New Build Owner's Kit
New Build Owner's Kit
You paid for the upgrades. This is how you check you got them.
The New Build Owner's Kit is an organisation kit for Australians building a new home with a builder, from signing the contract to the end of the defects period. Check your inclusions room by room, keep every variation and progress claim on record, and walk into your practical completion inspection (PCI) with a written list.
What's inside
- Start Here guide: how a build runs, who checks what, and how to set up one reliable build folder.
- Pre-start & contract review checklist: 62 things to find in your documents, plus 20 questions to ask your builder before site start.
- Inclusions & selections audit: 207 inclusion and selection prompts, room by room, to check against your signed selections. Printable, and built into the workbook.
- Six site visit checklists: slab, frame, lock-up, fixing, pre-PCI walk and PCI/handover day. What to check, what to photograph and what to ask.
- Defect log: plus how to write a defect with a location, photo reference and follow-up status.
- The Owner's Workbook (.xlsx): inclusions audit, defects, an automatic "send to builder" list, variations, progress claims, an outside-the-contract budget and a dashboard that adds it all up.
- 14 builder email scripts: polite, on-the-record emails for site visits, progress claims, variations, defects and handover, plus how to escalate calmly.
- Handover documents & keys checklist: plus your first 7 days in the new home.
- State & territory notes: the official regulator, warranty scheme and dispute body for all 8 states and territories.
Use it at every stage
Pre-start → Slab → Frame → Lock-up → Fixing → PCI → Handover → Defects period
The details
- One ZIP with 8 A4 PDFs (printable; the checklists have fillable boxes) and 1 Excel workbook (.xlsx)
- Your download link appears straight after payment and is emailed to you. Nothing is posted.
- Excel workbook; you can import a copy into Google Sheets. A computer is recommended for setting it up.
- Made for Australian builds: Australian terms, A4 pages, notes for every state and territory
- A$47 one-off payment with a 30-day money-back guarantee
General information only. The kit helps you organise records and ask better questions. It doesn't replace a licensed building inspector, your building surveyor or certifier, or legal advice.
Before you buy
We're already at lock-up. Is it too late?
No. Start with the checklist for your current stage and the inclusions audit. Most selections only become visible at fixing stage, so there's usually plenty left to check before handover.
Do we still need an independent building inspector?
For most builds it's worth it. An inspector looks at workmanship and structure. The kit covers the owner's side: your inclusions, your paperwork and your money. The two work together.
Does it work in my state?
Yes. The checklists work anywhere in Australia, and the State Notes list the official regulator, home warranty scheme and dispute body for all 8 states and territories.
Do I need Excel?
The workbook is an Excel file (.xlsx). You can also import a copy into Google Sheets for free: upload it to Google Drive and open it as a Google Sheet. Check the dashboard and totals after converting, as some formulas can behave differently.
Can my partner use it too?
Yes. The kit is for your household's build. If you convert the workbook to Google Sheets, share that copy privately so you both work from one list.
Is it for knockdown-rebuilds and custom builders?
Yes, if you're building with a licensed builder under a contract. It isn't designed for owner-builders.
Is this legal or building advice?
No. It's general information to help you stay organised and ask better questions. For advice about your contract or a dispute, talk to your state's consumer affairs agency or a lawyer.
What if it's not for us?
Email nboksupport@gmail.com within 30 days of purchase for a full refund. That's on top of your rights under Australian Consumer Law.
What it helps you do
The owner's side of the build, covered
Use the part that matches the stage you're at. Nothing to set up before you start.
Catch missing upgrades
A 207-item inclusions audit, room by room, to check against your signed selections before handover.
Know what to check on site
Six stage checklists, from slab to handover day: what to look at, what to photograph and what to ask.
Keep every dollar on record
The workbook tracks variations, progress claims and costs outside your contract, and totals them on one dashboard.
Say it right, in writing
14 polite, on-the-record emails for site visits, claims, variations, defects and handover documents.
Walk into your PCI prepared
A defect log that builds your send-to-builder list, plus a handover documents and keys checklist.
Know who to call in your state
The official regulator, home warranty scheme and dispute body for all 8 states and territories.
What your inspector will not check
Your inspector checks the build. You check what you paid for.
Building surveyors and independent inspectors look at compliance, structure and workmanship. Whether the tapware, benchtop, power points and ceiling heights you signed and paid for actually turned up in the house is yours to check. That is the gap this kit closes.
- Building surveyor or certifier: mandatory compliance inspections
- Independent inspector: workmanship and defects, if you hire one (ask what their scope covers)
- You: inclusions, selections, variations, payments and paperwork
Ready when you are
Get the New Build Owner's Kit for A$47
8 printable guides, the owner's workbook and 14 ready-to-send builder emails. Your download link appears the moment you pay, and lands in your inbox as well.
Get the Kit — Instant Download30-day money-back guarantee · Secure Shopify checkout · One-off payment, no subscription