Heat the floor

Prior to settlement we have a lot of things to line up. For example, underfloor heating. Yes, the house is in Western Australia, and, yes, it is a very hot part of the world. What is not so well understood about this part of the world, is that it gets cold here too. When there have been months of extreme temperatures averaging 35 degrees Celsius  those weeks when the temperatures drop to zero at night, and don't rise above 25 degrees Celsius during the day, seem very cold by comparison.

In-screed heating
Picture courtesy of Radiant Floor Heating

We have chosen underfloor heating for three areas of the house. The two bathrooms shall have underfloor heating suitable for tiled flooring, the main living/kitchen/dining area shall have a solution designed for wooden flooring. We shall also have split-system reverse-cycle air-conditioning in this main living area. The reason for the two types of heating becomes clear when you understand that the living area is large with very high ceilings. In addition, the main living area is in the part of the house that is elevated by over two metres. This elevation on a framed home such as this, allows for air and wind to circulate beneath the house, as well as around it. This is great to assist in cooling the house in the summer, but it can make the house very chilly in the winter. We'd use the underfloor heating on its own during the colder days, and top it up with the air-conditioning if necessary. It will be less costly to use the underfloor heating system, than the reverse-cycle air-conditioning unit.

Our underfloor system will be supplied and installed by the fabulous people at Radiant Floor Heating in Joondalup.

The hills are a life

The first reaction from our friends when we told them of our move was 'why do you want to go to the hills?'. This question is usually followed by 'but it's miles away from anywhere'. This is quite funny, really, when you consider that said hills are just to the east of Perth - the most remote city in Australia. It could be argued that the hills are closer to the Eastern States than is Perth.

It's all about the view!

The hills to the east of Perth are fairly untouched; that is to say there is an abundance of natural bushland and scrub, whose inhabitants are mainly of the winged and four-footed variety (not to mention the scaly non-footed variety). There are amazing walking trails and cycling trails. A fair amount of Perth's history can be found on these trails, many of which follow or cross the historic railway. 

Imagine how fit I'll be by Christmas
with all these walks on my doorstep!

The attraction for us is the reasonably-priced block of land (half an acre-ish), which is surrounded by the aforementioned bushland and not suburban rooftops and cars. I have a feeling that, although I'll spend an extra ten minutes on a train (or an extra twenty minutes in my car) when I return from work in the city, it will be nice to feel the city stripping away from me as I make my way past the concrete walls, and through to the tree-lined roads instead.

Approximately 40 minutes by car from Perth CBD, up the Great Eastern Highway, is a lovely village called Mundaring. It is home to a vibrant shopping precinct, lovely cafés, and possibly the State's most loved bakery! But the visitors to the area are mostly drawn to Mundaring Weir, an enormous construction that controls the flow of water to the goldfields, and agriculture areas. 

The stunning Mundaring Weir

To describe this area of the hills as 'picturesque' would be an understatement. There are so many things to do here including a tour around the pump house, strolling around the dam (a loooong walk!), and having a barbecue in one of the many park areas with lush green grass, picnic benches, and visits from the local kangaroos.

My only regret for this area, is that it is frequented by an abundance of visitors on motorbikes. I suspect they appreciate the long roads and amazing views, but they can't possibly appreciate the tranquillity of the area - sadly, nor can the rest of us when the bikers are visiting!

Please, Sir, May I have a loan?

Asking the bank for a home loan couldn't be easier. You just walk in, sit down, and ask. It's the next part that is difficult. The part where the bank's representative looks at you blankly then repeats just one line of your many-worded pitch: "The house isn't complete?".

"How will you service the loan...?"

We were a little naïve because we thought that asking for a loan on an unfinished house would be easier than asking for a loan on land with a view to building a customised home. The problem with an unfinished house is the bank needs to find out what the eventual value of the home will be, and how much you'll need to spend on it in order to move in and get it finished. This may not seem like any of the bank's business at first, but at the back of their mind they're thinking 'how will you service the loan if you're spending your monthly wages on completing the house?'

Get quotes - for everything!

This is, perhaps, where we learned our first lesson on the project. The bank engaged a valuation company to place a value on the incomplete house, and the cost of 'completing' the house.

I honestly do not know how much we'll eventually spend on 'completing' the house. After living in houses for many years I've worked out that there are always things to do to 'improve'. We had already received a verbal estimate of the cost of getting the house to a point where we could move in. That figure was $30k, and included a margin for the 'unseen eventualities'. So we were a little perplexed when the valuation report stated that to complete the house would cost $50k - an extra $20k.

This interested the bank. We then had just five working days to get some quotes from the electrician, and plumber to get the essential work completed. Luckily, we were able to prove that that the work would come in at below $30k. 

This was an important lesson. You see, had we obtained the quotations prior to visiting the bank and asking for the loan, we would not have required the valuation report to include completing the work. This would have saved a lot of last-minute stress and would have reduced the time taken for the status of the loan to be 'unconditional'. This would have brought on an earlier settlement. Those lovely keys would have been in my trembling hand much sooner!

You can't live in a frame!

One of the first things we needed to find out was at what stage a house must be in prior to being 'allowed' to occupy it. 

The rules are quite strict! Although many people 'live' in sheds on their properties whilst they await completion of their home, it's not exactly permitted! To reside in a property, most (if not all) Shires require at least the following, prior to them carrying out a health and safety inspection. A stamp to certify the house as 'safe to occupy' allows you to move in.

What's required prior to occupying the house (supplied by the lovely people at the Shire of Mundaring):

1. The system of effluent removal must be installed and 'commissioned'. This means that your waste for the loo, and any grey water areas, must be connected and working. It must also be signed-off by a licensed plumber or waste water system professional. If you're using a septic tank system (we are using a Bio Systems 2000 unit), it has to be commissioned by the company installing and testing it. They send their papers to the relevant Shire. Once the Shire has it in their system, it's accepted as safe.
2. There must be electricity connected to the property, and light and power sockets must be installed and tested by a licensed electrician. Again, the papers are sent by said electrician to the Shire.
3. There must be running water installed by a licensed plumber. There are some particulars for this:-
1. The occupier must be able to achieve basic hygiene: wash and shower
2. The occupier must be able to prepare a meal for themselves (kitchen requires a working sink and tap)
3. The occupier must be able to clean their clothes (water connected to a washing machine in the laundry)

We must go from this...

...to something like:

An idea of a completed laundry with electrical and plumbing installation

If you have a verandah that is only partially constructed (as do we), you don't necessarily require it to be complete prior to occupying the building. However, there must be imminent plans and arrangements to do so. There are some standards that must be met for verandahs and balustrade that are above a certain height, we'll cover this in a later post!

Our contact in health and safety, at the Shire of Mundaring, said they were not concerned with the floor being complete, as long as the home has a solid base (the concrete foundation, or the concrete sheeting that comes with a frame-built house).

For further clarity on what is required from your Sate or Shire, contact the shire in which your building resides. Their website will likely have the contact numbers for two departments that are concerned with residential occupancy. The first is the health and safety department, and the second is the building and construction department.

Note: We were initially told by friends that we required a certificate of occupancy. This is not actually true for residential occupancy in Western Australia. It only applies to commercial property. However, this does not mean there are no strict rules prior to residential occupancy (see the list above), and there are harsh fines if you fail to comply!

Buying most of a house

Buying a new house is supposed to be one of the most stressful things a person can do. If you're a couple buying a new house, it could be an experience stressful enough to result in divorce, which happens to be one of the other most stressful things a person can do. We decided to experiment, I now believe (because it seemed like a good idea at the time and not an 'experiment' at all), to see how we could make the whole 'couple buys a house' scenario even more stressful. Here are some steps, should you wish to undergo the same experiment:

1. Take a loving couple who are running a small business as their sole income
2. Take them out of their usual suburban habitat and make them fall in love with a brand-new house in the rural hills of Perth, Western Australia
3. Now make them commit to the house even though it's at lock-up stage. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the house is not complete, it's just a lockable construction - no kitchen, bathroom, laundry, electricity, sewerage, plumbing, flooring, etc.
4. Now let them make an offer on the house and enter the nightmare that comes with the title: Learning about the massive differences between life in the hills and the suburbs, and convincing the bank an incomplete house is a good source of security on a loan'. A long title, but apt nonetheless.

That's what this blog is about. You can share our journey, learn what we have learned and, we hope, pick up some tips and tricks as we go along.