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| 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 […]
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| 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, […]
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| 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 […]
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| 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 […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Moisture Penetration of Walls / Damp-Proofing
Dampness on internal walls may be caused by: Condensation (kitchen, laundry, bathroom — improve ventilation by opening external doors or windows); Water penetration from above; Penetration across the wall cavity (accidental bridging of the cavity by mortar droppings or by an incorrectly installed wall tie or inadequate flashing around a window or door — difficult […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Multi-storey Homes
There are a number of specific construction issues with two storey homes. Obviously the square metre cost and length of the construction period will be greater when a second storey is added. Costs for additional storeys often double due to the cost of scaffolding, the requirement for engineering certification of the suspended slab and the […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Managing Your Business
Managing Your Building Business in Changing Economic Conditions The primary causes for established businesses failing or suffering financial distress are: Lack of adequate funding Lack of an early warning reporting system on unacceptable performance Failure to recruit quality personnel Lack of contingency planning for critical situations Failure to use professional advice The following is a […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Minimum Conditions & The National Employment Standards
NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS Click here to download Fact Sheet This Fact Sheet contains information about annual leave and redundancy provisions of the Building and Construction General On-site Award 2020, which vary the minimum standards in the National Employment Standards. The redundancy pay provisions and the method of calculating annual leave in the modern award are […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Maintenance of Buildings
A stitch in time saves nine. With our time-poor, fast-paced, gadget-filled lives, what is it costing us to neglect our biggest asset? In one word. Thousands. We lock and leave our homes to pursue our work and social commitments every day and no-doubt do not need more items on the already over-loaded “to-do” list. But […]
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| 6 Jun 2013 Planning our Suburbs
“The purpose of the R-Codes is to provide a comprehensive basis for the control, through local government, of residential development throughout Western Australia. They are intended to cover all requirements for development control purposes and to minimise the need for local government to introduce separate planning policies concerning residential development” (Planning WA website). So why […]