HOW MUCH DOES CONCRETE COST PER SQUARE METRE? Make us one of your three quotes! Recent survey reveals going rates for Concrete in Australia A survey produced by leading Perth Concrete Technician, Professor Harpreet Singh from Murdoch University provides insights into concrete prices. “This has been the most challenging survey I have completed in my career”, said Professor Singh. Price ranges observed in the survey were: Grey Concrete $55m2 – $75m2 per square metre (m2) Coloured Concrete $75m2 – $95m2 Stencilled Concrete $85m2 – $105m2 Exposed Aggregate $110m2 – $150m2 The prices are based on the following specifications and assumptions: 100mm Concrete thickness use of reinforcement mesh cost of premixed Concrete (ex batching plant) Supplying tools and form work Contractor-supplied labour Ben’s tips My observation is that prices for Concrete certainly vary a lot and it’s important to remember that price varies according to the job. To achieve a perfect Concrete job, here are my tips: Contact your local concreter for quotes Get three quotes Ask to view each contractor’s work Don’t be in a rush – consider your budget and the quality of the finish you want If you cannot afford it, save up until you can! Remember: The cheapest isn’t always the best! If you need a quote, please contact Ben today. on 0449 802 085 or visit our website bencrete.com.au * The survey began in November 2016 was sent out to 3000 Concrete businesses in AustraliaGrey Concrete from Bencrete Concreting PerthColoured Concrete from Bencrete Concreting PerthExposed Aggregate from Bencrete Concreting Perth

The latest update! The demolition work commences on Monday. My budget has now blown out to about $14K,including everything however I think it's going to look great. My plumber and tiler are great tradesmen, and I am going to get quality fittings (on clearance from Tradelink!). My vanity does have drawers, however I had to make the compromise due to the cost and time for it to travel to WA. I have also increased the size of the shower to 900wide and the shower screen is 1160 as I am not getting it custom made (and saving $1100 in the process). The plumber has said as I need to remove and replace some of the walls, he can do an inset in the shower for shampoo/conditioner etc.and in inset/step at the bottom for shaving legs. Can anyone recommend if I should do it, and if so, what size the inset should be and how high it should be from the ground? Any advice is appreciated!

We too are about to build though picked a project home builder because of the 'volume build' cost savings. But we are making modifications to better meet our needs. Our initial plan was heavily customised and came in around $150k over what we wanted, but that was highly spec'ed insulation with double glazed windows, cathedral ceiling, very large rooms, 2 bedrooms with ensuites plus another bathroom and toilet, plus another 2 bedrooms, large undercover alfresco, very complicated roof line (apparently that really adds to the cost)... so we learnt a lot of lessons from that. We have scaled back the size of rooms, gone for a simple shape/roofline and will add character through textures (timber panelled walls, etc), some of which can be added later. We have maintained top notch double glazed windows and high R factor insulation (Southern Highlands location, so you pay either way if you get that wrong.. up front or in excessive heating and cooling bills), but cut back to only 1 bifold door and embraced good old double and triple panel sliders - a huge cost saving in itself. Would also love a cathedral ceiling but may need to lower our expectations there. I have to agree that a price starting with a 3 at the front - or even a 4 - does not seem at all realistic for that house. If $360K is breaking the bank, you really need to think about how you can meet your needs in a different way. I'd start with design... would a 2 storey home offer cost savings? Less roof for the same floor price? What about attic bedrooms and/or an attic activity room? I don't think attic rooms are actually that cheap, because of the need to strengthen the floor/ceiling, but it would be good to ask. Do all the children need a separate bedroom? If there's a significant age difference between eldest and youngest, you may find you can get away with younger siblings sharing for a while longer; perhaps even till an older child heads off to Uni?? Think of all the materials you will be chosing and the impact those will have on your home. Number and type of windows, floor coverings, tiling etc. I don't feel your rooms are overly large, but agree the large Media and Activity rooms are expensive choices. Personally I'd keep one dual purpose room, mainly with the kids in mind and smaller than either of those. You really only need kids tv and computer games out of the family room/lounge, don't you? The scullery and parts of the Master suite are large and the bathroom between Bed 4 and Bed 5 is a waste. I'd put Bathroom 1 - with the only bath in the house - and the loo side by side and accessible from near the kitchen area. I've seen some homes with a 3rd toilet in a large laundry, which can be handy with a horde of kids around. On a different note, that laundry seems way too small for a family of 6. You want those teens doing their own washing and ironing ASAP... they'll need room to do that. And you don't want to skimp on windows, insulation and eaves that suit your climate - they can really help to reduce your home's running costs. Re the vergola suggestion, I'd steer clear of that. They are costly, not really water proof and don't age well in my experience. A few friends have installed them and all have shown 'buyers remorse' quite quickly. An under-roof alfresco is pretty nice to have, but even a solidly built pergola with a simple sun/rainproof roof is nice too. As for the cathedral ceiling, I LOVE it. Opens a house up beautifully. A half cathedral (that's not the right term but i hope you know what I mean) may reduce costs a little. Otherwise, use your windows to maximise light (but not heat), raise the ceiling heights throughout the house to 2.7 (it's usually fairly cost effective to do that) and ditch the cathedral ceiling. Good luck with it. It's an exciting project.

Marble is a unique metamorphic product which forms over 1000’s in nature, porcelain is a man made printed tile product which offers a lot of benefits that a natural product wouldn’t, such as warranty. You can’t scratch off the print on marble as it is the actual composition of the stone which produces that colour where as porcelain printed and mimics this look well. It’s all about what you are after and as long as it is being sealed as required and cleaned won’t give you any issues.