Frequently Asked Questions

How much I can borrow?

You will be wasting your time and everybody else’s time if you don’t know this very important fact. Contact any bank, building society, credit union, whoever, to find out your all up allowance.

Why do pole homes cost more to build than slab on ground?

There’s no doubt about it… “Sloping sites cost more to build on, than flat ones.” How much more depends on how the house is designed and the builder you choose to build it. We realized many years ago that a poorly designed house with a few minor design or engineering oversights can turn a reasonably priced pole home into a giant money pit.

Suspended polished floors are far more expensive in materials and labour than a boring concrete slab on ground flooring. Other expensive items are: Excavation costs, Expensive scaffolding, Heavy support poles, Extensive crane hire, Concrete pumps, Far more onsite, labour costs. Steep and extensive driveways. Most of our homes also have expensive raked (sloping) ceilings and skylights. But don’t forget many of these additional cost for construction are sometimes offset by buying a cheaper sloping site, to start with.

What about termite problems?

It’s a known fact, slab on ground homes attacked 90% more by termites than homes built up off the ground. Termites attack from under the ground and come up through minute cracks in the concrete slabs, undetected. Termites trying to gain access into a house that’s up of the ground is very difficult. They literally need to build mud tubes or galleries on the outside of the holes to gain entry. These galleries are very visible under the house. Our homes are also constructed with T2 termite treated timber. T2 treated timber is guaranteed for 25 years.

Can you quote an accurate price to build in Western Australia?

Eventually…yes.
Initially we can estimate a ball park price for one of our designs to build in WA, or any where else for that matter, based on our construction price in Brisbane. To get an accurate price we would appoint a local builder in your area to do a site inspection on your site and come up with an accurate site work figure.

Are Roscher designs, Kit homes?

No they’re definitely not.

Kit homes are generally supplied by marketing groups and erected by owner builders. Most kits are designed for slab on ground type construction.
There are literally 100’s of different forms of kit construction methods and 100’s of different groups selling them to the public. Construction savings can be made if you do everything yourself, however, what you save on labour is quite often offset by the ridiculous purchase price, some of these kit companies charge. Our homes are constructed by licenced HIA builders and engineered by qualified technicians. The builder works with a private certifier and the local council who oversee & approve every stage of the construction process.

The homes come with a 6 months maintenance period and a 26 year structural warranty.

Can Roscher homes be constructed by an owner builder?

Yes. We can supply you with architectural drawings however most owner builders stick to slab on ground constructing as a suspended timber floor 2.5 or 3.0M up off the ground can be a bit tricky, especially on a sloping block. It really depends on your construction skills. Most Australian builders (I’d say 95%) keep will away from pole home construction, they claim there’s too many things that can go wrong.

Is finance available?

We have a very experienced broker that we have been using for the last 25 years.

Be careful, like everything else, there are good and bad brokers. However there are some really, really bad brokers. People who are new to the business and people who are doing it part time. These people can give you the wrong information or stuff you around for months, or both.

Are there any special concerns that local councils may raise?

Yes, councils obviously have maps of all the sites in their shire. They also have detailed overlays or zones on these maps that inform land owners to concerns relating to building on specific sites in their shires. Councils are extremely conscious to the damage that can be caused to residential homes that are built to close to bushland. If this is the case, a fire report will need to be carried out by the builder to determine if any special requirements are necessary.

Council overlays will also inform the land owner if the ground in their area is unstable. If this is the case, a soil stability study or Geo tech will need to be performed. An engineer may also need to inspect a site that is considered by council to be exposed to high winds. In most cases none of these questions will be raised. The local builder will generally know if anything special is required.

Can Roscher designs be built with steel framing?

Yes