You’ve determined your brief, worked out your budget and cleared your site. You can see its unlimited potential and now you’re ready for your dream home to become a reality. So where to next?
Now is the time to find the right builder. Some architects may work regularly with chosen builders, which can make this process a little easier, but if you don’t have an architect or they don’t work regularly with anyone, it is time to do your research.
Richard Gremmo from Gremmo Homes recommends finding a builder you’re comfortable with and who understands your lifestyle requirements. “Your builder should be able to create a design that understands these requirements while also respecting your budget and site conditions,” he suggests.
If this is your first build, don’t feel you need to have a lot of building knowledge before embarking on work with a builder, but basic knowledge is worthwhile. “There’s so much building knowledge available today, through print publications, the internet and display homes,” says Richard. “The challenge is being able to discern which information is important to you and your lifestyle. We would definitely recommend spending some time discovering at the very least some basic building design knowledge such as understanding how important the aspect of your home will be in relation to natural light and energy conservation.”
When searching for a competent builder, doing your research is essential. Checking out their previous builds, both on their website or social media accounts as well as in person, along with any awards they have won, can help you feel confident in your chosen builder’s capabilities as well as whether their style will suit your brief.
“The design and building process will always be more pleasant if you can engage a builder that can coordinate the design and construction of your home, pool and landscaping,” suggests Richard. “This eliminates any ‘blame games’ [between trades] and ensures that you will have cohesion in your design and efficiency during the construction process.”
If you can find a builder who can run the whole building site and its inner workings, you will only need to liaise with that one person — the builder — to make sure the build is running to schedule and all trade work is of upmost quality.
Build expectations and milestones
The time frame of a build will be dependent on the site conditions and the size of the home to be built. Generally, a custom home build will take between 10 to 12 months to complete, with three to six months to navigate the statutory regulation process. The most important milestones of your build will often depend on the complexity of the site and construction, although there are some key build stages during the build, such as breaking ground, that are worth noting.
“Of course, when an excavator begins levelling a site, it is always an exciting time,” says Richard. “Completing a roof cover of a build is also a significant milestone as the builder is then in full control of achieving a handover date as the build shouldn’t be affected by weather conditions.”
To achieve these key milestones, communication on site is essential. This can be done simply by having daily phone calls with your builder and using sophisticated software that can keep you updated with your home’s progress. “A clear communication process throughout a custom build is vital, so it is important to engage with a builder who you are comfortable with and who can do this effectively,” says Richard.
Find home projects by Gremmo Homes on pages 128–131 of Grand Designs Magazine Builders Guide #03 and at gremmohomes.com.au
