u/atimas_f

Hi everyone,

We're looking to buy in the Ballarat area, but the market is so dry at the moment that we're now seriously considering building instead.

I'd love to hear from anyone who's built a home in the last couple of years.

I know it's not the easiest time to build with rising costs and delays, so I'm interested in hearing about recent experiences.

A few questions:

• Who did you build with, and would you recommend them?
• Did your final cost stay close to the original quote?
• How was the build process overall?
• Were there any unexpected issues or lessons you'd share?

We're also considering land in a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO) area. If you've built on land with a bushfire overlay, I'd really appreciate hearing about your experience: Did it add significant costs?

Was there anything you wish you'd known before buying a block?

Any recommendations, advice, or builders to avoid would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi everyone! We're looking at buying a house in Mount Helen and would love to hear what it's really like living there. How do you find the area for raising kids? What's the community like, and are there any things you wish you'd known before moving there?

I’m interviewing for a couple of VPS 5 roles and can only work 0.8 FTE long term. When in the process is the best time to raise that? Part of me thinks early transparency is best so nobody wastes time, but I also don’t want to get screened out before they’ve seen my experience and fit. On the other hand, waiting too long feels awkward if they assume full-time throughout. If currently in a similar position, when did you raise it, and how did it land? TIA