Building a new home, especially if it’s your first, can be a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions – from exciting and thrilling, to nerve wracking and, sometimes, a little overwhelming. But if you’ve done your research and chosen a builder that aligns with your needs and values, it should be an overall positive experience.
It can be helpful to know exactly what to expect. Here, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide to walk you through the build process, and give you added confidence as you embark on your home-building journey.
With your land registered and the building contract signed it's time to submit the application for your building approval. Contract signing usually aligns with your first progress payment, and application approval can take four to eight weeks.
If you are choosing to build at Sage, you or your builder will need to submit your house design plan to our design team to ensure your home will meet the Sage design guidelines. These guidelines are in place to help protect your investment and to create a community our residents can be proud to call home. To find out more, download the Sage Design Guidelines here. (LINK)
You can use this time to prepare your site for construction, which usually includes things like removing rubbish, scrub or trees. If you’ve purchased at Sage, your site will already be clear and ready to build on!
The duration of the construction phase can vary influenced by factors such as your site conditions and the efficiency of your builder, as well as weather, material shortages, or tradespeople availability. The construction of a new home typically follows a similar order of activities, which can be categorised into seven stages, outlined below:
This involves site works such as constructing retaining walls and levelling the ground, if required. Excavation and foundation work begins, including laying out the design and underground connections, pouring footings, and installing drainage and termite protection. Once the concrete slab is poured, the base stage is complete. If you are building your new home at Sage, the levelling of your lot and construction of retaining walls will already be complete.
In this stage, construction of building frames and external walls, windows and door frames take place, followed by the installation of roofing, cladding and insulation.
This stage is complete once the wall and roof frames are fixed, and tie-downs and bracing are complete.
This is a significant milestone as all doors and windows are installed, allowing for secure and weatherproof conditions.
Brickwork, cladding and roofing is installed, paving the way for plumbers and electricians to ‘rough-in’ their pipes and wires before the plaster goes on the walls.
In this stage, everything is ‘fixed’ into position including all internal plaster architraves, skirting, cabinets and cupboards.
Here’s where you’ll see the inside of your home come to life through the installation of electrical fixtures, as well as your kitchen, laundry and bathroom fittings. Tiling, tapware and other finishing touches are also added, as well as paint!
Your home is ready for inspection! Painting, installations and detailing are finalised and your home is presented to you.
It’s important you ensure everything meets your expectations and that all included appliances and systems are functioning properly before you make your final payment.
Newly built homes in Queensland are protected by a six-and-a-half-year Builder’s Warranty against structural damage. In addition, some builders offer their own guarantees and warranty programs so make sure you familiarise yourself with any extra entitlements and the timeframes around making claims.
And don't forget to ask for Owner’s Manuals for any appliances or systems in your home, so you can make the most of all their features.
Now proudly accept those keys and cross the threshold into your new life at Sage.