New home design – Tips on choosing the right plans

Once you’ve narrowed down a shortlist of serious contenders, you then need to pick your winning new home design.

Visit display homes for new home designs

With your shortlist of 2-4 new home designs, next step is to visit the display homes of your chosen design (if available), or another of the builder’s homes. You want to touch and feel the fittings and fixtures and see the quality of the build. This is also the point at which you want to see how the spaces within the home make you feel, and whether a particular home gives you that ‘this is the one’ feeling.

Compare ‘apples with apples’

Ideally, you’ve chosen three to four similar options that can be compared. In reality however it is not always that simple. Every builder includes different items in their ‘standard’ inclusions and base price, so it is important that you get all the facts about what’s included and what isn’t. The iBuildNew comparison page is a handy tool for viewing your favourite homes side by side.

Then, fill in our checklist and measure each new home design by either how many ticks they get or what your calculator says once you’ve added it all up.

Click to download our how to choose your home checklist>

Or here are the questions below:

1. 1. What is the base price?
   2. Is it a fixed price contract?
   3. What is included for the price?
   4. What isn’t included?
   5. What will the additional inclusions cost?
   6. How many of our ‘essential’ needs does this new home design meet?
   7. How many bedrooms?
   8. How many bathrooms?
   9. What is the size of the house?
   10. Does the floor plan work for our needs?
   11. What, if any, changes to the floorplans do we need to make?
   12. Will the builder allow us to make these changes?
   13. Will that cost extra?
   14. What are our energy efficient options?
   15. Are they included or extra?
   16. What finishes and fittings are included?
   17. What upgrades are available?
   18. How much will they cost?
   19. Which design offers the best facade options?
   20. Does this design have our preferred external finished, materials and colours?
   21. Does this design offer our preferred internal finishes?
   22. How much extra will it cost to change internal finishes?
   23. What, if any, appliances are included?
   24. Is the kitchen gas, electric or induction?
   25. Is the hot water gas, electric or solar?
   26. Is greywater recycling available?
   27. Will this design be able to fit all our existing furniture?
   28. What new furniture will we need to buy?
   29. Which design is best for the shape and size of our block?
   30. Which design is best for the orientation of our block?
   31. Have we researched the reputation of the builder of this design?
   32. Have we been able to get references or talk to previous customers of this builder?
   33. Have we visited a display home?
   34. What was the quality like?
   35. Which design do we like the most?

Questions frequently asked by people about new house plans.

Let us do the legwork for you.

• We’ll ask the right questions to better understand your needs
• We’ll create a recommended shortlist ideally matched to you
• We’ll answer specific questions or concerns related to home building, land purchasing or financing

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