Following on from Part 1 of our Building Remotely blog series, we’d now like to welcome you to Part II.
In this instalment, we cover the Standard Pre-Site Process and what to expect once you’ve had your initial digital appointment with a New Home Consultant.
The Standard Pre-site Process is made up of the following steps:
- Preparation of a preliminary agreement
- New Home Tender
- HIA Contract
- Selection Appointments
- Site Start Preparation
So, let’s dive in!
1. Preliminary Agreement
At this stage, we’ll prepare a preliminary agreement that includes a fee of $2,500 to allow us to produce necessary reports on your land to provide you with a fixed-price contract.
We’ll produce the following reports:
- Soil testing
- Contour survey
- Site inspection
- Wind rating
- Preliminary drawings; and
- New home tender preparation
We’ll communicate these reports with you over email, and as always during this digital experience, we encourage you to ask any questions you may have over Zoom, FaceTime, Microsoft Teams and of course, the good old telephone!
Your New Home Consultant can then provide you with a Fixed-Price Contract.
We also suggest thinking about the external colour scheme of your home at this time as this info will be needed for applicable council and covenant approvals. How do you want your façade to look? It’s such an exciting time being able to decide on your desired street appeal! We’ll go into the selection finishes in more detail below.
You’ll also receive your preliminary drawings of floorplans where you’ll be able to mark up any changes you’d like. For example, do you want a larger entry way, or would you prefer your master retreat towards the back of your home? That sort of thing.
2. New Home Tender
The next steps see you receive your new home tender via email, which includes all the initial items you have requested and will confirm the siting of your home and present the costings.
Don’t forget, this is your last chance to make changes to your plans before we proceed to the contract signing stage.
3. HIA Contract
On acceptance of your new home tender, your new home consultant will develop your HIA Contract, along with full working drawings and send this to you electronically. You’ll be required to sign via DocuSign. At this time your 5% deposit is due. We’ll also need proof of land ownership with a copy of your rates notice or solicitor’s letter. If you don’t yet own the land, proof of ownership can be provided down the track.
4. Selection Appointments
Once all the necessary paperwork is done, the fun part begins! Choosing your fixtures and finishes! And while this experience is usually quite a tactile one occurring within a Selection Showroom, it’s also possible to have just as much fun in a digital setting.
Our expert interior designers encourage you to send through any mood boards or Pinterest pages if you have them to help give them an idea of the interior look you’re after.
But don’t worry if you don’t have this information, as they’ll walk you through everything from paint colours to tiling and carpet selections; light fittings and electrical; kitchen and bathroom benchtops to basins and tapware; even through to smart home automation.
Virtual appointments are available via our two Selection Showrooms in Queensland at Varsity Lakes and Tuggerah in New South Wales.
Our experts will quite literally walk you around the showroom via FaceTime picking up samples to guide you in your choices.
After all your personalized selections are finalized, we’ll document everything in writing and send to your inbox.
5. Site Start Preparation
Once the necessary documentation has been received, a site start date can be issued by your pre-site customer service representative. Congratulations! You’ve made it to the next phase of your new-build journey!
Stay tuned for Part III of our Building Remotely Blog Series where we discuss the exciting Construction Process and all that’s involved in building a home from the ground up.
