Guides

Practical guides for Australians building a new home with a licensed builder, from signing the contract to the end of the defects period. New here? Start with the free PCI & handover day checklist.
Illustration of a timber wall frame with a window opening, noggings and a cable run
Frame stage checklist: what owners should check before the walls are closed in
Frame stage is your best chance to walk the actual rooms before plaster. What owners can check, what needs an inspector, and the photos to take. Read more...
Illustration of a concrete slab with reinforcing mesh, plumbing penetrations and a camera
Slab stage checklist: what owners should check before and after the pour
What an owner can usefully check at slab stage, what needs a professional, and the photos to take before the concrete covers everything. Read more...
Illustration of a frame stage progress claim with five ticked checks
How to check a progress claim before you pay your builder
A simple five-step check to run on every progress claim before you or your lender pay it: stage, variations, running total, defects and paperwork. Read more...
Illustration of speech bubbles asking a builder about fixed prices, PC items and contacts
20 questions to ask your builder before signing a contract
The questions Australian owners should ask a builder before signing, grouped by price, timing, inclusions, site visits and handover, and what to do with the answers. Read more...
Illustration of a running build cost that adds each approved variation to the contract price
Builder variations explained: how to track them and avoid surprise costs
What a variation is, why they blow out build budgets, and a simple way to track every one so the final bill has no surprises. Read more...
Illustration of a new house beside a ticked practical completion inspection checklist
Practical completion inspection (PCI): how to prepare and what to check
What to prepare and what to check, room by room, at your practical completion inspection, plus how to write up defects so they actually get fixed. Read more...
Illustration of a kitchen inclusions checklist with yes, partial and no match columns
New home inclusions checklist: how to check you're actually getting what you signed for
How to check your new home's inclusions against what you signed — room by room, with a real page from our 207-item Australian inclusions audit. Read more...