Deciding to build a brand new home is a major life decision. You can invest years into researching what your perfect home will look like, or perhaps you might walk into a display home and find that's the perfect design for you and your family.
Whatever you decide you always have a choice, a choice to decide how much you want to invest in your new home project, that is how much time and money you are willing to put into creating you and your family, your forever home.
If you are thinking about a custom build there are a number of factors to consider. As custom home builders in Sydney, specialising in knockdown rebuilds with a key focus of building new homes throughout the North Shore, Northern Beaches, Sutherland Shire and Epping areas, we have had years of experience creating custom home designs and building custom homes. We would like to share our insight with you and how you can save time and money in probably one of the biggest investments, you will make.
A custom-built home is a unique, personalised home that has been tailored to your family’s ideal lifestyle. Custom homes are designed by you, for you, in the exact location you want to live.
A custom-built home uses an architecturally designed, “one off” plan to construct a home which meets the needs of families and ticks their luxury wish list.
Living in a custom home design is the ultimate in comfort. While leveraging the expertise of professionals, you still have full ownership of the direction the design takes.
It’s a great way to maximise the land you own or are buying. If you’re planning to build and haven’t bought the land yet, it’s wise to get a builder’s advice beforehand, so you can understand the constraints of the block and won’t be disappointed down the track when you can’t execute parts of your vision due to constraints. It's worth looking into the option of working with a luxury custom home builder who will take care of both the design and construction.
The meaning of ‘luxury’ changes with each generation. Whatever the fashion, true luxury is having everything you need to live your ideal life. When it comes to a home, that means tailoring the design to suit you and your family – your work, hobbies, hopes and dreams.
Investing time and money in a custom home will pay dividends with decades of happiness and comfort for you and your family.
Building your own home is also a great opportunity to prepare for the future. For example, you can factor in energy-saving measures and home automation from the outset. You’ll also have the luxury and differentiator of a home that is just for you; no one else in the world has one like it. By using the right custom builder, you can also stay within budget.
One of the things which make Hall & Hart Homes stand out from the crowd as affordable custom home builders is our design flexibility and level of customisation. The only constraints are the council regulations for your block of land, plus the laws of construction (and gravity)!
One of the things to consider when building a custom home is the ultimate cost to build will vary greatly depending on what you want to achieve, plus the materials you choose.
Many variable factors will impact your final costs.
If you’re undertaking a Knockdown Rebuild (KDR), you’ll need to factor in demolition costs. If you choose this route, Hall & Hart can recommend affordable and reliable demolition experts.
Of course, it also depends on the size of the house you’re planning to build. Construction costs are often measured in the cost per square metre, which range from between $1300 per square metre for a basic home (not inclusive of site specific costs) to more than $5000 per square metre for a high-end home.
Your chosen path to building will also impact costs. The traditional method of engaging with an architect to design the house, then finding a builder to try and execute it, can end up coming with an exorbitant price tag.
At Hall & Hart Homes, we provide clients with a holistic architectural experience, which allows you to tweak the design to your family’s lifestyle without the significant costs that come with a custom build from scratch.
Hall & Hart Homes unique design approach allows you to work alongside one of Autralia's leading Architects, to produce your dream home. Bring your own ideas or be inspired by talented experts who are highly trained in bringing visions to life.
Budget.
The major pain point for home builders is staying within budget. Custom builds are so famous for running over budget, conventional wisdom holds that you should allow at least 20% for excess, unplanned expenditure and variables that have not been considered before construction has commenced.
The “Hall & Hart Homes Genuine Price” has been created by us to circumvent this problem. Our pay as you go model means you’re not locked into anything until:
The Hall & Hart Genuine Price ensures there won’t be any nasty surprises or blowouts down the track, as can happen all too often with custom builds. One of the main differences is that as Hall & Hart Homes are a larger scale custom home builder we have completed more custom homes than the average custom home builder, providing us with a greater insight into issues that can arise, so we prepare for them upfront that rather than deal with them once on site.
Projected timeline.
Working directly with an architect and then sourcing the right custom home builder can be an extremely long and trying process. At Hall & Hart Homes, we can provide you with an architectural experience and build your customised dream home, generally within 12 - 16 months from the time you sign your tender acceptance.
Constraints of your land.
Part of the luxury of building your own home is choosing the perfect location! If you’re already in the ideal location but now need the perfect home, a Knockdown Rebuild could be the way to go. It’s then essential that your design is tailored to your block of land.
We’ve heard horror stories of miscommunication between architects and builders leading to major (and expensive) hurdles once construction has started. You need to ensure that the design will fit the space and comply with council regulations.
Quality of materials.
A quality home is constructed of quality materials. When choosing a builder, it’s important to check what inclusions they offer. You may find that you’re significantly out of pocket down the track if you must ‘scale up’ to get the materials you want.
Hall & Hart Homes are dedicated to building a you home. That means we offer a diverse range of luxury inclusions that are far superior in quality, style and sophistication, without any hidden costs. To achieve your perfect aesthetic, you’ll consult with interior designers and choose premium products at Studio You.
Choosing the right home builder.
Do your research! You need a reputable home builder with the right experience, capability and reputation to bring your glorious vision to life. Hall & Hart Homes is one of the most respected custom builders and knockdown rebuild specialists in Sydney, as shown by our 5-star rating on the trusted aggregate review site productreview.com.au.
Choosing a custom builder
Choosing an architect
Building can feel like a huge undertaking, which is why it is easier to break it down. Here are the 10 key phases you’ll move through:
If you take the traditional path of finding an architect, designing your house and then finding a home builder then yes, it can take much longer than building a project home. There’s often a lot of back and forth with an architect that can push the timeline out.
You may find that a custom builder who works directly with an architect will work within the builders timelines, moving you through the process alot quicker.
A conventional project home is based on a pre-designed plan with limited customisation.
A custom home is designed by you in conjunction with a design team and is personalised to your tastes.
Some project home builders will offer you the world in design flexibility and customisation however you need to decide what design flexibility means to you. You can move a wall or add a bedroom to any standard plan but can you flip the design, move the stairs and increase the height of the windows?
Hall & Hart Homes pride themselves on the level of customisation they offer, in fact no two homes that we have produced are alike. The level of customisation we offer is unparalleled amongst project home builders in the industry, with some clients comparing their design experience to that of using an architect.
The process of designing your dream home with an experienced custom builder like Hall & Hart Homes can be a delight. We pride ourselves on our open communication at every stage of the process.
You’ll work with a skilled design team across every stage of the process. We know how local councils work, what it takes to move the project quickly, and we use the best trades in the business.
Certain blocks can be more difficult for building, that’s for sure. Your dream location may not be the easiest! Here are some of our solutions when faced with client's blocks who weren't so straight forward.
We've been in our new home for almost a year now and looking back at our experience building with Hall & Hart, from Day One it was smooth-sailing and stress free. The construction was completed on time and we couldn't be happier with the overall workmanship!
Myrick
We have enquired with many building companies and find that it's impossible to get replies and call backs. John and Neil reply same day and nothing is a drama. John also has made many useful suggestions when looking at slightly modifying a plan.
Maria
These guys are the best, been nothing but a pleasure to work with and always helpful, response and the most important always stick to their word. Can’t wait to get the construction started.
Steven
We have negotiated numerous changes to the original design and H&H have been happy to accommodate us with no admin fees and with reasonable additional cost.
Soy & Russel
The "Elyse" was always our dream home but before consulting with Hall and Hart, we always thought that it was beyond our reach. Once we spoke to the team, not only was it within our budget, we were able to modify our design to cater to the needs of our family.
Antonella
We are very happy with the communication and explanation of steps provided as we have progressed. The flexibility of the process has helped a lot, as has being able to talk to the people with the knowledge/expertise, like Chris and Nick, along the way.
David
When it was time to meet the owners, coming from a sales background you know how to read the sales pitch! There wasn't any - just genuine and honest guys making their way into a new business, and we wanted to be part of their journey.
Jacques & Catherine
Our house is now close to completion, we were very happy and satisfied with the Hall and Hart Home workmanship and the quality inclusions. I will recommend our builder Hall & Hart Homes to all my friends and family.
Steven
We were very happy with the overall level of inclusions and didn't feel we had to upgrade items unless it was to suit our personal taste - that is a massive plus compared to experiences some friends of ours are having with other building companies. They are needing to spend upwards of $70K just to get it to the level that we started at.
Kirrily
We've been in our new home for almost a year now and looking back at our experience building with Hall & Hart, from Day One it was smooth-sailing and stress free. The construction was completed on time and we couldn't be happier with the overall workmanship!
Myrick
We have enquired with many building companies and find that it's impossible to get replies and call backs. John and Neil reply same day and nothing is a drama. John also has made many useful suggestions when looking at slightly modifying a plan.
Maria
These guys are the best, been nothing but a pleasure to work with and always helpful, response and the most important always stick to their word. Can’t wait to get the construction started.
Steven
We have negotiated numerous changes to the original design and H&H have been happy to accommodate us with no admin fees and with reasonable additional cost.
Soy & Russel
The "Elyse" was always our dream home but before consulting with Hall and Hart, we always thought that it was beyond our reach. Once we spoke to the team, not only was it within our budget, we were able to modify our design to cater to the needs of our family.
Antonella
We are very happy with the communication and explanation of steps provided as we have progressed. The flexibility of the process has helped a lot, as has being able to talk to the people with the knowledge/expertise, like Chris and Nick, along the way.
David
When it was time to meet the owners, coming from a sales background you know how to read the sales pitch! There wasn't any - just genuine and honest guys making their way into a new business, and we wanted to be part of their journey.
Jacques & Catherine
Our house is now close to completion, we were very happy and satisfied with the Hall and Hart Home workmanship and the quality inclusions. I will recommend our builder Hall & Hart Homes to all my friends and family.
Steven
We were very happy with the overall level of inclusions and didn't feel we had to upgrade items unless it was to suit our personal taste - that is a massive plus compared to experiences some friends of ours are having with other building companies. They are needing to spend upwards of $70K just to get it to the level that we started at.
Kirrily