Design and Construct

Why Build a Custom Home: Tailoring Your Dream Space

Posted on by Melissa Ambrose
13
Feb


Embarking on the journey of building a custom home is not just about constructing a house; it’s about creating a unique space that resonates with your personal taste, needs, and aspirations. This adventure in customisation opens up a world of possibilities, allowing you to shape every corner and curve according to your desires. Here’s why opting for a custom home can be a life-changing decision.

 

Personalisation at Its Core

The allure of a custom home lies in its unparalleled capacity for personalisation. Your home becomes a canvas where your style preferences, lifestyle requirements, and budget considerations come to life. From the layout of your living spaces to the choice of materials, every element is a reflection of you. The limits? They’re set only by material availability, council codes, and your imagination. And if you’re inclined towards eco-friendly living, custom homes offer the perfect opportunity to integrate sustainable features like strategic window placement, optimised room orientation, effective insulation, and advanced solar and battery setups.

 

Embracing Unique Landscapes

Not all plots of land are created equal, and this is where custom homes truly shine. If your land is non-standard – think unusual gradients, narrow dimensions, or unique corner locations – a custom build becomes not just a choice, but a necessity. Custom homes embrace the uniqueness of your land, turning potential obstacles into distinctive features of your home.

 

Uncompromised Quality

The decision to go with a custom builder is often driven by the pursuit of quality. Custom homes are a testament to superior craftsmanship, where the complexity and detail of the build demand a higher level of skill from tradespeople. This focus on quality not only ensures a more robust and aesthetically pleasing structure but also significantly enhances the resale value of your home. In more affluent neighbourhoods, opting for a custom build over a volume build is essential to match the worth of the land with a residence that’s equally distinguished.

 

Conclusion

Building a custom home is more than constructing a living space – it’s about creating a personal sanctuary that aligns with your vision and values. Whether it’s about making the most of an unconventional plot, aspiring for higher quality, or simply wanting a home that’s as unique as you are, going custom offers a level of satisfaction that pre-designed homes rarely match. In the world of custom homes, the only limit is your imagination.

Design and Construct

How much does it cost to build a custom home?

Posted on by Melissa Ambrose
31
Jan

 

The Real Cost of Building a Custom Home

Building a custom home can be a dream come true for many, offering the chance to design a space that perfectly aligns with your unique needs and aesthetic preferences. However, the costs associated with this dream can vary drastically. In this piece, we’re diving deep into the biggest contributors that can make a significant difference in your final bill.

 

The Power of Design:  

The design of the house is often the most prominent factor dictating costs. Homes crafted from personal dreams rather than pragmatic blueprints tend to be pricier. Larger open spaces necessitate a more extensive and expensive structural framework, while larger windows can mean smaller bracing areas, thereby necessitating more steel reinforcements. A structurally efficient design might peg the timber and steel costs for a 400m2 home at around $150,000. But with spacious designs, unconventional shapes, and massive open spaces, this can easily triple. Furthermore, an increase in the roof height from the typical 2.7m to 3.0m can add an additional cost between $60-80 per m2.

 

Land Characteristics:  

The slope and accessibility of your plot can significantly impact the overall budget of your custom home. Sloping lands often require landscaping, retaining walls, and even integrated retaining in the house base. Timber retaining walls, for example, can cost about $500 per m2, while masonry options might touch up to $700 per m2. Accessibility plays a crucial role too. Tight spaces or plots that are difficult to access can inflate costs related to machinery, scaffolding, and logistics. For reference, a fall of over 2m across the house pad usually implies additional costs for retaining structures. When this fall reaches 4m, costs can rise steeply, increasing by an additional $300-$1000 per m2.

 

Material Choices:  

Your choice of materials, both external and internal, can have a profound impact on the project’s cost. External cladding types, for instance, can drastically vary in price. Standing seam metal cladding can be four times pricier than conventional materials. Similarly, stained timber cladding and stonework can be 3-4 times more expensive, while aluminium timber-look cladding can cost up to five times more. Render, on the other hand, might be 1.5 times more costly. Internally, the choices are boundless. From appliances and tapware to cabinetry and tiles, your selections can significantly influence the luxury feel and the final bill of your home. For cabinetry alone, costs can range from a modest $60,000 for a standard package, to a whopping $200,000 for a high-end setup.

 

Closing Thoughts:  

Pinpointing the exact cost of building a custom home is no simple task due to the multitude of factors involved. For a straightforward site with mid-range finishes, you might achieve a budget below $3,000 per m2. However, with challenging plots, custom external finishes, and top-tier internal choices, costs can easily surpass $3,500 per m2. A successful custom home building experience requires partnering with a builder that offers robust cost management throughout the design and preliminary phases. It’s not about cutting corners, but about making informed decisions every step of the way.

Design and Construct

How Long Does It Take To Build A Custom Home?

Posted on by Melissa Ambrose
ascotia-house
25
Jan

The Complex Journey of Building a Custom Home: Navigating Timelines and Challenges

Building a custom home is a dream for many, but it’s a journey filled with twists, turns, and unexpected challenges. No two custom homes are alike, and this uniqueness adds complexity to the construction process. At Ambrose Design and Construct, we understand that every custom home project is an intricate puzzle, and we take pride in carefully accounting for various factors to provide homeowners with a practical completion date that aligns with their expectations.

 

The Lay of the Land

One of the initial challenges in custom home construction is the terrain. Many plots of land are not perfectly flat, and this introduces several complications. Sloping land, for instance, requires the installation of a blockwork base structure to counteract the slope. Additionally, retaining walls may need to be constructed to manage the land’s natural contours. These early steps are critical in ensuring the home’s stability and longevity.

 

Accessibility Matters

The accessibility of the construction site is another crucial consideration. In some cases, the site may be tight or have limited access points, which can impact the sequence of construction. Certain elements of the build may need to be prioritized or executed differently to accommodate these constraints. Planning for accessibility challenges is essential to keeping the project on track.

 

Finishing Touches

Custom homes often feature unique and intricate finishes that set them apart. These finishes, such as 2pac paint finishes on cabinetry, venetian rendering, or precisely mitered tiles, can add significant time to the construction process. Attention to detail is paramount, and these finishing touches are where craftsmanship truly shines.

 

Trade and Access Limitations

The subcontractors employed by custom builders are typically smaller, boutique operations. While their expertise is invaluable, delays can have a cascading effect on the project timeline. Factors like epoxy floor coatings, sanding, and polishing real timber floors may limit access for other trades, potentially extending the project’s duration.

 

The Challenge of Split-Level Construction

Some custom homes are designed with split-level layouts, adding complexity to the project. A three-story or more custom home with intricate design elements requires meticulous planning and execution, which naturally extends the construction schedule. The complexity of these projects demands additional time for precision and attention to detail.

 

Setting Realistic Expectations

In the world of custom home construction, there’s no one-size-fits-all timeline. The timeline for completing a custom home can vary significantly based on the site, design, and finishing requirements. In cases where the site is relatively simple with minimal slope and good access, a timeline of around 10 months might be feasible. However, for larger, multi-level homes with challenging sites, homeowners should anticipate a timeline of approximately 15 months.

 

Our Commitment at Ambrose Design and Construct

At Ambrose Design and Construct, we recognize the intricacies and uncertainties involved in custom home construction. Our approach is rooted in meticulous planning, clear communication, and a commitment to delivering on our promises. We take all these factors into account when analyzing construction timelines to ensure that the completion date we provide is both fair and reasonable. Our goal is to empower homeowners to plan their lives confidently, knowing that their custom home will be built with precision and care.

 

In conclusion, building a custom home is a complex journey, filled with unique challenges that can impact construction timelines. However, with the right team and careful planning, homeowners can see their dream homes come to life. At Ambrose Design and Construct, we are dedicated to making this journey as smooth and rewarding as possible, ensuring that every custom home we build is a testament to craftsmanship and innovation.