executing Owner Builder projects these days really is consolidated to projects that can be self funded - banks and building surveyors are becoming increasingly cautious when it comes to owner builder projects and fair enough too......

Experience/knowledge aside, unless you are retired, on long service leave or have a passive income and have money in the bank, it's questionable whether you'll overall save money when you factor your own time and risk into it.....after helping several clients with owner builds, and doing a couple of my own, (& I know what I'm doing) my opinion of this approach has shifted significantly over the past 15 years or so..........as a general pattern, it starts off as exciting, but the projects are harder to finish, and when the money runs out there's a big risk of being caught in no man's land where you've spend more than anticipated, the jobs unfinished but you need more money to finish it properly to either re-finance of release funds somehow......

My advice (for mental health!) is to approach these projects and engaged with this industry as professionally as possible with clear packaged proposals. Sure build some flexibility into the contract say for choices on finishes etc, but I'd now confidently advise people the best approach for construction projects, to minimise risk and for a most smooth process, is to "front end" investment in comprehensive design, documentation & specification that can then be clearly packaged/presented to a (reputable) builder who can then fix the quote and execute the construction stage far more effectively and efficiently than someone "having a go piecing it all together for the first time", regardless of whether you may have some close industry contacts as support....

Best of luck! Cheers PD :)

in our experience it's much easier, quicker and cheaper to have a builder take care of subcontracting as you've already discovered the trades aren't usually keen to work for owner builders on big jobs although we've had a builder stagger a major renovation to lock up and subcontracted the rest but only because they expect future work from us

Hi Kellie, just wondering how you've progressed? I'm in a similar boat to you and would love to hear how you're going! Might have to look to use a builder to get to lockup although very keen to move along as an owner builder.

Hi Oskar, my husband is still very keen to pursue the owner builder route from the start! We have have Spoken to a few more concreters and they have come to see the site so fingers crossed. I think this construction boom is making it hard for the owner builder, Thats for sure!

alex from 3DA was really helpful with some names and I will be talking to them early next year if nothing further eventuates. you may be able to message him and get some contacts. good luck!

www.abbottbuild.com.au does!