Build Your Own House

Scott, welcome to the forum, I look forward to hearing of your adventures. It can be a daunting process but at the same time it can be the most rewarding thing you will ever try, mostly daunting though I feel I can achieve many things now, a great lesson in self worth.

All the tops with the intergrated sink etc cost about $4500. They are pretty long though. I had the kitchen company install all the kitchen as I was too busy finishing all the other bits that come up at the pointy end of such a project when the 'Christmas Deadline' was looming large. It was only a couple of hundred dollars to have the entire kitchen installed so I just paid the money and let go of the worries, a wise choice in hindsight. The kitchen cupboards, stainless tops and glass splashbacks were about 14 grand fitted , I will post a picture of it finished when I get some time (with the range hood and glass splahback etc).

Steve

yeah great steve,

that would be fantastic, I have been looking for a while for a kitchen to convince my wife of going with this option. I worked with Woolworths for a time as Produce Manager, and it was all stainless. How have you found the surface over time? I loved it with work, but it may be a different story keeping clean as a home usage?

Our bench will be approx 3 meters in length at the island bench and same a little longer behind, as is yours (walk around island) only difference being that we will have some overhang at the 'front' facing dining area for stools.

Just finishing off planning permit applications etc - looking at start of build to commence late this year. sept/oct.

Well we only got the living pavilion finished just before Christmas so it has not been in for long, it is marking up as one expects with stainless and will develop that dull patina over time, ie won't stay shinny. We did consider Zinc benchestoo. I have trained and worked as a Chef (I am currently a full time chef again) so the stainless work surface is normal for me and I find it very easy to keep clean. I love that I can plonk down very hot stuff anywhere, slop water around, it resits stains etc it is a good work surface that I don't have top be precious about, and I can sharpen my knives on it

yeah I obviously have had that same experience with it, and for that reason love its versatility.....cant wait for the pics, and will start my own project for your feedback once we are closer to starting... (will call it the Hawthorn House)

We have stainless benches in our kitchen. If you want a really pristine showroom look then you will be wiping them down a lot, but they look pretty good most of the time. Ours cost about $2500 for a pretty big kitchen, that was about 9 years ago. Definitely pays to shop around.

You are not supposed to use abrasives if you want to keep the gleaming look. For years I was careful to use nothing gnarlier than a sponge and I was a bit disappointed. Then I found that my wife had been going at it with steel wool the whole time.

It is a great surface. The only alternative I would consider now is granite.

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Bruce
Draftie

Steve,

Just read your thread from start to finish, what a fantastic result! I'm a few months into our own OB project, so I only have a few years left to go

I'd love to see some photos of the completed pavilion at night, I imagine it looks incredible!

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Simon.

The adventures of an owner-builder in the Tallarook Ranges

A great looking build steveJ ... Very inspiring ...and you are obviously very skilled, the timber work looks outstanding ...

Where is the progress of the build up to now ... Is there any chance of some updated pics?

And one more question ... Did you have the kitchen built by a specialist kitchen place.. Or by a cabinet maker ...or by an ikea/freedom/bunnings type flat pack kitchen place ... It looks sensational ... and combined with the timber table + all the timber floors/windows and glass it is good enuff to be in a magazine! ...

Well done

Regards
A|T

Thanks for the positive feedback A/T, it has been a labour of love and I have a few years to go yet

The last 12 months I have spent working to refill the piggy bank before starting on the next pavilion in a few months time. I have been busy helping a buddy of mine build his place also which has been fun so far;

http://www.solarskillionhome.blogspot.com.au/

so... only a small amount of progress on the house, have done a lot around the farm though. I will post a few pics of the finishing work we have done when I get a chance, bathroom, final kitchen stuff, fireplace etc. It has been lovely living in the first pavililion for a year, it works so well in regards to heating and cooling etc. very very cheap house to run.

The kitchen was a custom build by a local kitchen workshop as it was only a grand dearer than getting a flat pack kitchen and I didn't have to assemble and install it. Stainless tops we had made locally, I purchased the sink separately and had it welded in which saved another grand or so on having an integrated sink manufactured. Very simple materials and layout but very functional, a year on I am still happy with it. Total cost on the kitchen was a bit under 20 grand but a fair wack of that was on the appliances (commercial gas stove and top end domestic electric oven, dishwasher, microwave etc).

Steve

Been pretty slack but here is a quick update

Kitchen splashback, range etc in

bathroom is almost done now, the bench is my wifes grandfathers old workbench, I love it's rustic nature and signs of life, it has a new job now.

put in the hearth and slow combustion heater

Pretty much spending my limited time and pocket money doing what I can.

The building preforms very well i.e. warm in winter and cools well with all the cross flow venting in summer. All the 'systems' work well, solar hot water runs well with the gas booster turned off, grey water and composting toilets are great and the led lighting and green GPO's all work really well. From that perspective I would not change a thing as it is very comfortable and cost very little to run. We did get a $120 electricity bill over winter, none of which was for electricity The supply charges and gst (on exported and imported power) made up our entire bill.. I would love to be off grid but battery technology is not there yet.

I intend to start on the last two pavilions this winter, I feel they will come together quicker as I know what I am doing now (kind off), have some great helpers and the structures are less complex.

Steve

Great Work Steve,

Super Job!

ps....Steve did i see your ensuite and 'workbench' in a magazine recently...lol

Steve,
I love the style of your place more and more (and I thought it was great right from the beginning so that's saying something). The workbench in the ensuite looks awesome. Keep it up!
Bluey

Newman, I wish someone would give me some money to take pictures of my house

Thanks Bluey

making plans to return to building again in a few months, the time money balance is heading in the correct direction

Here is a great write up about our place in a fab little blog written by our neighour from down the road. It is a good sumary of the first pavillion and what we have done in the last 12 months. BYO-House gets a few mentions Her blog is a terrific read and worth following!

http://featherandnestkim.blogspot.com.a ... dmade.html

Steve