Toots said...

Bathroom and kitchens are where you will spend most of your money so if you can keep them as small as possible the better.

can't cook in a small kitchen and hate small bathrooms

Simondo said...

Garage Door - 5.2m wide, not the more standard 4.6m to 4.8m.

Extra width to door and entire garage, allows you to get 2 cars in there, with far more comfort. And more comfort when getting in and out of cars. I know plenty of people around me with "normal small garages", and they can't even get 1 car in there. So much "stuff", shelves, kids toys, bikes.... not even room for 1 car !!

A standard Subaru Forester is 4.56m long x 1.8m. You want 0.75m on all sides, for comfort, parking tolerance, etc.
That means a 2 car garage should be 6m x 6.6m WITHOUT SHELVES. At least 6 x 6.25m. Add shelves to 3 sides, 400-500mm deep, plus 300+mm moving space = about 8m x 7m. That's a man's garage !!

Sure, you can go smaller.... But if you have toys, boards, kids, bikes, ski's, box's, a home business, etc.... 8m x 7m is THE GO !!. Or a separate storage area, separate to the garage. Perhaps a 3m x 5m storage room. Shelves on 3 sides... or shelves on 2 sides, toys on 1 side...... etc... either way, that extra 10-20m2 is critical for most people, in 2011 onwards.... bloody consumers !!

shed are never two big, better still have two or three of them

I cannot fathom why so many contemporary homes are built in metropolitan WA using double brick, cement block/face brick/rendering with clay tile roofs, given our climate?

I don't get big kitchens/bathrooms.

Kitchen: The best way to cook is to minimise the amount of washing up/cleaning up, use high heat and cook quickly. I use my gas BBQ 4-5 nights per week from September to March as I find it minimises energy consumption and clean up. I figure if I need a heap of bench space to prepare and cook, I am being inefficient and doing something wrong.

Bathroom: Shower, shave and cut hair. Baths are a waste of time/space. Girlfriend uses a portable backlit make up mirror if she feels the need. I like toilet/ bathroom/laundry in one as cleaning is easier and I like clever/well utilised space.


I guess my architectural tastes are influenced by Japanese and Asian residential designs. Less is more in my opinion.

create a design that incorporates enough windows{ ie louvres} that will provide the ability to have cross flow ventilation, also have vents in ceilings and roof spaces that can be opened/closed depending on climates to reduce the build up of hot air, this will also reduce aircond costs and create a healthier living environment, a house does require constant changes of air, also have reverse cycle ceiling fans in order to recirculate hot air from ceilings,
A company called HRV, a new Zealand company specializes in energy efficient cooling and heating systems than can be incorporated into both new and older homes, I don't have associations with the company, I have built using these principles into all the homes that i have built for myself for years now and are amazed at the reduction in energy usage and how simple the application of can be, you can work your home by these methods to reduce consumption rather than flicking a switch to heating or a/c.
Also open plan homes are great for living/ entertaining but you do require the ability to close of spaces, this can be done with sliding doors back into wall cavities, not necessarily by using cavity sliders as this reduces acoustic ratings.
create an environment that is fun to live in that is cheap to run, easy to maintain and then you will have more time to go surfing and with the family.
always happy to give my two bobs worth on your plans

from reading the comments here. I think you need to be very careful to think about a Victorian house as opposed to one from elsewhere in the country... especially re a house that holds heat... it's not going to make much difference on an August morning when it's been dark for 14 hours...

Can you find out who has recently built a house in the area that you're building in - and then ask them?

Hire a wicked van instead of building.

Then you can live with million dollar veiws every day,
move to shady or sunny position depending on the climate,
and they usually have hot half naked euro chicks hanging around them.

No rates,no water or electricity bills,no lawns to mow or fences to paint,very little cleaning for the misses,and the best locations to live in aus.

You can even get a replacement if it breaks down,at no extra cost.
Thats just sooooo wicked.

Toots said...

-Solar/ gas are the best and cost efficient water heating
-If you install solar panels for elec, build room for storage battery banks.
-

If you install solar panels to export electricity so that they pay for themselves you DONT want batteries as when you have a dark day they will drain quickly trying to feed the power network and are expensive to start with and expensive to maintain

Get a builder who knows what the term "square" means and gives a stuff about making sure that everything is. Just spent 2 full days installing a decidedly square wall unit into a corner that decidedly wasn't.

Red,

Lots of advice here, most of it on design aspects which you may already have sorted.

I am just at the tail end of a rather large owner builder project and can give lots of advice if you are thinking of managing it yourself. there are so many ways to save money or get a better product for the same price.

Different story if with a building contract, but can be done.

As for your request for things to put in during construction, this is a small sample of mine:

1) data cabling to every room, cheap to do it now, expensive later.
2) wiring for security/and or CCTV system, including outside sensor lights
3) plumbing/power for an outdoor BBQ if you might need one down the track
4) in wall HDMI cables and extra noggings for wall mounts for that 80inch plasma you will buy in 5 years
5) same with speaker wire etc for your sound system, including outdoor speakers.
6) work out if you want a front door intercom/doorbell etc and allow cabling for it.
7) if your roof truss allows it, find a way to put in an access hatch and flooring in the ceiling to use as storage - with a power point and light.
8) we had the carpenter install a secret compartment (with false door) in the ensuite to store valuables.

busterwa said...



r]Build your house so that the main roof expanse faces north

The idiot neighbors though of that and will soon be staring at the back of my 40 foot shed..Why the hell would you build facing someone elses property I dunno what would posses anyone to build on such a ****ed up angle. Bet yah there regretting it now for the sake of a few dollars in heating and cooling.

Build parallel with your block ffs.

I didn't say to build the house facing north just the roof to maximise use of solar heater/power

Toots said...

Paradox said...

Red,


8) we had the carpenter install a secret compartment (with false door) in the ensuite to store valuables.

Not to grow Hydro?

Nooo......but I did not mention that I also burried a 22,000L tank under the garage with a trapdoor access...

I was thinking wine cellar, but hey, a year or two of alternative use and I could stock it very well

Floating is certainly an issue in the right (or wrong) conditions, but adequately assessed and addressed in my case, without the need for pumps thankfully.

My main issue was that before the roof downpipes were hooked up to the water tank (seperate tank) they drained the whole roof into a small area that regualrly flooded to near slab height. This would have been fine except the power and air con conduit for the cellar came out in the same area near top of slab.

Consequenlty I have now emptied the bloody cellar 3 times.

Downpipes are now in place so no longer a problem. Air con goes in shortly and wine straight after that! well, lid and lock to keep the wife out, then wine...