Thanks Susan. I would love to get feedback here from the Houzz community on butterfly roof construction. I know that flashing the valley will be critical to say the least. Whoever does the roof has to have 1. Skill 3. Architectural specs to follow 2. Guaranteed work. How do they hold up in a climate such as yours which is sub-tropical? It's a big project so you will need to be confident in the outcome. [https://www.houzz.com/discussions/can-you-please-tell-me-how-the-water-drains-from-the-valley-of-this-butterfly-roof-dsvw-vd~423763?n=2[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/can-you-please-tell-me-how-the-water-drains-from-the-valley-of-this-butterfly-roof-dsvw-vd~423763?n=2) And here is a box gutter diagram to check out. I would research the heck out of construction techniques so as to be as informed as possible so that you are able to have a better dialog with the roofer when the time comes http://www.builderbill-diy-help.com/box-gutter.html

We asked a similar question when we bought our piece of bare land. We were advised that building a simple shape would reduce costs... so we've built a t shape. Single story is almost always cheaper. We have a builder who is happy to let us do a lot of work with him. We also choose to live on site, which saves us a lot in fuel. The kids and I clean up the building site most days. We've been able to separate the rubbish out between actual rubbish and recyclable material. As for cladding, we were going to do a mix of corrugated iron with plywood board and batten. But given some of the additional hassles, I don't think there's much in it cost wise. However, in saying all that, we chose to invest in long term benefits, so our house is exactly what we want and should be cheap to run. We were hoping to build for $1800 /sq m but we're still coming out at about the $2000 mark.

Two things come to mind; -it is possible that there are two separate files and you have received only one. It may depend on the way the properties have been legally defined. Having two addresses is not necessarily the same as two legal titles. Check the type of title and whether it has been subdivided, cross leased etc. this should be on your title which you will have got a copy of when you purchased. If you do not know where that is, you can get a new copy from Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) for just a few dollars. I would also phone the council and ask them to check whether there is more than one file that could relate to your property. I think they would be helpful with that request. - this goes back to before the 1990s, when we got permits rather than Building Consents, and less information was required to be submitted. The older the files, the less complete they are likely to be.I would not expect to get complete information on work done in the 1960s, but you can hope for it.

Over the past few years, prefab homes have become more accepted as an alternative to building new, and for good reason. They are extremely convienent, eco-friendly, and are able to integrate contemporary architectural advancements, not to mention they provide instant equity. These are just a few of the reasons why builders today are calling prefab homes the houses of the future, and there are plenty more. You can expect to see a rise in the popularity of designer pre-fabricated homes. However, they’re more than just convenient—the benefits are extensive. For instance, they're constructed within a warehouse. This reduces exposure to inclement weather during the build, which equals less stress and wear on the home’s frame. This also means building schedules are never affected by the weather. This level of control over the project is typical. The build is much easier to predict when building in a controlled environment, so the chances of running into extra costs are significantly reduced. This also makes prefabs more customisable than many expect. Elements can be swapped out easily, from the roofing, to the modular floorplan, and even window locations. The addition of carports and garages can also be accomplished relatively easily if needed. Quoted prices for these homes include everything from carpets to heat pumps, and many prefab homes come with comprehensive guarantees on quality and warmth. Prefab homes can be delivered directly to your plot of land, which means you avoid all the disruption of having trades and resources on your property during construction. Even so, you can still check in on build progress whenever you like, just as if it was a standard construction project. In short, you can expect all the craft and control you’d see from any build but building indoors keeps you from running into any nasty surprises that can inflate the cost. Find out more from the experts, and visit the Keith Hay Homes Facebook page today.