The Building Process

There are many factors you need to consider before buying a section that will affect the cost of your build, your resale value, and what you can build on that site. These include:

Steepness of the section

The soil make up

Surrounding features

Views and sun angles.

We’re happy to come and look at the section you are interested in. We can provide advice on whether it would be a suitable site for your home and will help translate the complex technical reports that are provided by the real estate agent as part of the property’s information pack.

It’s our job to help you position your home on-site for the best passive solar results, to minimise wasted space, maximise the views and work with the contours of your land to limit costs.

We may also know about other sections on the market that may better suit your needs and can also recommend experts involved in sub-division if you see a property large enough to be sub-divided, or own a property with sub-division potential.

Jo’s tip: “Be sure to get a list of the section’s covenants and any geo-tech information from the real estate agent before viewing the site. These will be important for considering what you can build and where on the site.”

This is the fun part where you brief us on what you want so we can help turn your dreams into a design.

How many bedrooms would you like? How many bathrooms? What style of home do you like - traditional or contemporary, minimalist or full of character? What are your ‘must haves’ and what are you prepared to compromise on?

Ru’s tip: “Bring along a scrapbook that illustrates all the features and styles of homes you like – either in hard copy or digital format. Sometimes pictures paint a thousand words.”

Pop in and say hello

We may start from scratch to create your own masterpiece, add your personality to one of our existing plans, or work from a home plan in our Ready-to-go range - whatever suits you best. Consider the floor plan that fits within your budget, as the style of home and exterior finish can generally be tailored to suit. To help get you started, check out our great range of plans.

At this concept stage, we can provide you with advice on a whole number of factors to consider, including: the best use of the section, sun and outdoor living, street appeal, access and garaging, entrance, ease of flow, functionality, use of space, kitchen layout, number of bathrooms and their layout, storage, and energy efficiency.

You will also want to consider the changing needs of your family and how you will use your home in the future. For instance, families with young children may like the bedrooms close to the master while it may be more appropriate to have the bedrooms further away when the kids are older.

Resale is an important factor when designing your dream home. Research the trends and talk to your Homes by Orange consultant about the features new home buyers are looking for in the current market.

Once your concept is signed off, we provide a budget estimate.

When you are happy with your concept and the estimated budget, you give us the go-ahead by paying a small ‘authority to proceed deposit’ that is taken off the total price

At this stage, your dream home really begins to take shape. We work closely with you to finalise the finer details including design, specifications, fixtures and fittings, and will also develop more detailed plans.

After we fine-tune all the details we provide you with a fixed price quotation, something your bank may also need.

At this stage you might choose to increase or decrease your budget for the kitchen, or choose more expensive carpets - which will alter the price. You can see all this information laid out plainly in one of the most detailed building agreements in the industry - so you know exactly what you are getting.

First, it is the full design and off to council

The Homes by Orange team will fully manage what can sometimes be an onerous building consent process so you don’t need to worry about it. This includes preparing working drawings and liaising with engineers to obtain all required consents. After we complete the full design drawings, the consent application is sent to council for approval.

Then the build can begin

Once we have consent back from council, we give your home plan to one of our experienced builders. We have a team of preferred builders and will recommend one best suited to your type of build.

You will meet with your project manager and builder and then the construction can begin. Homes by Orange project managers are fully qualified builders and look after your build from start to finish. They will be your main point of contact while your home is under construction, at the ready to answer any of your questions and will be in touch with you several times each week.

You can also arrange to visit the site during key stages of the build to see progress first-hand, or check in online at any time using Builder Trend, our interactive online tool which allows you to follow the progress of your build. Home builds with Homes by Orange usually take around five months depending on the site and the complexity of the build.

This is the day you’ve been waiting for! Once your house has been completed to our exceptionally high standards and the council is happy that the home has been built in line with its building consent, we can give you the keys to your new home. You can now move in, with the peace of mind of a 10-year Home First Certified Builder Guarantee.