News
7 Star Energy Ratings
With the introduction of the new NCC in 2022 a new section pertaining to improving residential energy efficiency standards in houses was included by the Queensland government beginning on the 1st of May 2024. The implemented changes aim to improve the energy...
Livable Housing Design Guidelines
As of the 1st of October 2023, new houses and renovations are required to meet additional “housing design guidelines” to make accessibility easier for aged and disabled occupants. Some of the upgrades to class 1 houses include: 820mm clear openings to entry areas and...
How to make your plan draw cheaper
Building a new house or extension often comes down to meeting a budget and the drawing of your plana are no different. To help save you money (apart from choosing the right draftsperson or building designer) make sure you have put some thought into the layout of the...
Building on Sloping Land – Part One
Ever wondered why that steep block of land is so cheap and has been on the market for so long? When purchasing a steep or sloping block of land, there are a number of factors to take into consideration when designing and building a house. The first thing that needs to...
Site classification reports for building works
One of the most common causes of damage to building foundations in Queensland is the failure of the footing system, particularly in areas that have reactive or unstable soils. Investigating in-ground drainage system failures often reveals broken or leaking pipework....
New government homebuilder scheme
The Federal government recently announced plans for a construction stimulus package to kickstart the economy, after the downturn from the Covid19 virus. Property developers and builders have welcomed the short-term stimulus package as an opportunity for a...
Removal of mandatory rainwater tanks
The Queensland Government recently amended legislation removing the requirement for compulsory water tanks to new houses. This change came into effect on 1 February 2013. Originally introduced to help provide assistance to Queensland households during drought and...
Problems with using old soil test and footing designs
A lot of times people would like to extend a deck or patio and do so with a minimum expense involved. They wrongly assume that if they were to use the same footing size and depth for any posts and the same bearer and joist size for any existing structure then...
Building Boost Grant
The Queensland government is offering a grant of $10,000 to anyone who builds or buys a new house in Queensland before January 31 2012. This offer is for new homes to be built, investment properties or existing properties valued at under $600,000. The offer isn’t only...
Queensland building approvals down
Queensland seems to be one of the hardest hit states in the recently released building approval results. A slump of 30% in new home starts shows that the economy isn’t going well at all and we haven’t really recovered from the global financial crisis (GFC) just yet....
Termite issues after wet weather
After all of the recent flooding and wet weather throughout the country another problem has arisen, which may hinder home owners getting back into their houses - termites. The presence of termites may become more noticeable due to the disturbance of their nests by the...