Have you heard the saying “failing to plan is planning to fail?”
When it comes to the pre construction planning stage of a new home build, truer words have never been spoken. #ouch
Maybe you’re planning a new build in the future, or you’ve built before the itch to do it again has come around. With the recent increase in building materials and rising interest rates we all want to find ways to save when building a new home. Who wouldn’t be right? The key to success is your pre construction planning – a flaw in this stage can trigger a spiral of complications.
Here’s the deal: with the right pre construction planning you can save BOTH time and money. If you want to set yourself up for success but you’re not sure what to do, or when, then this is for you!
TIMELINE
Every week counts
The timeline for pre construction planning will look different depending on the size and scale of your home, and definitely the builder you choose. But here’s a rough guide so you know what to expect:
+ Tender presentation with your builder
+ Floor Plans and External Selections
+ Finalise submission plans
+ Approvals
+ Internal Selections
+ Contracts
You see, when you know what’s coming next it helps you to be ahead of the game and allows you plenty of time to research, think and prepare without making decisions on the fly when you’re feeling under pressure. Plus, there’s no sitting around waiting for your builder to tell you what’s happening next. Efficiency is the name of the game. We always want to maximize our time without any unnecessary delays.
Do you have a loan for your land? Have you calculated your weekly repayments during pre construction planning? Consider the savings you could make by being organised and saving time during this stage.
GOAL SETTING
START WITH THE END IN MIND
Goal setting is like charting a course on a map; it provides direction and a clear path toward your destination (new home).
Spoiler Alert: there are hundreds of decisions to make in the pre construction planning phase of a new build. All of which will impact how happy you are with your new home once it’s complete and you move in.
+ For growing families: Ensure bedrooms can fit larger beds as kids become teens or young adults.
+ Living by the sea or mountains with epic views? Capture them with the right windows – this might be obvious but we see this mistake all too often.
+ Seasoned adventurers with a caravan or boat? Enter side access.
+ Want a pool? You’ll need to allow room on your site plan and add provisions.
We start by writing a quick brief that includes how we want the new home to look and feel, a wish list and design styles we love that suit the location of the home. This helps us stay on track and make decisions with ease knowing we are keeping our eye on the prize. This is the part where we also like to create a vision board, to use as a visual reference every step of the way.
FLOOR PLANS AND FACADES
DO NOT RUSH THIS STEP
This is one of the biggest mistakes we see during pre construction planning. Depending on your local council, builder and home design this can take anywhere between 30 and 100 days or longer. (Heather’s Dream Home 4 took 5 months)
So you want to get it right before you submit your plans for approval. Major changes after approval can require you to resubmit – costing you more time and money. Minor changes could result in variation fees and unexpected costs. If you have already signed a contract with your builder and secured finance you may find yourself having to find extra $$$ to cover the costs of these changes.
Love the look of ledges in the bathroom? Want your shaving cabinets recessed? Guess what? You’ll need those marked up on your floor plan for your builder to provide accurate pricing.
APPROVALS
THE WAITING GAME
Waiting for approvals is the perfect time to start preparing for your internal colour selections. Depending on your builder you may make these selections in a full one day appointment at their office or you may be asked to visit various suppliers to make your selections. The process takes 6 hours minimum and tons of decisions. Use that approval waiting time wisely – research colours and materials beforehand! A vision board is a great tool to take along when visiting suppliers showrooms.
If you don’t use this time wisely and head straight into your colour selection appointment unprepared you may find yourself second guessing your decisions after you leave. During construction, overlooked details might surface, causing delays and extra expenses.
PREPARE FOR SELECTIONS
GOOD DESIGN TAKES TIME
If you want to nail your colour selection appointment and walk away feeling confident with your choices, you need to allow plenty of time to prepare for this appointment. Think about it, you walk into your appointment and are asked what colour you want to paint every wall in your new home, or what tapware finish you want to include in every single bathroom – but wait a minute, how will that look with your tiles and vanities?
Colours and materials are puzzle pieces for your home. Ensure they fit together for a beautiful end result – it’s a big investment!
Get it wrong during pre construction planning and it could cost you thousands to change or replace later. The goal is to get it right the first time!
If you have a colour selection appointment coming up here are 5 easy steps to help you prepare.
LET CONSTRUCTION BEGIN
DON’T DOUBT YOURSELF
It’s time to sit back and watch your new home come to life.
Smooth pre construction planning sets the stage for heading into construction feeling confident with a capital “C”. A tip?” Hold off Pinterest and Instagram to avoid second-guessing your design decisions.
There you have it – how the right pre construction planning can save you time and money. If you’re just starting out on your new home build journey we hope you found this helpful!
