Thread: Defenders and the modern home

Originally Posted by ATH

The furphy that small blocks are what the public want is being pushed every where across Australia for one reason only, and that's loads more money for the same block of land, more rates for the council to waste and more for the developer.

Partially true, but the main reason there is an almost universal push in the planning community for smaller inner city allotments is that without them public transport just doesn't work!

Urban sprawl has been identified as a major problem since the 70s and when you look at European cities, the only reason they work at all is massive inner urban density and effective public transport. Until Australian cities increase their urban density, public transport is doomed. Not enough users over a vast network area equals insufficient utilisation and massive maintenance costs.

The bottom line is this - if you want lots of cars and space and a yard - move further out and be prepared to commute long distances. Alternatively if you must live close to the CBD and have lots of vehicles, be prepared to pay for the privilege of accommodating them.

What we really DO need is a concerted effort from councils to balance the value of inner urban accommodation on offer. Very few high density public and low income housing is ever constructed close to the CBD. If councils want their push for increased density and decreased lot sizes to be seen as more than just a money grab, they need to get serious about offering developers real incentives to do these types of projects within 5km of the city. Not just another 20000 McBungalows halfway to the Sunshine Coast where there are no trains or busses.

Originally Posted by solmanic

But you can have a double garage provided that the garage door is recessed 1m in from the upper level front wall of the house. Alternatively you can just do pretty much whatever anyone else in the street has done if you are prepared to lodge a townplanning application. A typical small lot house can have a double garage with (open air) parking for two more cars in front. And there is nothing stopping you from making the garage take up almost the entire ground floor if you want with tandem spaces.

If it is a client's house, the Architect does what the client asks. But if it is a developer, the Architect does what the developer says he wants to pay for. You are right though, many Architects make the garage too small and the ensuite huuuuuge but often it is the client who wants it.

Just don't get me onto bitching about project homes.... they are NOT usually architecturally designed.

Mostly these small lot houses are spec homes by builders not homes built for a specific client. Builders are in the habit of putting maximum living space and minimum statutory requirements (garaging and parking) onto the block. We have the totally stupid ability to be able to build a detached house to within one metre of the boundary fence. A garage/car port wall can actually be built on the boundary.This means no vehicle can access the back yard. There should be three metres down one side to allow rear yard access, where topography allows.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

A garage/car port wall can actually be built on the boundary.This means no vehicle can access the back yard. There should be three metres down one side to allow rear yard access, where topography allows.

This is where smart design comes in. I often make the boundary side garage space with a 2.6m wide (a standard car space is 2.5m wide) drive through to the back yard (depending on how much of it there actually is). The space down the side of the house can then accommodate bins (often forgotten and stuck in the garage = smelly), clothes lines, camper trailers, boats etc. The first floor then cantilevers slightly over this space so you don't lose too much room.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

A garage/car port wall can actually be built on the boundary.This means no vehicle can access the back yard. There should be three metres down one side to allow rear yard access, where topography allows.

As said, I live in a townhouse in the corner of the estate. Which means our neighbour on one side is a house. This house has a garage wall that is right on the fence line. I've often thought of getting a projector and using this wall as a screen. No good though as it is too uneven.
The fence is still up though and the body corporate would not allow the builders access to our yard and removal of fence to allow this wall to be rendered to match the rest of the house. So instead we have an ugly wall up against our fence that doesn't look finished as it was always meant to be rendered.

What I like when a house is built nearly touching both side fences is the garage that has a door in both ends. Effectively giving secure backyard access. My sister has this. Double garage in front with one roller door out the back.

I'm glad I live in the bush. Up to six or so years ago, you didn't even need to lodge a DA for a building or dwelling out of town

Beware the body corporate on rural estates as well. We bought a 5 acre block out of Canberra with the intention of building a house. We got as far as a levelled site, a big shed and a septic tank before the cost of getting a builder to build what we wanted proved too expensive, we ended up in a much better spot, but I digress.
The estate consisted of a couple of hundered acres divided up into 5 acre blocks and some "community land" which was a few laneways and a sizeable dam from which the community association pumped water to a tank on the hill and reticulated it to all the blocks. For the maintainence of these facilities each landowner paid approx $500.00 per year.
An Idyllic lifestyle you might think........well not exactly. Since the primary market for these blocks was Canberra and most of the owners couldnt tell excrement from clay, the committee (which I joined with the view that it was better to know thine enemy) was blamed for everything from horses being bitten by snakes to the fact that the dam was empty.
We had commitee members fences cut, stock let out to wander, cars vandalised etc etc.
Be very careful that the block you might be purchasing does not have community title.

Regards,
Tote

it drives me insane the rubbish houses people are paying a mortgage for and they cant even swing a cat in the yard we live in one of the most unpopulated country's on earth 400 sqm blocks should be banned i would rather pay rent than mortgage on a sh@#box legoland house that i cant park my county in the drive way

Originally Posted by solmanic

This is where smart design comes in. I often make the boundary side garage space with a 2.6m wide (a standard car space is 2.5m wide) drive through to the back yard (depending on how much of it there actually is). The space down the side of the house can then accommodate bins (often forgotten and stuck in the garage = smelly), clothes lines, camper trailers, boats etc. The first floor then cantilevers slightly over this space so you don't lose too much room.

I was thinking of getting a truck through, or a piece of earthmoving equipment in case the sewer has to be dug up or other repairs and maintenance, not a car. A truck is 2.5 metres wide plus a bit of necessary clearance. An end door in the garage precludes using the end wall for storage or bench space.

I really object to our leafy spacious inner suburbs becoming a brick and concrete desert and inevitably a future slum. I also object to no consideration being given to existing amenity when a development application is assessed. I know any number of people who have lost their light, breezes and views to small lot developments next door.

Tower blocks or vast townhouse developments should be on acreage near a transport interchange and community centre containing shops and services. Acreage would provide sufficient room for extra resident parking, visitor parking, storage sheds, pools, sport and recreation facilities, entertaining areas, etc.