Gladstone - Air Conditioning and extra storage?

[The Chaser]

Hi Everyone

We are in the process of buying a house and land package in Gladstone in Emmadale Gardens. The house is a turn-key package but I have a couple of queries re: potential Variations.

The IP includes split system A/C and ceiling fans to each of the main bedroom and family room. The 3 minor bedrooms and media room all have ceiling fans. What do tenants expect in Gladstone, including the mining companies that look to rent IP's for their workers? From a longer term perspective (for both growth, rentability and potential future resale) would it be economically sound to consider a variation to replace the 2 split system A/C's with whole house ducted air? If so, what would be a reasonable price to expect as a variation quote to supply and install ducted air (noting that we would first have a credit for the current A/C included in the purchase price and the vary would just represent the residual value)?

Also the current floor plan does not include any 'extra' storage at all. There are the usual BIR's and WIR to the bedrooms, but there are no additional linen cupboards, broom cupboards or similiar. The laundry will have a 42L S/S tub with metal cabinet unit but no other cupboards. Again with the longer term in mind, is it a smart move now to try and vary the floor plan to allow for some extra storage? Also there appears to be enough room in the laundry to accomodate a broom/vacuum cupboard or similiar, OR a bench could be put in place that includes the S/S sink and extra cupboards under? Again what would be a reasonable price to expect as a variation quote?

This is our first ever new build and whilst we don't want to spend money unnecessarily, we are mindful of supplying what the general market demands if we can ultimately get a return on that initial outlay. REA's have suggested that whole house A/C is demanded by the mining companies and that storage is important, as most tenants in this area are families. I really appreciate any feedback from those experienced in this area and especially from members who currently hold IP's in Gladstone giving them firsthand experience in that market. Thanks heaps!

Angela

 

[Bigtone]

Angela,

Split systems should be fine.

In terms of storage u gotta have " a shed for me tools" and 'room for me boat"

big wages = lots of toys, need somewhere to em!

 

[The Chaser]

Angela,

Split systems should be fine.

In terms of storage u gotta have " a shed for me tools" and 'room for me boat"

big wages = lots of toys, need somewhere to em!

Hi Bigtone

Thanks for the reply. We have managed to include side access to the back yard, so there is somewhere to park a boat. Only downside is that it is on the opposite side of the house to the DLUG, so access is over the front lawn.

The DLUG itself is just standard size, so will have limited storage for tools if there are 2 cars in the family. We had considered whether we should look at adding a garden shed of some description to the back yard for tool storage. Would this be a good idea? We were considering doing this directly after completion rather than incurring the builder's margin on top.

Any comment on the internal storage? We don't want tenants to up and leave regularly because they have nowhere to store their belongings like manchester, vacuums, cleaning stuff, sports gear etc...

Thanks
Angela

 

[Gools]

Angela, I don't like the though of tennants leaning things up against the walls in the laundry etc. If you provide the linen cupboard and cupboard in the laundry then you give yourself a better chance of having the walls in better shape after tennants.

Gools

 

[The Chaser]

Thanks for the replies to this thread. I also sought out more specific details from the local PMs and REAs. It turns out that only QGC expect IP's to be fully air conditioned. If QGC are otherwise interested in an IP , apparently they sometimes ask landlords to put in extra split system A/C's in return for slightly higher rent. Rio and Bechtel and others are generally happy with A/C in the main bedroom and family areas as a minimum, so we are sticking with what we have and saving our dollars!

Our IP lacking any linen cupboards, broom cupboards or similiar, was a different story. Tenants are often families and most of our competition would have this stoarge, so I was told that we would not be doing ourselves any favours to present an IP with no storage at all. This applies equally on any future resale. I have been playing around with varying the floor plan to allow for some extra storage. See http://www.somersoft.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64635

Hopefully if we pay to add some storage at the outset, we will be rewarded with quicker leasing and less vacancies that might otherwise result from tenants moving out based on a distinct lack of storage.

Angela