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Part One: Planning, Planning, Planning Property Insider met with Kate LeMessuier during the week. Kate is a confessed ‘shedaholic’ and moving forward we will be following the building of her 5-bed, 4-bath shed home. Kate’s goal for the project is to see how little she can build her home for without compromising her standards or aesthetic. The first thing is to decide what you want in our home. Kate’s design incorporates two sheds, joined by a covered walkway. ‘You also need to make sure that if you have existing furniture you need to be assured it fits,’ say Kate. Kate sketches her furniture onto the floor plan so there are no disappointments or surprises. ‘The more you plan, gather ideas and the right people to help you with your project and then refine your
plans accordingly the smoother the whole process will be,’ says Kate For the purpose of this series we are joining Kate at the point where she has her land, the site council approvals, and the sheds have been built and inspected and approved ready to do the fit-out in the sheds. You need to decide where you are going to site your shed(s) and infrastructure such as water tanks, waste-water system, driveway. Kate uses a local consultant to draw up the plans of your ideas and submit them to council. ‘They basically do everything; they design and draw up the plans for the home and the waste system and make sure that all the requirements for a successful DA
application are met.’ A timeline is a good thing to do, says Kate, because while you are waiting for one thing, you can get to work on another. Once you choose a shed builder for a home you need a class 1A shed. The contract of the shed house needs to have home warranty insurance included. Before the slab is poured, the plumbing and a termite barrier treatment is installed, an inspection for plumbing by council and the building consultant is required. The sheds can be erected in 1–2 weeks once the slab is done; you need another inspection by either a registered building consultant or council. Kate chooses to use a building consultant because you can build a working relationship with them over the years and staff at council may change. While all this happening you will be getting quotes for the following: • Builder (for fit-out) (can be under a contract – perhaps the best option for a first-timer), or as an owner builder, or registered
builder on an hourly rate) Plumber Electrician Tiler Carpenter Waterproofing (must have certificate) • Kitchen • Lighting (includes lighting design plan) • Floor coverings • Wall finishes/painting • Windows/doors • Heating and cooling • Rubbish skips • Portaloos until plumbing connected to waste system. Kate is a big advocate for solar power. The shed builder can allow for solar panels when they do the shed design. It is a good idea to allow for this even if you are not planning on using solar initially. If you are planning on going solar then you’ll need a generator for power during the fit-out stage (the shed builders have their own setup). You can follow Kate on Insta, Facebook, and on her website www. theshedaholic.com.au. • • • • •
whatever home means to you, we’ll help you find it
B O AT H A R B O U R 327 Boat Harbour Road $750,000 4 2 13 acres Agent: Katrina Beohm 0467 001 122 0467 000 222 North Coast news daily: www.echonetdaily.net.au
Elevated delight “The Hill” + Enjoy panoramic elevated views from this gorgeous lifestyle property with original farmhouse + Eat in kitchen with wood heater. Master bedroom/ensuite, built-ins, views & access to the patio + Dairy bails, shed, old pig stye & chook pen. Ample water with creeks & rainwater tanks + Clean usuable acerage. Sealed road with school bus at gate. Close to local country cafes
L I S M O R E | B A L L I N A | B Y R O N B AY
kbrealestate.com.au The Byron Shire Echo September 13, 2017 23