Home Theatres
For a number of years, it was difficult to get approval for theatre rooms if they were proposed without windows as they did not comply with the Building Code of Australia. After much lobbying by builders and designers, the Building Code has been adjusted to allow theatre rooms without windows, which is normally required […]
Indoor Air
Home owners are starting to pay a lot more attention to indoor air quality when selecting building products. This is particularly the case where children, elderly, or sick are involved, as they are more vulnerable to toxins. It has been estimated that we spend 90% of our lives indoors, so it is no wonder that […]
Home-based Businesses
About 1 in every 4 home businesses employs at least 1 person. Most new homes are not designed for the home business, although increasingly provision is being made for a home – office in many new home designs. Your new house design will be an important part of keeping your sanity and a smoothly running […]
First Homebuyers & Building
First homebuyers comprise around twenty per cent of the new home market. This means that each year of the 20,000 new dwellings constructed each year, around 4,000 will be built by new homebuyers. Master Builders’ advice to homebuyers who are going through the building process for the first time is as follows: Make sure you […]
Narrow Lot Development
The move toward urban consolidation and home owners subdividing their existing properties has meant that more new home buyers are building on small narrow blocks. There is also a general trend to build larger 2 storey homes on smaller land areas. Houses are getting bigger, but blocks are getting smaller. There are a number […]
Owner Building
If you are considering building your own home, excluding some of the finishing work from your building contract, or renovating your existing home, you will need to apply to the Building Commission of Western Australia. All of the owners of the land must apply, and at least one applicant must provide evidence that he/she has […]
Building Inspections: New Homes
Under the Builders’ Registration Act a builder is legally responsible for all faulty and defective work for a period of six years after practical completion. Whether or not you engage a private building inspector will not affect the builder’s obligation for the integrity of the home. However, many buyers do seek assistance from a private […]
Building Documentation
When applying for a building permit, the documents required need to be to a “ready for construction” standard. The minimum requirements for a building project when it comes to documenting can be summarised as: Drawings or Plans – These describe visually, what will be built, where the building is situated, the size of rooms and […]
Corrosion Protection Requirements
Our love of the ocean and urban creep along the coast means we are exposing ourselves to more than just proximity to the beach. The National Construction Code (NCC) requires corrosion protection is required for buildings constructed within 1km of breaking surf, and other exposure environments. Breaking surf means any area of salt water in […]
Cubby Houses
Although most Local Governments take a relaxed approach to the humble cubby house when it comes to requiring approvals, it is important that before you consider investing time and money that you ring your local government or visit their website as they may have information regarding their policy or requirements before their installation. Building […]