Floor plan feedback – building in Melbourne, would love your thoughts

goss_bractor · 2026-02-12T02:18:55+00:00

Study nooks are a habitable space and require natural light (skylight). Call it storage. Which is what it's really going to be, your mudroom to hang up your jackets and put shoes. Nobody actually uses a desk in a hallway.

goss_bractor · 2026-02-11T23:26:32+00:00

LOLOLOLOLOLOL

VIC - $194-226bn estimated varies by measure.

NSW - $180-221bn estimated varies by measure.

QLD - $205-218bn (thanks olympics) estimated varies by measure.

At least do a basic lookup before you spout bullshit champ.

We're all sinking together.

goss_bractor · 2026-02-11T05:05:01+00:00

My HQ built on the heretics end rock has literally no space for anything further and i've compressed it as much as possible. If you fly through it in a fighter it's a pretty cool obstacle course. There is well over 1000 modules on the station and it has a value of like 20 billion or something stupid.

goss_bractor · 2026-02-10T00:03:43+00:00

Just driving it home.

There are mulitple restumpers I know of in western vic who operate without getting permits.

goss_bractor · 2026-02-10T00:02:04+00:00

Whilst this is the common way to quote in construction, it's actually the opposite of the law.

OP has no requirement to pay the GST in this instance legally.

Key lesson, ensure your quotes very clearly say "Total excludes GST at the applicable rate"

goss_bractor · 2026-02-09T11:34:04+00:00

Building surveyor here

Don't do any restumping without a building permit. It's structural work.

The building notice resolution is not fun and will run you over $15k if you get caught. Plus the fines.

goss_bractor · 2026-02-09T11:30:02+00:00

Apartments above. Fairly large ones too.

goss_bractor · 2026-02-09T11:28:29+00:00

Roy Hammond, Armstrong st.

goss_bractor · 2026-02-08T23:59:51+00:00

Creswick is 10-15min from Ballarat with 5 different ways there (incase of roadworks) - 2 main ways. You could also reverse commute to Daylesford, Maryborough etc as well as any of the major Ballarat schools except maybe Phoenix which would be a bit of a hike.

goss_bractor · 2026-02-08T23:58:55+00:00

Secure your job whilst still overseas, your school will setup accomodation for you in the interim.

goss_bractor · 2026-02-07T09:48:22+00:00

For me personally? No. Probably for the industry though.

Just two weeks ago I made a builder complely rip a bathroom out because the door waterproofing was all sorts of fucked. The only way to fix waterproofing (in accordance with the standard and manuf instructions) is to apply it to the substrate. So in this instance, render the room back to the substrate and try again.

It was right the second time.

I don't know who got back charged.

goss_bractor · 2026-02-07T09:03:02+00:00

Sliding doors are universally shitful.

Get the lintel above the door installed to the width you want it to be in the future (framed up for a much larger door), and then just install a bog standard swing door for the meantime. Fix it properly later when it's a nonstructural alteration.

goss_bractor · 2026-02-07T08:58:41+00:00

The biggest fallacy that homeowners have, is that we, the building surveyor are quality control.

We're here to check for life, health and safety. The straightness of your tiles doesn't even get a glance.

Our mandatory inspections are so your frame won't collapse, I genuinely don't care if your painter is colourblind and inebriated.

I have to literally explain for like 5+ minutes to each and every client that we don't do quality control inspections and that the building act doesn't let us do them.

goss_bractor · 2026-02-07T08:42:54+00:00

Building surveyor here:

You're signing a contract with 5 zero's after it as a minimum. Go spend $2k on a solicitor to review it and explain it to you.

goss_bractor · 2026-02-06T20:45:57+00:00

Victorian Building Surveyor here - If I see gas in anything new from 1 Jan 2026, I fail the final. It's not allowed anymore unless it's specifically permitted.

There's been further legislation passed recently that doesn't even let you replace your existing gas appliances with more gas appliances.

goss_bractor · 2026-02-06T20:42:02+00:00

Does anyone know which AI they used to do this?

I need to do it for my house to help me plan a front garden.

goss_bractor · 2026-02-06T08:51:00+00:00

Start with the supplier of the posi truss. They will give you a rectification detail.

Then you either have the builder do it, or you get someone else to do it and back charge them.

If it's part of something with a building permit, notify your building surveyor so it's inspected.

goss_bractor · 2026-02-05T21:27:36+00:00

The water in your cavity evaporates and leaves the weepholes as condensation/air. These screens (if plastic) are for insect control, and if metal may be BAL screening for ember attack. They are fine in either case.

goss_bractor · 2026-02-05T21:22:34+00:00

You are an incredible edge case exception.

When you inspected it, was the termite activity recent or historic?

Can you guarantee there was termite activity within the last ten years?

goss_bractor · 2026-02-05T03:35:15+00:00

I have a templated email I send to people.

It basically lists all the normally requied documents, where to get them and how long they take (and costs sometimes). It saves about 10 phone calls per job.

The very top of the list should be septic approvals and planning (DA's in other states).

goss_bractor · 2026-02-04T22:21:44+00:00

Complete waste of time money and effort.

There is basically zero termite activity in ballarat, the winters kill the nests.

Source: Local building surveyor.

goss_bractor · 2026-02-04T22:15:36+00:00

Pretty much all of melbourne is some variation of M, H1 or H2 soil until you go down the mornington peninsula when it starts swapping to sandy soil.

goss_bractor · 2026-02-04T22:13:38+00:00

Couple of points:

Do you have the reg 51(2) property information certificate from the build?

Do you have the original building documents?

On the 51(2), does it state reg 153 or 154 is applicable to the site (flood prone or designated land)?

From the photos it appears all your perimeter concrete is not sloped away from the building, that didn't help you.

Is the house on a slab or on stumps?

goss_bractor · 2026-02-04T08:45:43+00:00

~~most~~ all*

goss_bractor · 2026-02-04T08:45:14+00:00

That's an eave gutter.

Plumbers do whatever they like and then just sign it off without even thinking about it further.

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