Our Home Build Process

Choosing a home design is a balancing act between your budget, needs, and desires. But who says you can’t have it all? Your New Home Consultant is here to help you find a design that perfectly matches your preferences and lifestyle. Whatever your vision, we’ll collaborate with you to create a Rivergum home that’s just right—because getting the best outcome is what we do best.

Our tips:

• Visit a Display Home
  Explore a display home with a similar layout and size to get a true sense of the space.

• Explore More Designs
  Visit our website to discover additional home designs and specifications that might suit your vision.

• Check Your Budget
  Talk to our lending consultants or your mortgage advisor about your budget, and aim to get pre-approval if possible.
• Connect with a Rivergum New Home Consultant
  Take your time to explore the possibilities with the guidance of your New Home Consultant. They’ll help you navigate the best options for your needs and provide an estimate for your new home.

Once you’ve selected your home design, we’ll take your vision and specifications to create an indicative quote, giving you a clear understanding of how everything fits together. This quote includes allowances for the suppliers, consultants, and contractors who will help bring your home to life.

What to expect:

• Experience Plan Lab: This is where the magic happens. Your New Home Consultant will book you into our Plan Lab, where you’ll walk-through your selected plan in life-size. They’ll guide you through all the details of your quote, ensuring everything is just right.
• Financing Options: With a clearer idea of your home’s cost, it’s the perfect time to explore financing with our lender or yours.
• Getting the Details Right: When you’re ready, we’ll request a deposit. This allows us to secure more precise costings through a site survey, soil profiling, energy efficiency report, and finalising service connections and any additional structural needs.
• Your Deposit: The good news is that your deposit will be credited toward your build when you sign your contract with us.

You’ve chosen your preferred home design and made your first deposit—exciting times! Now, to ensure your site is just right for your new home, we’ll arrange a preliminary site inspection. This step allows us to take a closer look at the land, helping us identify anything that might impact your build.

What to expect:

• Our site specialist will prepare a preliminary engineering report, an energy efficiency assessment, and a contour plan of your site. We’ll provide a more accurate estimate for siteworks and service connections as part of your contract.

Our tip:

• Use this time between steps to secure your finance pre-approval, ensuring everything is in place before moving on to Step 4.

With all the plans, drawings, and costs now in place, your home begins to take shape. At this stage, we’ll invite you back into Plan Lab for one final walk-through of your plan. Your New Home Consultant will review your contract, which details everything we’ve collaborated and agreed upon. Once signed, you’ll officially join the Rivergum building team. We’re excited to partner with you on this journey!

What to expect:

• Your New Home Consultant will book a time for you to walk-through your final floor plan at Plan Lab and spend the time to help you understand the contract documents and answer any questions you may have
• This is where you will pay your second deposit
• Following the signing we send a copy to you and your lender if you are financing your new home

At this stage, we handle all the important details to secure the necessary approvals, like council permits, planning consent, and encumbrance approvals. We also arrange for an independent building certification to ensure everything’s in shape to get the official green light from the council to start building. Knowing these steps helps you understand just how thorough we are in preparing for your new home.

What to expect:

• Your New Home Consultant will help you choose your exterior finishes to include in your approval application.

Our tips:

• If you’re building near a boundary, now’s a great time to introduce yourself to your new neighbors and start a friendly conversation.
• Work with your lender to get your formal finance approval in place, ensuring everything is set for the next steps.

Now it’s time to add your personal touch! Our Selections Consultant will invite you to a selections appointment at our design studio, where you can see and feel samples of finishes and product options.

What to expect:

• Your appointment will usually take a full day. This is to ensure we give you enough time to discuss and work through all your options. We want you to leave feeling 100% certain in your choices especially with important things like power point locations.
• Some design and material selections will be made outside our studio, but don’t worry—we’ll take care of scheduling those appointments for you. All you need to do is choose your flooring and discuss any solar options with our trusted supplier partners. We’re here to make the process as smooth as possible!

Our tips

• Check out the latest selections guide for inspiration and jot down your preferences before your appointment.
• Stay inspired by following us on Instagram and Facebook.
• Create a Pinterest board to share your ideas and inspirations.
• Take your time during your appointment to discuss your vision with your Selections Consultant. They’ll offer helpful recommendations. Any upgrades or extras will then be added to your original contract value.
• Once you have your finalised drawings of your home, you can start shopping for any personal touches that may not have been included in your contract, such as blinds and landscaping.

With all your approvals in place and design options selected, it’s time to kick off the construction of your new home! We know you’re excited and eager to understand the timeline. Build times can vary based on design complexity, site conditions, and other factors. We’ll discuss the specifics of your build to provide a realistic timeline and help you plan effectively.

At this point, you’ll be introduced to your Customer Service Team. They’ll guide you through your owner obligations and keep you updated as your new home comes together.

What to Expect:

• You’ll get an introductory call from our Customer Service Team to go over the commencement timeframe. This will help you get your site ready by clearing any obstacles or vegetation before the construction crew arrives.
• The build process involves six stages: PC1 Foundation, PC2 Frame, PC3 Roof and External Walls, PC4 First Fix, PC5 Second Fix, and PC6 Practical Completion.
• We will invite you to three guided visits with your Site Manager over the time of your build. They will take you on a room-by-room tour of each completed stage.

Handover is a two-part process, typically about two weeks apart. When your home is nearly complete, you’ll start with a room-by-room tour with your Site Manager. During this visit, we’ll note any final touches needed before the final handover. Over the next two weeks, we’ll complete those touches, install appliances, and ensure we are happy and proud to handover your home.

What to Expect:

• Pre-Handover Inspection: This will take a few hours, giving you a chance to walk-through your home and see it practically complete.
• Final Handover: About two weeks after the pre-handover inspection, you’ll have your final handover meeting. We’ll explain your warranties and services, and you’ll receive the keys to your new home!

Our Tips:

• Arrange for insurance and services before handover so you can move in smoothly once you get the keys.
• If you’re financing your home, let your financial institution know before this appointment so they can finalise their valuation and arrange payment of your final progress claim.

When you build with Rivergum, it doesn’t stop when you get the keys. We’re committed to getting things just right, so if you find something wrong in the first three months from handover, we’ll make it right.

We stand by the quality of everything we put into a Rivergum Home.

What to expect:

• A new home always takes time to settle so during the first three months note down anything you notice that you would like us to look at during your 3-month after care.
• We will contact you 2 weeks before the end of your 3-month after care period to remind you to share your list with us. Once received we will assess this and ensure we action any outstanding issues or concerns.

Our tip:

• Understanding the difference between after care, warranty, and maintenance will help you know what to do and who to contact. Be sure to read the details of our after care program.