The Benefits of Creating a Vision For Your New Home

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Why it’s important to create a vision for your new home.

When it comes to building a new home, it’s important to have a clear understanding of exactly what you want and need. This way, you can clearly convey to your builder what you expect them to build for you.

Without taking the time at the beginning of your journey, to thoroughly understand what you need from your new home, and to educate yourself on the latest options available to you, you may end up with a home that defaults to your chosen builder’s inclusions and finishes. Potentially missing out on some excellent features that you’d otherwise have the chance to choose from.

However, it doesn’t have to be this way. With a little bit of guidance prior to commencing discussions with a builder, you can be better prepared to make informed decisions regarding every aspect of your new home.

How do we do it?

We guide you through our HomeVision program, that’s how.

What is the HomeVision program and why do I need it?

It’s clear to us that many folk who are about to build a new home don’t at all know what they don’t know regarding new homes, and a little extra knowledge could really go a long way to improving the new home you are handed upon completion of construction.

Our answer to this problem was to create a new home planning program that’s designed to help you create a vision for your perfect home, to raise your base-level understanding of how builders operate, and to ensure you have thought about each aspect of your new home before you sign a contract with a builder.

We call it the HomeVision program.

The program covers a wide range of topics related to new homes and was carefully designed to provide an easy-to-follow process that can take you from day one; having decided to build a new home; all the way through to signing a contract with a builder.

If you’re not quite sure where to kick things off, don’t really want to speak to any salespeople just yet, or would just like to take some measures to ensure you end up with the best home possible, this program is for you.

Outdated Methods of Planning a New Home.

Traditionally, people in the market for a new home will spend copious amounts of time lugging the kids around, travelling far and wide seeking out display villages and the display homes within them, just to try and find a home design they like.

When they finally find a floor plan or home that excites them, they’ll begin speaking with the builder’s sales rep to get some more details.

The sales rep typically presents the client with a printed copy of the floor plan of interest, along with a list of the builder’s standard inclusions.

Additionally, there may be an on-display brochure that contains a breakdown of the items throughout the display home that are upgrades above the builder’s standard inclusion level (items that cost extra or aren’t included as standard).

People who buy a new home through a display home sales rep commonly only choose upgrades that were on display in the given display home and don’t make too many other modifications as they aren’t really sure what other options are available to them.

Opting for this path with a builder might expedite the process but at the cost of thoroughness and customization breadth. Choices you may later regret.

So, what do you do to ensure you’ve had the opportunity to consider all the latest bells and whistles you could possibly want to choose from?

Create a vision for your home with our HomeVision program, that’s what you do.

Getting started with the HomeVision program.

This is where Foresight Home Planning comes into the picture.

Our comprehensive HomeVision Program is designed to help you identify what the perfect home for you needs to encompass, as well as the specific features it should contain.

We accomplish this by educating you on various facets of building a new home, ranging from understanding builders and their operations to exploring construction methods, materials, and finishing touches.

By equipping you with this information early on, our program prepares you to make informed decisions about options for your new home that you might not have known were available.

This ensures you’ve considered all aspects, helping to eliminate any oversights, and giving you the confidence you need to start construction.

One of the key benefits of utilising our HomeVision program is that it takes the pressure off you and allows you to gradually build out your vision for your new home at your own pace and in your own time.

We believe it’s best not to rush this process because it’s human nature for some of our best ideas to come to us when we’re out and about, working on different tasks, or even in the shower!

Sometimes those ideas can come when it’s too late, but not if you’ve chosen to plan your home with Foresight Home Planning.

Planning your dream home in this non-rushed manner before speaking with any builders leads to more creative home ideas, which in turn will help you plan a home you’ll love.

The benefits of creating a vision for your new home.

By taking the time to produce a documented vision for the home you wish to build, you’ll be giving yourself peace of mind that you’ve put in the work necessary to obtain outstanding results when your home is finished being built. In this section, we’ll explore the benefits of creating a vision for your new home prior to sitting down with a builder.

First and foremost, creating a vision for your home allows you to ensure that you’ve had the opportunity to consider having the latest features and technologies available to be included in your home.

Imagine what it must feel like once you’ve moved into your new home, and you realise there’s this amazing feature or modification that you could have easily added to your home in the initial quoting stages that’s now either impossible to add or significantly more expensive. Not ideal at all.

If you skip our HomeVision Program, you may find yourself wanting to add features during construction that weren’t included in your initial contract. In such cases, you’ll need to negotiate a Post-Contract Variation (PCV) with your builder, which often comes with higher margins and administrative fees. Our HomeVision Program can help you anticipate these details ahead of time, potentially saving you a significant amount of money and stress.

While some builders are flexible about making changes during construction, others are less accommodating due to the disruption it causes in their construction management processes. This effectively derails the progress of construction for the home, as the site supervisor now has to arrange for new materials to be delivered and has to re-schedule heavily booked-out tradesmen to ensure that the items contained in this new PCV are now reflected on the job site.

This is the primary reason why modifications made to a home while it’s under construction will cost significantly more than if these items were captured at the beginning during the planning stages. You can expect inflated pricing for the items you are after, along with post-contract variation fees and the possibility of delays with your build that can push out the completion date if you attempt to take this route.

Completing the HomeVision program offers another advantage. It clearly communicates your vision to the builder right from the start. As a result, your initial meetings with the builder can be more efficient, as they won’t need as much time to grasp your dream outcome.

This, in turn, provides a solid foundation for the builder and site supervisors to bring your home to life. Having all documentation related to your home in fewer documents, with minimal post-contract variations, makes it significantly easier for anyone to understand what is and isn’t included in your contract.

Additionally, this can reduce the need for numerous meetings and revisions, saving you time and lowering the overall project cost.

Reduce the cost of my project I hear you ask?

Yes, indeed it can.

I’ll present two scenarios for you to consider, it’s up to you to decide which way you’d like to go.

Scenario 1:

You complete the HomeVision Program through Foresight Home Planning, enhancing your understanding of how builders operate and the latest options available for your new home. You’ve smoothly navigated our program to create a comprehensive vision. You’ve nominated specific details about each aspect of your desired home, which your builder can effortlessly review. This information is then used to create a tailor-made New Home Proposal, complete with plans and a quote that fully encompasses all your specified requirements and aligns with the budget set in your HomeVision summary.

You invest some time going back and forth with the builder to fine-tune the plans and address any remaining details. Now you find you’re in the optimal position to try your hand at negotiations on pricing with your builder. Your builder may be more open to negotiating as they can see you are less likely to make changes to the home throughout the construction process since your HomeVision summary was so comprehensive.

While we can’t guarantee a discount, you are well-prepared to initiate negotiations with your builder. You might consider requesting an allowance within your contract to allocate toward upgrades like tiles or benchtops during your builder’s design studio phase. It’s all about preparation and positioning yourself to seize this opportunity while minimizing the chances of post-contract modifications or, worse, adjustments during the construction phase.

Scenario 2:

You opt to go it alone, possibly unaware of our HomeVision Program designed to help you craft a vision for your new home before engaging a builder. You discover a display home you fancy, select a floor plan, an inclusion level, and some upgrades inspired by the homes you’ve visited. The builder then presents you with a quote.

While you engage in some back-and-forth to make minor adjustments, a lingering uncertainty nags at you. You’re unsure if you’ve considered all the essential elements. Without apparent feasible options for comprehensive assessment, you proceed to sign a contract with your builder.

Some builders may tackle the next phase before signing a contract, but typically, you’ll enter the builder’s design studio. Here, you choose from a limited range of finishing options to add to your home. Think ovens, cooktops, basins, mixers, towel rails, toilet suites, tiles, roofing materials, and their respective colours/finishes.

The builder generally prefers selections from items in their design studio and display homes, as they’ve already negotiated pricing and supplier agreements for these items. You make your choices, and a post-contract variation (PCV) is raised, confirming selections and adjusting the contract’s cost. Next, the builder secures approvals and coordinates material deliveries for your home.

Gradually, during construction, you spot other features you’d like to add. Perhaps a different façade catches your eye, or you realize the potential of adding a mudroom or expanding the garage dimensions for easier vehicle access. However, it’s now too late to make these changes.

During a walkthrough with a friend, they suggest enlarging your master ensuite by reallocating space from an unusually wide section of the hallway. You agree and are frustrated having not picked up on this potential improvement earlier. When you approach the builder with this request, they hesitate due to the already installed timber frames and plumbing pipes. Eventually, they agree to quote the modifications.

You anticipate a reasonable cost, perhaps around $1000, but the quote arrives, shocking you with a figure exceeding $5000 to relocate one wall a mere half-meter into the hallway. You contest the price, but the builder insists it’s non-negotiable. Faced with limited options, you reluctantly accept the exorbitant fee or retain the ensuite’s current layout.

The two scenarios outlined above illustrate a crucial point: relying solely on your builder to identify potential changes in your new home isn’t always reliable. However, with the guidance of our HomeVision program, we empower you to think comprehensively about every aspect of your new home, preempting potential issues.

A Home Planning Service that provides peace of mind by eliminating headaches.

At Foresight Home Planning, our core goal revolves around helping you craft a home that truly delights you. We do this by taking the insights I personally collected while working in the industry as a carpenter and construction estimator for new home builders and educating you about those insights before they have the chance to become on-site headaches.

We aim to impart this knowledge to you before it gets a chance to translate into on-site complications.

The majority of the content contained within our program will never be covered by the vast majority of builders. Their primary aim is to swiftly secure a building contract, often overlooking the finer details.

This is precisely why we’ve developed our HomeVision program. We wanted to provide you with the space and time to meticulously plan your dream home without the pressures of rushing into a contract.

In Summary

Overall, Our HomeVision program is a great way to ensure that your new home is built to your exact specifications, potentially saving you time and money during your construction journey and providing you with the peace of mind that you’re producing the best home you possibly can.

If you’re ready to start planning your dream home, be sure to check out the tools offered by Foresight Home Planning and begin planning your dream home, today.

**Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is based on publicly available information. While we strive to ensure the accuracy of this content, Foresight Home Planning Pty Ltd does not guarantee the completeness or reliability of the information. This article is intended for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Foresight Home Planning does not accept liability for any loss, expenses or damage incurred as a result of reliance on the information contained herein. Readers are advised to conduct their own research and seek professional advice before making any decisions related to property purchases, contracts with builders or investments.

*¹: Terms and conditions apply. Registered users of our service must complete our HomeVision program and subsequently join our BuilderConnect program to be eligible for Foresight Home Planning to find you a builder in your local area. Please read our FAQ page for further details.