house extensions/renovations

[Dutchy]

Renovations/Extensions 99% of the time will cost you much more than the value it will add to your home, so as Smac said be very careful with your planning and use his hints and tips, also dont do it if you dont plan on staying in that home long term otherwise you simply wont get the value back

[amber_fluid]

I'd wait a few months until the slump really bites, and then get some quotes when they are desparate for jobs.

will the slump effect the building trades as bad considering interest rates are so low?? I have thought about waiting to see what effect there is on the building trade but I also want to take advantage of low interest rates as well. I'm getting a better idea of a quote next week so I'll see what that comes in at??

[Dog_ger]

Had a great entertainment room.

Put a lid on my pool table and painted it like a tennis court.

Taught all my son's mates to play table tennis.

Had a fabulous 10 years with the kids.

They all became really good competative high school players.

Many laughs but they all learned singles and doubles.

Pool was too slow for their generation. Wasn't fast enough I think...?

Beat me and you get $2 chips.

Memories...

The kids come over now and I say, play for $2 chips,

Dad there is no such thing...

Today my son is 30, owns his own home.

And he says I want a table tennis table.

It brings a smile...

[Felch]

I'd wait a few months until the slump really bites, and then get some quotes when they are desparate for jobs.

will the slump effect the building trades as bad considering interest rates are so low?? I have thought about waiting to see what effect there is on the building trade but I also want to take advantage of low interest rates as well. I'm getting a better idea of a quote next week so I'll see what that comes in at??

The cost of materials has gone through the roof over the last couple of months. I work in the electrical industry, and all our suppliers have had big price rises (15-20%) recently. I have worked in this game for 15 years and i have never seen such a big and broad increase in costs. Im guessing this is affecting other trades too.

[amber_fluid]

I'd wait a few months until the slump really bites, and then get some quotes when they are desparate for jobs.

will the slump effect the building trades as bad considering interest rates are so low?? I have thought about waiting to see what effect there is on the building trade but I also want to take advantage of low interest rates as well. I'm getting a better idea of a quote next week so I'll see what that comes in at??

The cost of materials has gone through the roof over the last couple of months. I work in the electrical industry, and all our suppliers have had big price rises (15-20%) recently. I have worked in this game for 15 years and i have never seen such a big and broad increase in costs. Im guessing this is affecting other trades too.

Mate that's not what I want to hear............are the price increases affecting sales though? Or is it too early to tell at this stage?

[Felch]

I'd wait a few months until the slump really bites, and then get some quotes when they are desparate for jobs.

will the slump effect the building trades as bad considering interest rates are so low?? I have thought about waiting to see what effect there is on the building trade but I also want to take advantage of low interest rates as well. I'm getting a better idea of a quote next week so I'll see what that comes in at??

The cost of materials has gone through the roof over the last couple of months. I work in the electrical industry, and all our suppliers have had big price rises (15-20%) recently. I have worked in this game for 15 years and i have never seen such a big and broad increase in costs. Im guessing this is affecting other trades too.

Mate that's not what I want to hear............are the price increases affecting sales though? Or is it too early to tell at this stage?

Not really, the electrical game has been quiet for a few months anyway. I know the price of steel went through the roof a couple of months back, as did PVC. Copper dropped, but electrical cable is made of PVC and copper so it basically cancelled each other out. I think the price of fuel also has caught up with many places too.

One thing i know is that once prices go up, they dont come down, even if steel/PVC/copper/fuel come down.

[amber_fluid]

will the slump effect the building trades as bad considering interest rates are so low?? I have thought about waiting to see what effect there is on the building trade but I also want to take advantage of low interest rates as well. I'm getting a better idea of a quote next week so I'll see what that comes in at??[/quote]

The cost of materials has gone through the roof over the last couple of months. I work in the electrical industry, and all our suppliers have had big price rises (15-20%) recently. I have worked in this game for 15 years and i have never seen such a big and broad increase in costs. Im guessing this is affecting other trades too.[/quote]

Mate that's not what I want to hear............are the price increases affecting sales though? Or is it too early to tell at this stage?[/quote]

Not really, the electrical game has been quiet for a few months anyway. I know the price of steel went through the roof a couple of months back, as did PVC. Copper dropped, but electrical cable is made of PVC and copper so it basically cancelled each other out. I think the price of fuel also has caught up with many places too.

One thing i know is that once prices go up, they dont come down, even if steel/PVC/copper/fuel come down.[/quote]

I'm hoping the increase in material is out weighed by the lack of demand for tradesman.............well I'm hoping anyway!!

AS for steel I had a carport extended and a panelift roller door put in recently.............I was quoted for it 6 months ago and the price went up 20% on the quote when I had it done.

[TEX07]

I think you will find the cost of materilas are rising considerabbly but people may be making less on theior own labour, it would probally be a good time to go with the smaller builders as they would be hit hardest and needing more work, however i really feel for these guys the most!

I work in the fire industry and sell to fire installation contractors and we have to keep putting our prices up all the time, especially on goods we get in from OS due to the US dollar. Trust me when i say its tough to keep the prices down at the moment. Customers having been looking at other ways to save money and win jobs!

[TEX07]

Amber the price of steel has gone up nearlly double over the past year and a half, we sell aussie made steel but unfortunatley imported steel smashes our prices we have to offer. Its nuts!

[amber_fluid]

Amber the price of steel has gone up nearlly double over the past year and a half, we sell aussie made steel but unfortunatley imported steel smashes our prices we have to offer. Its nuts!

The guy who did my carport said it had gone up 40-50% but he only charged me 20% more.............At the time I thought he was full of Sh*t............but was told later that that was the case.

[TEX07]

Amber the price of steel has gone up nearlly double over the past year and a half, we sell aussie made steel but unfortunatley imported steel smashes our prices we have to offer. Its nuts!

The guy who did my carport said it had gone up 40-50% but he only charged me 20% more.............At the time I thought he was full of Sh*t............but was told later that that was the case.

Its good that he didnt pass all of the increase onto you then, bet he had a bit on it in the first place anyway, they wouldnt do it for free thats for sure!

[amber_fluid]

Amber the price of steel has gone up nearlly double over the past year and a half, we sell aussie made steel but unfortunatley imported steel smashes our prices we have to offer. Its nuts!

The guy who did my carport said it had gone up 40-50% but he only charged me 20% more.............At the time I thought he was full of Sh*t............but was told later that that was the case.

Its good that he didnt pass all of the increase onto you then, bet he had a bit on it in the first place anyway, they wouldnt do it for free thats for sure!

He definitely didn't do it for free that's for sure...........not bloody cheap!! But was more than happy with the job.

[Psyber]

I'd wait a few months until the slump really bites, and then get some quotes when they are desparate for jobs.

will the slump effect the building trades as bad considering interest rates are so low?? I have thought about waiting to see what effect there is on the building trade but I also want to take advantage of low interest rates as well. I'm getting a better idea of a quote next week so I'll see what that comes in at??

The slump will intensify over the next 12 to 18 months before slowly recovering. The lower end of the market is not being encouraged by a low interest rate because the fear of job loss far outweighs it.
BHP expect the demand for, and the price of, steel to drop. That is why they are shedding employees now, and why they didn't buy Rio Tinto.
In any case, if the government keeps spending big to stimulate the economy interest rates will ultimately leap upwards as they did in the late 1980s.

A large part of the price at the counter in steel and electrical appliances has been dictated by transport costs with the high oil price, influencing the price of goods manufactured in China and imported to some extent, but more so the cost of distribution as they are transported around this country to distributors, wholesalers, and then retailers [including building firms] all of whom add their mark up. As the slump bites the Chinese will drop prices, the cost of fuel will stay down, import cost will fall, and slowly those further up the feed chain will each in turn drop their mark up margins as work gets into short supply. Retailers, including builders, will be the last to drop their margins - but in the end they will have to.

The rising prices next year story is a furphy. Farmers get 50 cents a litre for milk that cost you $2.50 a litre - Pura are about to cut wnhat they pay to 40c per litre. The Chinese get 2 cents for shopping bags you pay $2 for at the supermarket. The main cost is not in materials and manufacture , but in shipping, packaging, handling, advertising, maintaining premises and staff, and the profit margin at each stage of distribution. If the market is there prices rise, and if it is not they have to fall.

House prices in Adelaide are falling now, and will continue to. I have just bought a house there, and was able to talk the asking price down substantially, but I wouldn't expect to be able to recover what I paid in less than 3 years.

[Psyber]

In Melbourne at present one building firm is offering, "No progress payments when you build with us." and another is offering a "holiday from repayments" for the first two months after you move into your house.
Presumably, they are beginning to feel the pinch.

An International economist was quoted as saying house prices would drop dramatically in Australia over the next 12 months, but locals in the industry say the low interest rates and first home bonus will prevent this happening. Possibly wishful thinking on both sides...

In a related matter, not worth its own thread. Who is a good removalist in SA these days?

[smac]

You should use Rocky's Removals, Psyber. He gets lots of publicity on Today Tonight...

[amber_fluid]

In Melbourne at present one building firm is offering, "No progress payments when you build with us." and another is offering a "holiday from repayments" for the first two months after you move into your house.
Presumably, they are beginning to feel the pinch.

An International economist was quoted as saying house prices would drop dramatically in Australia over the next 12 months, but locals in the industry say the low interest rates and first home bonus will prevent this happening. Possibly wishful thinking on both sides...

In a related matter, not worth its own thread. Who is a good removalist in SA these days?

had a quote done today for the extension............if the building sector is feeling the pinch in S.A. they definitely aren't passing the cost onto the consumer. For an 85 sqre metre extension with only one wet area I was quoted at a touch under 200k...........that doesn't include removal of current lean-to extension.

[Felch]

You should use Rocky's Removals, Psyber. He gets lots of publicity on Today Tonight...

Haha, i was going to write the same thing.

Use anyone EXCEPT Rocky, Psyber.

[Psyber]

... had a quote done today for the extension............if the building sector is feeling the pinch in S.A. they definitely aren't passing the cost onto the consumer. For an 85 sqre metre extension with only one wet area I was quoted at a touch under 200k...........that doesn't include removal of current lean-to extension.

Yes - it is too early. They are still talking $2000 [and up] per square metre plus GST at present, just as some real estate agents are still being optomistic.
The slump will need to bite a little harder before the builders start not biting as hard - say in 6-12 months.
I bought a property in SA last week for 85% of the initial asking price after it had hung about for 6 weeks without much interest.
I wouldn't want to need to get even that reduced price back inside 2 years, because I don't think I would.

[Psyber]

You should use Rocky's Removals, Psyber. He gets lots of publicity on Today Tonight...

Haha, i was going to write the same thing. Use anyone EXCEPT Rocky, Psyber.

I gathered that. In 1998, when I left SA, I used Biggs & Appleton, whom I'd used before and been happy with, but they had gone downhill since the last of the original family partners had died.

[Punk Rooster]

You should use Rocky's Removals, Psyber. He gets lots of publicity on Today Tonight...

Haha, i was going to write the same thing.

Use anyone EXCEPT Rocky, Psyber.

what plasma tv?