17 Steps To Success – The Project Home Builders Guide

1.   INITIAL RESEARCH

The first step to building a new home is undertaking preliminary research into your wants, needs and financial capabilities. This is a crucial part of the experience and will determine how the rest of the project will play out. Doing your homework early on (months or even years ahead) and developing a brief of your requirements will help you avoid a lot of headaches later on.

Examine factors such as:

• where you want to live
• your baseline budget
• your housing needs and wishes
• sources of professional advice
• the process of building and designing your home
• building guidelines and requirements.

2.   FIND YOUR LAND

Quality project home builders will assure you that the land almost always determines the design of the home. Things such as orientation (e.g. which side of the house will face the sun and are you making the most of the ocean views?), slope of the block and, of course, size. Is it big enough to hold the house you envision with four bedrooms plus the large backyard?

Tip: 40 percent of your home’s energy costs are attributed to heating and cooling. But a well designed house that is positioned to take advantage of sun and shade, can help cut costs dramatically.

If you’re not rebuilding on a block you already own. Search through the latest blocks of land for sale in NSW to find one that suits your preferred lifestyle.

3.   APPLY FOR A HOME LOAN

Now you have everything in place and in your vision, it’s time to talk finances. Before applying for your home loan, find out how much deposit you will need to pay & get a rough idea of your total borrowing capacity. Consider additional construction costs, such as legal fees, inspection fees, stamp duty and miscellaneous costs associated with your loan.

This step is important because it will give you a better idea of what your budget will be for the build. It will save a lot of heartache further down the track if you fall in love with a home that you simply can’t afford. This will also give your builder a better idea of what designs would be best for you.

And don’t forget to factor in the bank’s or lending institutions’ fees on top of your other expenses!

4.   APPROACH A LOCAL PROJECT HOME BUILDER

This is one of the most important steps in your journey, you’ll need to set a day aside to make your way out to your local display home village(s) and start talking to different builders. Let them know about the block you’ve chosen and what kind of home you’d like to build on it.

The New Homes Consultant will then start to gather different information about your land and probably collect some of your details.

5.   CHOOSE A HOME DESIGN

After you’ve approached your local home builders they’ll come back with several home design options that will suit both your block and budget. Make sure you really try and visualise living in each design, consider not only your current living situation but try and theorise what it could be in the next 5, 10 or even 20 years. This will help you choose the best of the bunch.

6.   CHOOSE A BUILDER

With your land and house plan in place and a few home designs up your sleeve, it is time to start interviewing project home builders. It’s very important to find the right builder that you can work with.

At Mincove Homes, we believe we are the right project home builders for you because:

• We’re a local company who employ other local people
• We’ve been building for over 20 years 
• Award-winning construction and finishes
• We have our own teams of local tradespeople
• Our clients love what we do!

“THE TEAM HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL AND ACCOMMODATING THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS: FROM INITIAL TENDER, CONCEPT DESIGNS, DRAFTING, DA APPLICATIONS AND NOW INTO THE ACTUAL BUILD ITSELF, THEY HAVE GONE ABOVE & BEYOND.” – CHRISTOPHER & SHELDON

7.   PREPARATION OF A FREE TENDER

A no obligation FREE TENDER will be prepared that will let you know how much your chosen design will cost on your block. You’ll need to decide what inclusions level you prefer, what promotions (if there are any available) you’d like to take advantage of & whether you’d like to include things like flooring, a driveway etc or if that’s something you’d like to organise yourself.

8.   PRESENTATION OF YOUR FREE TENDER

Your FREE TENDER would have been prepared and is now ready to be presented. Your New Homes Consultant will make contact with you to organise a time to meet & go through a detailed breakdown of the costs associated with building your new home.

9.   PAY YOUR DEPOSIT

After you accept your FREE TENDER, the next step is to pay your initial deposit to have your preliminary plans drawn up and have a fixed price tender prepared. We will send some experts out to your block to prepare a contour survey and complete a soil test, this will determine the costs of the site works for your home.

10. PRESENTATION OF YOUR FIXED PRICE TENDER

Once all of the tests are done on your block we’ll prepare a fixed price tender for you. This tender (similar to your FREE TENDER) will break down the costs of your build, but this time round the costs will be fixed. This means complete transparency as to what the project will cost, this will help avoid any nasty surprises. Once you accept this tender, draft contracts will be prepared for you.

11. SIGN THE BUILDING CONTRACT

Once you have received quotes and chosen your builder, the next step is to sign a building contract with your builder so work can commence. In NSW, all residential building work over $5000 requires a contract which is usually accompanied by a building schedule[VJ7] .

At Mincove Homes, we’ll provide you with a building agreement. Please make sure you have secured your finance by this stage.

12. PLANS SUBMITTED TO COUNCIL

The next step is to register your house plans with your local council. Most councils have their own set of procedures and regulations for lodging and applying for the residential development process. These involve a fee and the proper information, such as house plans or drawings and can even require a Statement of Environment or Heritage impact. Visit your local council’s website or contact us for help.

Mincove Homes do all of the leg work for you to gain approvals for all required project documentation, including BASIX, design plans, relevant certificates and other statutory requirements.

13. CHOOSE YOUR FITTINGS AND COLOURS

Possibly the most fun part of your new home build is choosing the colour scheme and all those finishing touches that make your house a home, such as tapware, flooring and appliances. You’ll get to spend a whole day with one of our experienced Selections Consultants as you work together to bring your home to life. You’ll decide on everything from bricks & mortar to the colour of the handles on your kitchen cabinetry!

14. CONSTRUCTION BEGINS

After your deposit payment is received, work will begin on your new home. This is an inspiring phase of the project and will involve various stages including slab, frame, brickwork and roof.

15. MONITOR THE BUILD

Take the time to schedule regular meetings with your building supervisor to see how the work is progressing. We pride ourselves on our transparent communication and helpfulness, before and during the build. We endeavour to keep you informed every step of the way.

16. COMPLETE THE HANDOVER

Without a doubt, the most exciting time in the project. The day that you’ve been waiting for has arrived!

Take the opportunity to engage in a pre-settlement inspection, where you can run your eye over your new home. We need your tick of approval here to officially handover the keys and your lending institution will make the final payment.

Depending on your contract, your project home builder should provide you with the relevant structural warranties and certificates for your house. You should also receive a written authority that states that your new home is safe to move in.

17. MOVE IN

Moving in might be the fun part but make sure you are prepared. Ensure all your utilities (internet, phone, electricity, gas and water etc) are switched on and your home and contents insurance is up to date.

Be super careful when moving around furniture and household items that you don’t damage your absolutely brand new, fresh home. There would be nothing more devastating than having to live with a dent in your freshly painted wall!

APPENDIX

CTA: Want simplified and useful advice from professional project home builders in the Wollongong, Shoalhaven, Southern Highlands, Illawarra areas? Contact us today.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BUILDING NEW HOMES

WHERE CAN I BUILD A NEW HOME IN WOLLONGONG?

See also:

Wollongong City Council development application process

Shoalhaven City Council development application process

Kiama Council development application process

Shellharbour Council development application process