Construction Consultant

Unfortunately, frustration is part of life, and so too do they go hand in hand with building a new home. While many issues are unavoidable in the construction world, at Merit Homes, we pride ourselves on ensuring that any issues that arise throughout the process are minimised, timeframes are realistic and that you are kept well informed along the way.  

Here comes Part 2 of this topic, where we go into the decision fatigue that comes with deciding the fate of every square inch of your new home and the true price of making late changes and add-ons. 

YOU’LL BECOME FATIGUED WITH ALL THE DECISIONS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE

From the home layout to the cutting edge smart technology, the tiles on your floor to the colours of your brick – the decisions are all YOURS. With this much power comes responsibility…and often, great frustration… and anxiety. 

It is normal to feel a sense of fatigue after looking at all the devilish details of your construction. If you are fatigued or feeling overwhelmed, you might make decisions on a whim that you later regret. Decrease the risk of fatigue by letting yourself marinate over decisions over a few days, don’t make selections all at once, or on the final hour.

Our experts are there to help you with these decisions, too. You can save yourself many sleepless nights by taking their advice and recommendations.

THINGS COME AT A PRICE, INCLUDING ADD-ONS AND CHANGES

The price of your new Merit home includes all the things you’ll need to make it comfortable and livable from day one including flooring, cabinets, countertops, window treatments, appliances, climate control, home security, high-speed internet, and so on. We do our best to think of absolutely everything from the get-go so the budget is set out and known from the start. If there are added features, finishes or changes after the budget has been set, it goes without saying that additional fees may apply.

If you want to make changes during construction, be prepared for delays as well as incurring additional costs. The materials may take longer than expected to be delivered, and contractors are usually not immediately available at the drop of a hat and will need to fit this extra step into their schedules of removing fixtures from the home before installing new ones. Our advice is to always think through every process before committing to the next, this will avoid any change of mind too late in the process. 

Are you ready to start the conversation about your new luxury home build? We’d love to talk with you about getting you into your custom dream home. Get in touch with us!

Unfortunately, frustration is part of life, and so too do they go hand in hand with building a new home. While many issues are unavoidable in the construction world, at Merit Homes, we pride ourselves on ensuring that any issues that arise throughout the process are minimised, timeframes are realistic and that you are kept well informed along the way.  

If you’ve read our client reviews, you’ll know it’s not just a wild claim that we make but can’t deliver on. We’ve dedicated our entire careers to ensuring our clients are happy, which we know stretches well beyond handing over the keys to a beautiful new home. 

Being prepared for those common frustrations will allow you to plan for contingency, should the unavoidable occur.

We have compiled a list of common frustrations we see all too often in the building industry.

CONSTRUCTION MAY NOT BEGIN RIGHT AWAY

You’ve signed on the dotted line, sorted your finance, budgeted, had your pre-start meetings, made all the tough design decisions, received council approval….. So it’s all systems go, right? Yes…but sometimes no.

While you may be working with one of Sydney’s most renowned luxury builders, and while we’ll do everything in our power to start the construction process as soon as possible, it’s common for your build to not commence right away. Factors like delays in receiving the building permit, or even bad weather may cause the start date to be postponed.

YOU CAN EXPECT DELAYS

Delays are inevitable, particularly in this current construction climate. When you build with Merit Homes, you’re working with a trusted, reputable builder with a long-standing list of trusted subcontractors and suppliers who will endeavour to complete your job as soon as possible, and to the highest standard possible. 

We do our utmost to give the most realistic expectation when it comes to timeframes to help ease this common frustration, and we know that open, honest and regular communication with you is key to maintaining a great working relationship.

PART 2 COMING UP

Part 2 will go into the decision fatigue that comes with deciding the fate of every square inch of your new home and the true price of making late changes and add-ons. 

Part 2: The essential items for every luxury custom home.

For those with a love for the finer things in life, building a custom home will be one of the only opportunities you’ll have to create a sophisticated living space with everything on your wishlist to provide the perfect balance between comfort and style.

In Part 2, we step INSIDE the home to discuss two more must-have features every luxury custom home should have:

  1. Media Room

Not so long ago, we would have said a Theatre Room, however, while we are a nation of movie buffs, a single-faceted living space such as a home theatre isn’t exactly practical – unless it’s just one of seven living spaces in your new home, then, by all means, a theatre room is essential!

There is definitely a place for a home theatre, but if it’s one of only two or three living zones in your new home, you might consider adding a few extra elements to the space so it doesn’t only serve one purpose. Let’s face it, after family movie night, a cinema room will sit collecting dust until the next family movie night. 

What won’t sit empty is a multi-media or entertainment room. You have the big-screen projector and single row of recliner chairs, but you also have the board games, billiards table, air hockey, built-in bar, and it can also function as a music room (and already sound-proofed), home gym and a library simultaneously.

  1. Master Suite

Those signing on the dotted line for a luxury custom-built home are usually the ones sleeping in the master suite, so it only makes sense that all that hard work and hard-earned money is rewarded with a suite worthy of a king and queen. How far you run with that rule of thumb is really up to you, but run far, we say!

For a start, you’ll want some privacy away from the rest of the bedrooms, high foot traffic and noise zones. Ensure your space has SPACE. A private outdoor escape that you can use without all your neighbours seeing you in your dressing gown – perhaps your master is at the rear and has access to the pool. 

A lounge, a bar, and a gas log fire to add a touch of romance; a fully fitted dressing room, and of course, a lavish his & hers ensuite; double showers, double vanity, a big soaker bathtub at the least!

If you have a family, remember, this is your only private space in the entire house, so take your time and make considered choices to decide what you want this space to be for you. 

Following on from Part 1 of this post, Part 2 will give you a good breakdown of the differences between a volume builder and a luxury builder, the pros and cons of each and some helpful advice designed to help you choose which option is right for you.

Volume Builder

Volume Builders are large companies that build hundreds, sometimes thousands of homes every year. They usually seem to be cheaper to build with compared to custom or luxury builders, due, in part, to their bulk purchasing of building materials.

Volume Builders usually offer house and land packages with a fixed range of designs, and while they do allow for small alterations to the floor plan, changes tend to be somewhat limited and often incur exorbitant additional costs, too. 

It’s important to have a very clear understanding of what is and isn’t included in the quote. Some companies may not provide a complete “turn-key” solution, meaning there could be items required for council compliance that are not included in the final product – leaving you to come up with the additional funds needed to complete the project.

This is especially true when you’re buying a house & land package after viewing the display model. Display homes showcase the very highest quality model of home with all the fancy upgrades and premium extras on display – all very good at getting you into a building contract – but to get the same home built for you, it carries a lot of very high, additional costs. 

The greatest of care is taken in finishing a display model, but sadly, what you end up with is usually not anywhere near to the same level of quality. 

Under the pressure of fast turnaround times and low-profit margin building contracts, careless and avoidable mistakes in the construction, materials and build quality occur frequently, and are often left unrectified in the hope it won’t be picked up. 

Luxury Home Builder

If you are seeking a builder who’ll help you design and build a home specific and unique to you, a custom or luxury home builder is likely the one for you.

Luxury builders like Merit Homes take on only a fraction of the jobs as volume builders within the same timeframe, so they’re able to commit the time to design a home to suit the block site, the environment, and the lifestyle needs of those living there.

With the extra time and attention to detail put into designing a home with a luxury builder, it usually comes at a higher cost when compared to the mass-produced homes of high-volume builders. 

Building your new home is a huge investment, both emotionally and financially, so it only makes sense to invest in high-quality build materials and superior craftsmanship.

A luxury home builder will give you the most flexibility when it comes to making decisions about the design of your home, taking into account the size, shape, and elevation of your block. 

Merit Homes work with you, your architect, and interior designer together to create a design that works for the land site – capitalising on views, solar orientation, and your personal tastes – all while providing guidance backed by our decades of experience.

On closing…

It’s important to note that once upon a time, most high-volume building companies we see today started out as small, quality home builders that grew too big, branched out as a franchise brand, and in doing so, lost hold of their small company values. 

While rapid growth may prove lucrative for some, Merit Homes has consciously steered in the opposite direction, preferring to maintain a hands-on approach to every home and a personal approach to every client relationship.

If you’re researching potential builders to construct your new home and have landed on our website, it’s likely that you already know the answer to this question. 

Usually, by the time our clients come to be working with us, they don’t need any convincing, but if you’re new to the owner-builder game and still have a few questions as to why you’d elect a building company dedicated to quality over quantity, we’ll break it down for you.

When embarking on the exciting journey of building your new home, one of the first decisions you’ll make is who to build with. 

With the allure of lower build costs, house and land packages, tiered appliance packages, selected colour palettes, and shorter build times on offer through volume builders, it can be tempting to go with the cheaper, faster option. Somewhere around 150,000 Australian owner-builders take this route every year, after all, so you definitely wouldn’t be alone.

But if you’re more of a quality-over-quantity, attention-to-every-detail type of person like us, a boutique or luxury home builder like us is likely the right choice for you!

By choosing to build with one of Greater Sydney’s leading luxury builders like Merit Homes, you’ll have a home that is a one-of-a-kind, site-specific design made with premium build materials, hand-selected fixtures, fittings and appliances, stunning interior-designed spaces, and beautifully curated decor.

It’s important to note that once upon a time, most high-volume building companies we see today started out as small, quality home builders that grew too big, branched out as a franchise brand, and in doing so, lost hold of their small company values. 

While rapid growth may prove lucrative for some, Merit Homes has consciously steered in the opposite direction, preferring to maintain a hands-on approach to every home and a personal approach to every client relationship.

Part 2 coming up..

Part 2 will give you a good breakdown of the differences between a volume builder and a luxury builder, the pros and cons of each, and some helpful advice designed to help you choose which option is right for you.

Interestingly, in recent years, backyard pools have climbed the ladder from being one of the least desirable to one of the most desirable big-ticket items for buyers hunting for their next home.

This is largely due to the ease with which pools are to maintain these days, complete with automated self-cleaning systems and even “robot” pool cleaners that pretty much barrel out of the pool shed, lift the latch on the gate, dive in, clean the entire pool, bring themselves back up to the surface and drag themselves, utterly exhausted, back to the shed and back on charge.

Well, that may be the slightly embellished version of events, anyway!

With our beautiful warm climate, it’s not surprising pools are high on the list of must-have’s now that the effort required for upkeeping them is far easier and less time consuming than it used to be, and with things like pool covers reducing water evaporation and heat loss, they’ve become far more energy-efficient, too.

If you do intend to put in a pool either now or in the future, ensure to discuss this with us upfront ahead of construction, even if you don’t plan on installing it straight away, as this can have a bearing on the building design you proceed with and may also impact on the slab design/shape, cost or requirements (foundations of your new home) and construction.

You might have to consider how much more difficult it might be to have a pool dropped into the backyard after your house is built. If the pool is dropped in before you build, the site is usually clear and easy to access.

If you’re doing it after you’ve built, the intended pool site may become inaccessible because of your house, power lines, or even a narrow nearby street, so a different method of delivery may be required.

In some cases, if a crane is unable to get close enough to lower a pool into the ground, a helicopter is required to pick your new pool up, usually from a field nearby, and drop it into your backyard, which of course, is more costly.

Here’s another good reason to love thy neighbour!

Should your proposed new home plans fall outside of the standard building regulations, your neighbours may end up playing a part in assisting with the approval of your design.

This can be tricky, especially if they already have their nose out of joint or they perceive your plans will impact on them in a negative way.

Like you would with your builder, it’s important to build a strong, open and honest relationship with your future neighbours – well before you or your builder needs to approach them for their approval of your plans. They’ll be far more receptive to you if you’ve already made an effort to introduce yourself and get to know them.

In most cases, as your builder, we like to meet with your neighbours ourselves. Not only are we keen to build a solid, harmonious relationship with them too, we are also able to take the emotion out of their objections and come up with easy solutions and compromises to any areas of concern they may have. 

Case in point might be a window placed at the top of your stairwell that would look out over their backyard pool or directly into their master ensuite. They’d, of course, like to retain their privacy, but you’re only wanting the window there for more natural light, rather than the view. Fogged-glass that diffuses light would be a great solution here, moving or raising the window height, or using an outdoor screen as a shield might be others. 

It’s important to be considerate and flexible to your neighbours’ concerns. It can turn into a tiresome negotiation of sorts, and you may need to forego something you had your heart set on, but given that you’ll be living next door to these people and may need to rely on them to collect your mail, bring your bin in or feed your cat while you’re away,  it’s worthwhile making it a win-win situation for all parties.

Power Supply

These days, new home builds are connected to underground power, instead of the ugly overhead powerlines that line the streets in older neighbourhoods. 

You’ll notice power lines are missing in all new housing estates, and while they may still be present and in use in your area, slowly, overhead lines are being phased out and replaced with underground electricity – which makes for a far prettier, and safer streetscape. 

In many established areas, and as an ongoing project across the country that will continue for years to come, local councils are notifying ratepayers of their intention to commence the transition to underground power and homeowners are required to produce the funds to pay for the transition. 

We tell you this because one way or another, whether you want to or not, you’ll end up having to install and connect to an underground electricity source anyway, so it may as well be now. 

Your existing dwelling will have overhead power which will be abolished prior to demolition, and you’ll need to arrange the installation of an underground electricity pit. This process can be lengthy but can be commenced prior to the demolition of the existing home. 

How to arrange installation: 

  1. Contact your electricity provider for an application form. 
  2. Once returned, you’ll receive a quote which is usually valid for 30 days. 
  3. Payment is required in full before the quote expires and before works can commence.
  4. Once paid, your electricity pit will be installed approximately 28 days later. 
  5. Once installed, your electricity pit can take up to 21 days to be energised (made live).

So, this process can take anywhere from 60-90 days, depending on how quickly you pay for the works. You’ll want to have this completed ahead of construction commencing.

The benefits of underground power:

Improved public safety: by removing poles there are fewer car collisions, which continue to be a factor in a large number of accidents and deaths Australia-wide.

Improved reliability: underground power results in fewer disruptions and outages after major storm events.

Improved street appearance: No power lines create a more aesthetically pleasing neighbourhood.

Increased property value: There is strong evidence showing a positive impact on property values after the removal of poles and wires. 

Reduction in tree pruning: no more monitoring of trees getting in the way of live wires. Councils save on maintenance, while also allowing the tree canopy to flourish.

Lower costs: underground power has minimal maintenance and operating costs.

Improved opportunity for emerging technologies: helps pave the way for innovation through energy trading, electric vehicle penetration and Smart City strategies.

Street Access

The accessibility of your block during the build phase of the project is a significant factor that you may not have considered, and the reason we raise the topic is not simply for the convenience and ease of the tradespeople that will be in and out of your new home site for the next 12-months or more. 

You will need to take into account how accessible your block is for both the demolition and construction stages – especially when you’re rebuilding a new home in an already established area where lots of people already live, work, drive and go to school. 

Accessibility to your new home site, not to mention the impact imposed on all your new neighbours, can be far more tricky to navigate. You don’t want to get off on the wrong foot before you’ve even moved in!

But aside from how your new home will impact your tradespeople and the rest of the neighbourhood, a good part of the reason we advise you to think about it is because restricted access blocks will actually impact on YOU. Specifically, your bottom line.

Please be aware that additional charges may be incurred for things like traffic management or the manual unloading of materials where trades are unable to get close enough to the job site.

Below are some factors you’ll need to consider:

  • Road sizes, including parked cars: 
    • Can large trucks get in? 
    • Can they manoeuvre in and out easily? 
    • What times are best? 
  • Parking:
    • Outside of the job site itself, is parking available?
    • How far away will trades and deliverers have to park?
    • If parking isn’t available on-site, what is the street terrain like?
    • Will heavy deliveries have to be pushed uphill?
  • Local schools: 
    • Increased traffic at school pick-up/drop-off times
    • Are children likely to be near the job site?
    • How will you minimise danger to children? 
    • Best times for trades/deliveries to avoid your site? 
  • Overhead powerlines: likely in older areas where overhead powerlines are still in use.
    • What is the height restriction for trucks, cranes and other machinery to gain access to your site?
  • Traffic:
    • How busy is the area?
    • What times are peak traffic periods?
    • How difficult is your site to access? Will traffic flow be interrupted if a large truck takes 5-10 minutes to manoeuvre in?
    • Is traffic management required for certain stages/days of the build? 

Legal Point Of Discharge

Whether you’re building from scratch on a vacant allotment or you’re rebuilding on a block that was previously occupied by an established home, all sites require what’s called a “legal point of discharge” or LPOD and a “sewer tie”, or “point of connection”, for drainage prior to any works beginning. 

It’s important because for many of our clients who are rebuilding a new home where an old home stood previously, the existing LPOD on the site may not be satisfactory for a new dwelling. 

What is the ‘legal point of discharge’?

Basically, the legal point of discharge is usually the lowest point of the property, being the natural direction for water to flow to. Stormwater that falls on a property is collected and drained to the lowest point, or the ‘legal point of discharge’.

From there, the stormwater is then ‘discharged’ or released into the Council stormwater system, which is usually an underground drain in the street or in an easement. In cases where there is no council stormwater system available, it can be drained out to the curb or gutter in the street.

Stormwater, especially if unable to escape properly, has the potential to cause great damage to both yours and your neighbouring homes. If damages occur at the fault of an unsatisfactory drainage system, liability for the costs to rectify the damage and correct the fault will be the responsibility of the homeowner at fault.

You will need to apply for a Legal Point Of Discharge Report from your council, which will provide you with information on:

  • The Legal Point of Discharge in accordance with the Building Act
  • The Point of Connection (sewer tie) – to the council sewer system
  • The location of any council drains, where available
  • Additional building and planning advice

It is the property owner’s responsibility to ensure the LPOD is satisfactory according to council regulations and any additional costs are the responsibility of the owner. 

Do you have any questions?

Contact us at the Merit Home office or submit a business inquiry online