Innholdsfortegnelse for 23.1 i BuildHome

Building a house can be one of the most daunting tasks you will ever face. However, if done properly, it can also be one of the most rewarding. Researching your builder’s background, developing a floor plan that suits your individual lifestyle, and calculating a realistic budget can be the difference between your ideal home and a living nightmare. Australia’s leading builders have given us their top 10 tips to help you make the right decisions before building your home. 1. YOUR LOAN Obtain a financial loan that is suitable for you and consider your needs before making a decision. Chief executive offi cer of Hotondo Homes, Caroline Kennedy, says, “Think about important factors such as fixed rates, variable rates, re-draw capabilities and the length of the loan. Make sure the…

“The Hume 263 is a home designed for families looking for open-plan living with a relaxed feel and touches of luxury. With four bedrooms, two bathrooms and amazing wow factor, the Hume allows you to see right through the home, from the front door to the alfresco area. To make the most of the outdoor space, a white pergola was introduced, which has added interest and increased the perceived size of the area. This is great for families who love to entertain. We wanted to create a statement home that would attract attention so the optional Hotondo Homes Orana facade was chosen. This is beautifully contrasted with bold blacks, greys and whites, leaning away from traditionally safer tones. A metallic pewter-coloured brick was the starting point, and then the rest…

“Suited to almost any location — farm, suburbia, acreage or beachfront — Storybook Designer Homes’ residences are always inviting. Our attic-style houses are intended to look like they’ve jumped straight out of a picture book. “Our team of experienced and professional staff strives to please and accommodate all clients. We understand that designing and planning are the most important aspects of building a new home or adding an extension to an existing property. “Whether you’re looking for a modern or traditional-style residence, we have a design to suit. And while there are more than 2000 designs to choose from, we focus on providing an individual design service for all our clients. “Storybook clearly understands the powerful influence emotive architecture has on those who live in or visit such houses. It…

“Our clients were a working couple that didn’t want to have wait 18 months for their house to be built by going through a project builder. They were able to save a considerable amount of money and time by purchasing a kit home based on a standard design. They still had the option of making modifications to the plan without the normal variation charges that project home builders charge. “These new homeowners found us through our web page; as we deliver houses Australia-wide and export internationally a lot too, we sometimes don’t even have the opportunity to meet the clients. However, via phone calls and emails we can guide the client through the construction process without ever actually going on site. “These clients were looking for a faster and more…

Your house is probably the biggest investment you will ever make and after working so hard for so many years to keep a roof over your head, of course you want to protect it. But do you understand all there is to know about home and contents insurance? From storm damage to dog bites and the puzzle over home vacancy, many homeowners are in the dark about what their policies will cover. WHAT IS HOME INSURANCE? Home insurance covers the cost to repair your property from events such as fire, burst pipes, natural disasters, theft and much more. It is often split into two parts: building insurance covers your bricks and mortar, while home contents insurance covers you for loss or accidental damage to your belongings. WHAT’S INCLUDED? Loss or…

“Emma and Troy approached us with a dream to build a Hamptonsinspired Queenslander on their moderately steep sloping site at The Gap in Brisbane. The internal design needed to accommodate their young family and a very busy lifestyle, both now and in the future. “Kevin Hincksman, the senior designer at Garth Chapman Queenslanders, worked closely with Emma and Troy to establish a design that would fit their brief, the budget, the site and other topographical variables. “The result is a split-level home with a bold Hamptons facade that subtly follows the contours of the land. This minimised the need for cutting and filling the land and the expensive retaining walls building a standard slab-on-ground home would have presented. “Expanding on previous works by GCQ along with considerable research enabled the…

“Our newest four-bedroom, two-storey display home effectively demonstrates how luxury living can be achieved in a home designed to suit today’s smaller block sizes. With over 393 square metres of living space, it sits comfortably on a 12.5 metre x 30 metre site. “Internally, we enhanced the feeling of spaciousness by incorporating clear sight lines from the entry to the light-filled living areas at the rear. A void above the entry and hallway paired with the use of high quality porcelain floor tiles adds to the feeling of light and space, overcoming the dark, tunnel effect so often a problem in terrace-style homes. We added an open tread timber and glass staircase to enhance the sense of style and space. “A sizeable study located near the front door could easily…

BRINGING THE OUTDOORS, IN Add something a little extra to the kitchen with the elegant collection of tableware from Villeroy & Boch. Quinsai Garden takes its inspiration from the Silk Road Traveller Marco Polo, and his expeditions within East Asia. The tableware mirrors the floral splendour that Marco Polo found in the beautiful city of Quinsai. The Quinsai Garden collection offers both practicality and aesthetically captivating products that double as both dinner plates and art. The collection is available in a range of plates, serving platters, bowls and coffee cups and saucers. The Villeroy & Boch Quinsai Garden collection is available at selected David Jones and Myer department stores as well as online from the Villeroy & Boch e-shop. For more information, villeroy-boch.com.au MODULAR MAGNIFICENCE Modular homes offer a new…

Established in 1993, The Hills Building and Design Awards were created to celebrate the design and construction found in the Hills Shire, Sydney. The Awards recognise and promote excellence in the building industry and showcase the skill coming to life every year in this area of NSW. 2016’s finalists have now been announced and all involved display cutting-edge and innovative dexterity and ability across a variety of home building sectors. Award-winners will be announced at the Hills Building and Design Awards Gala dinner on the 21 October at Curzon Hall, Sydney. 2016 FINALISTS CATEGORY 1: RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPING URBAN Sand & Stone Landscapes – West Pennant Hills Kassis Classic Homes – West Pennant Hills CATEGORY 2A: SWIMMING POOL/SPA & SURROUNDS – UP TO $60,000 Malibu Pools & Spas (NSW) – Kellyville…

“Our client was a young working family of five who were looking for a design and construct home that could stand out from the crowd. Being a young family, they wanted a space that catered to their needs, while still offering wow-factor to visitors. “The home includes an open-plan layout that flows to a covered alfresco area and garden, and four private bedrooms for the family to retreat to. The layout of the space makes the home perfect for entertaining and relaxing indoors and out all year round. “The colour scheme selected by the family is contemporary and fresh; keeping to monochromatic hues dashed with dark greys that complement the luxurious fittings and fixtures. Despite being particularly contemporary in style, the home is still cosy enough to feel like a…

“Built in the new Willowdale Estate at Denham Court, our latest display is an excellent example of a large, functional home built on an average-size block of land at an achievable cost, yet with many extra inclusions. “This single-storey home is typical of Trevelle Homes’ style, which creates the feeling of a custom home design with all the trimmings, but it’s designed and built to be within the average family’s budget. “We created it with young families in mind, so it is set over 28 squares and offers four bedrooms, a separate kids’ area and an abundance of entertaining spaces so that all members of the family have plenty of room to enjoy themselves. “However, the major centrepiece, or hub, of this home is the large open-plan kitchen and family…

Kit, manufactured and transportable homes offer practical solutions to a range of building challenges and give owners the satisfaction of building their own house. Kit homes are a great option for those with a short timeframe, as a large part of the construction can take place off-site and be delivered to your land. They are also much cheaper than building from scratch, with options to suit every budget, approach and desired house size. Proudly sponsored by Parkwood Homes…

“Our clients were a working family from the North Shore of Sydney. They chose to pull down their existing beach fibro holiday home and build an easy modern holiday home suited to their property’s special positioning on the water opposite the ferry wharf and pier in the Central Coast. “They had architect approved plans already drawn up, but found they were too expensive and they had just finished renovating their home in Sydney, which was costly and time-consuming. The clients didn’t want to incur similar blow-outs in costs, instead looking for a fixed-price contract without the hassle of managing the build. “When the client contacted us, they said they had been recommended to look at pre-fab homes as an alternative. They were looking for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom open-plan beach house…

When building or renovating, it’s important to remember that a home is more than bricks and mortar. It’s never too early to start thinking about how you’ll use the space once you’re living in it. For many, this is where the real fun begins. How is your house going to work, practically? How is it going to look? How can you make it your own? The right products and finishes are what will take your project to the next level, and planning early will enable you to integrate them fully into your home’s design. Proudly sponsored by SPANTEC™…

Meandering up the highway north from Brisbane just a few decades ago, you’d see wide expanses of farmland, quaint country villages and a few scattered towns dotted along the sundrenched, sparkling Sunshine Coast beaches. A little before the champagne corks were popped to herald in the new millennium, things began to change. Rough gravel roads morphed into paved dual-lane carriageways, beach shacks were razed to make way for multistorey structures stretching skyward, and developers snapped up huge land parcels to build master planned communities from the ground up. And it seems that it’s just the beginning of the boom. The population in 2016 is currently around 300,000, and projected population growth is set to double in 15 years, outstripping many major Australian growth centres. So why are people flocking to…

A luxury home is something that most of us spend a lot of time dreaming about. But what is it that makes a luxury home, luxurious? Is it the layout, the addition of a pool, tennis court and a sauna? Is it the general ambience of lavishness and opulence that lifts a home to show-stopping new heights? Every man’s home is his castle, and at BuildHome, we believe that what makes a home luxurious is really whatever works best for those who live in it. However, there are a number of things to consider to ensure you make your home work for you. A design and construct builder is the best person to talk to, to help you achieve that dream luxury build. Design and construct builders give you the…

This year’s HIA-CSR Australian Housing Awards saw entries from the best in the business Australia-wide. These awards have become synonymous with concepts of innovation and creativity, and this year’s entrants and winners were up there with some of the hardest entries to judge for this exact reason. Entries came from across Australia and winners were selected in 21 categories and announced in front of 600 industry professionals. As always the awards celebrated the huge amount of talent we have in the building industry here in Australia. THE MAJOR WINNERS Australian Home of the Year Partnered by CSR Sammut Developments, New South Wales Australian Custom Built Home Partnered by Stramit Building Products Sammut Developments, New South Wales Australian Apartment of the Year Partnered by Caltex HIA Fuel Card Mirvac, Victoria Australian…

“This home — aptly named The Platinum, after one of the world’s most treasured metals — is suited to the executive family who is looking for a luxurious, customisable, but homely abode that meets its individual needs. “Young Homes specialises in custom builds, but is pleased to present The Platinum; our newest display home. “This home is a modern marvel, featuring clean architectural lines and elegant details that make it an aesthetic masterpiece. It features nine-foot-ceilings to the ground floor and first floor and also includes a raked atrium skylight ceiling, which gives the abode a light and bright feeling to complement the open-plan layout. “This platinum has a distinctly resort-like finish to it with its swimming pool complete with sunken aqua seats, undercover alfresco dining area and elegant formal…

“The Chifley is a beautiful design with a unique façade that stands apart from other homes. It has much to crow about with its designer elements that come together in a beautiful and luxurious fusion. The Chifley creates the perfect family space with its design offering a number of private areas to retreat to, as well as communal spaces where entertaining will be a pleasure. The indoor and outdoor areas of the home flow seamlessly from one to the other, allowing for relaxed and comfortable living, as well as generous airflow throughout. There is a well-planned alfresco area leading off from the open-plan living areas inside the home offering an additional area to entertain or relax in. “This abode is designed for large and growing families offering four generous sized…

“Our clients were a working couple in their early 40s with three young growing boys. They were referred to us from another Paal customer and opted for a large attractive country-style home with two living areas, four bedrooms and two bathrooms. They needed enough space to accommodate three fast-growing boys and a home that allowed for outdoor entertaining. It was also important to the couple to be able to enjoy views from three sides of the home; something our Camden design — with modifications — allows for. “The homeowners were building in the Upper Hunter, where termites can cause problems. For this reason, among others, Steven and Michelle Clydsdale chose a steel-framed design from Paal Kit Homes, which they constructed themselves. “Our process from start to finish is simple. With…

“Our clients were a middle-aged couple with two older children who came to us, as Harkaway Homes has a long-held reputation for being an industry leader in Australian traditional housing. Our clients’ main objective was to build an exact reproduction of a double-fronted Victorian home. On establishment in its suburban location, it needed to blend in with the local period homes. “For these clients we supplied a lock-up package, which includes all the materials to take them to lock-up stage (this is the outer shell of the home) starting from above floor level. We aim our homes at clients who wish to project manage the construction using the services of local tradespeople. This keeps the project cost-effective — but more importantly — gives the client complete control over their home’s…

“Our clients Ian and Jacqui found themselves in an interesting situation. They had discovered the block of their dreams nestled in among the Hunter Valley vineyards and beautiful, natural bush. But the site also presented a myriad of challenges. These included no power, being in a bushfire zone, reactive clay soil, an extremely long, scenic driveway (1.2km) and lots of termites, who wasted no time in eating the surveyor’s pegs within six weeks. In addition they needed to generate their own electricity, capture and store their own water so they could still enjoy life’s luxuries. “Their site challenges forced Ian and Jacqui to source unique products and building solutions, but the couple tackled these challenges; concluding that the idea that you’ve got to have challenges because they make you think,…

A building contract is an important legal document that forms an agreement between a builder and consumer regarding domestic building work. As each state and territory in Australia has its own building authority, building contract laws vary from state to state. In New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, legal requirements for these contracts are set out in the Home Building Act 1989, the Domestic Building Contracts Act 2000 and the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 respectively. Regardless of where you’re building your new home, a contract is required if the total cost of work exceeds a certain amount. In NSW, builders must supply their clients with a written contract if a job costs more than $1000 (including labour and materials). This amount is set at $3300 in Queensland and $5000…

Innovation is often born out of necessity. A steep building site, a complex build, or a small land parcel, can present unique design and construction challenges. However, innovation is more than turning potential problems into opportunities. It’s embracing eco savvy building and design concepts, it’s forward thinking, but above all it’s creating living spaces that are not only practical but beautiful and uniquely individual. CLIMATE CONTROL In tropical Queensland, where temperatures can soar, thermal considerations are a key design component. Smart design respects elements such as water, airflow, and the building’s shape and orientation. Jason Shepherd from Custom Homes has constructed a tropical pod and pavilion style home that’s redefined the essence of cool. A water feature at the home’s entry reduces the ambient temperature, and the soothing sounds set…