assessor will advise on what systems or modifications are required.
As part of this process you will need to have positioned your house or building on the site that you have obtained from the survey plan. The reason you need to do this is so the assessor can check how close the house will be to the nearest fire source.
The assessment only cost a few hundred dollars and it pays to have the information up front so you can make any changes you need to straight away rather than having to quickly change something when applying for the building permit.
The assessment basically consists of a trained assessor going to site to look around and then making determinations of the level of risk associated with the surrounding vegetation. There are many different classifications and more information will be available from the assessor.
The different rating that the assessor gives the property and the location of the house will determine things like what precautions you would need to take. In some cases like ours we are at a sufficient distance from the nearest fire source that we don't need to change the building in any way. However additions like fire shutters or fire suppression systems might be needed, however your assessor will advise on what systems or modifications are required.
As part of this process you will need to have positioned your house or building on the site that you have obtained from the survey plan. The reason you need to do this is so the assessor can check how close the house will be to the nearest fire source.
The assessment only cost a few hundred dollars and it pays to have the information up front so you can make any changes you need to straight away rather than having to quickly change something when applying for the building permit.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Septic System
Hi all progress is going well and as most of you will discover if building in a rural area there is a need for a septic system in most cases. You will probably (as in our case) need to get a permit from your local council for septic approval.
This is basically so that the council can monitor the installation of the septic system and make sure that everything is up to code etc.
To get you septic system design there are plumbers that will specilise in this, its probably a good idea to get a plumber that can do your normal plumbing and roof plumbing as well . This way if they are doing more work for you they will more than likely give you a better price.
next update will be about structural engineers and what you can use them for
This is basically so that the council can monitor the installation of the septic system and make sure that everything is up to code etc.
To get you septic system design there are plumbers that will specilise in this, its probably a good idea to get a plumber that can do your normal plumbing and roof plumbing as well . This way if they are doing more work for you they will more than likely give you a better price.
next update will be about structural engineers and what you can use them for
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Certificate of consent
In Victoria there is a requirement for you to get permission to be able to become an owner builder if you are not already a registered building practitioner. To do this you will need to download the owner builder kit from the building commission website. (there is a link on the right of this page).
Once you have filled out the form you submit it to the commission with the processing fee and they will then asses the submission. You will need a copy of the title that you can get from the title office or www.land.vic.gov.au you need to be aware when applying for both the certificate of consent and for your building permit you need to make sure that the copy of title has to be recent not older than about 100 days but you need to check these requirements.
During this whole process its best to have gone to see a building surveyor which is the person that issues the building permit, and its helpful if they are a user friendly to help guide you through this process.
Once you have filled out the form you submit it to the commission with the processing fee and they will then asses the submission. You will need a copy of the title that you can get from the title office or www.land.vic.gov.au you need to be aware when applying for both the certificate of consent and for your building permit you need to make sure that the copy of title has to be recent not older than about 100 days but you need to check these requirements.
During this whole process its best to have gone to see a building surveyor which is the person that issues the building permit, and its helpful if they are a user friendly to help guide you through this process.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Survey plans and soil testing
We are pretty lucky in that our block of land is pretty flat and there arn't any impeding features on our block apart from the 500 or so trees we have planted ourselves around our boundary. There is the planning process that most people will need to go through in Victoria when you build a house and this is achieved by submitting plans etc to your local council for approval. It is a good idea however before you submit anything that you give them a call and ask what the requirements are exactly for your block (they can look it up and assist you). It is a good idea to ask before you submit because the process can be quiet costly and if you have to re-submit it will cost you again.
The planning scheme is also available online through the Victorian Government website www.vic.gov.au . We are lucky though and as our house does not need a planning permit due to the zoning of our land.
Soil testing and a site survey are pretty essential tools for getting the job going. The soil test is pretty straight forward just get a geotech company to go out to your block and they will dig three or so test holes and classify the soil, and give you a report about the composition of the ground. You can then get your slab etc designed by a structural engineer based on that report.
The survey is also straight forward a survey company will go out and map out all the appropriate features of your block. It is handy to get the report they will produce in hardcopy as well as CAD and PDF format as well so your architect or designer can put your plans over the top of the survey.
The planning scheme is also available online through the Victorian Government website www.vic.gov.au . We are lucky though and as our house does not need a planning permit due to the zoning of our land.
Soil testing and a site survey are pretty essential tools for getting the job going. The soil test is pretty straight forward just get a geotech company to go out to your block and they will dig three or so test holes and classify the soil, and give you a report about the composition of the ground. You can then get your slab etc designed by a structural engineer based on that report.
The survey is also straight forward a survey company will go out and map out all the appropriate features of your block. It is handy to get the report they will produce in hardcopy as well as CAD and PDF format as well so your architect or designer can put your plans over the top of the survey.
Getting started
Gday, I suppose I should introduce myself, my name is Michael I am a recent graduate of Architecture and have been working in the field for a small firm for about 3 years. My partner and I have purchased a block of land in regional Victoria of 2.5 acres approx 50m x 200m. Now for the last few months I have been putting together the plans and they are nearly complete.
We have decided to build our house through the owner builder type construction with myself and family and friends helping out as we know a fair few of the trades as well as subcontract out any of the work that legally we cant do or want to get someone qualified to do.
Im putting this blog together to help document our process and if it helps a few people in a similar situation along the way thats great. I will try to cover all the steps that we go through but i might miss some out and this isn't meant to be a definitive guide or a complete list as every project is different and u should seek advice from the appropriate professionals like Architects, Builders, your local council and anyone else that would be relevant.
We have decided to build our house through the owner builder type construction with myself and family and friends helping out as we know a fair few of the trades as well as subcontract out any of the work that legally we cant do or want to get someone qualified to do.
Im putting this blog together to help document our process and if it helps a few people in a similar situation along the way thats great. I will try to cover all the steps that we go through but i might miss some out and this isn't meant to be a definitive guide or a complete list as every project is different and u should seek advice from the appropriate professionals like Architects, Builders, your local council and anyone else that would be relevant.
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