before you Build

You need to make sure the builder has public liability for at least $10,000,000. Construction insurance can be a job by job cover or an annual policy. Construction insurance covers the cost of the building up until handover to the owners.

What is your building contractor license number? If the builder is a company then they need a company builders license and the company needs a supervising builders license. In WA it is illegal for a contractor to do works over $20,000 without a license.

In WA, a lot of bigger building companies take on many projects at a time, meaning that project managers take on, or are given, too much to do. If you want a quality build/renovation with open communication and a builder that cares about your project, pick a builder whose reputation rely's on it.

This will affect you if a work cover inspector comes to site to find that your builder isn’t complying with occupational health and safety standards. This could cause a big delay in your project. A conscientious builder will have a system in place for OHS.

It’s important that you take the time to read through references and check them. Look for a builder who has established good relationships and an underlying trust with their clients. Ask the owners if they were satisfied with the results. (i.e was it finished on time? Did they stick to their quoted cost? And most importantly, was there good communication?)

Think about what you love about your current home and write it down. It could be the size of your bedroom, the layout of your kitchen or the functionality of your bathroom. Sometimes it’s the small things like power points near appliances. It’s important to also note down the things you don’t like and be sure not to repeat that on your new home. 

The level of fixtures and fittings you would like should be based on your budget. We have a medium quality base range, so ask us if you would like a list of what’s included in our base range.

This will depend on how many people will be living in your home. Do you have a small family? Are you planning on having a family in time? Maybe you are into music and would like a music room, all of these things are worth considering. Also the location of the bedrooms can be important, maybe you prefer the kids are close to the principal suite or perhaps you would like your own separate wing? Perhaps you have family and friends over often and would like to keep a separate spare room designated for visitors?

This mostly comes down to the size of your land. Single storey homes are great for larger blocks and are easier for young families, or those who find it difficult to climb stairs. Double storey homes means you can fit a larger house on a smaller block, also maximizing your backyard space. Perhaps a second storey could get you a view of the water also?

Living space is a vital part of anyone’s home. It is where you spend most of your time in the house (when awake) If you have young kids, several different living zones can be ideal. It’s important to know that they have somewhere close to the kitchen and main living area where they can play, and be seen. If you’ve got teenagers, it’s probably quite the opposite!

If you love your cooking and entertaining, the kitchen will most likely be the hub of your home. Be sure that it can accommodate your needs in terms of space and functionality. An open-plan layout would be the key to integrating with the rest of the living area. 

Sustainable homes provide greater comfort all year round, significant cost savings and are better for our environment.

Perhaps you like the indoor/outdoor flow and would like to add an outdoor decking area or alfresco? How you are going to create this outdoor space will depend on the design that you choose, so consider it carefully, including views of the garden and direction of the sun. A well thought out and beautiful looking outdoor area encourages outdoor living.

The front elevation of your home is vital. It’s the first thing everyone sees when they arrive at your place. Maybe it’s the Hamptons style homes you like, perhaps you are a fan of traditional looking homes, a small cottage front? Whatever the look, you need to make sure that it complies with your local council.

A BAL rating not only helps identify bushfire risk, but also identifies specific construction standards required to improve the performance of building subjected to bushfire attacks. So understanding your BAL rating is very important.

• BAL – Low: There is insufficient risk to warrant specific construction requirements.
• BAL – 12.5: Ember attack.
• BAL – 19: Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers, together with increasing heat flux.
• BAL – 29: Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers, together with increasing heat flux.
• BAL – 40: Increasing levels of ember attack and burning debris ignited by windborne embers, together with increasing heat flux and with the increased likelihood of exposure to flames.
• BAL – FZ: Direct exposure to flames from fire, in addition to heat flux and ember attack.

The soil on a block of land is classified by geotechnical engineers according to a recognised Australian standard.

• Class A – Acceptable – Most sand or rock with little or no ground movement with moisture changes
• Class S – Satisfactory – Slightly reactive clay sites with only slight ground movement from moisture changes
• Class M – Moderate – Moderately reactive clay or silt sites, which can experience moderate ground movement from moisture changes
• Class H1 and H2 – Highly reactive – Highly reactive clay sites, which can experience high ground movement from moisture changes
• Class E – Extreme – Extremely reactive sites, which can experience extreme ground movement from moisture changes
• Class P – Problem – Sites which include soft soils, such as soft clay or silt or lose sands: landslip: mind subsidence: collapsing soil: soil subject to erosion: reactive sites subject to abnormal moisture conditions or sites which cannot be classified otherwise

If your site is rocky, this could make for an expensive start to your construction project. There’s a chance that rock may not be visible, so be aware when choosing a block.

Sites of this kind may require extra costs due to additional deliveries/crane hire, manual handling of materials and clean up of the block.

Sites of this kind may require extra costs due to additional deliveries/crane hire, manual handling of materials and clean up of the block.