The Design & Build Process

Designing and building a home is very much like a journey of planning, choices and discussion.  At Carl Taylor Homes we turn clients ideas into reality and find solutions to suit individual life styles.

At all times throughout the design and build process you will have the support and guidance of a team of specialists dedicated to ensuring you are rewarded with a very positive building experience.

When you choose to have Carl Taylor Homes design and build your home you can be confident that you have made the right choice, from concept, selection of materials to management of construction. We have the bases covered. Our service includes:

How It Works

The first stage of the process is for us to consult with you and come up with a design brief which will give us the specifics of what you’re looking for in terms of style, size and functionality. Prior to meeting with us it would be a good idea to compile as much information as possible, including the legal description of the property, any photos or examples of houses that you like, a list of must haves and what your budget is.

Based on this information we will have our design team come up with a detailed concept plan, including site plan, floor plan, and elevations. This process normally takes two to three weeks.

Once the concept plans are ready we will arrange another meeting to discuss the concept in detail.

You may wish to take the plans away with you to think further about them, modify and change.

The next step is to complete the changes and variations required and start to build a more detailed specification to enable our design team to further develop the plans towards working drawings.  At this point, and prior to any changes to the concept, we charge a design fee ranging from $1500 - $3000 including GST depending on the complexity of the design. The design fee is then deducted from the contract price.

This step in the design process may take a number of meetings, modifications and changes to ensure that we design the home that comprehensively meets your requirements.

At the end of the process we will have a set of plans that reflect your requirements and at this point we would provide a formal pricing quotation along with a detailed specification listing the fixtures, finishes and fittings you have selected. Quotations are valid for 30 Days.

Once the decision to proceed with construction is formalised both parties sign the Registered Master Builders Federation Residential Building Contract (RBC-2005). This contract details the obligations of both parties, dispute resolution and payment schedule.  This is a standard contract and is used extensively throughout the building industry.

Once the contract has been signed a 5% deposit is payable.

At the same time as signing the contract, a Master Build Guarantee application is also completed. This provides various guarantees and protections for the customer along with a
2 year cover for defects in materials and/or workmanship and a 7 year cover on any structural defects.

Once the deposit has been paid and guarantee completed we will finalise the working drawings and submit the plans to your local council for a building permit. This may take 4 - 16 weeks depending on the council’s ability to process.

Once the permit has been issued we will liaise with you over commencement date and keep you informed throughout the construction process.

During this time, and prior to construction commencing, you will have to finalise kitchen design so we are aware of the placement of waste pipes in the floor slab. The exterior and interior colours will also be confirmed in conjunction with our colour consultants.

Once construction commences our project management team will work with you to decide on the remaining fixtures and fittings detail.  We allow 20 - 40 weeks for the construction stage depending on the complexity of the house, its location and the time of year.

We hope this information has answered some of your questions and we look forward to working with you in the future.

Please contact us for more information
or 03 384 2699