A great cook’s kitchen can often sell a house. But not everyone needs a chef’s kitchen.

In fact, these days many families dine out, or order in. So I’ve seen houses with small kitchens, but this can limit future buyers, perhaps excluding some.

Kitchens are expensive, and changing the layout and fixtures later will be costly so carefully consider the design layout. Ensure you get it right. Kitchen suppliers can create 3-D graphical designs of your kitchen which will help you visualise the finished kitchen, ensuring that the layout suits you and your lifestyle and that everything fits together.

A good kitchen is one that’s functional while also being aesthetically pleasing. It should be practical, easy to clean with a great use of space. It’s a place to cook, often a place to eat, and of course it can be a place to impress friends.

Considerations for kitchens include:

• That there’s sufficient space for appliances, which include fridges, freezes and dishwashers. Consider what size fridge and freezer a family will require, not necessarily only what you want.
• That there’s adequate counter space for working on.
• There’s enough (rather an excess) of electrical outlet points, so appliances can be connected. These should be placed where they’ll be required and above counter tops.
• There’s sufficient cupboard or storage space for crockery, pots and pans, utensils and groceries. Considerations include:
  • You could have a walk-in pantry for groceries.
  • Allow a mix of drawers and cupboards of various heights and sizes.
  • Place for brooms and vacuum cleaners.
  • Cupboards placed above counters are great, but ensure that they aren’t too low, and that they step back slightly from the counter top below so that you don’t accidentally hit your head on them while trying to work on the counter below.
  • Cupboard doors help keep dust off items and are useful to hide untidy spaces.
  • Taking cupboards to the ceiling creates extra storage, but cupboards above head height are only useful for items that are seldom used and not for general items which are used every week. You don’t want to be using a ladder every time you need your everyday things.
• That there’s adequate space to move around and between counters, even if the oven or a drawer is open.
• The areas most used are the sink, stove and fridge, so these three items should be within easy reach of each other, but not right on top of each other, and they should, where possible form a triangle with them all being within two to three metres (six feet to nine feet) of each other.
• That wash-up sinks are big enough for large pots and plates. Personally I find small sinks irritating where you can hardly wash anything. Double sinks for washing and rinsing are useful.
• There should be sufficient space for stacking dirty and drying items on either side of the sink – sure you may have a dishwasher, but guaranteed you’ll always wash something in the sink.
• Areas around the sink will get wet, so make certain that the counters can withstand the wet and always silicone seal between the sink and the counter so that water doesn’t leak down into the cupboards below. Installing tiled or glass splash-backs behind sinks placed against walls is good practice, since they’re decorative, protect the wall from moisture and are easily cleaned.
• Kitchens can be messy areas, so consider what you might want to screen off from visitors. Open plan living areas and kitchens are great for family interaction and communication, but you might not want visitors to see your piled up dirty dishes. Screening can be achieved by raising the front of counters above the sink height, or placing some items around the corner, out of the immediate line of sight.
• Do you want to include an eating area in the kitchen, in the form of a counter, or even a table and chairs?
• Lighting is important, especially over work counters. Carefully consider the placement and type of lights. Perhaps even have lights on different circuits so they don’t all need to be on at the same time if not required.
• Counter tops should be robust, not easily marked but easy to clean. Marble isn’t a good material for kitchen tops. The counter top can add immensely to the feel of the kitchen and often it’s worth spending a little more money for granite or stone tops.
• Areas around cook-tops will get splattered with fat and oil so they should be easily cleanable.
• Install an efficient extractor by the cook-top to suck away cooking odours, oils, greases and smoke.
• Don’t have cupboards right next to the cook-top where they may be damaged by heat.
• Floor finishes should be hard wearing, nonslip and easily cleanable.
• Continued in Part 2

​For more valuable tips and advice read: Build and Renovate Your Home With Your Eyes Wide Open.

​​This is an extract from: 'Build and Renovate Your Home With Your Eyes Wide Open' by Paul Netscher. Available in paper or eBook from Amazon.com, Amazon UK, Amazon CA, Amazon AU and all online bookstores. To read more

​© 2018 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

How much will your new house cost and can you afford it?
This is often as far as many new home build projects get! You must estimate an accurate cost for constructing the house (taking account of all the costs, see: Have you allowed all the costs of your home build part 1 and Have you allowed all the costs of your new home build part 2), then calculate the cash flow of these costs (when bills have to be paid – I'll discuss this in a future article in more detail), and then balancing this against the money that’s available now, as well as the income that you will earn while the project is in progress, or which will come from the sale of assets, or from bank loans. It’s advisable to add a contingency to these costs, as well as erring on the side of caution when calculating the income you expect to earn.
There are a number of ways of obtaining a cost estimate:

• Knowing the cost of a similar house it’s possible to adjust this price, taking into account the different location, differences between the houses (including size), and the price increases which have occurred since that house was completed.
• Using the estimated square metres of your house it’s possible to get rough square metre construction prices from contractors. It’s important to note that the finishes you want could significantly impact this estimate. (See previous articles: What influences house building costs part 1 and What influences house building costs part 2.)
• Approaching professional quantity surveyors, or estimators, to provide a budget estimate, using information from houses you like.
• A preliminary design, or sketches, could be prepared for your proposed new house and contractors asked to provide indicative prices for the house.

The more detailed your design and information, the more accurate your price will be.
If there appears to be sufficient finances to cover the cost of the project consideration can be given to proceeding further. If the project is too expensive there may be other alternatives such as:

• Reducing the size of the project.
• Building the project in a number of phases to suit the available finance.
• Looking at ways to reduce the construction costs. (See previous articles on what influences building costs.)
• Using cheaper materials or finishes.
• Seeking ways to obtain additional finance, such as obtaining bank loans or selling other assets.
• Considering ways of reducing everyday living expenses so more money is available for construction.
• Deferring the project until there’s sufficient money available.

Estimating costs and income might go through a number of iterations, which start off with very simple estimates. If these appears to validate the project a more detailed exercise can be performed. This exercise should be repeated through the life of the project, in particular, when the detailed design is completed, and before the contractor is appointed. It should also be redone every time there’s a major change to the project, or when conditions or income change. At any stage it could be found that the house is no longer affordable and ways to reduce costs or increase income need to be found. Continuously keeping track of income and costs will allow you to make timely adjustments to ensure the project can be completed without running short of cash.

​For more valuable tips and advice read: Build and Renovate Your Home With Your Eyes Wide Open.

​​This is an extract from: 'Build and Renovate Your Home With Your Eyes Wide Open' by Paul Netscher. Available in paper or eBook from Amazon.com, Amazon UK,Amazon CA, Amazon AU and all online bookstores. To read more

​© 2018 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

Generally when planning a house you’re faced with a number of conflicting forces which are, what you desire or want, what you actually need, what you can afford, what can be done or is allowed, and of course with a new family home you also have the opinions and needs of your partner and even the children. Seldom do these align perfectly, so most houses end up compromising on some of these items. For example, your family may be expecting another child and need to add another bedroom. At the same time you might want another bathroom, to renovate the kitchen and build another garage. However, you may only have sufficient money to build the extra bathroom and bedroom, but, possibly you won’t have sufficient space on the property for the additions. Somewhere there’ll need to be compromise.

Unfortunately, sometimes this compromise can lead to a bad house, where the compromise results in one force dominating the others – for instance, affordability drowns out everything else, so you end with a house that’s of poor quality and doesn’t satisfy any of your other needs or desires.

Of course, there are usually other factors that come into play which also affect the final outcome. If the property is an investment property, to be sold or rented, then it’s important to consider what buyers and renters want as well as the available existing stock. If you’re planning to execute most of the construction work yourself then the amount of time you have available should influence the size and complexity of the project. The available materials, access routes to the property, as well as the site topography and existing vegetation will all influence decisions. In this chapter and the following chapters we’ll look at many of the considerations that can impact the final result of your new house.

It’s important to take a pragmatic approach to planning projects. Projects that are poorly considered and ill-conceived can be expensive disappointments. It often leads to a house that you no longer want to live in and can’t find a buyer for. In fact some poorly managed projects that are started with great excitement can have far wider repercussions, even resulting in bankruptcy and family break-ups.

What you think you want in the beginning should never be cast in stone. There may be reasons why the original envisaged project isn’t feasible, or not the best solution. By necessity projects should adapt and evolve as more information is considered. Indeed, it may even be wise to cancel the project should it become too expensive, or difficult. Even if you’ve spent money already, never be scared to cancel a project, or to move it elsewhere, when it becomes apparent that it’s not right. It’s far better to lose a small amount of money than end with a house that you’re not happy with, or one that’s going to cause you financial stress. Certainly, if you do all the preparatory homework and investigations as suggested in this book you will, if necessary, end the project before you’ve incurred too many costs.

But changes made to the project by you, your designers or contractor, could indeed result in a project that’s better, cheaper to construct, less expensive to maintain, or one which has more amenities for minor additional costs which are still within budget.
​
Although our first thoughts and project concept shouldn’t be cast in stone, and it may be necessary to deviate from these in the course of the project execution, it’s important to always refer back to those first concepts and ideas. Regrettably, as projects evolve, in the excitement of new ideas, it’s easy to forget what you wanted and needed in the first place, then you end with a house which doesn’t actually satisfy what you were originally after. So, as changes occur to the project, always understand why those changes happened. Did the changes improve the project, were they ‘nice to haves’, maybe spur of the moment whimsies, or were they unavoidable? If the changes are unavoidable and they result in a project that isn’t suitable for your needs, then you may have to make the hard decision to cancel the project, or develop alternative strategies and solutions. 

​For more valuable tips and advice read: Build and Renovate Your Home With Your Eyes Wide Open.

​​This is an extract from: 'Build and Renovate Your Home With Your Eyes Wide Open' by Paul Netscher. Available in paper or eBook from Amazon.com, Amazon UK,Amazon CA, Amazon AU and all online bookstores. To read more

​© 2018 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

We usually require some expert help to design our new house or large renovation. Architects can fulfil many functions, but importantly they can interpret your requirements and vision into construction plans and drawings. These plans and drawings are usually a requirement for construction permits. The drawings indicate how the house should be constructed.



​

What you should consider when choosing a designer

You should consider the following when selecting a designer:

• Does the work that they’ve done in the past look similar to the design you have in mind? Some architects are very good at cutting edge designs but may be less familiar or willing to consider more traditional houses. Some designers are good at incorporating green principles.
• Talk to the designer. Do you think you can work with them?
• Confirm that they’re familiar with the local rules and planning requirements.
• Ask for references, then ask their references the following:
  • Was the designer willing to listen to them and incorporate their ideas?
  • Did the design meet or exceed their expectations?
  • Did the designer come up with innovative and new ideas?
  • Did the designer push certain products or building methods? Why was that?
  • Did the final price differ substantially from the original price? If it did why?
  • How willing was the designer to make changes to their design?
  • Did the contractor find mistakes on the construction drawings?
  • What other services did the designer provide?
• Check if the designer has professional indemnity insurance. 
• Ask the designer what technology they’ll use to produce their design. Will there be a 3D model? Will you be able to view the house in Virtual Reality? These products help you understand what the finished house will look like.
• Decide what services you want the designer to undertake, such as checking quality during construction, or even acting as the project manager.
• Check that the designer is willing to visit the site before starting design work.
• Ask how long it will take to complete the design.
• Check if the designer will obtain all permits and approvals from the authorities.
• Obtain a price from the designer. Check:
  • Does the price include for a full set of construction drawings, including all details? How many copies of drawings will you get. You probably want at least three sets, possibly more if you’re intending to get a number of contractors to price the project.
  • Does the price include for all design work, including architectural, structural, electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning? If not will they coordinate all the designers’ work to ensure there aren’t clashes and that the designs accommodate the requirements of all the designers?
  • How many sketch plans and changes are included while you develop the final design?
  • Will they be available to answer questions from the contractor at no extra cost?
  • Will they help with the selection of the final finishes, including providing samples and advice on colour choices?
  • Will they carry out inspections during construction to check quality?
• Ensure that the designer is appointed using a contract that clearly sets-out the services they’ll supply, the price for these services and a schedule of extra charges.

Conclusion
It's important to select a designer that's right for you, one that you can work with, one that understands what you are looking for, someone that understands the local codes and conditions, and one that won't break your budget. Importantly you need to understand what you are paying for - you don't want to pay additional and unexpected costs which you haven't allowed for. You don't want unpleasant extra costs for items you thought were included.

Not every designer will be able to interpret the home of your dreams. Selecting the wrong designer could be expensive and result in your home not meeting your expectations.

For more valuable tips and advice read: Build and Renovate Your Home With Your Eyes Wide Open.

​This is an extract from: 'Build and Renovate Your Home With Your Eyes Wide Open' by Paul Netscher. Available in paper or eBook from Amazon.com, Amazon UK,Amazon CA, Amazon AU and all online bookstores. To read more

​© 2018 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

In the previous article Steps to constructing your new house - Part 1 I discussed some of the steps required when constructing a new house. This article continues from that article.

More steps to constructing your new house

• Ensure all your finances are in place, including approval of loans.
• Arrange for water and power connections for the construction work.
• Appoint the contractor.
• Check all insurances are in place.
• Receive the surety or bond from the contractor.
• Notify the neighbours of when construction will be starting and how it will impact them.
• Ensure you have everything in place ready for the contractor.
• Have a kick-off meeting with the contractor’s team.
• Issue them with the latest copies of the construction drawings.
• Monitor the work. This includes:
  • Checking progress.
  • Ensuring all tests and inspections are completed.
  • Ensuring the site is kept clean and tidy and work complies with safety regulations.
  • Ensuring the work complies with the drawings.
  • Checking the quality of work.
• Continually review and update the budget ensuring that all variations and costs are captured.
• Before the project is completed make a check list of all the outstanding items and things to do before you can move in.
• When the contractor is complete, carry out an inspection and prepare a snag or punch item list of all defects which must be fixed.
• Arrange and complete all connections of the utilities.
• Arrange insurance for the completed house.
• Check that all security installations are operating.
• When the contractor has fixed the snag list items reinspect the work, checking that the items have been rectified and that no damages have occurred in the rectification process.
• Get all warranties and operating manuals from the contractor.
• Check that the contractor has completed all work and cleaned the site.
• Settle the final account with the contractor.
• Arrange for all work in your scope to be completed, such as, fitting curtains, installing television cables, completing data and telephone connections.
• Get the occupation permit.
• Inform the bank of the final costs.
• Return the builder’s surety to the contractor.
• Return any equipment you hired.
• Store ‘attic stock’ (spare stock) where it’s safe and can be found if required.
• Pay all the outstanding accounts and fees.
• Get deposits back that were paid to the authorities.
• File all project paperwork in a safe place where it can be readily found.
• Arrange for your furniture to be moved into your new home.
• Explain to the rest of the family how everything operates in the house.
• Finally at last – it’s time to sit back on your patio and enjoy the fruits of your hard work.
• At the end of the defects liability period inspect the house for additional defects. List these and get the contractor to attend to them.
• When the defects are completed reinspect the work and sign them off.
• Carry out regular maintenance as required.

Conclusion
In future articles I will discuss many of these steps in detail. Good planning and diligently following all the steps will ensure a successful project. For more information purchase my book: Build and Renovate Your Home With Your Eyes Wide Open. It provides invaluable advice which will save you money, help you avoid common mistakes and ensure your project is a success.

​This is an extract from: 'Build and Renovate Your Home With Your Eyes Wide Open' by Paul Netscher. Available in paper or eBook from Amazon.com, Amazon UK,Amazon CA, Amazon AU and all online bookstores. To read more

​© 2018 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

Before leaping into your new project carefully consider what needs to be done. Careful planning and preparation and monitoring all stages of the process will ensure a successful project.
Steps to planning, designing, constructing and finishing your new house include:

• Talk to your partner. It's imperative that you are both committed to the process and have a common vision.
• Understand why you’re embarking on constructing a new house or renovating your existing house. Consider alternative solutions.
• Gather ideas and establish a file.
  • Tear out magazine pictures you like.
  • Take pictures and ideas from Pinterest and Facebook.
  • Visit houses for sale.
  • Take photographs.
  • Make sketches – these could include ideas and layout of houses, kitchens and bathrooms.
• List the features you definitely want, those that are optional (‘would like to have’) and those which you definitely don’t want.
• Consider your family’s future needs.
• Work out how much you can spend.
• Decide how many bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms and garages you would like. Think about the ideal room sizes and layout of the house.
• Start working out a budget including all the costs.
• Decide what expert help you’ll need.
• If you intend to do some of the work, get training and read books relating to the trades you’ll be doing.
• Visit local house construction projects. See the typical construction methods, details and materials.
• Look for a property for your house. Always consider alternative neighbourhoods. In a later article I will discuss what you should consider when purchasing a property.
• Review your budget, and if you can afford it purchase the property.
• Visit local builders to see what standard plans and houses they offer.
• Visit building material showrooms to gather ideas on cabinetry, kitchen layouts, windows, tiles, bricks, doors, etc. Collect catalogues and take photographs to add to your file of information.
• Visit the property. Understand what the best aspects of the property are and how they should be incorporated into the house. Look at the properties in the street. Consider the impact they may have on your house.
• Develop a style for your house.
• Review your file and take out all the photographs, catalogues and pictures that aren’t relevant to your chosen style and put them in another file for use in case you change your mind. Whittle the chosen information down into a coherent style and elements that fit together and suit your lifestyle.
• With your list of wants and don’t wants, and now knowing the location for your house prepare a design brief.
• Decide how you’re going to design and construct the house. What will you do and what will you engage professionals to execute?
• Understand all the restrictions applying to your property.
• Select a designer you think you can work with and that can deliver your chosen style and requirements.
• Get a survey of the site so you know where the boundaries are, what the slope of the ground is, where significant features are and the position of the road and the service connections.
• Have the designer prepare sketches.
• Make changes. Consider alternative solutions. Finalise the layout and position of the house.
• Get an estimate of the costs and check that the house is still within budget.
• Select the types of finishes, fixtures and fittings.
• Make changes to reduce costs if necessary.
• Have the designer prepare construction drawing.
• Review the design to check it meets your requirements and has stayed within the design brief.
• Get all permits and permissions to start construction.
• Find contractors and have them price the project.
• Adjudicate the prices to check which is the best value and the right contractor to work with.
• Check your budget.

Many of these steps will be discussed further in future articles.
To be continued in Part 2.

​This is an extract from: 'Build and Renovate Your Home With Your Eyes Wide Open' by Paul Netscher. Available in paper or eBook from Amazon.com, Amazon UK,Amazon CA, Amazon AU and all online bookstores. To read more

​© 2018 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

In a previous article we discussed some items which influence the cost of constructing a new house. Understanding what can increase or decrease the cost of building will allow you to make considered decisions when deciding where you are going to build the house and when you will start as well as influencing your design choices.

In this article I continue with points that impact house construction costs.

What influences house building costs? Continued from part 1.

• Floor finishes vary hugely from vinyl, carpets, tiles, timber veneers and solid timber. Even the price of tiles and carpets can vary by 300% depending on the type. Furthermore, if you want to go with granite or marble tiles then you’re normally talking big money!
• Standard or nonstandard? Custom homes usually cost more than a standard home plan that the contractor routinely builds. The standard plans have been simplified to reduce the materials and labour required to build the house. Even just using standard window and doors can be much cheaper than if they’re individually measured and made to fit your design.
• The number of bathrooms and the size of your kitchen. Bathrooms and the kitchen are the most expensive rooms in the house. Adding a bathroom, or increasing the size of a bathroom or the kitchen will add to the overall cost of the house, even if you aren’t increasing the overall size of the house.
• Floor tile layouts. Larger tiles are often easier to lay on flat areas. Laying floor tiles in a diagonal pattern relative to the walls requires more cutting than for tiles laid in a square pattern and it takes more time and usually generates more wasted tiles. Laying tiles of the same colour is obviously easier than creating a pattern using different colours and types of tiles. Laying small mosaic tiles is labour intensive.
• Roof designs and coverings. The price of roof covering materials will depend on the size and shape of your roof, as well as the available products and skills in the area. The more complex the roof, one with varying heights and with a number of hips and valleys, the costlier the roof will be. Simple roofs without hips and valleys are the cheapest.
• Curves cost money. Whether it’s arches over windows and doors, or walls that are curved, they will be costlier to construct.
• The time to construct sometimes impacts the cost. If you want your home built more quickly than the contractor would normally take then you’ll probably have to pay extra. Conversely homes that are complex, or that require additional tasks, take longer to build, which adds to the overall cost.
• Instant garden or not. If you want a perfect lawn and large trees and shrubs in your new garden when you move in then you’ll pay a premium. If you are content to watch your garden grow, maybe seeding the lawn or planting runners, and planting small trees and shrubs, then the cost of your garden will be much less. The size of the garden also impacts costs.
• The type of material used on kitchen counter tops and vanities varies from chipboard covered with a veneer (often melamine) to solid timber, reconstituted stone, granite and marble. The cost will depend on the size of the counters and vanities, the number of cut-outs through them for cook tops, sinks and taps, and of course the material. Even the price of granite can vary by 400% depending on the colour you pick.
• Fitted cupboards, including kitchen cabinets. These can be constructed of solid wood, or in most cases from chipboard with a veneer. But even the type of wardrobes in bedrooms can vary hugely in price depending on their layout, number of shelves, drawers and hanging rails.
• The internal layout. The more walls the higher the cost. But, spanning a big open room without supports could add to the cost of upper floors and roofs.
• The type and sophistication of security measures required in your house.
• Positioning of bathrooms. Keeping bathrooms together, or above one another can reduce the cost of the plumbing.
• The type and size of heating and cooling systems. Houses in cold regions or areas that face extreme heat will require larger and more efficient heating and cooling systems, which will add to the price of your house.
• The type and make of appliances. The price of kitchen appliances, such as cook tops and ovens can vary by 400%.
• If windows are double glazed, or even triple glazed. The additional cost will also depend on the size of the window and frame material.
• Additional features. This could include swimming pools, solar electrical panels, garden walls and gates. 

Conclusion
You should take into consideration some of the above when formulating your construction budgets and when designing your house. I’m not suggesting that your house should be a box with the cheapest fixtures and fittings, but it’s important to understand that house prices can vary hugely from one area to another, and from one plan to another. The price will change depending on your choice of finishes, cupboards, light fittings, taps, tiles, counter tops, etc. When receiving quotations it’s vital to understand what you’ll be getting for your money. Contractors should also familiarise themselves with the construction conditions on your property.

​This is an extract from: 'Build and Renovate Your Home With Your Eyes Wide Open' by Paul Netscher. Available in paper or eBook from Amazon.com, Amazon UK,Amazon CA, Amazon AU and all online bookstores. To read more

​© 2018 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

Construction costs vary hugely between different houses, neighbourhoods and cities. What influences these costs and how can you ensure that the construction costs you allow in your budget to build your new house, or renovate an existing home, are reasonable? Why will the cost of building a house in your neighbourhood be different to building elsewhere? Indeed, why can the cost of one house be different to the cost of a similar size house in the same area? Why does the price quoted by your builder increase as construction proceeds? How can you ensure that you stay within your budget? How can you reduce costs without ending up with a house of poor quality, or one that isn't functional, or that doesn't meet all your expectations?

​What influences house building costs?
The major construction cost drivers include:

• The size of the house. Bigger houses are more expensive to build.
• If the house is single storey or multilevel. Usually building upwards costs more money since foundations must be stronger and there’s an upper floor support structure to be completed. Of course single storey houses require a larger property which costs more. On sloping properties a single storey house may require more extensive site levelling which adds to the costs. So, a single storey house isn’t cheaper in all cases.
• The type of materials in the structure and the construction methods. This varies from place to place and will depend on what’s available, the methods that the local builders use and the availability of skills to execute the work. So, in one area conventional clay brick construction may be the way to go, while elsewhere clay bricks may not be available, or maybe bricklayers are in demand so the cost of using bricks is expensive. Before deciding on materials and construction methods it’s best to understand what methods are currently used in your neighbourhood, talk to contractors and others in the industry. Of course, it’s not to say that another option won’t be cheaper than what’s currently being used by most of the contractors. It’s important to understand that a material and a particular method of construction which experts tell you will be the cheapest, may not necessarily be the cheapest in your location.
• The height of your ceilings. High ceilings are great, giving the house a feeling of space and luxury. But having higher ceilings means you require higher walls, which adds to construction costs.
• The timing of construction. If there’s lots of construction happening in your city then you may find that material prices, wages and subcontractor’s costs have increased, and that the contractors are adding more profit to their prices. In addition, if resources are in demand then construction times increase, so your home could take longer to build. But, when contractors, suppliers and workers are desperate for work prices fall. This could mean a difference of 10% or more to your construction costs. Even starting construction of your house in the middle of the rainy season, or in the depths of winter could result in the contractor charging more, since their work could be interrupted or damaged by the weather.
• The layout and shape of your house. A simple square box house is usually the cheapest structure. Then, who wants to live in a box? It creates architectural interest to have a varied outline of the house, but remember that the more complex the shape of the outside walls of the house, the costlier the house will be.
• The fittings and fixtures. The cost of washbasins, sinks, bathtubs, taps, toilets, balustrades and lights vary hugely, and there could be a difference of at least 10% to the overall cost of your house depending on your choices. Certainly, you probably don’t want the cheapest fixtures, that look cheap and are probably not as reliable as better items, but do you really need the latest imported fitting that costs five times the price of another item?
• Topography of your property. Steep properties require more site works to level the area for the building. Steep sites may also make it more difficult for the contractor to access all work areas.
• Access to your property. If the local roads, or your driveway restrict the size of trucks and cranes that can reach your house it could mean that deliveries have to be made using smaller vehicles, which is usually more expensive. Offloading and lifting items by hand is often more expensive than using a crane or other mechanical means.
• Distance to the connection points for your utilities and sewer lines. The longer the length of cables and pipes, obviously the more they’ll cost.
• The ground conditions on your property. Digging in rock is expensive, while building on clay or other unsuitable ground may require special foundations. 
• Basements add time to construction. Depending on the ground conditions and the foundations of the neighbouring structures there could be additional complexities of excavating in rock, or retaining the sides of excavations in sand to prevent them collapsing.
• The size of windows. Large windows are wonderful since they let in natural light and provide views of the garden, or of ocean or mountain vistas. But large windows can be expensive, possibly even requiring costly structural beams to span over the top of them. In addition large panes of glass cost more than smaller areas of glass.

Conclusion
When selecting a property you should consider some of the above items. Some properties will be more expensive to build on that a similar sized property down the road. Even deciding on the position of the house on the property will influence construction costs.
In part 2 we will look at more items that could influence house construction costs.
​Make sure that your budget is correct and that you can build the house you want.

​This is an extract from: 'Build and Renovate Your Home With Your Eyes Wide Open' by Paul Netscher. Available in paper or eBook from Amazon.com, Amazon UK,Amazon CA, Amazon AU and all online bookstores. To read more

​© 2018 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

In the last post: Have you allowed for all the costs of your new home build?  Part 1​ we considered some costs to consider when planning and budgeting you home renovation or new house. In this post we continue with more costs to consider.





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Costs for your construction project could include some or all of the following:

• The cost of arranging road closures, if required for cranes or other equipment. These could include for traffic control and signage as well as fees to the authorities.
• Providing access, which could be scaffolding or access equipment. Often the time required for maintaining access is underestimated and costs quickly blowout when it’s required for a couple more months.
• Testing expenses. 
• Hire charges for specialist equipment, such as large cranes.
• Removing rubbish, including general construction waste such as packaging, breakages and off-cuts, disposing of excess soil, rock and unsuitable ground as well as getting rid of rubble from demolitions.
• Employing a clerk of works if you require one. 
• Land survey, boundary demarcation and setting out the structures. 
• When required, undertaking soil and geological investigations.
• Dealing with hazardous materials, such as contaminated ground or asbestos, or ground water, which may be encountered on the project site.
• The costs of finishes, such as, tiles, carpets, bathroom fixtures and tapware, and lights.
• Fitting out of cupboards.
• Furniture, carpets and window dressings such as, curtains, blinds or shutters.
• Security installations.
• Inspections and approvals.
• Legal costs.
• Contingencies.
• Costs of moving into the new house
• Constructing driveways.
• Making good of damage to the surrounding roads, pavements and buildings. Often a deposit has to be lodged with the local council which is refundable after the work is complete and the local authorities have checked that the roads, kerbs and sidewalk are in the state they were before construction work started.
• Landscaping, including installing irrigation sprinklers if required. This could include importing suitable topsoil.
• Taxes, which include GST (or VAT) and import duties.
• Fees for specialists, including town planners and quantity surveyors.
• Other costs, which could include, mail boxes, street numbers, TV antennae and dishes, telephone and data connections, and new appliances.

Conclusion
Forgetting or overlooking costs may result in your project going over budget, which could mean you can't complete the project, or you have to compromise on the project, perhaps reducing the quality of finishes, so that you can save money to bring the project within budget. Regrettably sometimes owners end in financial difficulties because of incomplete or insufficient budgets causing severe financial stress for many years, in the worst case even losing their new home.
Always make sure you have allowed for all of your estimated costs. Then allow a contingency.

​This is an extract from: 'Build and Renovate Your Home With Your Eyes Wide Open' by Paul Netscher. Available in paper or eBook from Amazon.com, Amazon UK,Amazon CA, Amazon AU and all online bookstores. To read more

​© 2018 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

Frequently costs of building a new house or renovating your home aren’t considered, or are overlooked, which could result in your budget for your home project being too low.
Costs for your construction project could include:

• Design fees for engineers and architects.
• Project management costs if you appoint a project manager to manage the process. 
• Land purchases, including duties and taxes.
• Property rates and taxes.
• Costs of maintain the property before construction begins, including, security, utility bills and keeping the property tidy.
• Construction costs.
• Protecting existing structures and facilities which could be damaged by the construction work.
• Modifications to areas of an existing house which are impacted by the construction work. Often existing floor and wall finishes have to be changed in the existing building to match those that are installed in the new areas.
• Upgrading existing buildings which are being added to or changed. This could include requirements to improve the plumbing pipes and electrical wiring and distribution boards to bring them up to code and standard, or to allow capacity for the additional expansion. It may also include installing additional structural supports and beams to the existing structure. 
• Demolition of existing structures and site clearing.
• Clearing existing trees and other vegetation where necessary.
• Levelling the site where required. 
• Constructing ground retaining walls where required. 
• Specialist foundations if required.
• Additional insurances.
• When you have to move out of the house while the construction is in progress, then the cost of temporary accommodation during construction.
• Interest on finance loans.
• Security during construction.
• Fencing during construction.
• Permanent fences, walls and gates on the property boundary.
• Temporary construction sheds and toilets.
• The provision of water and electricity for the construction works.
• The provision of water, sewer, gas, telephone and electrical connections to the new house. These include connection fees and deposits for the utility provider, or the local council. The deposit could be equivalent to one or two months usage. Although this deposit is refundable it’s an immediate expense that must be allowed.
• The cost of permits, plan approvals and building approvals by the local authorities, and when the property is within an estate then the body overseeing the running of the estate.
• See Part 2 for more costs to consider and include in your budget.

Conclusion
Not allowing for some costs in your budget will inevitably mean that your home building project goes over budget, which could lead to financial stress and even there not being enough money to complete your project. It's vital to ensure you've allowed for all costs.

This is an extract from: 'Build and Renovate Your Home With Your Eyes Wide Open' by Paul Netscher. Available in paper or eBook from Amazon.com, Amazon UK, Amazon CA, Amazon AU and all online bookstores. To read more

​© 2018 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.