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.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
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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