Being an owner builder in Victoria has its own set of perks. You can supervise the work on your land for yourself. Expenses over labours are cut off and you can be flexible with your timings. But, like there is always a bad side to something good, being owner builder has its own risk factors that need to be taken care of. Since changes in the state based regulations have been initiated, the job of an owner builder demands a lot of attention. You cannot go easy on important stuff and definitely cannot neglect them.
Given below are tips for owner builders in Victoria. They are as follows:
• Get a permit:
The norms set for getting an owner builder permit vary from state to state. These differences are mainly because of the variations in the market value of your property. It also depends upon factors like the training that you are required to do, whether it is you who shall live here after the work is done or you currently live there and also the number of permits that can be granted to individuals over a period of time. Now, if you are not a registered owner builder, then you need to check over that whether the work you’re about to carry out on that land requires an owner builder permit or not. In Victoria, a permit is mandatory if the expenses of your building work are more than $12,000.
• What to expect?
When you get an owner builder permit, you have a huge responsibility of your project on your shoulders. You function as a fully licensed builder. This also serves as an opportunity for unlicensed builders wherein they ask homeowners to apply for permit as an owner builder. They use their permits to cover their works. You should beware of such builders and regulators warn you about them too. You can also talk to your state based authority if any builder asks you to get a permit.
• Is training helpful?
It certainly is. When you work as an owner builder, you’ll have to take care of a number of things at your workplace. You will have to maintain the health and safety of your labours and the location. You should also generate a white card that indicates that your activity is legal. Training is the best option if you wish to understand and manage all of these efficiently.
