Build near overhead electrical cables and you may need ‘Tiger Tails’.
These are plastic tubes that fit over the cables and provide mechanical protection and visual warning on power lines and conductors.
Getting ‘Tiger Tails’ installed isn’t cheap and can be in the order of $1000/month.
A twelve month build and that’s $12,000.
It sounds [read more…]
I see from the papers that a significant number of properties are bought by Chinese Investors.
Also I have noticed many visits to my web site are referred from Australian based Chinese language website oursteps.com.au
So for all my fellow Gweilos’ (Ghost men) here is a quick guide to checking if the street number of [read more…]
Would you worry if you saw this guy (from Jim’s Jihad?) mowing the lawn next door?
Unlikely, but it does illustrate the fact that neighbours can have a big effect on your enjoyment, or otherwise, of your house.
In fact 20% of us have fallen out with a neighbour in the last 5 years, [read more…]
Knock Down and Rebuild, or Renovate?
It may be the only house you can find in the area you like is dilapidated, like this one.
You may already live in the house but it no longer suits your family’s needs.
If the house is un-renovated, and over 40 years old its going to need a [read more…]
Reason For Pre-Wetting
If you are Building On Clay that is dry there is a risk of Soil Heave.
This is due to expansion of the clay if the moisture level increases with particular risk factors being:
Building after a long period of very dry weather when large cracks in the surface are visible. [read more…]
One check that is often forgotten when buying a block in an established suburb is how storm water is removed from the site.
Fifty, or more, years ago when land was cheaper it was not unusual for blocks to be quite large compared with the size of the house.
Disposing of storm water by [read more…]