Moving house and building a new home can be very stressful. We understand this. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way.

As the developer of Westbrook and many other successful residential projects, we at the Dennis Family Corporation have the benefit of more than 55 years of property industry experience behind us.

Outlined below is a guide to our top tips for making the transition to your dream home as smooth as possible. We hope this helps, and wish you a happy and satisfying building experience!

Get your finances in order and save, save, save

So, you’ve decided you want to build your own home. What’s next? Finance!. Unfortunately, the days of scoring a loan at the full cost of the property from your bank or lender are virtually gone. So, if you want to have your own little piece of property to call home, you’ll need to start saving. 

Most lenders ask for at least a five percent deposit, with the remaining 95 percent used to finance the home and land plus you will need to have some additional funds to cover the costs of stamp duty payable on your land plus other land and bank fees. If you don’t have this kind of money, don’t despair as there are a number of things you can do. Some builders, like Dennis Family Homes, have options whereby you can get started with as little as $1,500 initial deposit. However the more you can save towards the deposit, the better off you will be.

If you’re a first home buyer, you may also qualify for a First Home Owner’s Grant. Check online at www.sro.vic.gov.au for more information on how this scheme works and to see if you’re eligible. It is also worthwhile talking to an experienced mortgage broker, not just your regular bank. Why? Because mortgage brokers have access to dozens of different lending products whereas banks will usually only have 3 or 4 options to choose from.

So by shopping around you could save yourself a lot of money in the long run – it’s about doing your research and finding the right loan for your circumstances. Picking the right community You’ve decided to build a house and you’re on your way to organising your finances. The next big decision is choosing exactly where you want to live and the lifestyle you’re after. Our best piece of advice to choose a location that offers a well-planned community reasonably close to employment. List exactly what amenities, services and natural environment are important to you and shop around to find a location that will suitably cater to your needs.

It’s important to consider the broader community, what is on offer and what you can contribute. Some things to consider include access to community facilities, shopping centres, education and childcare services and transport. For example, Westbrook offers residents direct access to the Tarneit Train Station, which is ideal for residents looking to connect to the city quickly and easily.

The basic first decisions, which are often the toughest

Before you get started, you will need to choose between purchasing your future home as a house and land package or if you would like to select your house and land separately.

It’s becoming increasingly popular to purchase a house and land package, rather than buying the land and house separately. You might ask, ‘what are the benefits of this option? Why not just buy a house and a lot separately?’ Well, it comes down to convenience and price.

Possibly one of the most challenging decisions you will make when buying a property is choosing the right design for the house you’re going to build on your land. If you opt for a house and land package, you can easily select from options that are already compatible with your land, saving you a major headache and major costs. You will find that all leading builders – including our own Dennis Family Homes who offer fully fixed price house and land packages with no surprises – will offer a range of package options for you to choose from.

Getting your proposal ready for the builders

Once you’ve done all of your research and picked out everything you want in your home – liaise with your builder about creating an itemised new home proposal that reflects all of the options and finishes you want. This means all of the extras, customisation and little things that will make it your home.

Test your soil

Once you have paid the initial deposit to your builder they can arrange a soil test and site report. The main reason for this test is to understand what type of soil and ground conditions will be encountered on your block and to determine the correct structural design for your foundations and will help your builder determine the site costs so a Home Building Contract can be finalised.

Finalising the contract

As soon as you’re happy with your new home proposal and your contract has been prepared, including all your requirements and any additional site costs identified from the soil testing and foundation design, you can shake hands with your builder and sign the contract on the dotted line. Upon signing the contract with your builder, you will be required to pay the balance of your deposit. Once you have your signed contract in place and your block of land has been completed by the developer your builder can obtain the required permits. The builder will then require you to show that you have your loan approved and then building can commence.

Getting your permits

Sit back and relax, this part is easy and will be done on your behalf by your builder. That's right. They will lodge a building permit application, pay the associated fees and arrange sewer mains and connections for you – too easy!

Building your dream home

You’ve spent months planning and now it’s time for the build. You may think all of the hard work has been done, but it’s important to stay involved at this stage of the process to ensure everything is going smoothly. Your builder will be in touch on a regular basis to keep your informed of progress and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Remember that a building site is a dangerous place and your safety is of paramount importance. If you want to visit the site, make sure you contact the builder first to check that it’s safe to do so. During the construction period you will normally be required to make progress payments to the builder. When the home reaches each of the key stages; slab complete, frame complete, lock-up complete and fix complete, the builder will issue an invoice for that stage. Your bank will organise these payments to be made.

Moving day

It’s time! Before you officially move all of your furniture and belongings into your brand new home, your builder will organise a time with you to give you a tour to explain all of the amazing features of the house. Once you’ve had the tour and are happy with the finished product, it’s time to make your final payment, pack your belongings and move in.

Time to celebrate and enjoy the community

Time to crack open the champagne and enjoy your new home. The only thing left to do is send out invitations for your house warming!

Read more:

Why buying a home is like being in the Olympics?