Start To Finish – What You Can Expect When You Build With Arden

There are so many steps when it comes to building a new home, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Fortunately, our experienced team is here to guide you through each and every step so you always know what’s coming next, and what your part in the process will be. We’ve made it easier than ever with remote appointments and digital signatures available for some of the steps you’ll be required to take.

Let’s take a look at the process for our Aspire and Lumina ranges. We’ll cover everything from that first display home tour to us handing over the keys to you, and approximately how long you can expect each phase to take!

Sales Phase – 60 days

Choose your home design

Take the opportunity to visit some of our beautiful display homes (or explore them via our virtual tours) and get a feel for how you’d like your home to look and feel, and any features you’d like your new home to include. An Arden New Home Consultant will happily run you through the inclusions and design benefits of each home on your short list, and identify any features that might be advantageous to you. At this stage of the process, you will be selecting your desired façade. We’ll also prepare a siting of your design on your block of land to demonstrate how we’d recommend you place your selected design. We might also need to make some tweaks to ensure your design fits with your land, so those changes will happen here as well.

Then, we’ll chat about your allocated budget and prepare an initial quote based around your selection.

Lock in your pricing and pay your initial deposit.

We’ll take a non-refundable deposit of $1500 at this point to lock in the base price of your home and secure any active promotions.

Getting to know our Design Lab

This is the fun bit! You’ll get to spend an hour with our qualified Interior Designer at your Colour Browse appointment getting to know our selection centre and how the colour selection process works.

Getting your ducks in a row with finance

At this point, we’ll hand you over to our finance partner for a simple finance qualification with you. Alternatively, you can provide a finance pre-approval from your chosen lender. Then, you’re ready to customise your home!

Customising your home design

Once your finances are pre-approved, you’ll work in tandem with your New Home Consultant to tailor your home design to your needs. The options for personalisation vary a bit depending on the Arden range you’ve selected from, but your Consultant will be there to help you optimise your home for how you plan to use it.

Design review and preliminary site assessment

Once you’ve customised your design, our Design Review Panel will conduct a preliminary assessment of your home design and facade including siting and council or developer requirements. They’ll flag any concerns that might need addressing, and make suggestions for optimisation based on your circumstances.

Finalising your preliminary quotation

You’ll then have one last appointment with your New Home Consultant to complete the first round of paperwork, including your Preliminary Quotation, home design concept sketch (including the requirements from the Design Review Panel).This meeting needs to happen within 60 days of your initial deposit.

Then, we’re on to pre-construction!

Preconstruction phase – 16 weeks 

Sales Accept

At this point, your New Home Consultant will hand you over to a qualified Pre-Site Customer Service Administrator as your file has been sales accepted into the office. The Pre-Site Customer Service Administrator will now handle your file up until site start.

Colours, finishes, and electrical selection

Our qualified Interior Designer will guide you through colours, fittings and fixtures selections for all your internal and external features in a full day appointment. You’ll also have an appointment with our Electrical Specialist, so you can choose the location of your power points, light fittings and discuss any additional requirements you may have [like hardwired data points if you’re planning on a home office!]

Tender appointment

In this full-day appointment, your allocated Tender Presenter will present you with your new home tender. This is the document that lays out all your selections, inclusions, upgrades and promotional items, and gives you an itemised costing for your new home. This is the final opportunity to make any structural changes to your floor plan including windows, walls and doors as well as your façade before you sign your contract. Then, we’ll take a second deposit of $5000 so we can get on with completing your contract drawings and ordering a 6-star energy assessment, engineering and heating and cooling layout for your home.

Contract signing appointment

Here, you’ll be presented with your full set of working drawings, specifications and an industry standard New Home Contract to sign with your Pre-Site Customer Service Administrator. We’ll take a total deposit of 5% (as it’s the balance of 5% from their already paid amount) of the total contract value at this point in the process so we can finalise everything we need to start building! This is your final opportunity to make any cosmetic changes to the construction of your build. Once the contract is signed, no further changes are possible.

Finalise order, land title and final inspection

During this phase, we’ll lodge plans to obtain your building permit and, if required, developer approval. Supplier orders will be finalised ready for your build to commence and you will receive a final copy of your construction drawings which will need to be signed prior to site start. We’ll also send a copy of your final contract to your chosen lender for final approval in this time.

You’ll supply Arden Homes with a copy of your land title and your Council Asset Protection permit if you haven’t already, as well as a copy of the Community Infrastructure Levy payment if applicable. Then, If you’re undertaking a knockdown rebuild project, you’ll also need to provide confirmation that demolition is complete and the land is clear. We’ll then conduct an inspection of your land to give it the OK for construction to commence.

Construction phase – 26 weeks 

At this stage of the game, you’ll be appointed a dedicated Onsite Customer Service Administrator. This person will be responsible for communicating with you throughout the build process. You’ll also be introduced to your Site Supervisor, who will discuss matters relative to the site, works and safety.

Let’s get started!

Earthworks and temporary fencing will be the first things to happen on your site. The earthworks contractor will cut and fill your block to meet the requirements outlined on your site plan. Storm water and drainage pipes will be installed, and power will be connected from the street to your build site.

Getting the slab down

Concreters will prepare for the slab to be poured, then the relevant building surveyor will inspect the works to ensure it’s good to go. Then the slab will be poured and the first stage of construction is complete – time to pop your first bottle! A further 10% of the total contract value will be required at the completion of this stage.

Frame stage

Once the slab is down, we’ll begin working on the frame of your home, including walls and trusses. The surveyor will complete another inspection to ensure everything’s ship-shape,  and we’re another step closer to a completed home. Once the frame is up, we’ll take another 15% of your total contract price so we can move to the next phase – lock-up!

Lock-up stage

Once the external cladding and roofing is complete and all windows and external doors are in, your new home is considered to be at lock-up stage. This is when it really begins to feel like a house! We’ll take a further 35% of the contract value as a progress payment when lockup is complete, then it’s on to fixings!

Fixing stage

This is where all the fixing and finishing magic happens. Plaster, cabinetry, architraves, skirting and internal doors. Your kitchen and bathrooms will take shape with the fixtures you’ve selected, and we’ll complete the eaves of your home too. We’ll take a further 25% progress payment at the completion of the fixings stage, and then your home is ready for a quality assurance inspection!

This inspection is carried out by our dedicated Quality Assurance Inspector who ensures that any bits and pieces requiring attention are addressed prior to the Practical Completion Inspection of your home.

Practical Completion Inspection

Once the house is complete, your Site Supervisor will walk through the home with you to confirm that all works outlined in the contract are complete. They’ll also run you through the different components within your new home, and recommended schedules for maintaining them. You’ll also lock in your handover date at this appointment – time to pop another bottle!

Handover

Congratulations, it’s time to get the keys! Your final 10% payment is due at handover.

At handover, we’ll give you a copy of all relevant warranties and certificates that pertain to your new home, and then you’re free to enjoy it however you choose.

The whole Arden Homes team is committed to a transparent build process. We aim for seamless communication between departments so that whichever step you’re up to, you’ll always know exactly where you stand. You’ll also have a dedicated point of contact throughout your build [and if needed, throughout the warranty period] to ensure you’re always up to speed on how things are progressing.

If you’re ready to take the first step, you can complete a virtual tour of our display homes.

Please note: time frames mentioned in this article are an estimate only.