OOT - Do you customise your floorplans?

Some out of topic post :)

When I 'shop' for a builder and houseplan, I usually find that the smaller version of the floorplan is more efficient in design when compared to the larger size.

Larger size usually come with more luxuries - bigger room, bigger kitchen, bigger all. But sometimes it also come with larger hallway, some unused nook, walk in laundry (that not everyone need), etc. 

Below is some of the changes that I might make if I choose other (smaller) Boutique plans - Oslo 24, Marseille 26 and Barcelona 22. 

Note: I try to remove unused hallways and nooks doesn't mean it's a good/ better house plan ;)

Barcelona 22 - Standard come with 3 bed and no alfresco
Changes - I'd like to see the kitchen on the otherside with window splashback. Add e-zone and also add full size alfresco at the back.

Marseille 26 

Oslo 24 - rear bedroom version and standard version

Do you customise your floorplans? 

The Upgrade Prices

When I’m reading everyone’s build blog, I always try to look for the upgrade prices. It’s useful for budgeting, and also save me some embarrassment of asking and not being able to afford it. I did say “it’s out of our budget” … a lot… :-|

I thought I will give you some indications for the upgrade cost. It will be different for each house plan and I did’t put the exact dollar in, just rounded number. I didn't choose most of the upgrades below. The below is general and old price, way before Boutique includes their base price on the website. Many of the items also need to be requested specifically for your house plan, e.g. double glazing cost really depends on the window size, bathroom/ ensuite tiling will depends on the size of the actual bathroom, etc.

UPGRADES

Ceiling height to 2700mm - $3600

Square set cornices - $1500

Electric

Refer to this post

Upgrade to 3 phase power - $1400

Room

Window to sliding door - $500 each (excluding double glazing)

Double glazing - expect about $500-$700 per window depending on size

Heating/ Cooling

Refrigerated cooling - $13000

Upgrade to 5 star ducted heating from 3 star - $1500

Facade

Modern, Viva and Metro - Standard

Contempo, Luxe and Vogue - $4500

Eden - $13,500

Roof

To metal roof - $1600

Cat 4 roof tiles - $2000

Brick

Cat 2 - $750

Cat 3 - $1100

Cat 5 - $4500

Cat 16 - $31000

Off white mortar - $800

Doors

Cavity sliding in lieu of standard - $300

Add a cavity sliding - $650

Upgrade door to Hume LIN1 - $650

Flooring

Main Flooring Cat 2 - $620

Main Flooring Cat 3 - $1,450

St Tropez 28 Display Floor Tiles - $5500

Laminate flooring cat 1 in lieu of carpet to master bed - $550

Laminate flooring cat 1 in lieu of carpet in hallway - $250

Ensuite Floor and Wall Cat 2 - $200

Ensuite Floor and Wall Cat 3 - $500

Bathroom Floor and Wall Cat 2 - $60

Bathroom Floor and Wall Cat 3 - $400

WC Floor Cat 2 - $20

WC Floor Cat 3 - $55

Laundry Floor and Wall Cat 2 - $80

Laundry Floor and Wall Cat 3 - $170

Caesarstone Benchtops

Cat 1 – Standard inclusions

Cat 2

• Kitchen - $250
• Bathroom - $30
• Ensuite - $60

Cat 3

• Kitchen - $700
• Bathroom - $80
• Ensuite - $180

Cat 4 – I didn’t ask

Shelves

Melamine Matt Shelves - Standard

Kitchen Sheen - $350

Kitchen Gloss - $900

Bathroom Sheen - $60

Bathroom Gloss - $200

Ensuite Sheen - $120

Ensuite Gloss - $500

Tapwares (some of these are not available in showroom – I requested pricing for some specific items)

• Caroma Luna W/F Toilet - $790
• Stylus Dorado W/F toilet - $500
• Stylus Banksia W/F toilet - $250
• Caroma Track Inset Basin - $190
• Caroma Orbis inset Basin - $15
• Caroma Basa 520mm wide inset basins - $255
• Dorf Villa Basin Mixer - $120
• Dorf Viridian Wall Mixer - $110
• Dorf Viridian Basin Mixer - $20
• Caroma Quatro Basin Mixer - $80
• Caroma Leda Above Counter Basin in lieu of standard - $60
• Caroma Cube 320 - $200
• Caroma Liano 430 - $550
• Caroma Leda Inset Basin in lieu of standard - $100
• Cirrus Basin Mixer in lieu of standard - $125
• Mystic Rail Shower in lieu of standard - $100
• Cardinal Mixer in lieu of standard - $190
• Caroma Liano Swivel Bath Outlet in lieu of standard - $95
• Sink in Montauk Display home – Caroma Contura Inset Basin $545 http://www.caroma.com.au/bathrooms/basins/contura/contura-530-solid-surface-inset-basin

Ensuite

Tiled niche - $500

Timber Look Tiles (was cat 4 now cat 5, so the upgrade price would be more than the below)

• Ensuite Floor Only - $350
• Ensuite Wall Only - $420

Ensuite full wall tiling

• Cat 1 – $1100
• Cat 2 – $1400
• Cat 3 - $1650
• Cat 4 – $1900
• Cat 5 - didn't ask

Bathroom

Shower niche - $300

Full wall tiling

• Cat 1 – $1150
• Cat 2 – $1400
• Cat 3 - $1700
• Cat 4 – 1950

Kitchen

Glass splashback - $1000

Mirror splashback – was $1000 (when the Glass splashback was a standard)

RAVINE shelf (Evolution Range) upgrade base and overhead cabinetry - $1,500

THERMOLAMINATED shelf (Evolution Range) upgrade base and overhead cabinetry - $2,200

Bevel Edge Option in lieu of handles - $30 per drawer

Soft close to all doors and drawers - $1300

Pre-planning of the electrical appointment

Electricity appointment for Boutique Homes is approximately one hour. I'm not sure whether there are enough time for us to have things planned properly, especially without computer!

I asked for basic electrical plan for St Tropez 25 so I can plan additional lights and power points needed. Below is my mock up: 

Top image is the basic plan, below is the one I adjusted. Not final as we still have the electricity appointment, but it gives me idea where I want things to be, e.g.

• At least 2 lights in each bedroom. 
• 3 lights in master bed
• 4 lights in garage (per request from DH)
• Manhole in garage
• 6-8 lights in the living room alone due to increased space
• at least 3 lights in kitchen area
• 2 lights in dining area
• 2 lights in office area (cool lights, not warm lights)
• 3 lights for entry hallway
• 2 lights for bedroom hallway
• 4 lights in alfresco
• a ceiling fan in alfresco
• 1 power point for kitchen bench
• 1 power point in pantry
• lots of additional power point for theatre
• several data points including master bedroom, office and theater
• waterproof GPO in alfresco, and maybe one more outside for pool 
• Some external lights - I want them to be censor lights.

Translating it into cost, I think we would need at least additional of:

• 25 additional light battens $54 each --> $1,350
• 4 cat6 data points $100 --> $400
• 1 three way switch --> $120
• 3 two way switch $53 each --> $160
• 1 light batten + noggin reinforcement for fan on alfresco --> $105 
• 10 double power points $50 --> $500
• 1 GPO for island bench --> $100
• 2 Double Weatherproof GPO on alfresco and side of house for pool $125 --> $250 
• 2 Exhaust CEF40 with airflow change 300 cum/h $200 each --> $400
• 2 External light $200 -- > $400
• 2 Dimmers $100 --> $200
• 1 TV point --> $65
• a door bell --> $225
• 6 CRYSTAL ECO WH 4K FIXED/GIMBLE 8W white CRYSECO5 $155 --> $1000
• A potentially 32 Amp power point outside for the pool (or whatever required) --> not sure about price :-O

This came up about $5,000+. Some items are not too important or might be cheaper to be sourced after, e.g. the stronger exhaust fan. 

Then the additional security items:

• 4 camera pre-wire pack --> $700 OR 
• 4 camera and video recorder pack --> $3300
• Alarm system --> $1600-$2000

This is additional $5K ish that is not included in electrical budget. I think we'd bust our budget!!

Can't wait until the actual appointment :) not sure I'm ready to see the cost though :p

Base Price vs. Display Home Price Vs. Your Build Price

I think it's quite obvious that most base price that you see on your builders site will not be your final price, and definitely not their display home price. 

Some builders like Boutique Homes do not list their price on the site, but the elements of cost that you need to consider is quite similar. At least from my experience. Some of the costs that you need to consider below with example pricing. This is assuming:

1. New build in new estate
2. One storey house
3. In South Western Melbourne surrounds e.g. Williams Landing, Truganina, Werribee, etc

BASIC BUILD

Base price (example only): $217,900

• The main variations you need to think about the base price between builder is their inclusions, e.g. 
• Ceiling heights - 2440mm vs 2550mm or 2700mm
• Caesarstone - kitchen only or kitchen ensuite and bathroom, thickness of benchtop
• Flooring - the last time I asked, MainVue base price does not include flooring. Carlisle include their flooring under promo (which usually almost always on now)
• Type of flooring to main - some only include tiles, some only include laminate
• Toilet roll and towel hanger - one of the builders I asked doesn't have this as standard. Bizarre. 
• Flyscreen - you would need to add this for some builders
• Locks to all external door and windows and what kind of locks - Sometimes you need to upgrade for a dead lock.
• Ducted heating - many builders include this as standards
• Evaporative cooling
• Appliances brand and inclusions (e.g. Technika, Westinghouse, SMEG, ILVE, some include microwave and dishwashers)
• Eaves on front facade - some estate demand 450mm facade on the front, and standard facade from some builders don't meet this - i.e. upgrade
• 6 star energy rating inclusions - what orientations are included and would you need to pay more to meet the ratings
• Garage type - standard inclusions and profiles (e.g. some colour and profiles are upgrade)
• Bricks - standard bricks selection varies. Providers are usually Austral Bricks or Boral
• Door heights - 2340mm door are higher, normal is 2040mm
• Structural warranty period - 7 years structural is standard, 25 years structural offered by some builders, 50 years by Henley. 
• Maintenance period - 3 months is standard, some offer 6 months and some offer 12 months
• Solar water system spec - they're usually included, but spec is different (e.g. 2 solar panel vs 1 solar panel
• etc

Site Cost: $20,000 

• if you have more than 300mm fill on your land with some slope (mine is 900mm), allow at least 20K. 
• Significant amount of fill in my land, so the fixed site cost include concrete piers and upgrade to slab. 
• Make sure you factor this early into your budget. I was so surprised by the quoted price that I called an independent structural engineer to help me understand the pricing. 

Bush fire provision: $5490 

• Most new land release will be under bushfire zone, so this provision should be in your quote. They should refund the provision if the bushfire zoning lifted after titling.

Council & Regulatory Requirements: Allow about $3000

NBN optic fibre: allow about $1800


Total Basic build: $248,190

Upgrades and Electricity and Driveway

Basic upgrades: At least give yourself a $5,000. There will be things you don't like in the standard, and you will want to change them.

Electricity: At least $5000 for single storey and $10,000 for double storey.

Driveway: $6000 for aggregate driveway

Total build after some upgrades: $264,190

DISPLAY HOME

There is a great post here on anewhouse.com.au http://anewhouse.com.au/2013/08/love-the-display-home/

How about St Tropez Boutique Homes you said? 

The last list I have for St Tropez 28 Display (this will change overtime), it has $90,000 worth of upgrade in the house. Some items are obvious, some items are not. 

The obvious looking changes:

• Eden facade : $13,400 - I love this facade, but not for the price (sad face)
• Upgraded floor tiling:  $5,400 
• Fully tiled ensuite: $3,650 
• Cornerless stacking door to alfresco: $7,300 - Great choice if you want to have a fully open plan feeling to Alfresco. 
• Ceiling heights to 2700mm in lieu of 2550mm: $3,400 - was going to opt for this but the 2550 ceiling is actually good enough :)
• Bedroom window into sliding door: $500 each
• Pivot door 2340 high x 1200 wide: $2,950 

The not so obvious:

• Double glazing: allow $600-$700 per window 
• Double glazed stacking door: $2000
• Soft close drawers to kitche: $1300
• Standard door to glass door: $700
• Electricity: $11,000 - the more LED downlights, the more expensive it would be
• All little upgrades on fittings etc.

For increase on floor size, compare it with other floor plans that has similar size, e.g. an increase to 28 to 31 sq will make your base price closer to the 31 house plan. 

Builders, Builders, Builders

After looking at who knows how many floor-plans and builders and reviews, flying to Melbourne to visit the final three, the two finalists are:

Carlisle - Sacramento 27

We went to the Sacramento 31 display and I love it! It has three living area at the back. This is perfect for our North facing rear. I almost tempted to sign with Carlisle until a reality check on the measurement for Sacramento 27 vs. 31 vs. Boutique St Tropez 25.  

Links: 
http://www.carlislehomes.com.au/home-designs/sacramento/floor-plan/31/
http://www.carlislehomes.com.au/home-designs/sacramento/floor-plan/27/


Likes:

1. Well, three living areas all light filled
2. Floorplan is well designed
3. Sacramento 31 is very spacious
4. Rumpus - perfect for the dream future grand piano
5. Feature walls - this is different and makes the house less standard
6. Carlisle has really good reviews in general
7. Spectra book is very thorough
8. Cheap(er) good looking facades ($1,450-$2,450. Only one is $4,950K)

Dislikes:

1. Smaller master bedroom
2. Ensuite is already quite tight is Sacramento 31. Sacramento 27 makes it 'just' a functional bathroom. Given that we are making the big move, we want something better.
3. Sacramento 27 living space, meals and bedroom are all smaller than St Tropez 25 in exchange of the rumpus.

Boutique Homes - St Tropez 25 27 (This is the one we choose)

Well, initially I was looking at St Tropez 28 but then decided we don't need the walk in laundry from kitchen (and that it's out of our budget!). 

DH likes this plan better than Carlisle (I liked Carlisle Sacramento better), so we customise the floorplan so we both can agree on it :)


Link: http://www.boutiquehomes.com.au/home-design-group/st-tropez

Likes:

1. It's a more practical design for our needs. There will  be only 2 people in the house plus our dogs and occasional visitors. 5 rooms like Sacramento is an overkill (but I like the design!).
2. Dedicated home office. In Sacramento we'd need to use one of the bedroom.
3. Boutique tends to be more flexible on floorplan changes
4. A lot of things are standard inclusions, like laminate flooring, ceiling 2550, extra high internal door 2340, better appliances, Caesar stone to kitchen, ensuite and bathroom, etc. Compare this to other builders who either frame them as "Promo", upgrades pack, or just something you need to request as upgrades.
5. 25 years structural warranty and 12 months maintenance period. Most builders (Carlisle included) give the mandatory 7 years warranty and 3 months maintenance. As we will be moving interstate, 3 months is barely sufficient.

Dislikes on original plan:

1. My main gripe is the the less open plan feeling, especially on dining area where it's all wall (compared to big windows in Carlisle). 
2. Display home feel smaller despite some rooms suppose to be in a similar size as Sacramento 31. I blame this on whoever plan the furnitures and colour choices in St Tropez 28 display - they somehow make the space feel cramped. 
3. No rumpus :p
4. The facades we really like (Eden - on in display home) is $13K more. The cheapest facade is $4,300. That puts any paid facade out of the picture for us.

The changes:

• Opening from dining to bed 3, essentially making the room almost like a rumpus. It also opens up the dining for more lights from the North
• Increase internal area and flush the alfresco aligned with bed 3 - this essentially making the size of the house closer to 27sq (hence the blog title)
• Increase window size for bed 3 and bed 4. We have approx. 6m of garden left at the back. It's just nicer to have the rooms overlooking the garden
• Sliding door for bed 3 entries. This is going to be a piano room - we feel sliding door is a much better option
• Wider front door - just nice to have ;)
• Tile shower to ceiling for ensuite and bathroom - i don't like the 'unfinished' look of just tiling until the shower frame
• Increase width of home office space to 2.1m

What I like about the changes we made on St Tropez - it essentially increase the size of the house without changing the length, allowing longer backyard space (my land is 16x32m and front setback 4m)

This is what I mean:




Other builders/ house plan we looked at:

• Urban Edge Solander - their largest plan 6-32 has the most luxurious bathroom that makes me drool. The luxury upgrade gives you quite similar inclusions as Boutique Homes. SMEG appliances instead of ILVE
• MainVue Amalfi series - similar floorplan, similar luxury inclusions except they don't include flooring in the base price
• Sherridon Homes Vegas - always have good promo with excellent the inclusions. Unfortunately not what I'm looking for. The walk in pantry in the Display is amazing though :)
• 8Homes - decided that the floorplan doesn't cut it for us
• Porter Davies Kew - sales person went AWOL after I requested whether some changes are possible.