Hills Architectural Properties

Archive for February, 2011

APG delivers another stylish display home in the way of The Riviera located in Herdsman in the two home display village next door to big brother Webb and Brown-Neaves. This two storey is a lot more compact that the W & B home but still packs a lot of value with a display price of $481,473.

The streetscape is really attractive in neutral tones of cream and brown, but the cookies and cream colour scheme may be tiring as it’s been commonplace for a number of years in Perth. You have to love the home designers sense of proportion displayed with this elevation though with a darker base colour on the ground floor ‘supporting’ the lighter coloured first floor. Great horizontal elements are exaggerated with the clever use of colour.

Entering through glass double doors – a must really if you want to navigate any sizeable pieces of furniture inside, the master bedroom is on the immediate right hand side with views to the street. This suits some home buyers who would prefer to monitor the front of their home from the bedroom (read: nosy neighbours) and includes a large walk in robe and great open Ensuite. There is a brick pier in the bedroom which may have been included for structural reasons, or perhaps just a design quirk and it has been dressed with a built in sideboard which may act as a makeup stand for the woman that prefers to have a dedicated makeup space. The colour scheme in the ensuite is modern with stylish white and silver decor and a wide highlight window with feature vertical centre window running from floor to ceiling between the his and hers vanity basins. It’s a shame the shower size wasn’t larger here as there was definitely space for it.

An open Media room will be the first thing guests see as they walk from the entry to the main living area which is a common feature in most of APG’s homes. In the display home this shows functionality without closing the room in adding expense to the repeat build price and making the display home appear smaller than it is.

The open plan living features a galley kitchen and rooms in the right proportion with a smaller Dining and a much larger Living room. The Laundry is also accessed through the kitchen with what will be loved by most buyers – an oversized walk in linen cupboard. The kitchen is really well appointed and the cupboards just integrate nicely with the home. The fridge is concealed behind cupboard doors as is the pantry. For some reason the pantry door is on an angle and I couldn’t work out why. Perhaps it’s a design feature, but it’s the only angle in the whole house and if it is a design feature, it doesn’t feel right to me.

The first floor of the home is your typical three bedrooms with an activity room along with the required bathroom and toilet. Nothing really too spectacular to note here other than the interior decorating which as expected is very tasteful and shows how simple finishing touches can really make a home. I would have preferred the hallway space to be utilised a bit better between the stairs and the activity area, perhaps even by increasing the fourth bedroom by 300mm and reducing the void area size. Usable space is better than air.

Gripe: As with most APG display homes a small redundant balcony sits at the front of the home. Seriously, how often do you drive down a street and see a house with a balcony out the front with people on it. Why include this? Aren’t we all looking for value for money? If you knew what it cost to install this useless balcony I’m sure you’d prefer to put that money towards something more useful that would be used on a daily basis like a brand new truncheon or hang glider…

Recommendations to potential buyers:

1. The Media room is a little useless in its current form and will need to be closed off to be functional. Add some double doors and close the opening between the Media and Dining area unless you’re one of those people that like turning your TV on in your Living room and your Theatre and standing halfway between before loudly declaring to your friends “hey I’ve got stereo”!
2. Delete the pointless balcony unless you are seriously going to sit out there and spy on your neighbours.

Stats:

* Price: $481,473 for the display version which excludes the triple garage

Areas:

* Ground Floor House 166.60 m²
* Garage 36.11 m²
* Porch 5.18 m²
* Alfresco 18.11 m²
* First Floor House 107.83 m²
* Balcony 12.25 m²
* Overall Area: 346.08 m²

Display Version Price p/m² = $1,391 p/m²

Steve Fitzpatrick is the Managing Director of Your Building Broker who are the most experienced Building Brokers in Perth Western Australia.

If you’re thinking of building a new home then contact Your Building Broker today to ensure you have the most amazing home design, best building price and most importantly, a stress free building experience where everything is done for you.By Steve Fitzpatrick

People who have been in self building business could really attest that finding a good self build land is not an easy task. As a matter of fact, this part of the self build venture is where the perseverance and determination of a self builder can really be tested. More often than not, those who are new in the self building world will fail in there venture because they are unable to find a good land. The land hunt becomes too lengthy and tiring that it causes a newbie self builder to give up. It is very disappointing to know that the endless search for a good land is taking too much of there time but to no positive development at all. Hence, they become disheartened and end there venture. But if you really would want to succeed in self building, you need to understand that it is a step by step process and that you cannot reach the top unless you are able to surpass each step of the journey.

Finding a good land will certainly require dedication and hard work. You cannot just sit in your couch and wait for a good land to knock on your door, or wait for a broker to deliver to you the best deal of land. You will need to work it out in order for you to find the best deal in purchasing a good plot.

Oftentimes newbie on the world of self building will fall on the traps of buying an extremely low cost land. They would presume that taking advantage of buying a low cost land will benefit them in the end. However, they fail to realize that there is definitely a reason why a dealer would sell a certain plot at a ridiculously low price. Often times, plots that are outside the zone of development or those plots which does not have a planning permit are sold at a very low price. Thus, inexperienced self builders would often grab this offer to their dismay. They do not realize that plots that fall outside the development zone or those which are not granted a planning permit will not serve the purpose that the self builder will need.

Thus, if you want to make sure that the land that you will be buying will really work to your advantage do not just buy any plot without further researching about the details of the plot. You need to make sure that you have checked the certain plot with your local councilors. Your local councilors can provide you with a detailed map of lands that are within the development zone.

You do have a lot of options to make finding a good plot easier for you. You can opt to look for reputable land brokers or go to people who have recently purchased a land. More often than not, these people have seen quite a few good lands that they could share with you. More so, never underestimate the power of the internet. Check out the top websites of those who are selling lands. You can even check if there are auctions in your area through the internet. You only need to be resourceful and determined for you to be able to find a good land.By Daniel Stanley

Some people are totally comfortable with all of the up to date trends that are prevalent within the current new home design and construction industry. It is a good idea to be aware of them as they can easily be incorporated into your project without you realizing it. These popular additions and upgrades can automatically increase the bottom line cost of your new construction project. The following content addresses some of the things that can almost double the cost of building their dream house.

1. One of the most dangerous traps is the idea of “keeping up with the Jones”. A growing inclination is toward homes that have been specifically designed for each individual property owner. This means that your home can be adjusted to your own personal likes or dislikes in regard to almost anything. However, the homeowner must realize that every little change can have a hefty price tag attached to it. Even though most people do like the idea of incorporating some unique style and architectural details into their home, they simply do not want to have to pay for them for the rest of their lives.
2. Another tendency within the new home industry is to emphasis the need for additional rooms; for example, a guest room or a special laundry area. Some of the other budget busting ideas generally include places where the homeowner can easily entertain the whole family and some of their closest friends; such as sun rooms, patio decks and fully screened porches. All of these items are extremely popular; and extremely expensive.
3. Let us not forget the finished basement which has been steadily gaining in popularity. This area, which is usually as large as the main living quarters, can provide a form of privacy that is separated away from the rest of the house. The greatest enticement for this money-making amenity is “suppose your parents or in- laws need a place to stay?”
4. That is not all; the coziness of an attic space is also being marketed as a bonus room that just cannot be ignored. It can be transformed into a cozy corner that is far away from the all of the hustle and bustled of everyday living; if you have enough money left in the budget.

In summary, anyone who is thinking of purchasing a specially designed house must be prepared to keep both of their eyes on their budget at all times. It is very easy to become enchanted by the additions of a lot of extra living spaces, extravagant design features and overly luxurious construction materials. Always try to remember that when everything is said and done, the unpaid bills will still continue to roll in.By Jonathan R Richards

Yellow Springs is a small town on the outskirts of Dayton, Ohio, with a population of just over 3,500. In 2008, Budget Travel named it one of the ten coolest small cities in the United States. But the Yellow Springs population has been changing over the last few years. The average age has steadily increased, and so have housing prices.

In an effort to draw back some of the young families that were once the backbone of the village, a group of community leaders formed Yellow Springs, Inc, a Community Land Trust (CLT) aimed at helping low- and middle-income families buy affordable homes. The non-profit cooperative also works to keep housing prices at a reasonable level.

John Emmeus Davis, considered by many to be an expert in affordable housing development, recently visited Yellow Springs to give Community Land Trust organizers some encouragement and advice. Davis called the Yellow Springs CLT “remarkably successful,” and praised the village for its vitality. He also suggested that the village could attract other developers by making incentives available to those who include affordable housing in their development plans.

The concept of Community Land Trusts has been around for centuries, but the name itself was used until the 1960s. The Institute for Community Economics is credit for its creation. An official definition was created in 1992 by the Federal Housing and Community Development Act, and government funding for the Trusts was made available. Through a CLT, affordable housing is made available to low- and middle-income families because they’re only purchasing the house. The land is leased by the home buyer, and owned by the CLT.

Studies have shown that Community Land Trusts not only help low- and middle-income families get into homes, but they help people stay in homes, too. A study conducted by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, in partnership with the National Community Land Trust Network found that foreclosure rates in CLTs were about half the national average.

Lower foreclosure rates can be attributed not only to the lower priced homes in Community Land Trusts, but to the fact that the homeowners are more closely scrutinized. They have to meet specific income requirements, and they’re carefully guided through the process so that they understand the agreement they’re entering into. In contrast, people applying for traditional home loans in recent years weren’t required to verify their income, nor to understand the nature of their mortgage agreements.By Sean M Carpenter