produced an information and education kit which is mandatory reading for anyone considering undertaking an Owner Builder project.

This information and education kit provides valuable information on Owner Builder obligations and responsibilities which owner builders should consider before embarking on any Owner Builder project.

The information and education kit highlights information on the following Owner Builder topics:

•    Appling for Certificates of Consent
•    Permits
•    Building Standards
•    Council Local Laws
•    Insurance
•    Engaging Builders and Tradespeople
•    Contracts
•    Dispute Resolutions
•    Selling you Owner Built Property

Title Requirements and Permit Restrictions

The information and education kit produced by the Victorian Building Commission states:

“An Owner Builder is a person who carries out domestic building work on his or her own land and is not in the business of building.

If the land is owner by a body corporate or is the subject of a trust, then the owner builder must be a body corporate director or a trust beneficiary. Body corporate directors and trust beneficiaries will need the written permission of the body corporate or the trustees to apply for a Certificate of Consent and to carry out the domestic building work. Similarly, if the land is owner by more than one person, then the owner builder will need the written permission of all the other owners.

Further, the information kit advises that from 14 June 2005, Owner Builders:

“Must obtain a Certificate of Consent from the Building Practitioners Board in order to obtain a building permit to carry out domestic building work valued over $12,000.

May only obtain building permits for a single home and associated work on a single property in any three year period.

Must reside and continue to reside or intend to reside in the single home.”