Guide to Building on the Sunshine Coast
Australia's Sunshine Coast is the ideal location to settle down and build your dream home. This guide provides an essential overview of how to get started making plans for your new coastal life.
In it, you'll find the key stages, from start to finish, that are involved in designing and building your dream home. We also share our insights into the popular areas for varying investment goals, and why leveraging local knowledge is vital to any successful building project in the region.
The guide then delves into the particulars of the building process — from the initial steps in the planning process, to liaising with a building team, to key considerations surrounding the building contract. This guide also details the challenges of building a home amidst ongoing coronavirus restrictions, and strategies you can use to navigate them successfully.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Deciding Where You Should Buy
3. Why Local Knowledge Matters
4. The Game Plan
5. Questions to Ask Your Builder
6. Meetings and Project Updates in the Pandemic Era
7. The Quote and Contract Process
Introduction
The Sunshine Coast is one of Australia’s most iconic regions, and many of our communities have recently experienced significant growth despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. This guide will provide the information you need to begin pursuing your dream home on the Sunshine Coast during 2021.
We'll begin with a look at which locations are promising when it comes to purchasing land for a new home building project, followed by the value of local knowledge when it comes time to bring a building project from idea to execution. This guide will also delve into the ‘game plan’ for building a home, including an overview of the timeline, the key information that must be collected before a build begins, and key questions to ask prospective builders.
The next section will discuss the challenges of building a home during the pandemic era, as well as how to overcome them.
Finally, we'll walk you through the quoting and contract process, including a discussion of standard inclusions versus extras — which are important considerations in any building project that can often be misunderstood.
For anyone looking build in this region, it's essential to be familiar with all of these elements.
We hope you enjoy this guide!
Deciding Where to Build
Deciding where to buy on the Sunshine Coast to build a new home will depend on three primary factors:
Your budget
Your preferred lifestyle
Your budget:
The first and most obvious is your budget consideration. The coast offers a wide range of options to suit all kinds of budgets - from multi-million dollar waterfront locations to new suburban developments ideal for first home buyers.
In the (very) early stages of your planning you should consider your budget carefully and have a clear answer for each of the below questions.
How much do I want to spend on the land
How much do I want to spend on the build
What is my total budget (land + build)
Your preferred lifestyle
Reality is that the Sunshine Coast is all about lifestyle. One of its many strengths is the diversity of lifestyle options available, especially to those looking to build new homes.
Beachfront
If you’re wanting to build within walking distance of the beach then a knock-down-rebuild strategy is probably your best bet. Be prepared for extremely competitive buyers market.
Waterfront Canals
If you’re dream is to launch your boat from your private jetty then you have some great options available. Look for land in Pelican Waters, Mooloolaba, Minyama and Wurtulla.
Luxury Terrace
There are some great developments close to Maroochydore’s city centre that provide luxurious terrace style living. Take a look at Sunshine Cove.
Hinterland
Coastal life doesn’t always mean sandy feet and surfing. If you’re looking for space then direct your search into the Hinterland areas such Glenview, Palmview, Bli Bli, Woombye, Rosemount and Mons.
Why Local Knowledge Matters
Any successful building project requires more than just bricks and mortar — it also requires local knowledge. By using a local building team, a homebuilder can take advantage of the understanding and expertise that locals acquire over time when navigating the red tape of local regulations.
Whether it’s liaising with the local council, helping progress permit approvals, or liaising with the homebuilder’s architects and interior designers, a local team's knowledge and the strong working relationships they foster can be very valuable to any homebuilding project.
The Game Plan
Planning to build a new home is a very exciting process. Many Aussies look forward to it, and it’s understandable that every homebuilder will want their new build ready as soon as possible.
However, new homebuilders can often underestimate the time and complexity of the process.
For anyone heading down this path for the first time (or heading down it again after many years), it's worthwhile to review the main steps in the process during which a new house goes from initial idea to a move-in ready home. Here's what you need to know.
The Timeline
As a broad guideline, if a homebuilder has everything ready to begin a homebuilding project today, it's realistic to expect a timeline of 6-12 months for construction and completion of a home.
However, a good phrase to keep in mind during this process is ‘measure twice, cut once’. It’s certainly possible to begin a project and make consistent progress on it to ensure that it finishes as quickly as possible. That said, it's also necessary to ensure that fair time is taken along the way to properly execute on the finer details of the project. If the necessary steps are not completed along the way, it can result in substantial delays or setbacks to the project.
Although every homebuilding project is different, there are a number of common questions that will often arise. These include:
Does the homebuilder currently possess the title to the proposed build site (if not, as of what date will they)?
Is there an existing structure (such as an existing older home) that will require demolition before the new homebuilding can begin?
Are there any special restrictions, such as an easement on the land, that will complicate the building plan?
Will any part of the proposed build require approval or exemption from the local council?
If a homebuilder can provide an answer to all of these questions upfront, they are already well on their way to progressing their project. But if the answer to even one of these questions could create a complication — for example, if the homebuilder is not yet in possession of the title or if demolition of an existing structure would be necessary — then the timeline would need to be lengthened.
In addition, selecting the right building team can greatly influence this timeline. A good team will get the job done right as quickly and as efficiently as possible. When looking for the right team for your build, asking the right questions is crucial. The following is a list of key areas that we’re always happy to discuss with our valued clients when it comes to their homebuilding project.
Questions to Ask Your Builder
A new homebuilder and their building team will deal with each other often throughout the building process. That’s why any homebuilder should look to find out as much information as possible about the builder before signing on to the project. Any good building team will be more than willing to answer questions and provide any information that the homebuilder reasonably needs to make their decision. Here are some of the best questions to ask:
Do They Have References?
A building team will build not only great homes, but strong links in the community. For anyone who is looking to build in a local community that they’re unfamiliar with, asking the building team for references is a good way to get a sense of the personnel who run the team, as well as their character. Put simply, a building team with strong community ties knows their reputation is built not only by their structures but by being good citizens who are reliable and honest. That’s why references are a great way of finding out about the people in frame to build the new home.
Can They Provide Testimonials?
A good building team will have many happy customers whom they have successfully built homes for in the past (and people who would be happy to hire the building team again in the future!). Testimonials from these clients serve as key evidence that the team does what they say they will, and gets the job done properly from one project to the next.
How Many Homes Are They Building Right Now?
Ultimately, it's a good thing for a building team to be in demand and have a lot of jobs currently on the books. That’s a clear sign they are doing great work and that many people want to hire them. At the same time, it's important to distinguish between the number of jobs and the quality of work being done on each job. It’s necessary to go through some of the finer details with the building team to establish how they’re able to execute the projects they're currently working on.
A good building team will always be ready to answer questions that a homebuilder may have regarding any other projects they have on, and will be able to provide a clear timeline for when they could reasonably schedule their next building project.
Do They Use Subcontractors?
It’s a reality that some homebuilders will make use of subcontractors in order to cut costs. To be clear, there can be certain circumstances where using subcontractors may be necessary — and perhaps even ideal — given the particular requirements of a project. However, a building team should always be open about this and be able to discuss any concerns that a potential client may have. That’s why it’s always a good idea for clients to have a chat with prospective builders about subcontracts.
What Carpenters Do They Use?
As we'll discuss further in the Contract Models section, a homebuilding project will not necessarily include every component that will eventually make a house feel like a real home. Common examples of this are flooring and cabinetry, but may also include other installations.
Many homebuilding teams will work with a carpentry team throughout the building process, but this is something that the homebuilder should have a say in if they’re keen to. Often the homebuilder will be happy to use the carpentry team that the builder has in mind, but they may want to choose a team themselves. Either is perfectly reasonable, but this is another conversation that clients should have with building teams.
What’s the Quality of Their Materials?
Materials are another area of a home build that warrant a discussion before building begins.
Unfortunately, there are building teams out there that will offer to build homes for a very low cost that could sound like a great deal to a new homebuilder — but those lower costs always compromise the quality of some aspect of the project, such as the building materials.
Every project is different, and it's absolutely possible to get a fantastic home built that represents great value for money, but it's important to be mindful that a quality home requires quality materials. So if the price of a project sounds too good to be true, that’s likely because it is. Usually, an in-depth look at the cheap materials being proposed to build the home will reveal why the cost is (too) low.
Meetings and Project Updates in the Pandemic Era
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, we have all had to adjust rapidly to how we live our lives and do business. In more recent times — especially with some states and territories in Australia having achieved effective elimination of the virus — there has been a slow return to a more normal life. But even so, some restrictions remain in place, and others may remain for a while yet, even if a vaccine is expecting to get a nationwide rollout in 2021. Any homebuilder looking to progress their project soon must factor this into their plans.
Where meeting in-person may not be possible due to coronavirus restrictions, there’s the opportunity to meet via teleconference. Online apps like Zoom and Webex have been very popular for online meetings, but there’s a number of other tools out there, and a homebuilding team will often be able to meet on any particular platform that you may have a preference for.
As well as providing the opportunity to meet and chat about the project, these apps can also be used to offer ongoing updates on the homebuilding project where it is not possible for a homebuilder to visit in person. There is also the possibility to install a site camera with an online link so that progress can be monitored regularly whenever the homebuilder wants to check in for a quick update.
Getting a Quote
Getting a build quote for a home is an important step in the execution of the project. It’s where the idea is finalised into an actual proposed cost that you will be able to approve in order for work to begin. But in order to get a quote that is both accurate and cost-effective, there's a number of documents that a homebuilder should have ready to review. These are as follows:
A clear and complete site plan
Full engineering plans
A detailed inclusions plan
A current soil report
A complete house energy report
Any other important documentation that the homebuilder may feel could have a bearing on the project and its final outcome.
Providing this information removes the guesswork for a building team when it comes to devising a quote, and also offers an easy way to identify any potential challenges upfront that could potentially arise in the build and that would require more funds to be set aside to address them.
Contract Models
Once a homebuilder has a quote and is ready to proceed on, it’s essential to understand the different contracts that exist for building. As with any major project, there can be a lot of variables from one home build to the next, but commonly a home will be built either via a fixed costs agreement or a costs plus agreement. The needs and vision that a homebuilder has for their project will inform which type of contract is best for them, and it’s also wise to be aware of what typically constitutes a standard inclusion versus an extra inclusion surrounding the particulars of the project.
Fixed Price
A fixed price contract offers both the homebuilder and building team clarity surrounding the total cost of the project. Although this can be suitable for any homebuilder looking to stick to a strict budget for a home build, the rigidity of the agreement can also pose additional challenges. For example, if as the project progresses, a homebuilder decides they would like to make a substantial change that will upgrade their home and add to the cost, it may require a change to the existing contract which can result in additional fees and a work delay.
Costs Plus
A costs plus contact allows greater flexibility on the part of the homebuilder as the project goes on. The precise nature of the contract will vary from one project to the next, but it provides for greater variation and change on the homebuilder’s part. This can be ideal for any homebuilder that does wish to commence building now but would like to decide on some details down the track, and then provide instructions to their building team at that time.
Standard Inclusions Versus Extras
Flooring for inside the home, grass and landscaping for the garden, and paving of the driveway are common examples of extras in a building project. For anyone who is building a home with a precise vision or particular needs — such as a custom garden made by a specialist landscaper — it may not be ideal to include this extra in your build, but rather to attend to it after the building work is done.
However, it's usually easy to arrange for such projects to be done as an extra, especially given the network of contacts that builders have that can almost always help someone find an interior designer or landscaper to their liking. It can also save time and money, since the builders can oversee the delivery of the extras and avoid any risk of the projects clashing or otherwise causing delays.
To learn more — or to discuss your dream home build on the Sunshine Coast— get in touch with the team at qldBUILT today.