• Preliminary expenses such as engineering fee, foundation excavation expenses, building permits etc
• Some portion of the indirect costs

For more information, please contact the Australia Tax Office (ATO) on 13 72 26, or click here to visit the ATO webpage.

The home building act states that "An application for an owner-builder permit may be made only by an individual, and not by a corporation, partnership or other association."

Owner-builders are prohibited from getting a permit for a dual occupancy except in special circumstances.

'Special circumstances' applications for owner-builder permits are considered individually on their merits. There is no 'standard' set of circumstances that qualify for that purpose. Applicants for special circumstances need to submit additional supporting information for their application

NSW Planning and Environment indicate that a granny flat, or secondary dwelling, is self-contained accommodation within, attached or separate to an individual home. A local Council or accredited certifier can certify granny flats as complying development without the need for a development application, provided they meet the specific development standards in the State Environmental Planning Policy (Affordable Rental Housing) 2009.

To be allowed to build a granny flat as complying development it must be:

Established in conjunction with another dwelling (the principal dwelling),

On the same lot of land as the principal dwelling (and not an individual lot in a strata plan or community title scheme); and

May be within, attached to, or separate from the principal dwelling.

More information on granny flats can be located here

An owner builder permit cannot be issued or used for renovations to an existing apartment/unit/flat/townhouse/duplex within a strata complex.

You will need to complete a 'Special circumstances' application, which are considered individually on their merits. There is no 'standard' set of circumstances that qualify for that purpose. Applicants for special circumstances need to submit additional supporting information for their application.

As anyone who has lived to tell the tale knows, it also brings pressure to make fast, mostly irreversible, decisions. There is the din and disruption of building and builders and compromised personal space, whether living amid the wood shavings or renting something small in the meantime because renovating can be highly stressful Reality reno-television relies on the emotional drama of the process to maintain interest in the shows, which rate through the roof. And, just as "factual" bricks-and-mortar programming focuses on the mood fluxes and problem-solving skills of participants, renovation stress can affect marital or de facto relationships.

Renovation stress can mean trouble for a relationship because it comes on top of everything else that is happening in your life. It may sound obvious but it all starts with good planning the planning of 'what' and 'how'. So many people do not do good planning.

Poor planning that leads to amplified stress can magnify all sorts of existing issues in a relationship. When we're stressed we resort to old, sometimes toxic habits. The veneer of 'nice' disappears and the control freak comes screaming out of the closet as a critic and judge. The procrastinator will procrastinate even more.

How to surmount this obstacle?

Planning and a cohesive vision start with your vision statement what is the [visual] theme of your house going to be? In a country house, you might start with a Japanese theme. In a [1860 bluestone] city house you might consider old meets new and, in a neutral colour scheme and give a signature colour to each room. Develop a mood board so as not to become one of the many people who start with the taps, the carpet colour and the material for the curtains and they just end up being overwhelmed by choice.

First, figure out your overarching theme and develop the mood board pasted with samples, colours and room photographs. Get lots of samples for your mood board and make it an interesting exercise so that you and your partner can agree before you start spending money.

Reconcile the vision before you start spending. Are you doing '60s? Hippie? or minimalist?

Budget. Get real. You need to build in a 20% contingency and the ABE Education Project Advisory Pack Calculator ( click on above Tab ) automatically adds this onto all of your trade and costs as you insert them. Don't kid yourself that you won't need it. If you don't use it all, then terrific. You'll have cash to splash at the end.

Don't rush to act. The reason amateur renovators make costly mistakes is they believe they have to do it all very quickly. You are not efficient when you rush.

Set priorities. You will always want to do more than you can. It is therefore useful to work out what is (a) essential; (b) optional; (c) desirable. It is also useful to work out the scope of what you can do so you can ask what options might be deleted or downgraded [in the short term]. The whole process is to make it all easier.

Divvy up the roles between yourself and partner so as to define who is specialising in what aspect of the build project'. One manages the budget and the timelines, the other might source the materials.

Power of veto is another handy tool in the minutiae of negotiations that go into renewing a shared home. If you disagree, then try to compromise. And if one partner really wants a particular feature and the other hates the very idea of it? 'you both have to have the right to say, 'No. Absolutely not!'

We suggest limiting veto power to perhaps three times and further that they can be traded as compromises. This causes you to choose very carefully and forces you to keep thinking, looking and working until you find something that you are both happy with.

Don't expect no problems. Renovation fatigue is real however if you work through these conversations regularly, you might not only build a new house but a new relationship!

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• Acquiring land
• Clearing, leveling, filling, draining, and preparing the construction site prior to carrying our excavation work
• Demolishing existing structures
• Landscaping
• Plant and equipment

For more information, please contact the Australia Tax Office (ATO) on 13 72 26, or click here to visit the ATO webpage.

An owner builder permit cannot be used for:

We will provide you with a replacement Certificate by email within 24-36 Hrs.

There may be a charge for certificates older than 12 months to cover the cost of archive recovery.

For more information, contact NSW Fair Trading on 13 32 20.

Alternatively you can make an enquiry on the NSW Fair Trading website here

Owner-builders undertaking work over $20,000 must complete the mandated owner-builder training which comprises of the following five units of competency from the Construction, Plumbing and Services Training Package:

ABE Education have updated their owner-builder course and subjects to meet the above requirements, and upon successful completion, a statement of attainment listing the above competencies will be issued.

ABE Education in conjunction with edway training also offer the required WHS training for a Nationally Recognised Construction Induction White Card.

If the work is valued at more than $20,000 you will need to complete the Course in Owner-builder Compliance or have the approved equivalent qualifications and experience. The NSW Course in Owner Builder Compliance is the only approved education course for prospective applicants who do not possess the equivalent qualifications and experience.