Harkaway Homes

**silentC** · 22nd February 2005, 03:30 PM

Has anyone out there had dealings with this company?

Harkaway Homes

I like what I've seen so far. No BS on the phone, very helpful. Just wondering/hoping someone might have built or know someone who has. Seem to be more prominent in Victoria. They've won a Master Builders Excellence in Housing award 4 years running.

**simon c** · 22nd February 2005, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by silentC

Harkaway Homes... Seem to be more prominent in Victoria.

Harkaway is a small town in Victoria, close to Berwick/Narre Warren (ie just East of Dandenong), which would explain the Victorian prominence.

I've no idea of their reputation, but woul dit be the same people who were doing your job or would they subcontract it to a local?

**silentC** · 22nd February 2005, 03:49 PM

They're kit home suppliers, so most of the work is done in their factory in Melbourne or Sydney. They then freight it to you and erect the frame. You do the rest (or you arrange your own subbies to do it for you).

**Gumby** · 22nd February 2005, 03:54 PM

They have built quite a few homes over the last 15 or so years , both as specs and as orders in the Rowville area which is close to where I work.
I haven't heard any bad reports

**ozwinner** · 22nd February 2005, 06:39 PM

Never heard of them..

Al

**Grunt** · 22nd February 2005, 07:00 PM

Never heard of them..

Al

They got Al's seal of approval.

**ozwinner** · 22nd February 2005, 07:05 PM

Wheres Zed??

Harkaway Harkaway Harkaway, in a jungle a mighty jungle..................

Al

**numbat** · 22nd February 2005, 09:18 PM

I also have not heard of them but their web site and their houses look very impressive.

Good luck.

Cheers

**IanA** · 22nd February 2005, 10:05 PM

Their documentation is well prepared and presented. Always a good start.

A work colleague built one of their houses and had only good words for the company.

Harkaway may be able to tell you about any of their jobs in your area, if their clients have consented for this info to be available. Talking to customers is always worth the effort.

**Toggy** · 22nd February 2005, 10:20 PM

IanA,

I seem to have read somewhere recently an article about the new insulation?? regulations; and even this mob (as well as all other kit homes) admitted that to comply with the new regs the houses would most likely have to have double glazing. Do you know anything of this claim?

Ken

**silentC** · 23rd February 2005, 08:08 AM

Geez, I hope not. If so, it would apply to all houses, not just kit homes. A kit home is really just a package deal that supplies all the bits, you have to build it yourself and it is up to the owner builder to make sure it complies.

I know wall insulation is now a requirement - in NSW anyway. Harkaway doesn't supply interiors, so insulation isn't part of the deal. The other mob we're looking at is PAAL and they supply everything including the garden taps. You get 100mm batts for the ceiling and 75mm for the walls included in the price. No double glazing though.

**Rocker** · 23rd February 2005, 12:42 PM

Double glazing? You must be closer to the Antarctic Circle down there than I had thought

Rocker

**Termite** · 23rd February 2005, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by ozwinner

Wheres Zed??

Harkaway Harkaway Harkaway, in a jungle a mighty jungle..................

Al

I think you might have the wrong song mate, there was one many years ago by Dinah Lee, something about Dooway Harkaway

**simon c** · 23rd February 2005, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by Toggy

IanA,

I seem to have read somewhere recently an article about the new insulation?? regulations; and even this mob (as well as all other kit homes) admitted that to comply with the new regs the houses would most likely have to have double glazing. Do you know anything of this claim?

Ken

From July 2005 all new houises in Victoria need to have a 5 star energy rating and a method of water conservation (eg rainwater tank). Until then, all new houses need to have EITHER a 5 star rating OR a 4 star rating and a method of water conservation.

I'm not sure of other states and it depends which climate zone you are in.

Info is on www.abcb.gov.au

**IanA** · 23rd February 2005, 07:47 PM

Toggy, SimonC is close to the mark.

It is extremely difficult for a house with a timber floor to achieve a 5 star rating. The use of double glazing may be necessary in order to get it across the line.

Simon mentions the climate zone, and this is important in the software used to assess the star rating. Double glazing in Darwin would be absurd, but would probably be good stuff in any area that has low winter temperatures. (Orange, Armadale and Bathurst would be good candidates in NSW but probably would be of marginal value in Sydney.)

SilentC, you are correct in saying that the problem does not apply just to kit homes. I'm not sure if Harkaway have an option to build on a concrete slab, but it would be worth checking out.
There are a number of products on the market that attempt to address the problem of insulation under a timber floor, not a simple one to solve. I seem to remember this issue being tossed around in an earlier thread.
Wall and ceiling insulation has been required in Vic for many years. (More than 15 years I think.)

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