E92. What's the most expensive part of building your home?

In this episode of the Building Design, Prime Time Podcast, Frank and Amelia tackle one of the biggest questions on every homeowner's mind: What’s the most expensive part of building? 

Frank takes a deep dive into the numbers, breaking down the percentages of each area and explaining that interior finishes often make up the largest chunk of your budget. From flooring and cabinetry to lighting and fixtures, these are the areas where choices can dramatically affect the final price. But that’s not all—Frank also explores the cost of exterior features, such as driveways, fences, and alfresco areas, which can quickly add thousands to your build if not carefully planned.

Understanding these cost factors is crucial, especially if you’re trying to stick to a budget. Frank offers practical advice on where to save without sacrificing quality, such as choosing cost-effective yet stylish finishes from brands like Polytec and Laminex. He also highlights the importance of planning for future needs without overcommitting to expensive upgrades that may not deliver a strong return on investment. Whether you’re building your first home, upgrading to your forever home, or considering a renovation, this episode provides you with the knowledge you need to make informed decisions.

By the end of the episode, you'll feel more confident about how to budget for your build, where to prioritise your spending, and how to avoid common financial traps. 

Tune in and subscribe now on your favorite podcast platform to get the insights you need. There's a new episode uploaded each week! 

About us
Prime Design is a building design company locally owned and operated in Tasmania since 2004.  Our goal is to share as much valuable information as possible about the process of building design, extensions, and more. We will talk about a different topic each week. To suggest a topic you would like us to talk about contact us at info@primedesigntas.com.au

Disclaimer
The information provided on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, individual circumstances, or remedy. We strongly suggest you consult a qualified professional before taking any action based on the information provided in this podcast. The views, opinions, and information provided in this podcast are those of the hosts do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organisation, employer, or company. All content provided on this podcast is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. We make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this podcast and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, or damages arising from its use. We reserve the right to change content or delete any information provided on this podcast at any time without prior notice.

Transcript

E92. What's the most expensive part of building your home?

[INTRO] (0:08 - 0:24)

Hello and welcome to the Building Design, Prime Time Podcast, focused on providing valuable information for anyone looking to undertake a new build or extension project. We'll share our tips, tricks and stories from a building designers perspective.

[Amelia] (0:26 - 0:42)

Hello and welcome to the Building Design, Prime Time Podcast. I'm your host, Amelia. And once again, we're joined by Frank Geskus.

[Frank] (0:42 - 0:44)

Hey Amelia. Another beautiful day in paradise.

[Amelia] (0:45 - 0:45)

It is, isn't it?

[Frank] (0:46 - 0:47)

Yes. Autumn now.

[Amelia] (0:47 - 0:48)

It is autumn. Yes.

[Frank] (0:49 - 0:50)

Starting to get our first frosts.

[Amelia] (0:50 - 0:52)

We've got a big weekend ahead.

[Frank] (0:52 - 0:52)

We do.

[Amelia] (0:53 - 0:54)

We've got to vote. Federal election.

[Frank] (0:55 - 0:55)

Oh, for the donkeys.

[Amelia] (0:56 - 0:56)

Yeah.

[Frank] (0:56 - 0:58)

Sorry, politicians. Yeah.

[Amelia] (0:58 - 0:59)

Yeah. Something like that.

[Frank] (1:02 - 1:07)

Yes. And I love going to the polling booth. Every bugger's trying to send you a pamphlet and stuff.

[Amelia] (1:07 - 1:09)

Yes. You get bombarded, don't you?

[Frank] (1:09 - 1:11)

Oh, yeah. Don't want to even go there. Let's move on.

[Amelia] (1:11 - 1:31)

There's so many topics that come up within that. And one of those things is housing affordability and all that kind of stuff, which sort of leads to the question of what is the most expensive part of building a house?

Like, how do you even break that down? How does it all work? And how do you even know how to budget certain areas?

[Frank] (1:31 - 1:46)

And that's a great point because it's really interesting. I've been in the game for a long time and watching people get all excited over the kitchens, bathrooms, lounge rooms, living areas, outdoor entertainment areas. And we've spoken about lots of these.

A lot of people just don't have a freaking clue about how much this stuff costs.

[Amelia] (1:47 - 1:47)

Exactly.

[Frank] (1:48 - 1:54)

Like, we were talking before. Laundries. Laundries are as beautiful and as sexy as a kitchen now.

[Amelia] (1:54 - 2:05)

And they're definitely not what they used to be where you had this kind of ugly looking white basin cabinet thing in the corner. And that's really about it.

[Frank] (2:05 - 2:07)

With a few cheap white tiles on top of it.

[Amelia] (2:07 - 2:08)

Behind it, yeah.

[Frank] (2:08 - 2:09)

Because it's the laundry.

[Amelia] (2:09 - 2:09)

That's right.

[Frank] (2:09 - 2:11)

That's where the dog lives.

[Amelia] (2:11 - 2:14)

Yeah. Nothing fancy. But now they're...

[Speaker 1] (2:14 - 4:09)

Oh, they're bonkers. 

[Amelia]

Yeah. 

[Frank]

And the joinery. It's just... Wow. So, there's one reason why it becomes unaffordable because there's expectations.

[Amelia]

Yes. 

[Frank]

And that's one really great area to point out where if you're on a really tight budget, you've got to really consider some of this stuff and keep it really simple. Laundry's a great one.

Everyone loves good storage. But I'll be honest. We've got a big laundry at my house at the moment.

It's got joinery, cupboards. But we put really cheap joinery in. But we've got wall-to-wall cupboards.

600 deep. And all our stuff's in there. Linen.

Camping gear. Equipment. Stuff that you don't use all the time.

Your vacuum cleaners. Sewing stuff. Pet food.

Shoes. Everything's in this one room. And it kind of works well for us.

But there's still a few bucks compared to just doing a normal laundry. We've got a tub, washing machine, and maybe one small cupboard to put a broom in. 

[Amelia]

Yes.

[Frank]

So, there's a big difference. And this is where... What can you afford what can’t you afford?

And I see it time and time again. People don't have an idea how much some of this stuff costs. You know, every house has to have two bathrooms. Ensuite. 

[Amelia]

Yes. 

[Frank]

But to be fair, I think you'd have to seriously consider just putting one in.

But potentially spend a little bit more. So, we keep throwing numbers around. $25,000 to $30,000 to a bathroom.

Bath. Shower. Basin.

You know. Toilet. You have a separate toilet.

But how bad if you were to separate that a little bit further and you had a second door in it? So, it also becomes a three-way type bathroom. So, you might have the vanity.

Bigger vanity. Separate. Toilet separate.

Shower bath separate. So, then you've just got this slightly bigger wet area. Might cost you a little bit more.

But you're not putting an ensuite on. You don't have your privacy. I get that.

But it can save you a lot of money. 

[Amelia]

True. 

[Frank]

So, if you spend $25,000 to $30,000 on a bathroom, you're going to spend $25,000 on an ensuite.

[Amelia] (4:09 - 4:12)

That's true. That's, you know, $50,000, $60,000. You're dropping.

[Frank] (4:13 - 4:14)

Oh, half that.

[Amelia] (4:15 - 4:15)

For both.

[Frank] (4:15 - 4:16)

Well, if you do both.

[Amelia] (4:16 - 4:17)

If you do both.

[Frank] (4:17 - 4:20)

If you're dropping, yes. But if you get rid of one, well, you save yourself $25,000.

[Amelia] (4:20 - 4:20)

That's right.

[Frank] (4:21 - 4:29)

Same with the robes. You need a level of robes. Depends how you fit out.

Keep it really basic and simple. That's fine. Kitchens, though.

[Amelia] (4:30 - 4:32)

Oh, they're pretty dear, aren't they?

[Frank] (4:32 - 4:40)

They can be because of what people choose. And, you know, you can spend $50,000, $60,000, you know, on a kitchen quite easily.

[Amelia] (4:41 - 4:41)

Oh, easily.

[Frank] (4:41 - 4:45)

You know? And it depends on the appliances you put in.

[Amelia] (4:45 - 4:46)

Yes, exactly.

[Frank] (4:46 - 4:57)

What type of cooktops you put in. Now, when I first, like, I built my first home, I put the cheapest stuff in there. Put solid hot plates, oven, and they lasted, the oven lasted, I think, about 10 or 12 years.

[Amelia] (4:57 - 4:58)

Yep.

[Frank] (4:58 - 5:06)

Then we added the money to upgrade that, and then we got an induction top and all that. So start small. Didn't have a dishwasher when I started, either.

[Amelia] (5:06 - 5:07)

Oh, that's hard.

[Frank] (5:07 - 5:09)

But I had a cupboard we could pull out.

[Amelia] (5:09 - 5:10)

Yes, okay.

[Frank] (5:10 - 5:15)

So then we could afford a dishwasher later on. When you got kids, there's your manual dishwasher.

[Amelia] (5:16 - 5:17)

If you can get them to do it.

[Frank] (5:17 - 5:24)

Yeah, that is true. That's the other side of it. We won't go there.

All the arguments and carrying on.

[Amelia] (5:24 - 5:27)

Yes. All the toilet stops that conveniently happen.

[Frank] (5:27 - 5:32)

Oh, everyone's got to go to the toilet when someone says dishes. It's like a trigger, isn't it?

[Amelia] (5:32 - 5:32)

Yes, it is a trigger.

[Frank] (5:33 - 5:41)

Yeah. Oh, man, everyone's running, banging on the door. It's my turn on the toilet.

Yeah. You've got to worry when they take a book in there.

[Amelia] (5:42 - 5:43)

Yeah, that is a little concerning.

[Frank] (5:47 - 5:59)

Yeah, so you need to consider these things and then how you do fitout. Flooring, another great example. There's a big difference between quite serviceable, cheap flooring to eye-watering expensive.

[Amelia] (6:00 - 6:07)

You can get some pretty expensive tiles or even some of your polished concretes that, you know, if you're going to go down that route.

[Frank] (6:08 - 6:11)

Everyone thinks it's cheap and it's not. It's quite expensive to do it properly.

[Amelia] (6:12 - 6:12)

Yes.

[Frank] (6:13 - 6:50)

And you've got to have the right type of house to do that as well. But I'll just go through, did a bit of research here on some of the percentages of cost breakdowns in new homes. So if you're looking at your site works, and we're probably dealing with a flat site here.

[Amelia]

Yes. 

[Frank]

Site works, getting it prepared, ready for the house, 7%. 

[Amelia]

Okay.

[Frank]

So I'm going to go on percentages. Foundations, 11%. Your framing is about 18%.

So that would include, you know, your roof, trusses or whatnot. Exterior, 14% or your claddings. Major systems, your electrical and heating, about 14%.

I would have thought that's a bit higher.

[Amelia] (6:50 - 6:51)

Yeah, I would agree with that.

[Frank] (6:52 - 7:21)

Because, yeah, but it depends how fancy you go too, because the same with electrical. You can go berserk with certain lighting, lighting effects and whatnot. Same with air conditioners, heating air conditioners, or we call them down when it's cold heat pumps, reverse cycle, they're really good bang for your buck. But so many people put ducted systems in. 

[Amelia]

Yes.

[Frank]

And they are not cheap, and they're nowhere near as efficient. But to be fair, the heat pumps that you hang off the wall, the plastic things look absolutely positively awful. 

[Amelia] (7:21 - 7:22)

They don't look nice. They're not pretty.

[Frank] (7:22 - 7:37)

They look rubbish. And the ones on the ground are even worse, because they go yellow. I've had one.

And then the kids drop stuff in there, and bits of their Hot Wheels cars, and you’re fishing that out. And then they pull on the blades, and they break it. Yeah, I've done all that.

[Amelia] (7:37 - 7:37)

Oh, wow.

[Frank] (7:38 - 7:48)

The ceiling cassette ones are very, very good, but they are more expensive. So you can save money there as well. Because if you're on a really tight budget, you need to look at every one of these options.

[Amelia] (7:48 - 7:48)

Yes.

[Frank] (7:48 - 8:14)

But also you can get a pretty reasonable brand, which is still cost effective, because they're pretty, very reliable across the board near all the reverse cycles. So with all your lighting, how many PowerPoints you put in, what type of PowerPoints you put in, that type of stuff. So you can get that down a fair way.

And the house will be still toasty warm. So then fitting it out. So your interior finishes.

You're looking at about 30% is in your interior.

[Amelia] (8:15 - 8:16)

That's a big chunk.

[Frank] (8:17 - 9:03)

Yeah, it is a massive chunk. Exterior, this is part of this thing I researched. Exterior is about 14%, so I would suspect there would have been driveways, fences, a bit of landscaping and whatnot.

So it kind of all adds up to the interiors are by far your biggest. So this is where I love going with project builders that itemise everything really, really well. Because they should be able to show you, right, foundations are this much because your site is like this, or you've got a highly reactive source.

So you can see. But it's good to have percentage breakdown. But I think what you need to look at is that regardless of your site, the cost is the cost to get the foundations, the framing, the roof and the box, the windows and all that.

Fitting out inside is where you're probably your biggest variables going to be.

[Amelia] (9:03 - 9:04)

Yes.

[Frank] (9:04 - 9:07)

You know, I know you've got high standards and tastes.

[Amelia] (9:08 - 9:09)

No, I don't.

[Frank] (9:09 - 9:26)

Yes, you do. But you can really shop around and find some great finishes with Polytec, Laminex, all those guys. They've got great finishes that will give you a really great look.

[Amelia] (9:27 - 9:27)

Exactly.

[Frank] (9:28 - 9:29)

And it won't cost you an absolute fortune.

[Amelia] (9:30 - 9:30)

Yes.

[Frank] (9:31 - 9:55)

So then you can certainly work your own home decor to make the thing look great. Flooring options. There's plenty of those as well on carpet so that you can reduce your costs.

Now, everyone seems to want the best or the dream home forever home. I'm here to tell you it's the biggest load of horseshit simply because you're not going to get that because your life changes.

[Amelia] (9:55 - 9:56)

Yes, exactly.

[Frank] (9:57 - 10:31)

You know, build the house so it's all very nice if you can afford it, but work within your budget. Spending the extra money doesn't mean you actually get more money for it. It's really weird at the moment on the real estate market.

You know, it's all been very different to what it was 10 years ago. Where right now with the housing market, you can buy an absolute dog box and needs a lot of work. And you're not paying much less for something that's pretty reasonable.

[Amelia]

True. Yes. 

[Frank]

There's not a big difference in them. So keep that in mind if you're building your house. Well, what does that tell you? Are you going to get the value return on putting a higher end products in there?

[Amelia] (10:31 - 10:31)

Yes.

[Frank] (10:32 - 10:42)

Or are you keeping up with the Joneses? Are you trying to do these finishes? Because look at me, if that's what you want, that's fine.

But be prepared to pay for it. You don't get a return on it.

[Amelia] (10:42 - 10:42)

Yes.

[Frank] (10:43 - 10:51)

Garages, they're generally not too expensive to do. The doors are probably a more expensive component. And there's many different types of panel lift, roller doors and all that.

[Amelia] (10:51 - 10:54)

And the electronics that go along with that a lot of the time.

[Frank] (10:54 - 11:04)

Yeah, that's not too bad. They've come a long way. But I think if I was on a really tight budget and I needed a three bedroom home, I'd seriously consider not adding the garage.

[Amelia] (11:05 - 11:06)

Because you can add it later?

[Frank] (11:06 - 11:07)

Yeah.

[Amelia] (11:07 - 11:10)

Yeah. Or an alfresco is a good one too.

[Frank] (11:10 - 11:46)

Yeah, alfresco. All this stuff can be designed and then built to stages if you need to. Because if you can pay off your debt level quicker, that means you've got more money equity in your home later on to go build these things.

Yes, it's going to cost you more money back then, but I would almost guarantee that if you were to pay more of your debt off and build up the equity and you'd be in the house longer, it increases in value. You'll be able to use that to do a garage, do an alfresco, do an extension to the house. So those things I think you'd really need to consider.

Custom designs, and that's where a lot of people...

[Amelia] (11:46 - 11:47)

Yeah, yep.

[Frank] (11:47 - 12:39)

So just looking at our questions and stuff, custom design is an interesting one because everyone wants a custom design here. Here in Tasmania anyway, we don't have a huge amount of project home builders unlike on the Big Island. 

[Amelia]

Yes.

[Frank]

They've got whole villages, subdivisions, and you've got these display homes. And I love going through them. I reckon they do an awesome job.

They look amazing. And obviously they can do it a fair bit cheaper on the mainland just purely because of the volume they build at, and it's more cost effective in bulk. So you can get great ideas out of that, but you then need to look at, well, do you put a cheaper product in that looks good, may not last as long, or do I put a more expensive one?

How long are you going to be in that house for? 

[Amelia]

True. 

[Frank]

To be fair, forever homes, it's pretty rare nowadays for anyone to be like your parents in the same home. My parents were in the same home for 57 years.

[Amelia] (12:40 - 12:51)

My parents are on their second house, and that's only because literally we didn't fit in the first one. There was five children in a three-bedroom unit. 

[Frank] (12:51 - 12:55)

Yep, that would be a problem. And that's where you upgrade to something else to suit the needs.

[Amelia] (12:55 - 12:56)

Yes.

[Frank] (12:57 - 13:00)

Not build everything now to suit future needs.

[Amelia] (13:00 - 13:01)

That's right.

[Frank] (13:01 - 13:04)

But location, location is a big bearing on that as well.

[Amelia] (13:04 - 13:05)

It is, yeah.

[Frank] (13:06 - 13:14)

But odds, like a lot of people have stayed in their homes for decades, whereas I'm seeing more of a trend. There's people moving a lot more.

[Amelia] (13:15 - 13:15)

Now?

[Frank] (13:15 - 13:15)

Yeah.

[Amelia] (13:16 - 13:17)

Oh, that's interesting.

[Frank] (13:17 - 13:33)

Well, you just said, because the amount of customers come in, oh, I'm doing this. Oh, I bought this. We're going to renovate.

Oh, I need this. My circumstance has changed. Or, yeah, unfortunately you've got divorce rates, remarry, Brady Bunch component, or part-time Brady Bunch with kids with one partner and not the other partner.

[Amelia] (13:33 - 13:34)

And extra children.

[Frank] (13:35 - 13:45)

And then this partner's got three kids, you've got four kids, and then, yeah. And that's real. It's not having a go.

It's just purely real on how you want to have their own space.

[Amelia] (13:45 - 13:45)

Yes.

[Frank] (13:45 - 13:54)

And that makes it challenging. And then we look at what's becoming more prevalent is generation homes. So we're digressing off the expense, but generation homes.

[Amelia] (13:54 - 13:55)

Yes.

[Frank] (13:55 - 13:58)

So where grandparents are moving into …

[Amelia] (13:58 - 13:58)

Granny flats.

[Frank] (13:58 - 14:17)

Granny flats, but also some of the kids, they may have some challenges and whatnot. They have to stay home longer than expected. And you're building them an independent living unit, still part of the family, still get support.

The grandparents can get support. But this is generation homes. You might have three generations in one home.

[Amelia] (14:18 - 14:24)

Yeah, that's crazy, isn't it? But, I mean, for Australia, that's crazy. 

[Frank]

But other countries, it's not.

[Amelia]

Exactly, yes.

[Frank] (14:24 - 14:30)

And I think it can be an absolutely beautiful thing. If you all get on well and you all support each other, give each other space, why wouldn't it work?

[Amelia] (14:31 - 14:31)

Oh, agreed.

[Frank] (14:32 - 14:47)

Yeah. Just when you don't have to bring that crazy boyfriend home. You know?

This is where you have a house to start with, and you're expanding on that house. So, yes, it's expensive to extend, but it's not as crazy as building a brand new house.

[Amelia] (14:48 - 14:48)

Yes.

[Frank] (14:48 - 14:58)

And you can always renovate and all that. But when you're renovating and extending, the costs go up quite considerably compared to building a new house. And we've discussed that previously.

[Amelia] (14:58 - 14:59)

We have, yeah.

[Frank] (14:59 - 15:00)

So, hidden costs.

[Amelia] (15:01 - 15:02)

What are they?

[Frank] (15:03 - 15:05)

With renos and extensions, virtually anything and everything.

[Amelia] (15:06 - 15:06)

True.

[Frank] (15:06 - 15:49)

Electrical, you know. I know from my own experience, one of my first homes, I found that someone used extension cords inside the house rather than proper electrical. I've shared that story before.

Well, the galvo pipes are pretty well, you know, they're 89 years old. Yep, off she goes. 

[Amelia]

Had it, yep.

[Frank]

Had it, redo that. It is a surprise. Generally, when you build a new home, there shouldn't be surprises.

If it's everything's... If you've got a reputable that costs everything out and doesn't do PC items, just doesn't allow snow, it's a fixed price. The only thing they can't fix price is what they can't see under the ground or...

..which we've seen a couple of times where the sewer position, the depth of it, it's too shallow and they can't get the fall.

[Amelia] (15:50 - 15:50)

OK.

[Frank] (15:51 - 16:04)

Solutions to that as well, but that should have been sorted in the design, but it does happen. Yeah, you should have a pretty well fixed price. Where it's challenging is once you move your house, well, you might not have the budget for the driveway, the fences, the landscaping and all that.

[Amelia] (16:04 - 16:10)

Well, yeah, that's something that you have to factor into. It's not just the price of the house, is it? It's the other stuff.

[Frank] (16:10 - 16:30)

I think what catches a lot of people out though is you've got the base cost of a house, but then they've got a deck, alfresco, all those types of things. They can add tens of thousands to a house and they go, oh, why is my house so expensive? They've got it for that.

Well, you've got a deck, alfresco, you've got this fancy entry portico.

[Amelia] (16:30 - 16:31)

Yes.

[Frank] (16:31 - 16:33)

Bang, you've added 40,000, 50,000 bucks to it.

[Amelia] (16:33 - 16:34)

Yeah, yeah.

[Frank] (16:34 - 16:52)

That's not realising and appreciate everything outside the box of the house. If you're on the steep side, you're going to need decks and you have to allow to have that. And they're not small decks normally because you can't get down to your backyard easily and then you put a staircase.

Well, there's probably eight or nine grand in a staircase.

[Amelia] (16:53 - 17:10)

It's really funny how people put so much pressure to make things look a certain way. When you think of it, it's the same, I guess, with anything though. It's the same with cars.

You can drive a Fiat or you can drive a Porsche. They both get you from A to B.

[Frank] (17:10 - 17:11)

A Fiat might not though.

[Amelia] (17:12 - 17:31)

Okay, fair enough. You get my point though. The same with houses.

At the end of the day, you've still got a roof over your head and you're just getting caught up in how it looks at the end of the day. Because in a lot of things, it doesn't actually affect the functionality. If you have a stone benchtop or you have a laminate benchtop, they both do the same thing.

[Frank] (17:31 - 17:35)

Yep, and others have got advantages, small advantages over each other.

[Amelia] (17:35 - 17:37)

Yeah, yeah. I guess that's where you've got to weigh it up.

[Frank] (17:37 - 17:38)

Or poured concrete tops.

[Amelia] (17:39 - 17:39)

Yeah, it's true.

[Frank] (17:41 - 17:50)

And that comes down to the pride and proud of your house and you've got these nice unique features and stuff. But, gee, it's amazing how quickly that stuff dates.

[Amelia] (17:50 - 17:58)

Yeah, that's true. I think it's important. Ask yourself, why do I want this on my house?

Does it actually serve me?

[Frank] (17:58 - 17:59)

Especially if you're on a tight budget.

[Amelia] (18:00 - 18:00)

Yeah, exactly.

[Frank] (18:00 - 18:30)

I mean, you've got to get over yourself a bit. You've got a budget, stick to it. And it's easy for me to say that, but that's the reality of it.

Why go into stupid amounts of debt over some of this stuff? Exactly. I've seen it, unfortunately, where you go into debt and then all of a sudden the partner gets pregnant, back to single wage, struggling to pay off the loan, was an unexpected pregnancy, all sorts of stuff.

Divorce is the worst. They are by far the worst.

[Amelia] (18:30 - 18:33)

Everyone always loses in that situation. Of course. Yeah.

[Frank] (18:33 - 18:43)

And it's unfortunate, but it's the reality of society. Even not married, partnerships, splitting up. So if you've got so much debt, imagine the worst case scenario.

[Amelia] (18:44 - 18:44)

Yeah.

[Frank] (18:44 - 18:54)

And then us guys, we love having a shed. Or it could be the ladies, they want to have their shed for whatever reason. And that's great, but that's over and above the core of the house.

[Amelia] (18:54 - 19:03)

Yeah. And you've got to weigh up what is important to you. For example, I know you're pretty passionate about installing your HRV system.

[Frank] (19:04 - 19:09)

Yeah, because I believe that's a great thing to do to your house, but it's going to cost me $15,000, $16,000.

[Amelia] (19:10 - 19:15)

Yeah. But it actually serves a purpose. It will do better and good for your house.

[Frank] (19:15 - 19:16)

Oh, better. It's more healthy living.

[Amelia] (19:16 - 19:17)

Yes.

[Frank] (19:17 - 19:25)

It's a simple, straight fact, more healthy living and less chance of hay fever, which we're...

[Amelia] (19:25 - 19:26)

Susceptible to.

[Frank] (19:27 - 19:36)

I'm not. I've got family members that are, and watching them suffer all the way through spring and summer with hay fever, because in Tasmania it's particularly bad.

[Amelia] (19:37 - 19:37)

Yeah.

[Frank] (19:37 - 19:44)

And it has a HEPA filter on it. So it deals with that. But also I like the idea of having a clean air and get rid of the dirty air out of your house and the moist air out of your house.

[Amelia] (19:44 - 19:46)

Yeah. Yep, less chance of mould.

[Frank] (19:46 - 19:53)

For me, that's really important. But the beauty is it looks like we've worked out we can reduce the size of our air conditioning unit.

[Amelia] (19:53 - 19:53)

Oh, really?

[Frank] (19:54 - 19:54)

Yep.

[Amelia] (19:54 - 20:00)

So there is potentially a little bit of cost saving there, although the outlay is more.

[Frank] (20:00 - 20:10)

Look, at the end of the day, by the time you add it all up, I'm probably spending 40% more than I would if I just went for a proper heat pump system through it.

[Amelia] (20:10 - 20:17)

But if you then add that up over the life of the house... 

[Frank]

Yeah, I'd like to think so. ...

[Amelia]

it might actually be interesting to see the figures on that.

[Frank] (20:18 - 20:27)

Yeah, I think so, but I'm not that analytical. But it does make a point, because I believe we've got to start looking at making our homes more healthy.

[Amelia] (20:28 - 20:29)

I agree.

[Frank] (20:29 - 20:34)

You know, but also getting rid of the condensation. We've spoken about this, and I think we've spoken to Zara...

[Amelia] (20:34 - 20:35)

Yes.

[Frank] (20:35 - 20:43)

...about that as well. And you really need to look at how your houses are built, make sure we reduce the chance of mould being built up. Gee, we're digressing again.

[Amelia] (20:43 - 20:44)

We are, yes.

[Frank] (20:44 - 21:01)

But funny thing though, how expensive is fixing a house with black mould in behind the walls, through the roof, or ceilings failing, floors failing, because the floor's rotted out? And you might think I'm being silly and a bit extreme. I've actually seen it.

[Amelia] (21:01 - 21:02)

Yes.

[Frank] (21:02 - 21:10)

I've seen condensation drip through downpipes, downpipes through...downpipes, flop. Down lights.

[Amelia] (21:10 - 21:11)

Down lights, yeah.

[Frank] (21:11 - 21:16)

Yeah, unbelievable. You've got a bucket under there, and it's dribbling out, and it's not rain, it's a sunny day.

[Amelia] (21:16 - 21:19)

Wow, that's really concerning.

[Frank] (21:19 - 21:22)

It is, but the house was built properly, and it was just condensation.

[Amelia] (21:23 - 21:23)

Right.

[Frank] (21:23 - 21:23)

Yeah.

[Amelia] (21:24 - 21:24)

Wow.

[Frank] (21:25 - 21:56)

So I think considering making your house healthy is really, really important. There's lots of different ways and lots of different thinking on this, and everyone's got different opinions, but you start small, try and reduce moisture and condensation, and get fresh air into your house is a good start. Mind you, not cheap.

True. But there are cheaper ways, putting wall-mounted ones, and they're about $1,200 plus install, and you could do them in smaller buildings. The one I'm proposing is fully ducted.

[Amelia] (21:57 - 21:57)

Okay.

[Frank] (21:58 - 21:58)

Yeah.

[Amelia] (21:58 - 22:06)

So for anyone that's wanting to understand more about this breakdown of costs, what do you recommend that they do to understand it better?

[Frank] (22:07 - 22:35)

There's a fair bit online about it, but look at your percentages. If you've got a $300,000 budget, you can then go in, go online, have a look, and then talk. You've got to look at this as an overall.

I've got, let's just say I've got $400,000 to spend on a three-bedroom home, double garage. It's going to be tight, so you're going to watch every penny. So you can work with certain builders that will price it out completely, but don't get upset if you can't get certain things.

[Amelia] (22:35 - 22:35)

Yes.

[Frank] (22:36 - 22:40)

If you've got a little bit up your sleeve, fine, but it's all about that debt control, isn't it?

[Amelia] (22:40 - 22:41)

It is, yeah.

[Frank] (22:41 - 22:45)

The great Australian dream of owning your own home is also about controlling your debt.

[Amelia] (22:46 - 22:50)

Yeah. Controlling your finances is, yeah, a big one.

[Frank] (22:50 - 22:52)

And the guys from …

[Amelia] (22:52 - 22:52)

Uploans.

[Frank] (22:53 - 23:15)

Uploans. Yes. Great people to go talk to.

That's a pretty good podcast as well, but I found what they offer is utterly amazing. So stick to your budget, investigate every possibility to get and see what's really important to you, and investigate all the different ways to do your house to get a pretty good result. You can still do these beautiful finishes on a cheaper budget.

[Amelia] (23:15 - 23:19)

And I guess you've got the option there of a quantity surveyor if you need.

[Frank] (23:19 - 23:47)

Yeah, but that's only for budget purposes. We use that. But if you want it really heavily broken down, you know, how much this tap, joinery, range hood, all that type of stuff, that's where your project builders are ideal.

They should be able to break it down to every item. This is our standard inclusion. This type of tub, this type of sink, this type of hot plate, this type of splash back, you know, type of door handles, hinges, they itemise it all out.

It's beautiful.

[Amelia] (23:48 - 23:55)

I mean, to be fair, there's probably no reason other builders couldn't do that too, to a degree, if you know what you want.

[Frank] (23:56 - 24:11)

The difference is, is that when you go to a more bespoke builder, they can – it takes a lot of time to put those quotes together. So for those people who are going around, racing around, getting free quotes, all you're going to get is an A4 page.

[Amelia] (24:12 - 24:12)

True.

[Frank] (24:13 - 24:35)

You know, and that's all it deserves. And people expect – people don't realise it could be anywhere between $1,500, $2,500 in time. And if a builder's, you know, a builder who owns their own business, what, you know, $90, $100 an hour, whatever, and sorry if I offend anyone there, think of that, 25, 30 hours they spend on your quote for free.

[Amelia] (24:36 - 24:38)

Yeah, I know. It doesn't seem right, does it?

[Frank] (24:39 - 24:41)

You're better off paying for someone that's going to itemise for you.

[Amelia] (24:41 - 24:41)

Yes.

[Frank] (24:42 - 24:45)

You know. And some smaller builders, they just can't. They don't have the time.

[Amelia] (24:46 - 24:49)

Yes. Well, if they're a one-man band, that's it...they’re onsite. 

[Frank] (24:49 - 24:59)

They're outside. They're building their house. Yes.

You know. So don't expect everything out of them. And that's harder to control the budget that way.

Yeah. So go talk to lots of builders.

[Amelia] (25:00 - 25:00)

Okay.

[Frank] (25:00 - 25:09)

Yeah, just have a chat to them and say, what do you offer so we can get, I've got this kind of budget. I need to stick to this. I can't go over.

And as long as you're aware of where the most expensive areas are that we've outlined.

[Amelia] (25:09 - 25:13)

Okay. So they're the take-home points. 

[Frank]

I hope it is.

[Amelia]

Do your research, as always.

[Frank] (25:13 - 25:17)

Yeah, investigate. But qualify builders. We've spoken about that, haven't we?

[Amelia] (25:17 - 25:18)

We have, yes.

[Frank] (25:19 - 25:21)

And we've actually got something on our website, haven't we?

[Amelia] (25:21 - 25:23)

Yes, choosing a builder, yes.

[Frank] (25:23 - 25:30)

Choosing a builder. Yep. Check that out.

Yes. Because there's lots of things to check out. Are they financially viable?

You know. Are they honest?

[Amelia] (25:31 - 25:35)

Yes. We have a sheet you can even download that has all the information.

[Frank] (25:35 - 25:37)

Yep, on there. Feel free. Go grab it.

[Amelia] (25:37 - 25:40)

Yep. All right. Thanks for listening to the Building Design, Prime Time Podcast.

[Frank] (25:41 - 25:41)

Catch ya’s later.

[OUTRO] (25:51 - 25:54)

You're listening to the Building Design, Prime Time Podcast.