Whether you are a first home buyer, upsizing to accommodate your growing family or downsizing to retire, building a home is one of the biggest and most exciting purchase decisions you can make in your lifetime.
With over 30 years’ experience building new homes and thousands of happy homeowners to our name, Coral Homes knows how to make the building process an enjoyable and rewarding one. Here we have put together a comprehensive guide to the process of building your new home to help you along the journey.
We’ve broken these stages down into a step-by-step guide so you know exactly what you need to do and feel at ease about building your new home with Coral Homes.
Explore our display homes
Visit a Coral Homes display centre to find inspiration for your home and to discuss your requirements with one of our new home consultants. We maintain a great range of single storey and two storey homes on display to suit a range of lot sizes, all of which are conveniently located in leading land estates and prime locations from Hervey Bay to Sydney. To find a convenient display home location, use our display home finder.
If you’re considering buying a block of land, why not ask one of our new home consultants for a free assessment of your block before you purchase it.
Also, feel free to attend a preview of our Selection Showroom to help find inspiration for your new home, open Saturdays from 1:00am to 3:00pm at 194 Varsity Parade, Varsity Lakes, QLD, with no appointment necessary.
Looking for land?
Take the stress out of finding a block of land and a home to match with a fixed price home and land package. We have made finding your new home easy by partnering with some of the leading developments in QLD and NSW, creating a selection of conveniently packaged turn-key home and land solutions with great value inclusions.
If you can’t find what you are after, Coral Homes can create a package for you in your desired location.
Do you own a block of land?
If you already own a block of land, you just simply need to find a home to fit your block. We’ll provide advice on all aspects of choosing a floor plan that fits your block size and suits your requirements, facade options available to give your new home additional street appeal, and what inclusions you would like for your new home. We can also provide you with a fixed price for your new home with zero to pay up front.
All you need to do is browse through our product range and find a home that suits your accommodation needs and lot size.
Get a free estimate
Request a free estimate from your new home consultant. This includes your chosen home design, any changes you would like to make to the standard plan, along with an estimate of the site works required for your block of land. Even if you can’t make it to one of our display homes in person, simply provide us with a plan of your block of land and information on any covenants that may apply to your new home for a free estimate.
Enter into a preliminary agreement
Upon your approval of the estimate, Coral Homes will prepare a preliminary agreement at which time a small fee is payable, the amount of which is fully deductible from the final contract price of your home and allows Coral Homes to produce the necessary reports on your land to provide you with a fixed price contract
What’s included
- Soil testing report
- Contour survey
- Site inspection report
- Wind rating report
- Preliminary drawings
- New home tender preparation
- Preliminary Council searches.
New home tender
With all your changes finalised, Coral Homes will provide you with a new home tender and preliminary drawings for your new home. This is the time to make any last minute changes before proceeding to a contract. This is the opportunity for you to check your plans, inclusions and pricing before proceeding to a contract.
HIA contract
Upon acceptance of your new home tender, a further small fee is payable for which you will receive a HIA contract along with full working drawings for your new home. Once your contract is signed and the balance of your 5% deposit is paid, Coral Homes will lodge your building, plumbing and drainage applications with your Local Authority. You will be contacted to arrange appointments for your tiling selections, lighting and electrical consultation and MyChoice Selection Showroom consultation once the balance of your deposit is received. Make sure the balance of your deposit is settled promptly to avoid unnecessary delays.
Tile selections
Now it’s time to complete your tile selections with the guidance of an expert tile consultant. Browse through the options available to you and get the right advice to ensure you have the latest on-trend colour scheme for the all-important tiled areas of your new home. You will be contacted to arrange an appointment to complete your final tile selections at a conveniently located tile selection showroom.
Lighting and electrical consultation
A trained consultant will assist you with your lighting and electrical plan at a Clipspec consultation. During your Clipspec consultation you will see your electrical plan designed on the screen in front of you as your consultant takes you through the rooms of your new home to discuss the various options. You will be contacted to arrange an appointment to attend your Clipspec Consultation either at our Head Office, or you can’t make it in person you can opt for a remote consultation over the internet and phone.
MyChoice Selection Showroom
Bring your completed pre-start colour selections and tile samples along with you to an exclusive consultation with a qualified interior designer at our MyChoice Selection Showroom, where we’ll assist you every step of the way with your selections to ensure you have a beautiful new home which is just right for you. You’ll need to complete your pre-start colour selections before you can attend a MyChoice Selection Showroom consultation. You’ll be contacted to arrange an appointment.
Site start
Once the necessary documentation has been received by Coral Homes, a site start date will be issued by your customer service officer. Your building supervisor, who will be your first point of contact during the construction process, will contact you to arrange a meeting on site where you discuss all aspects of the construction of your new home and answer any questions you may have at this stage. Your building supervisor will call you weekly with an update on the progress of your home throughout the building process. A building services officer will call you one week after construction commences to check if you have any additional queries at this stage, and will be available as a secondary point of contact to answer your queries throughout the build. If you have any non-urgent questions, feel free to raise them in your weekly call with your building supervisor.
Checklist
- All variations signed
- Authority to Commence Construction (ACC) issued to Coral Homes from lender
- Approvals received from your Local Authority
- Covenants approved
- Evidence of capacity to pay issued to Coral Homes (if you are paying with cash)
- Joint NAB account set up with 15% of contract value deposited (if you are paying with cash)
Base stage
For a standard home with a slab on ground construction, “base” stage is complete when the building’s slab is poured.
Construction works
- Level house pad excavation
- Foundation works
- Concrete floor slab pouring
A progress payment is due. Remember that progress payments are required within 5 working days from when you are issued a progress claim.
Frame stage
“Frame” stage is complete when the building’s frame is finished ie wall frames are fixed, roof trusses are fixed and all tie downs and bracing are complete.
Construction works
- House frame erection (excluding garage or portico for two storey homes)
- Roof truss erection
Another progress payment is due. Remember that progress payments are required within 5 working days from when you are issued a progress claim.
External cladding stage
“External cladding” stage is complete when external wall cladding, roof covering, external windows and sliding doors are fixed. This excludes the garage door and external hinged doors.
Construction works
- Fascia and guttering installation
- Roof installation (except for two storey homes)
- Window installation
- Plumbing and electrical positioning
- Bricklaying / cladding
Another progress payment is due. Remember that progress payments are required within 5 working days from when you are issued a progress claim.
Fixing stage
“Fixing” stage is complete when all internal linings, architraves, cornice, skirting, doors to rooms, wet area tiling, built-in cabinets (excluding shelves), and built-in cupboards (excluding shelves and robe fitout) of your home are fitted and fixed into position. This excludes baths, stone bench tops and glass splashbacks which are installed after this stage is complete.
Construction works
- Plasterboard lining installation
- Staircase installation (two storey homes)
- Door installation
- Architrave and skirting board installation
- Kitchen installation
- Wet area tiling
Another progress payment is due. Remember that progress payments are required within 5 working days from when you are issued a progress claim.
Practical completion
“Practical completion” stage is reached when all work is completed in compliance with your contract including all plans and specifications for the work and all statutory requirements applying to the work. As per your contract this excludes any “minor defects or omissions” which do not affect the home being occupied; such items are addressed in the final walk through inspection.
Construction works
- Painting
- Flooring installation
- Electrical and plumbing final fit
- Carpentry final fit
- General site clean up
At this stage 20% of your contract value is due as a progress payment. Remember that progress payments are required within 5 working days from when you are issued a progress claim. It’s important to ensure your home and contents and building insurances take effect from the date of practical completion.
Final walkthrough inspection
Once you have reached practical completion stage and all works are complete in accordance with your contract, your building supervisor will contact you to arrange a final walkthrough inspection of your new home.
The final walkthrough inspection is your opportunity to identify any of the “minor defects or omissions” which are excluded from the practical completion stage of your building contract, but which you would like rectified prior to handover.
Together with your building supervisor, you will inspect your home and identify any outstanding items that need to be addressed. Your building supervisor will address these items prior to the home being officially handed over to you, a period which normally takes around 10 working days from the date of the final walkthrough inspection.
Remember to allow a minimum of 2 weeks to organise your utility providers prior to moving in.
Handover
When all monies have been paid in accordance with your contract, your building supervisor will arrange a meeting with you on site to officially handover your new home.
At the handover meeting, your building supervisor will walk you through your new home and provide helpful advice, guidance and demonstrations for important maintenance matters including your electricals, your foundations, general safety, pest control and proper care for your inclusions.
Finally, you’ll be issued with the keys to your new home, at which time you can finally celebrate! Take the time to read the documentation provided to you at your handover meeting and keep it in a safe place for future reference.
Maintenance
Your new home is constructed to a high standard, however it may still experience some minor effects of the natural movement of the ground and settlement of the building once construction has been completed. Rest assured this is completely normal.
To help you settle in, Coral Homes will provide you with a maintenance service after handover, whereby we will fix any of the minor items which may occur as a result of your new home settling. Usually these issues are as simple as minor cracking to your cornices.
All you need to do is keep a record of any items you notice during the maintenance service period and provide this to Coral Homes at the end of the period. A maintenance officer will inspect your home and fix any of the minor problems that may have occurred as a result of settlement.
Coral Homes will remind you when the end of your maintenance service period is approaching. In QLD the maintenance service period is 12 months from practical completion and in NSW this period is 3 months.
Don’t wait until the end of the maintenance service period to document your maintenance items; document them as you notice them to ensure nothing is missed during this time.
