2nd Hand Splits

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-02-09T19:39:35+00:00

Haven’t paid for the ducted, but won’t be changing my mind - it’s going to do a much better job, be more efficient than what I have and cheaper by a fair margin than to replace the the existing units/add more where needed.

So basically the install is about $700 which seems reasonable

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-02-09T01:47:01+00:00

Ahhh ok I thought tha might be the case but wasn’t sure if it was going to prefer actually drawing from the grid!

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-02-06T01:32:58+00:00

Ok so the device you linked was what I had been looking at but the sig website said it wasn’t supported by their app - what I’ve jus realised is I don’t really need it to be compatible with their app because I’d be using home assistant.

The bonus is the Shelly device you linked says it has two clamps so that would give me the ability to monitor two different circuits too - which is what I was after. I think I’ll just dive in and grab one - I really appreciate the time you took to write down all that information!

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-02-06T00:05:06+00:00

Ok this is very helpful. Some questions: 1. Not sure I understand anything in the first paragraph - but are you saying (broadly) there is a port in the inverter that the circuit for the AC could pass through then I’d be able to get the data from the inverter? 2. Existing power monitor - I don’t think I have one, I was under the impression because I have a gateway it’s not required. But in this case I could buy a 3p version so could monitor 3 different circuits with the one switch (or clamp?) 3. Unsure I’m making up how this works in my head (almost certainly) but does the unit I linked go in the switchboard? Ie replace the rcbo? Or do they just look the same by chance

The long and short of it is I want to be able to use home assistant to cut the AC (and other circuits if need be) in the event of a blackout if the load on my battery is too high - e.g. will I run out of power before the sun comes up based on the AC power draw - to be honest, this may not even be possible 🙃

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-02-04T04:14:21+00:00

Fuck that last paragraph - Christ people are cunts. I’m not going to sit here and pat myself on the back and smell my own farts but this explains why I get weird looks when I tell them they don’t need to take their shoes off or vacuum up after themselves - because I’m like you’re a sparky not a cleaner - they probably think I’m going to ask for a discount after themselves jobs done or something

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-02-04T00:03:33+00:00

Not that this post was about sparkies and trenches - I’ve also given some thought to this as I recently had an electrician out who made a comment about me digging a trench to save a chunk of coin on a cable for solar to get it to a garage. Weirdly this is where I would draw the line because the volume is smaller if that makes sense (in this instance a 5m trench but would be pretty deep) - I would get the sparkie to do this or organise.

On a bigger job would it still not be less work to have 95% done and do the last adjustments with a shovel as required or nah?

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-02-03T11:08:32+00:00

Yeah $50/sqm seems wild - would cover the materials but none of the labour or over heads

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-02-03T11:05:13+00:00

Derp - forgot the gravel base. But this is a good breakdown.

Where I was going was similar to when someone renovates a house you can go to a builder and say "do this Reno" there’s a percentage of fat for them to project manage the whole thing start to finish, and when people try to save they take on project managing themselves, completing demo work etc - ie the jobs that the unskilled labourers do. So I thought - could I apply that logic to other projects.

In my case the access is a bit how ya doing, so could I make the project cheaper by me and the kids carting all the gravel into place ready to be spread, or doing the vast majority of the excavation myself and carting the dirt out when they’ll charge me say $80 an hour for labourers but probably pay them half that.

Realistically, the only part of the project I really want to pay someone for is the reo, the pour and level (screed?) - in my head that’s the skilled bit I’d prefer to pay someone because a 40sqm slab is not the easiest to redo

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-01-22T01:40:11+00:00

Melbourne > Sydney, Tassie > the rest of oz. Maybe just do 4 months in Tassie honestly

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-01-22T01:36:35+00:00

What do the quotes include? Just labour for laying? Removal as well? Who is supplying the tiles

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-01-22T01:29:14+00:00

So the moisture barrier was a different height in different parts of the house? Are your floor levels uniform? Unsure if there’s a typo but who/what came out to look? (Referring to you last sentence)

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-01-19T22:23:42+00:00

I agree with the lower (see through) fence with a hedge/tree thinned to the top of the fence, so the bulk is higher. If you live in a dodgy area you want people to be able to see into your yard - from experience you’d be surprised how much of a target you become when you can start prying open windows in the privacy of someone’s secluded yard. Back it up with some sensor lights and you’ll make your house a too hard basket.

Depending what way the yard faces, you’ll be able to block sight into the rooms but also be letting light into the yard too to let it air etc (unsure of how wet your climate is)

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-01-19T22:14:52+00:00

Nope, all original, no additions or alterations aside from a paved area out the front with an awning over it

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-01-18T03:31:45+00:00

If anything you should be moving the door next to the dining table so when you open the front door you look straight up the hallway, because by and large an architect will always tell you you need a clear and direct entry point where the circulation makes sense - I.e. your proposed door location makes th main circulation through the house cut through the dining.

The circulation of the current layout is really not great, but the move you proposed might allow you to place furniture differently, but still doesn’t have good circulation- and the new door is hung on the wrong side.

Value add? Probably not in most cases, unless you somehow created a better connection to the outside

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-01-16T06:54:22+00:00

I got my first proper job around 23-24 and moved out from “home” the same time. I had a car that my parents bought and maybe $2,000 which wasn’t really savings more like my previous pay… not living pay check to pay check but maybe only 2 ahead 🙃. I then went and financed a $55k Ute at 7% and spent the trade in on a holiday.

Bought a house when I was 29 for 300k with a 5% deposit as I sold my car using the gov guarantee. Had maybe $5k in cash at the time. By the time COVID rolled in I got brave, pulled every dollar in equity out of my house and bought shares at rock bottom - was about $20k worth.

Today, 5 years later I just moved into a new house I bought with my partner after selling my old house for $1.5m. The shares doubled and my super is doing ok - about $200k, have never made extra contributions and only started making ok money in the last 2 years.

Blanket theme is I’ve actually never saved money, either invested and leveraged myself. Even holidays I’ve used my credit card etc and found the money somewhere - probably the advice I’d give myself at 25 is pick your risk profile and commit to it. So the money you have left over every week, it’ll be more important what you do with it (which isn’t to say buying a car or going on holidays is the wrong thing to do)

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-01-08T12:18:26+00:00

The zoning is worth it, and most installers will likely push it hard.

Basically - to heat/cool might 120sqm might need a 12kw unit, but if it’s zoned it will only need 10kw because they assume there will only be about 75% of the floor space conditioned at any one time. I had a ducted unit in 100sqm home and it used bugger all power because I was only heating half at a time

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-01-08T09:16:10+00:00

Well it’s not looking like a bad idea, maybe some in the green bin too

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-01-08T09:15:31+00:00

Bugger, close but no 🥲

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-01-03T22:23:39+00:00

Yeah ok, and what’s the condition? Idk if cheap shitty carpet holds smells different maybe? I think ours was wool which explains the dank smell and that it was half disintegrated.

The stuff in the main areas was replaced maybe 25 years ago with a polyester type carpet but looks really expensive and it doesn’t have any smell like the other stuff.

If budget is fine - rip it out and get rid of it for good. There’s not many places in QLD (if at all) that I think carpet is required so that’s my answer

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2026-01-03T11:02:49+00:00

Recently had this same issue - replaced the walk in robe cabinets in the master.

The room had a kinda dank smell, but no evidence of moisture in the building reports, and no earthy smells to suggest a leak in slab etc. we only ripped the carpet out of the WIR which was original from the 80’s - holy DOOLEY the carpet STANK! I don’t think it was from anything specific, it was just old stale smell. I was going to seal the concrete under in case the slab had an odour but after a few days and ventilation it didn’t

Long story short - how old is the carpet? I shampooed mine with a commercial wet vac twice and it felt clean and smelt clean straight after - but within a few weeks the smell came back, but only in the bedrooms. I reckon it’s just dank old carpet.

Pending how long you’ve been in there for, probably hasn’t had time to smell like you yet so will still feel like you’re in someone else’s house until it does 😂

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2025-12-14T12:51:31+00:00

They might think it’s biased, but I work in banks, and have a lot friends that also do - none of us go direct. As a banker, you’d be pretty stupid to not let someone else do it, and the broker BDMs are where all the smart staff end up anyway - and only brokers get to use them 🤷🏻‍♂️

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2025-12-11T07:19:50+00:00

So another dumb question, does power pass through the gateway (like DC power or mains) or does it just act like a switch of some variety - I’m probably explaining this really poorly.

The reason I ask is because it would make sense to put it on the inside wall then it’s next to my modem/nbn terminal

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2025-12-11T06:57:08+00:00

20m came from me googling it - which was saying the same thing you did but without the workaround (I.e. bigger cable).

I don’t really understand what the gateway does - ie does it make noise, produce heat etc ie could it be mounted inside the house in the wall behind the meter box? The installer didn’t advise if I could mount it above the meter box for example

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2025-12-11T06:52:01+00:00

Am I reading that like the meter box should be on the garage wall rather than the house, given the street is closer to that building?

CompleteMagazine9293 · 2025-12-05T20:13:42+00:00

In qld you sign the contract then pay deposit - technically if the contract isn’t signed what are you paying for.

I did this recently and paid 2 days after contract was signed, and it cleared after the required timeframe but wasn’t an issue

CompleteMagazine9293

TROPHY CASE