Multi-storey Homes
There are a number of specific construction issues with two storey homes. Obviously the square metre cost and length of the construction period will be greater when a second storey is added. Costs for additional storeys often double due to the cost of scaffolding, the requirement for engineering certification of the suspended slab and the […]
Painting
Giving your home a fresh coat of paint not only freshens and updates the look of your home, it also maintains the surfaces like exposed timber (veranda posts, timber windows and doors), metal and wall finishes externally and internally. Many people opt to DIY, but it you are looking to have painting work done by […]
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 […]
Choosing a Builder
The choice of a builder will be influenced by the size and type of project. If it is a new house, do you choose a project home or a custom builder? A remodelling project (ie. renovations, alterations and additions) for instance, usually requires a different level of experience and expertise to blend the old with […]
Condensation
Condensation is at its maximum in new homes. When homes are built many gallons of water go into materials such as concrete, plaster, wallpaper, tile work and even some types of paint. This water evaporates; which explains the reason for a higher moisture content than usual in new homes. To aid the drying out process […]
Cooling a Home
The hot summer months in Perth require attention on how we can cool our homes. The recent upsurge in use of domestic air-conditioners (either refrigerated or evaporative) is one way residents have dealt with the problem. However both the upfront and usage costs of mechanical cooling devices can be expensive. As an alternative there are […]
Designing a Home
Many builders have an “in-house” design team that will draw up your building plans as a service to a client. However, ownership of the plans will remain with the builder, and you will be locked in to that builder if you wish to use that design. For one-off designs, consumers can choose architects or draftpeople/designers. […]