Hello!
I am building the Cherry 16 with Beachwood Constructions. I realised there is not much information on the internet for people who are building smaller houses. I decided to start this blog to share my experiences and challenges faced with building a small property.
My journey began on the 7th of June 2015 when I purchased my small block of land (245m2) in Clarinda Park Estate in Cranbourne West. I signed my contract with Metricon at the time, waited for the titles to come out in March 2015 which was delayed until July 2015. Metricon was unable to change the floor plan to abide by the council regulations. The developers would not approve the plans along with the council and the contract had to be cancelled. It was several months of pain and stress to sort this out. The contract was ended in November after I kicked up a fuss. Their compliance team had failed to pick up on several issues which is disgraceful for such a large builder. They wasted a lot of my time and money. Normally for a small lot that is <300m2 a small lot code applies, however if theres no building envelope it does not apply and a permit is required. Just a thing to watch out for!
Generally the smaller lots can be processed a lot faster due to the small lot code as there is no need for a planning permit.
I have recently signed on with Beachwood Constructions and am waiting for the ball to start rolling. Unfortunately I need to re-apply for an entirely new home loan which can take up to 4 weeks. I had to also apply for an extension for my planning permit during this time. I have colour selections coming in December and am hoping to have my planning permit and loan approved by early 2017. Watch this space!
