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

Hi oklouise, thank you again so much for your suggestions to help me reflect on my choices! The great thing about this whole process is that it has really helped me clarify my must haves/dealbreakers and nice to haves. Key elements that I don't want to forego are: 1) a "master suite" with large WIR + private ensuite+ direct private garden access/views. The current northern bedrooms are elevated and do not allow these elements and better suited to small kids as no external doors and can be eyeballed from the kitchen. 2)The kitchen must be the heart of the home and connected to all living spaces so the host never feels disconnected from guests & can watch kids from almost any living space.I attended a party last weekend which had the kitchen blocking the living room from the outdoor space and the host commented they regretted it after renovating. 3)The dining room must be an end destination vs a corridor so it does not become a dumping grounds for bags, mail & everything else as the nearest flat surface to the entry point. 4) All new bedrooms must also be min 3 -3.2M wide on the narrowest side for me to justify them. 5) I reviewed all my lookbooks and tear sheets pulled to date and its a clear pattern that I want my 'adult' living and dining/entertaining spaces connected to the rear garden preferably wrapping l-shape round a deck or courtyard garden. In a sense 'broken' vs open plan but still visible through glass etc. 6) I would not be prepared sacrifice the prime N/NE aspect with utility rooms. 7) I don't wish to place a verandah at the front as it will never be used except extra maintenance and can create shading in summer via other methods. 8) capacity to rent out room with private living quarters. There are many splitter blocks in my area and I don't need it to operate as legal dual occupancy. 9) single level living -no second story bedrooms etc. 10) separation of main bedrooms when renting out section of house Phew....I think thats most of the checklist criteria I have been working to. Still think tanking the street appeal/front facade style but its probably leaning toward lux byron bay beach cottage meets modern coastal with some retro elements to hint at the history of this 1950s house!

Daryl, I for one, have been following this thread with great interest since your comment and am very sorry to hear the problems you have had. I had never heard of any of this, but with the dramatically increasing incidences of asthma, mental illness and depression, attention deficit and behavioural problems with children especially, autism - the list goes on - I often stop to wonder why, I know when I was young half of these issues didn't seemed to exist, yet did they and and no one knew about them, or is this because there are more people in the world now or is it all a part of modern living and why? Pollution has been blamed for many things but it seems as fast as we clean up one form of pollution we start another such as this. Technology is advancing at a crazy pace and the younger generation are eager for more and more but is anyone really stopping to investigate health issues or are we just becoming obsessed not just with the profits to be had from it, but also to free ourselves from everyday drudgery and live a Jetsons life style. We all want more free time, but what are we doing with it? In many cases working longer hours to pay for it !! It seems we are too obsessed with "improving" our lives to stop and question any consequences. For we seniors, this is not doing us any favours, we were not raised with this, it is a whole new way of life for us and the faster technology advances, the faster we are being left behind floundering in the mess. No one stops to think that women especially in my age group were forced to resign from work when we married or had children, there was no place for us in the workforce, our place was at home, cleaning and maintaining it, ensuring our menfolk were well fed and dressed and our children were properly raised. For many women, they lost workplace skills, but the male ego was also dinted if wives went back to work, men were expected to be the providers. Unless you have lived through this period you really would have no comprehension of just how much attitudes and opportunities have changed particularly in the second half of last century, I think we have lived through some of the greatest changes ever but sadly not everyone is given the opportunity to embrace them. There are many, many people in society today, in their 60s, 70s and 80s who just don't have a clue about technology, they never had the opportunity to use it or learn about it in their younger years, but now it is just an assumption that "everyone" knows, so many seniors are really falling through the cracks, they are missing out on many benefits and are totally vulnerable to scammers. The point I make here now is that trying to follow this discussion, I realise even more what a whole new language technology seems to have introduced and how much further seniors are being left behind. I had to look up what a "dect" phone was - never heard that word used before, so many other words and terms have me floundering too, half of Ian's learned comments might as well have been written in Swahili, just where do you go to learn all this? As a senior though, (and I have many friends agree) I have a lifetime of learning stored in my grey matter, it is full and it is tired, how much more does it have to learn, how much do I really want to learn - quite frankly as little as possible, I'm over it all now. I very much agree with Pottsy's comment of putting a tin foil cap on my head, if that makes everything go away I'm more than happy. However these health issues now are definitely a great cause for concern, not just for me but I think of my grandchildren, how reliant they are on technology now, they were raised and are being raised with nothing else, what is in the future for them? I had to have my modem changed to a Smart modem recently because the original one kept failing and unfortunately I have to rely in the internet now to stay in touch with family. I also rely on regular Nanna Naps to get through the day, is this just an age thing or is it the wifi?? How will we ever know these things - obviously Daryl, your symptoms were severe enough to identify this but for someone only mildly affected ??? It is like back in the early days of mobile phones and people developing brain cancer, there were thoughts this could happen, but it wasn't like suddenly millions of people developed brain cancer and it could never be proven that people who did would not have developed it anyway. We still don't know why people get many forms of cancer, but I can understand the skepticism and cynicism - how much slower would technology advance if we really took time out to more thoroughly investigage health risks. It is great that you have identified this issue for us Daryl, but realistically where do we go from here? It is a bit like closing the gate after the horse has bolted and trying to fight telco's .............yeah!! .

Is that blue line a proposed new footpath ? Probably 95% of all foot traffic is you ( the dwellers ) so that is a lot of work for something that is basically a backwards step -- a bit better for visitors , but its you carrying groceries and sports gear etc , and you'd have to walk further . And having 2 footpaths would be weird ( if that's what you are considering ) -- I guess you could get give way signs and traffic lights installed on it haha ? The actual driveway is wide , theres a parking bay to the right of the double garage , so why take up even more space ? Like oklouise says , you could do a double entrance , come in on the new circular part of the driveway with the boat on , drive back towards the road , try and straighten up before you get back to the street , and then what ? Oh yeah , back back . So you spend $20k and back 4 metres less ? Or you back in from the road and save $20k ? Or you buy or build a little 'dolly trolley' -- 2 or 3 little tyres and a towball mounted on a trolley to make pushing easier ? You can even buy ratchet ones that make it possible to back uphill with no car ( mainly designed for caravans I think , but work on any trailer hitch ) or even an electric motorised version .