Building a kit home
September 19th 2008 09:01
Building a kit home can be an affordable and quick housing option for families. They are common in regional areas, where traditional building can involve long lead times.
Kit homes are generally purpose-built and can be supplied in a range of pre-built stages, from pre-cut materials ready to build, to fully assembled homes ready to place on-site.
While kit homes provide a range of cost-effective options, they can vary greatly in quality so it is worth doing your research.
Anyone interested in purchasing a kit home should ensure they use a reputable supplier and research the building and planning requirements for their particular region.
Kit homes are no different to any other type of home and must comply with building regulations. This means, for example, ensuring the home meets with the energy and water saving requirements of the 5 Star standards.
You should also:
• Be aware a building permit is necessary to build any kit home. If a permit is not obtained prior to installing a kit home, the owner is considered to be undertaking illegal building work and may be subject to hefty fines
• Check to see if the supplier will obtain the planning and/or building permit approvals on your behalf
• Check with a council, or a private building surveyor, about any necessary soil testing, foundation engineering, design or protection of adjoining property matters that may be required prior to construction
• You can construct a kit home yourself as an owner-builder or use a Registered Building Practitioner (either through the supplier or you can appoint your own)
• If you use a builder to construct your kit home, the builder must be a Registered Building Practitioner and must enter into a domestic building contract with you.
If your supplier offers an installation service, make sure you check the builder is registered. Using an unregistered builder means your home is not covered by domestic building insurance and if things go wrong you may have limited legal recourse.
Information by The Victorian Building Commission
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