Browse Forums Building A New House Re: Split level 21Mar 30, 2009 4:53 pm Great thread guys - heaps of good info on the builders. We are caught up in the Westminster homes drama, so need to find a house and builder again. We too have a sloping site - upslope from street. Will be interested on which builders/designs you all choose. Cheers Bel Still not in. Don't ask!? Re: Split level 22Mar 30, 2009 6:33 pm Well, it looks like the "The Monash" from Huxley is at the top of my shortlist at present. Its a purpose built rear split, which is always better than a single storey with a "step down" in my honest opinion. The pic on their website really does not do it justice (in fact their whole website is very underwhelming). You really need to see it to appreciate how good it is. So, I'm probably going to get them to do a tender for me, hopefully the sums add up in my favour, otherwise it means waiting probably another 5-10years Re: Split level 23Mar 30, 2009 7:43 pm Great idea, I also really like the Monash design. Have to organise to go and see it. I'd be interested to know what their base price is. Although I am still in love with the Montgomery Home we saw... I just think it is too pricey for us. Such a shame.... Great discussion here too.... Re: Split level 24Mar 30, 2009 8:14 pm ltnsw Great idea, I also really like the Monash design. Have to organise to go and see it. I'd be interested to know what their base price is. Although I am still in love with the Montgomery Home we saw... I just think it is too pricey for us. Such a shame.... Great discussion here too.... The Monash base price is $264,000. It's very similar to the Montgomery display home at Homezone Central Coast (The Carolina). I understand the base price for the Montgomery to be about $300,000. Well worth seeing the Monash. Re: Split level 28Mar 30, 2009 8:44 pm ltnsw bel, i'm not sure sorry. They definitely build in a Hornsby.... with an added cost of 10,000. Hope that helps ;.) Thanks! I bet they don't come down to southern sydney, being based on the Central Coast/Newcastle. Has a look at their website and they have some beautiful homes Still not in. Don't ask!? Re: Split level 30Mar 30, 2009 11:01 pm ltnsw bel, i'm not sure sorry. They definitely build in a Hornsby.... with an added cost of 10,000. Hope that helps ;.) my wife called them up, and yes.. there is a 10,000 addl cost since they mainly build in the central coast. Re: Split level 31Mar 31, 2009 5:22 am Ok then I'll have a better look at Montgomery. Huxley have an upslope design (Princeton) that I'm going to look into futher. Any feedback about Huxley. There is nothing on Homeone that I can find. I did meet with them in their Parramatta office about 18 months ago, and they were professional and helpful. Didn't go any further at that stage. Yep I have looked at Corrion - out of budget, their minimum is $450k. Still not in. Don't ask!? Re: Split level 32Mar 31, 2009 9:24 am Bel, Don't forget the larger volume home builders will do split level designs of their existing designs.. I just call them up, email them my site survery to them and ask them to plot a split level design of something you have walked through, of even just seen on the net. If they get back to you and it sites well then you can go inspect it later How wide is your block out of interest? Re: Split level 33Mar 31, 2009 9:30 am We got a tender from Huxley for a customised version of the Monash. We had to reduce the width by a few meters, move the kitchen to the back corner, and move laundry/study into different positions. Also decided to put some skylights into the raked ceiling area. We decided to add a 40sqm alfresco area on the back and have a side slope as well so have been advised to build on bearers and joists. Our tender came in around 400K which includes almost everything. We are trying to screw them for a better deal at the moment. I can say they have been very professional up to this point. We made contact with someone in the area who had built with them and said they were very happy with the build quality, but the journey was pretty painful. Many delays in the council and also delays during the build due to dispute between tradies and Huxley. They also mentioned at the time the SS was spread between 20 or so builds so they felt like their place wasn't getting the attention it deserved. Re: Split level 34Mar 31, 2009 2:56 pm Thanks for the feedback on Huxley micks_k. andrew78m Bel, Don't forget the larger volume home builders will do split level designs of their existing designs.. I just call them up, email them my site survery to them and ask them to plot a split level design of something you have walked through, of even just seen on the net. If they get back to you and it sites well then you can go inspect it later How wide is your block out of interest? andrew78m yeh we went through the larger volume builders first time around, and really got stung with site costs/drop edge beams etc. I thought I might explore split designs better this time around. My thinking is (might prove to be wrong!) a designed split level whilst might be more expensive upfront, should have less site costs due to the fact it's already designed to be split. Hmmm don't know if I explained that well. Block is 20m wide, but we have issues with a tree. In our first DA, council wouldn't let us cut a boundry tree down, and then gave us an exclusion zone around the tree. So in parts it can be 20m wide, then narrows near the tree. Still not in. Don't ask!? Re: Split level 35Mar 31, 2009 3:09 pm andrew78m which cosmo house? Renmark? We did a tender with the Renmark about 18 months ago. At the time, we weren't happy with their process, that is we paid the $200 but all we got back was a marketing document that had all provisional costs in it. Didn't really help us to decide when we were working in a budget. Loved the house, but decided it would get too expensive for us. Is that still the process with them? We saw the Brindabella on the weekend and love it. Cheers Still not in. Don't ask!? Re: Split level 36Apr 01, 2009 10:11 am bel andrew78m yeh we went through the larger volume builders first time around, and really got stung with site costs/drop edge beams etc. I thought I might explore split designs better this time around. My thinking is (might prove to be wrong!) a designed split level whilst might be more expensive upfront, should have less site costs due to the fact it's already designed to be split. Hmmm don't know if I explained that well. Hi Bel, Yes, I am thinking along the same lines as you. Although standard designs can have a split, or drop incorporated into them, I'd much prefer a house that was designed to be split right from the start. This is especially true where say a rear split design can take advantage of any views from the rear, as alot of split level blocks tend to have. It all comes down to choosing a home that suits the land, rather than the other way around. There are plenty of designs already out there for just about any kind of land imaginable - down slope, up slope, side slope, flat etc etc. Re: Split level 37Apr 01, 2009 10:13 am bel Bob do you have a price list for all the Huxley houses? If you do can you let me know the base price of the Princeton. Cheers Bel, Huxley have a pricelist on their website, which includes prices for all their standard designs. Re: Split level 38Apr 01, 2009 10:18 am Hey Bel, Yes there tender process is cheap at $250, but it does include a good estimate of site costs.. Somebody does actually go to your site to check it out, and I was ensured that they get the costs pretty spot on.. Things they wont be able to tell from just looking is, Soil type and Rocks. They only drill and do hydraulics if you are happy with the tender, which is $4000. To me, spending $250, is cheaper than spending say $750 with AVJ getting a tender and a soil type back and then deciding you wont proceed. What a waste of $750! I was happy enough with the process... and will be proceeding to the next stage. We are going to build a heavily modified Cabarita design as we have a narrow block and wanted double garage. If you liked the Brindabella check out the Republica, and also the Madison. We loved the republica and we changed the insides of the Cabarita to match the republica's downstairs. Re: Split level 39Apr 01, 2009 10:39 am bob.saccamanno bel Bob do you have a price list for all the Huxley houses? If you do can you let me know the base price of the Princeton. Cheers Bel, Huxley have a pricelist on their website, which includes prices for all their standard designs. Thanks Bob - got a bit excited and couldn't find them Still not in. Don't ask!? Re: Split level 40Apr 01, 2009 10:42 am andrew78m Hey Bel, Yes there tender process is cheap at $250, but it does include a good estimate of site costs.. Somebody does actually go to your site to check it out, and I was ensured that they get the costs pretty spot on.. Things they wont be able to tell from just looking is, Soil type and Rocks. They only drill and do hydraulics if you are happy with the tender, which is $4000. To me, spending $250, is cheaper than spending say $750 with AVJ getting a tender and a soil type back and then deciding you wont proceed. What a waste of $750! I was happy enough with the process... and will be proceeding to the next stage. We are going to build a heavily modified Cabarita design as we have a narrow block and wanted double garage. If you liked the Brindabella check out the Republica, and also the Madison. We loved the republica and we changed the insides of the Cabarita to match the republica's downstairs. Let us know how you go!! Will go check out the designs now! Still not in. Don't ask!? Move your linen into laundry and access laundry from your present linen space 1 8311 isn't a garage level with the rest of the house a given? pretty sure they 'came around' long time ago. if you have a flat block, the garage is usually level with the rest… 1 17948 they can, it's a fairly standard solution when the slab isn't recessed. the falls need to be in the main floor, if it hasn't been done then you need to ask them to redo… 4 6820 |