The Home Development Process

A Stedone Homes Development Manager is there to support your decision-making. They'll help you to get to grips with your goals and show you how you can go about making them a reality.

Our dedicated DM's co-ordinate and manage each valued client, from the moment they are first listed as a lead, right through to signing their Home Development Contract.

The DM will set up an initial appointment with you to assess your personal requirements and run through a Development Cost Estimate. In cases where you have not yet bought a plot, the DM will advise as to which agents to speak to, depending on which estates a client is interested in. Upon appointment by yourself, the DM is responsible for managing all the other role players in the planning phase of a home development, including architects, interior designers and other specialists.

This comprehensive one-to-one relationship means you avoid the headaches and complications that arise when dealing with multiple characters in home building, ensuring that your needs are always catered to and your dream home becomes more than just a fantasy!

Choosing the right architect is a key part to the success of your home building experience. Stedone Homes works with a number of top quality, experienced architects around the country.

Nearly all disputes between architect and client arise out of poor communication with regards budget. To avoid this, make sure you have completed a Stedone Homes Development Cost Estimate(DCE) to establish your budget upfront (Stedone Homes appoints the architect on your behalf when you sign a Home Development Contract with us).

Acting as home developer, we are responsible for the management of all the professionals on your behalf, including the architect, which ensures streamlined and effective communication between the client, the architect and the builder.

The primary role of the Pre-implementation Project Management is to achieve all of the preliminary planning project goals for your new home, with this beginning with the submitting of all sketch and detailed plans to the Estate Design Review Committee. The next step is to make sure that all the relevant documentation required for council submission, including the legal requirements for title deeds and transfers documents, are all in place.

The submission and perusal of the relevant invoices and payments all need to be in order for the above processes to take place. Once submitted, the plans are followed through council, we manage the flow between the flow between the different internal departments, personally taking them from one department to another if necessary. He/She submits all the early commencement letters to the local municipality.

This process involves communication between you, the architect and engineer throughout the home development process, keeping you up to date with relevant information at every stage, whilst attending to or actioning any referrals if and when they arise.

Another important function is to compile all documentation for the application of NHBRC enrolment and persual of the relevant engineering barcodes needed for enrolment. This includes sending and receiving all payment related queries pertaining to the NHBRC enrolments and making sure payment is received within the permitted time allowance.

The pre-implementation project management ensures compilation of all the relevant certificates, insurances, water metre connections and documents for the relevant estates, in order to achieve site handover.

During the "Meet & Greet" consultation, you are shown appropriate samples and galleries relating to Interior finishes such as Cabinetry, Sanware, Lighting, Flooring, Cornices, Skirting's, Paint colours, Aluminium frame colours, Door styles, Door handles, Shower screens, Worktops etc. Based upon “discovery through discussion”, we offer expert opinion on the proposed budget. It is then up to you to adjust the finishes budget accordingly, which is then included in the HDC as a detailed annexure.

Once the HDC is signed, we then communicate, monitor, manage and assist with all aspects of the home development up to final handover, including the following main duties & responsibilities:

• Supplier relations i.e. vetting and aligning Stedone Homes with credible suppliers.
• Keeping track of your spend with regards to interior Budget allowances VS Actual spend.
• Assist with plumbing, electrical layout communications.
• Ensure that the buyer has all the relevant interior finishes quotes so that orders can be placed on schedule.
• Bi monthly site meetings and weekly site progress reports, keeping you informed of build progress, delays, etc.
• Liaise with Site Agent, Principal Agent, Architect and Interior Designer with regards to any plan / measurement discrepancies or any special design features i.e. Fireplaces, Water Features, etc.
• Assist contractors (electrician, plumber, carpenter, tiler, etc) and Client with Interior Layouts regarding interpretation of design and function.
• Ensure that building variations are priced and managed accordingly and in line with Stedone Homes Variation Order policies.
• Ensure that the all contractors for the interior supply and fit are up to Stedone standards.
• Assist Site Agent with the snagging process and ensuring that contractors are kept on schedule.
• Liaise with you and landscaper in order to obtain a design and landscape installation within budgetary constraints.
• Obtain the relevant Hand Over completion certificates (Electrical & Plumbing Compliance, Appliance guarantees and warranties, NHBRC Certificate, Occupation Certificate, etc).

It is important to realise that a hand-made product of such complexity requires a massive amount of effort, planning and funding. So to settle for anything less than EXCELLENT communication between all parties involved, can only lead to the delivery of an inferior product and a bad, all round experience.

What you see is, what you get...

Through consultation with you and using State of the Art design software, the Stedone Homes ISB (Interior Specification Booklet) completes the picture.

A plan view of each room is drawn up, showing the dimension of the room, loose furniture and fitted furniture. The fitted furniture is also then dimensioned on an elevation view and finally a full colour 3D visual is created. That's how we create the "What you see is, what you get"!

The Interior Specification Booklet (ISB) is then created and every room specified so you and the supplier are BOTH on the same page. The ISB is then sent to the relevant supplier/s for quoting purposes and once all quotes have been received, they are collated. The Interior Budget versus the Actual Interior budget is then calculated and copies of the Final quotes are given to you for approval. Any variations to the budgets are discussed throughout the Interior design process and approved.

Download a sample ISB booklet here!

Stedone Homes is busy with the final touches to your new home and of course you are itching to move in and start living!

First off we need to finalise ALL the money matters that have been communicated throughout your build i.e. ensure all draw down payments have been allocated, any variations taken into account and credits taken into account for water and electrical bills during the build. Both parties have to agree /sign off the final account as there could be a retention amount as required by your bankers.

Should there be build deviations from the original Architectural plan, the Architect will have to draw up As-Built plans which will be submitted with copies of the required Compliance Certificates as required by the Local Authorities.

A Stedone Homes Hand Over pack consists of the original’s of all the relevant certificates, laminated and bound for you with all the Important Contractors contact details. Copies of these certificates are hand delivered to the local authority and the building inspector will make an appointment to inspect your home. This could take a few weeks, however you are able to move into your new home as long as we have the appropriate certificates in hand. The Municipal Occupation Certificate is therefore signed off only after the site visit by the build inspector, with any retention monies only being released once this has happened.

Please bear in mind that a home is a handmade product and there is a drying out / settlement period this usually takes around one calendar year i.e. over two seasons, a wet and a dry season. During this period some shrinkage cracks or in some instances settlement cracks can appear. This is normal, and if a settlement crack does appear this will be repaired by Stedone Homes, shrinkage cracks are usually very small and are generally covered the first time you repaint your home.

Your house is covered by various guarantees, with the Engineer and the Architect both carrying Professional Indemnity Insurance against design and structural failures’. The NHBRC carries the Structural guarantee for 5 years and we at Stedone Homes guarantee your home against Structural defects for a period of 5 years and minor snags for a period of 3 months. During the first 3 months of occupation some snags will appear and these should be listed on the 3 month snag list in the handover pack and arrangements will be made for our maintenance team to attend to these.