The Home Building Process Explained
Once you’ve found a block of land in your ideal location, and you’ve selected a Hotondo Homes design that will suit your family’s lifestyle it’s hard to imagine seeing your finished home ready for you to move in to! There are many stages to building a new home, and we’ve got an easy to read summary of what each stage of the home building process entails so you can understand what’s happening on site and when your home comes to life.
The Base Stage
Prepping your site for the build is a top priority – Hotondo Homes builders ensure your site’s foundations are properly prepared to ensure longevity of your new home. Within the base stage there are a few key milestones that need to happen before construction can commence.
- Site cut, excavation and drainage: the site will be cleared of vegetation, debris, rocks and anything else that will impede construction. Any surface and sub-surface water is drained to ensure the land won’t become saturated over time. The site is then levelled to prepare for the slab pour.
- Retaining wall installation: if you have a sloping block, retaining walls may need to be built to make the block functional and allow for proper drainage to occur.
- Meter Box installation: the site will become powered once a meter box has been installed, usually before the slab is poured.
- Slab pour: your foundation is ready to be laid! The concrete slab for your new home is poured and you get to see your home start to take shape.
- Inspections of the site will be done by your site supervisor and an independent building surveyor may also do an inspection to ensure your slab has been laid properly.
The Frame Stage
This is when you really see the layout of your home design come to life! Once the slab has been poured, the walls are marked according to your plans and you’ll see the wall frame and roof trusses going up. Your site supervisor will ensure the frames are built according to your plans and an independent building surveyor will also come out to do an inspection before the build progresses past this point.
The Lock Up Stage
The focus at this stage is to ensure the exterior of your new home is built to plan and to the point where the home can be “locked up” despite not being complete internally. This stage includes:
- Installing the fascia and gutters.
- Installing windows and external doors.
- Installing the roof tiles or Colorbond sheeting.
- The completion of external cladding and brickwork.
- Rough in of all plumbing and electrical connections is completed both internally and externally.
- Site supervisor inspection to ensure your home’s façade is built to plan.
The Fixing and Fit-Off Stage
A lot happens during the fixing and fit-off stage in a new home build, and it’s where you can see your home’s interior spaces really come to life with everything you’ve chosen during the colour selections process. It’s an exciting time for many clients as they see the following items installed:
- Internal cladding and plastering.
- Skirting boards and architraves.
- Staircases in double storey homes.
- Fixtures such as basins, baths, showers and sinks.
- Cabinetry, shelving, cupboards and internal doors.
- Tiles are installed in wet areas.
- Paint is applied.
- Shower screens and mirrors are hung.
- Floor coverings are installed.
The Completion Stage
This is the major milestone of your build: it’s complete and ready for you to enjoy! Before the keys are handed over to you, your Hotondo Homes builder will do a final inspection to ensure everything is built to the plans and selections you have made. They arrange for the final inspection to be completed by an independent building surveyor so it can be deemed fit for occupancy and a certificate of occupancy can be provided. They’ll also provide warranty information for your new appliances, and show you how to operate things like alarm systems and garage doors, as well as providing you with the details of the home’s warranty and information on maintenance support. Then they’ll hand over the new keys to you and you’ll be the proud owners of a new Hotondo Home!
Building a new home is a huge undertaking, and Hotondo Homes builders understand how daunting the process can be. They take the time to ensure you’re supported and guided through every step of the journey, communication your new home build’s progress at each stage of construction so you can rest assured things are moving along in an efficient and timely manner. With plenty of expert advice, out network of builders are ready to help you bring your dream home to life in 2024, so visit our website today and find a Hotondo Homes builder near you.
