Building a home is a very exciting time but it can be quite daunting, especially if you haven’t done it before. Building is typically one of the biggest investments that you can make in your life and there are endless decisions to make in the process of creating a house to call your home. At DC Living, we recognise that the home building process can seem quite overwhelming and it can be difficult to know where to start. That is why we have simplified our process so that you can enjoy a seamless home building journey when you choose to build with us, all while making no compromise on quality.

As a project home builder, we are essentially a one-stop-shop. Not only can we provide you with a range of pre-designed floor plans and facades to choose from, we then manage the whole process from design through to construction so you can sit back and watch your dream home be built, right before your very eyes. Your dedicated DC Living Customer Service Officer will keep you updated at every stage of the process. We also send short surveys regularly to keep that feedback loop open so that you can tell us how you are finding your home building journey and we can ensure that you have the best experience possible.

Taking home building and making it simple, we have broken our home building journey into three phases (Pre-Construction, Construction, and Handover + Maintenance) and will go into detail for each below.

Download our Home Building Guide 

Phase One: Pre-Construction

Essentially, this phase encompasses everything prior to your house commencing construction. There are a lot of decisions to be made throughout this phase but our expert team of New Home Consultants, Interior Designers and Customer Service Officers will be there guiding you at every stage of the process.

First up, you will meet with one of our knowledgeable New Home Consultants to discuss your wants and needs for your home and your desired budget. We will then use all of this information to provide a New Home Solution, designed specifically for you, that encompasses your new home design and estimated costs.

Behind the scenes, we will conduct site checks, soil tests and prepare preliminary plans in order to pull together a fixed price tender for you to sign off on. If you are building a home from our Habitat Range, you will then meet with our Interior Design team for your colour selections appointment. This is where you can bring your Pinterest boards and Instagram inspo and work with our team to make tile, colour and product selections for your home that reflect your personal taste and style.

The last part of the Pre-Construction phase is all about paperwork and administration. Your contract plans are prepared, engineering is designed and energy efficiency is rated before your contract is finalised and signed. This is a significant milestone in your home building journey as your house plans are passed onto our Construction team to commence building out on site. 

Phase Two: Construction

Once you get to site, the different stages of your home build can progress at various speeds. Some aspects of the construction phase happen either beneath the surface or within the bones of the home so sometimes it can be difficult to see progress - but don’t get too disheartened. Your Site Supervisor will provide regular updates so you are aware of the progress on site, even if you can't see it. 

First up in the construction phase is site preparation and the pouring of the slab. This is quite a memorable experience in the home building journey as it is the first time that you will see the base of your home in its entirety. From here, the frame goes up, the roof goes on and it is all systems go. Plumbers, electricians and air conditioning technicians then arrive to conduct 'roughin' which is when they install the various foundations needed for the home.

You will then start to see your home take shape as it is enclosed with external cladding, and windows and doors are installed. This is when fixing takes place which is essentially when all of the plastering, waterproofing, tiling, flooring and cabinetry is installed in your home. Throughout this period your Site Supervisor will invite you to visit your home and take a walkthrough so that you can see the progress of your home first-hand and get excited for what is to come.

Towards the end of the construction phase, your house build works towards Practical Completion. This is when the painters come through, electrical and plumbing work is fit off and the remaining items such as tapware, basins, robe doors and shower screens are installed. You will complete a Practical Completion meeting with your Site Supervisor to ensure all items that you have requested in your home have been completed. At this time, the final building and plumbing inspections will take place and your Customer Service Officer will provide these for you to pass over to your financial institution.

Phase Three: Handover + Maintenance

The end is near when you reach this stage of your home building journey and many would agree it is the most exciting part as you finally receive the keys to your new home. At Handover, our team will conduct a full walkthrough of your home and provide information and details on how to care for your home so that it remains an investment for many years to come. We also offer a twelve-month maintenance period with all of our DC Living builds so that we can return to your property to alter anything that may pop up as the slab for your home settles and your home starts to be lived in.

We promise to provide complete transparency so that you are confidently versed in what to expect at every stage of the home building process, and our step-by-step approach makes that journey as simple as possible. Looking for more information? Download our Home Building Guide today. And if you would like to chat further with one of our New Home Consultants about a home building solution for you, you can enquire at any time.