Embarking on a new home build is exciting, but it can also be daunting – there are lots of considerations, options and new terms to get your head around. That’s why most reputable builders employ New Home Consultants – their sole focus is to answer your questions and give you guidance and information to help you make important decisions about your new home.

To help anyone considering building a new home, we thought it would be helpful to list, and answer, the top five questions our New Home Consultants get asked:

Most home designs are tailored to specific block widths: 10.5m, 12m, 12.5m, 14m or 16m.

Your New Home Consultant will clarify the most suitable designs for your block size. If you have your own block, simply provide the address and lot number and your New Home Consultant can provide a site plan showing how a particular design would look on your block.

As most reputable builders will offer a lot of choice and flexibility to customise your home to suit your needs, display homes invariably showcase upgraded items as well as standard inclusions.

This can get confusing. Thankfully, your New Home Consultant can walk you through the display home and highlight what is included as standard and what is an upgrade. Your consultant can also provide you with a formal quote to include any upgrades you want added.

Generally speaking, you should be in your home between 9-12 months after paying the initial deposit. It usually takes three months after initial deposit for the building team to get on site.

Your ability to make design changes will vary depending on whether you choose a reliable and experienced builder (say, Fairhaven Homes) or a custom builder.

Yes – all Fairhaven Homes floor plans have options available, but we can’t accommodate wholesale changes. We invest significant time and energy into providing tested and proven designs so that you don’t have to. Plus, we offer over 60 floor plans to choose from across four design ranges, so there literally is something for everyone.

Every block is unique – the slope, soil type, accessibility of the site, and location (just to name a few) can all impact the costs to build on your site. As a result, the costs involved in us preparing the site for the build, and actually conducting the build – called site costs – can vary significantly. Factors affecting site costs include:

● Slope / fall: You need a flat, level surface to build. Some blocks require excavation to create a level surface.
● Soil type: Certain soils require specific slab types. Some builders provide quotes on the cheapest slab (called ‘M class’ slabs); however, as most soil in Victoria requires ‘H1 class’ slabs, most customers are forced to ‘upgrade’ their slab which adds to their site costs. (Fairhaven Homes offers up to H1 class slabs as standard.)
● Site accessibility: This relates to the ability of our build teams to access your site – is there easy access for large equipment, or are extra precautions or activities required?
● Location: Some councils charge costs or set regulations on factors ranging from temporary fencing requirements to bushfire risk regulations.
● Developer Guidelines: every Estate will differ in Developer Guidelines. Please speak directly with one of our New Home Consultants to obtain more information specific to your Estate.

Fairhaven Homes can provide fixed site costs upfront (conditions apply) which can give you significant peace of mind. In some instances, we will need to conduct a soil sample and survey prior to providing fixed site costs; soil samples and surveys can only be done once an initial deposit has been paid.

Our New Home Consultants can’t wait to answer your questions and bring you closer to living the new home dream. To speak with a New Home Consultant, please contact us on 9704 4000 or email info@fairhavenhomes.com.au.