Making Premade Townhouses from China for Australia

[Rhinsor]

Just saw this news article.

Would anyone consider doing this and would it affect end value when selling or holding?

http://www.perthnow.com.au/realesta...na-to-cannington/story-fnhlgriw-1227282846308

 

[Ausprop]

when you think about why this builder has done this, it serves as an excellent demonstration of a lot of what is wrong with this country. With tradies and unskilled labour earning such extreme rates the free market is attempting to do what it does best. Trades were one of the last things that could be offshored, goes to show nothing is immune.

 

[skater]

So long as the quality is there, it shouldn't affect the end value, I would think.

 

[Tim86]

Yeah I don't think it's trades that make building in Australia too expensive. Take my removal house project for example. I needed to be slightly closer to the boundary so $700 for council to have a look and tick a box for relaxation. Then they need to have a look at the removal house to say if it looks nice enough for the street $700. Then they want another $700 to make sure the house is put on the block of land correctly. Then you get all the council fees for certification, plumbing approvals, etc...that will add up to a few thousand. Then they want a deposit in case you don't finish the house $60000.

Council won't give you the time of day for less than $700. If council fees weren't so ridiculous and over the top then cost of building projects would probably drop 30% overnight.

 

[Scott No Mates]

when you think about why this builder has done this, it serves as an excellent demonstration of a lot of what is wrong with this country. With tradies and unskilled labour earning such extreme rates the free market is attempting to do what it does best. Trades were one of the last things that could be offshored, goes to show nothing is immune.

He apparently didn't do it for the cost savings but the local companies couldn't meet the spec. (The mere fact that he was able to bring them to market 18 months earlier shows more motive )

Hint - - 6 townhouses don't take 24 months to build.

 

[westminster]

He apparently didn't do it for the cost savings but the local companies couldn't meet the spec. (The mere fact that he was able to bring them to market 18 months earlier shows more motive )

Hint - - 6 townhouses don't take 24 months to build.

He wanted steel framed and there are scarce few steel framed companies in Perth, let along one that can/will put a concrete pad for the second storey.

Building a two storey steel framed complex shouldn't take 2yrs agreed but some traditional double brick are due to massive delays. It took me 12mths to build 4 x single storey villas during this time - nightmare.

The comments on the article are a laugh and a half of whiners about people not using local tradies and how dare he try and make a profit etc. When the local tradies finish pulling their heads out of their ar$es then maybe people will use them again.

It was interesting to read how much China onsite supervision was required but for the first project it's a good idea. The second will probably not require as much and more money can be made.

 

[Aaron Sice]

Builders HAVE to be strict on site to make sure things are built as discussed / required.

Workers in SE Asia have a well intentioned but sometimes misguided approach of "just make it work" - the SE Asia equiv of "she'll be right, mate". Inspectors don't accept any version of this approach.

This doesn't translate to meeting AS in most cases. I highly doubt the need for that supervision will dissolve into something less onerous.

Look at the extent that SIAMSteel go to in Bangkok - they even have a foot dip at the front of the building to make sure quarantine isn't affected - all the workers get around in little cotton booties.

 

[fernfurn]

At $600k they are hardly a cheap import and require a lot of final fixing, so work there for locals. A lot of cost in on site supervision but so smart to do it, absolutely necessary. Cost will be going up again on locally made new houses as it is now a requirement they have 3 coats of paint instead of 2. Like bushfire ratings, etc, all these regulations add to the cost

 

[Ausprop]

Cost will be going up again on locally made new houses as it is now a requirement they have 3 coats of paint instead of 2. Like bushfire ratings, etc, all these regulations add to the cost

3 coats where, on the internal walls??

all these things apply to imports too, so no short cuts.

many many people have found the dream of chinese manufacturing to be just that, a dream. hidden costs, poor quality, pushing it closer to local pricing anyway.

there were a lot of dongas brought in, some of them used for housing too. they did the whole aussie supervision thing, used Clipsal fittings yaddah yaddah, still just cheap junk tho in the end

 

[boeman]

Right idea poorly executed.

Australia, and more specifically Perth, needs to look at other ways of construction, but I think steel framed modular form China isn't really the right way to go about it. It is a lot of effort to get something of comparable quality, plus having to build a metro house to cyclone standard to withstand transport and so on. I am sure in amongst it is a nightmare with customs, considering materials and areas where pests could come in.

Reverse brick veneer is the future IMO, especially on single storey homes. Internal brickwork and frames can be done in a week, then roof and external wall framing can be done in another 3 weeks.

In 3-5 years I hope to get my own company off the ground, and specialise in alternate and energy efficient construction, as I see a huge gap in the market here.

 

[Ausprop]

I use a builder that specialises in framed, he reckons framed construction 20 weeks, brick and slab 60 weeks. Stops it for me right there.

 

[HiEquity]

Right idea poorly executed.

Australia, and more specifically Perth, needs to look at other ways of construction, but I think steel framed modular form China isn't really the right way to go about it. It is a lot of effort to get something of comparable quality, plus having to build a metro house to cyclone standard to withstand transport and so on. I am sure in amongst it is a nightmare with customs, considering materials and areas where pests could come in.

Reverse brick veneer is the future IMO, especially on single storey homes. Internal brickwork and frames can be done in a week, then roof and external wall framing can be done in another 3 weeks.

In 3-5 years I hope to get my own company off the ground, and specialise in alternate and energy efficient construction, as I see a huge gap in the market here.

There are a lot of builders doing RBV now. Still costs more than double brick with foil backed foam cavity insulation without the same performance or durability in the real world.

The problem is that the ratings programs continue to treat a house as a box and focus on conductive heat transfer instead of convection and radiation. RBV is better than insulated cavity double brick at conduction only - it loses when you consider convection and radiation - and longevity - and cost.

 

[Ausprop]

- and longevity -

Are you suggesting brick outlasts frame?

As for cost... build times in addition to true enviro cost is woeful

Let us never forget that double brick is only better because it sells twice as many bricks for the manufacturer

 

[Scott No Mates]

As well as being more energy intensive, requires more site labour than framing, can't effectively be prefabricated off-site, retains heat for longer (good & bad).

 

[HiEquity]

Are you suggesting brick outlasts frame?

As for cost... build times in addition to true enviro cost is woeful

Let us never forget that double brick is only better because it sells twice as many bricks for the manufacturer

Face brick generally outlasts any cladding system I have seen without deterioration - not to mention impact resistance. I am not a fan of render. As for frames - it depends on the framing method used - and the termite activity in the area.

I am amazed at people worried about environmental impact all of a sudden? Maybe we should bring back that carbon price so that impact could actually be priced in? Might be better than increasing the GST - after all they are both a "tax on everything".

As for build times, you are right of course. But the cost of framing with cladding is no cheaper - and that's from builders who have been doing framed construction for 20 years in Perth and surrounds.

I guess I just know what I would like, given they're both the same cost and pretty much the same real world performance. YMMV of course!

 

[boeman]

I find impact resistance is the big one.

Brick internal walls are so much better for this. Then however there are the downsides of installing new services to existing walls (chasing/conduits etc).

No system will ever be perfect, but a brick/frame combination with double glazing and insulation in all the right areas is a step in the right direction IMO.

Next step as mentioned, is being competitive with cost.

 

[DavidMc]

Council won't give you the time of day for less than $700. If council fees weren't so ridiculous and over the top then cost of building projects would probably drop 30% overnight.

Agreed - the hidden government taxes is the biggest culprit here. Not just on the building, but on the land too.

At least the builders add value for their money!