Australia’s housing market is experiencing a slowdown. With prices low and interest rates dipping, now is the best time to build a house. There are many house and land packages to choose from for every kind of homebuyer. You can choose to start with a lot or opt to purchase a house and lot. All will depend on your needs and personal preferences.
If you want to get on building your dream home, reading this post will be extremely beneficial. We will enlist everything that you primarily need to consider before you even begin to plan. A planned project is a successful project. If you want to have a stress-free house-building experience, you should take note of everything that we would enlist here.
Table of Contents
3 Important Things to Consider Before Building Your House in Australia
Relevant Australian Laws
The Australian government is uniquely particular when it comes to laws involving house building. This is why you should never endeavor to proceed with your plan without familiarizing yourself first with pertinent Australian laws on house building. You should ensure that every single plan and purchase is legal under Australian law. You should also be duly aware of your rights to ensure that no complication whatsoever takes place in the future. You will have to observe laws and regulations involving your house, your garage or shed, your trade contractor or builder, your landscaping, your pools, your fencing, your repairs, and your renovations. If you’re clueless as to the matter, it’s best if you could work with a real property expert.
House Plans
You will have a building contract that will need to comply with Australian laws. This will be provided by your architect or builder. You will need to get hold of the following from the government:
- building certifier’s approval
- council approval (not in all cases)
To verify the number of permits and approvals you need, you should closely work with your builder. Your builder will know everything that you would need to comply with. You can also inquire with your local council. Discussing matters with a building certifier will also be ideal. You should make sure that all design aspects of your house plans are clear and allowed by the law. This is why you should closely work with your architect or builder during the designing or drawing stage.
Builders and Contractors
You should closely take note of the following:
- Your trade contractor or builder must be duly licensed if their work will cost more than $3,300
- If the building project will cost more than $3,300, the following should be licensed as well: plumbers, gasfitters, and tradesmen
- You could do an online search of the people that you’re planning to work with if you want to ensure that they are duly licensed
- You and your builder should sign a contract that should include the estimated date of completion
- You should consult with a lawyer before signing anything if you want to ensure that you are fully protected
- You should have your own copy of the contract
- You should inform the builder in advance if you want to cancel or withdraw from the contract
- Your withdrawal should be done in writing
- You should check if you’d need to pay a fee in case you’d choose to withdraw from the contract
Housing Laws on Sustainability
The Australian government is particular when it comes to ensuring sustainability. This is why regulations in the country require the building of eco-friendly homes. Australian building laws require a house to not just be comfortable to live in but energy-efficient and water-efficient as well. This is to ensure that Australian houses help in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. You should ensure that every aspect of your house design is energy-efficient. This should include fixtures and furniture.
Budget: Fees and Costs
You should be particular with your budget. You should aim for realistic calculations and estimates to ensure that you remain financially secure throughout the building process. You should do the following:
- Get multiple quotes. All should be based on your house plans.
- All quotes should include the same items and design features.
- Dedicate time to compare all quotes at hand.
- Aim to get a quote that has a fixed price. This is to secure that you won’t need to pay for additional costs in the future should pricing change.
- You should dedicate a budget to the following: soil and contour tests, landscaping, flooring, site costs, land registration, modifications, and add-ons.
- Once you’ve enlisted all possible costs and fees, you may then evaluate if your current financial state can provide for it.
- You should check out different home loan options before finalizing a deal.
The community and your long-term goals
You should do extensive research on your chosen location. You should assess the following:
- amenities
- opportunities around the area
- future plans for the area
You should keep in mind that you’d be living in this place for many years to come. You should ensure that the neighborhood duly suits your lifestyle and future goals. You should research the following in your chosen location:
- education
- transportation
- job availability
- shopping districts
- local services
- recreation and entertainment facilities
You should ensure that staying in the neighborhood will satisfy all your lifestyle needs.
Reference:
Australian house prices drop for the first time in two years