Home Building FAQs From The Custom Home Builders at Vivid

Building a custom home is an experience. If this is your first time building a custom home, or you have been down this road before, you know there are many questions that come up along the way. Below are the home building FAQs that we have collected over the years from clients. These are the most common questions our design and building team are asked about new homes and new projects. If you have questions that are not answered here, please contact us. Often it’s faster to simply get on a call with our team to get fast answers so you can get to the fun part of designing your home.

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What is the difference between a custom-home builder and a project builder?

A project builder will allow you to make very minor changes, but selection options will be limited, plan designs are fixed and any major changes will often incur substantial fees. A custom builder enables you to create, design, and amend a plan to fully suit your needs. This means the custom designer is flexible with inclusions and tailors your home to your ideas, vision and your budget.

Doesn’t it cost more to build a custom-designed home rather than one directly from a plan?

What may surprise you is that the answer is no. If you are comparing apples-to-apples then the cost is generally the same. Often a project builder will present a home design with limited inclusions for example, no driveway or external concrete, and minimal insulation. Additionally, essential elements like floor coverings (tile, carpet etc) are often not included. Room sizes are smaller, and add-ons like your letterbox or TV antenna are simply not included. To get a true price, you have to add up all of these “extra” expenses to understand the full fee you’re paying.

When pricing for your new home is shared with you in this way, the home you’re looking at may seem initially less expensive, but when you get into the fine print, the plans are a lot more for a complete home.

We do things differently so you as the buyer are not stuck trying to understand the real cost of your home. At Vivid Home Builders we offer you a starting point of full “Turn Key” price. This means the house is completely priced at its move-in rate and includes all of the amenities required to make this house your home. You can, of course, upscale to adjust the materials and we will offer you full disclosure on price so you know what you’re paying for what you add or change.

The building process seems overwhelming. Where do I start?

Research and knowledge are key to a great home building experience. There are thousands of amazing designs out there. Get a feel for what you love in terms of “look and feel” and what you need based on your family size and how you use your home. Then, talk to a builder. They should help you understand what the actual building process is like. If you have a block of land, this is an important time to bring this up as different designs work well on different blocks. The last thing you want is to fall in love with a design and then realise it will not work on the block of land you have. A great builder will be happy to help advise you on the purchase of your block prior to committing, ensuring that your ideal home design works in your preferred location.

Will I be kept up to date during the project?

Absolutely! At Vivid Homes we pride ourselves on our awesome communication skills. Once we are underway, we update you weekly on the progress of your build. You also have full access to our building software for the full picture. Our software shows you the schedule of the construction, all your selections, your finances, as well as all of our conversations so you can refer back to them at any time. And of course, photos, photos, photos – so you can watch the construction of your home from the comfort of your living room!