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  1. | 6 Jun 2013

    Indoor Air

    Home owners are starting to pay a lot more attention to indoor air quality when selecting building products. This is particularly the case where children, elderly, or sick are involved, as they are more vulnerable to toxins. It has been estimated that we spend 90% of our lives indoors, so it is no wonder that […]

  1. | 6 Jun 2013

    Landscape Contractors

    With the garden designed you are now ready for the service of an experienced and qualified landscape contractor. Contractors will implement your garden design, taking care of the earthworks, contouring, soil improvement, paving, building pergolas, retaining walls, installing water features, lighting, drainage, reticulation and stonework. They will also select and plant the trees and shrubs […]

  1. | 6 Jun 2013

    Legal Aspects of Home Purchase

    Normally a buyer first comes into contact with the property through a real-estate agent. Remember that the agent works for the seller, not for the buyer, and that the seller pays the agent’s fees or commission for negotiating the sale. This means that the agent’s obligations are primarily owed to the seller, not to the […]

  1. | 6 Jun 2013

    Lighting

    Lighting can transform your new house into a home. Early planning about your lighting requirements can save a costly and inconvenient retrofit at a later stage. As part of this planning process you will need to decide about the type of lighting you require. This decision is more than thinking about whether you want downlights, […]

  1. | 6 Jun 2013

    Liquidated Damages

    A liquidated damages (LD) clause is common in many building contracts for commercial or institutional buildings, but less common in residential contracts.  Liquidated damages are an amount which the builder agrees to pay to the homeowner for late completion of the project.  This is usually an amount per day or per week.  Liquidated damages are […]

  1. | 6 Jun 2013

    Mobile Cranes

    The use of mobile cranes in the residential construction industry has become commonplace.  Before commencing using a crane on a construction site it is important to develop a work plan or safe work method statement for all crane operations.  A work plan or safe work method statement should be developed which includes information on, but […]

  1. | 6 Jun 2013

    Noise

    Starting times must comply with local government by-laws which dictate the hours within which on-site work can take place. You should consult the building department of your local authority for the relevant requirements. Compliance with these by-laws is a condition on which the building licence is issued to the builder. Once you have discovered the […]

  1. | 6 Jun 2013

    Painting

    Giving your home a fresh coat of paint not only freshens and updates the look of your home, it also maintains the surfaces like exposed timber (veranda posts, timber windows and doors), metal and wall finishes externally and internally. Many people opt to DIY, but it you are looking to have painting work done by […]

  1. | 6 Jun 2013

    Progress Payments and Disputes

    Many building contracts have an agreed price for the whole of the work with payments made when the house reaches certain stages – slab, plate height, lock-up – and so on.  Usually the builder makes a progress claim which needs to be settled within a specified time period or else penalties and interest can apply […]