What’s it like building with Layton Homes?

Whether you’ve built your own home before or not, the process can be confusing or overwhelming. You likely have questions or certain things you’re unsure of - like how does a home actually come together? Who designs the home? How does it work between builders and architects? Who organises the permits? What about the timeline? When do I need to do what?

Before you get started you want to get an idea of what it will be like so you can align your expectations, but also so you can be informed and choose the right architect and builder for you!

To give you some clarity on the overall process and experience of building with us, we put together this guide to break it down. We also have a feature written up on a recent build ours - ‘Holt’ where you can hear from the architect behind this home, and see the experience through the eyes of the client.

JUMP TO SECTION:

  • PRE-CONTRACT

  • THE ROLE OF THE ARCHITECT

  • PRE-CONSTRUCTION

  • STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION

  • POST-CONSTRUCTION

  • CLIENT FEEDBACK

 

PRE-CONTRACT

Unlike volume builders who may sell standardised designs as a home and land package, things work a little differently with custom-builds. The ideal sequence of events in building a new, custom home would be to first get your block of land, then consult with an architect, then consult with a builder to get an idea of the price for the home you have designed. Some people may be decided on the builder beforehand, others may submit their project for quotes from several builders and use the quote and early experiences with the builder to make their decision.

THE ROLE OF THE ARCHITECT

We don’t operate like a lot of other builders out there. This is largely because we’re a quality-oriented custom builder. That means each home will have different requirements and be tailored to the client, their budget, their block of land, and their preferences.

A huge part of this is who they choose to design the home! Some builders will only work with the same architect/s, or have their own architect/s as part of their operation, but we work with the architect of your choosing. If you’re starting from square one, we do have a selection of recommended architects that we work with on a regular basis, but ultimately the choice is yours.

Often our clients might have an architect in mind that they want to design their home. In this case, the client comes to us with some plans already drawn up by their chosen architect. Alternatively, clients may come to us as a first point of contact after they’ve sorted out their land, and we can get the ball rolling.

 PRE-CONSTRUCTION

So after contract signing, what happens next to get us to the construction phase? We check for land titles and any council regulations that may need to be taken into consideration for your land.

Building permit. Asset protection. Soil testing, any excavations and land preparation [Layton Homes Earthworks]

 STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION

Set-out,

Slab preparation - plumbing/preparing entry points into the slab

Slab

Frame

Roofing

Wrap

Plaster

Doors & Windows (lock up?)

Cabinets

Paint

Tiles

 POST-CONSTRUCTION

After the build is complete, we have a final walk-through with you.

3 months after the project completion, we check-in with you to ensure everything is as it should be. If there are any points to address, we ensure this is taken care of efficiently so you can continue to settle in to your new home.

 

Your new home awaits.