The Essential Checklist for a Regret-Free New Home

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So you’re ready to build a new home and now you want to ensure you cover all bases so that you don’t have any regrets once you’ve reached completion and your home is ready to move into.

While this is one of the key services provided by Foresight Home Planning, today I want to give a sample taste of some of the checklist items you should be thinking about before commencing construction that will help produce the best new home possible.

If you find the following examples beneficial, you might be interested in checking out our HomeVision New Home Planning Program. It’s literally designed to help you create a vision for your home and then make it easy to convey that vision to your builder. This process ensures you’ve taken a comprehensive approach to planning your new home, ensuring no stone is left unturned and you get the new home you deserve.

We’ll also find you a great builder if you like!

Take a peep at our homepage and see what we’re all about.

Otherwise, let’s begin.

Checklist For Building a New House

With so many aspects to consider for your new home, we’ll want to be rather organised to ensure we don’t overlook anything. So, what I’m going to do is break this article up into the following categories allowing you to skip ahead if you please.

• Finance
• Strategic Budget Distribution
• Build site / Block of land
• Dual Living
• What Do You Need From Your New Home?
• Internal Finishes
• Functionality Concerns For Your New House
• Energy Efficiency
• Bathroom & Ensuite
• Kitchen & Pantry
• Laundry
• Landscaping
• External Finishes
• Electrical
• Facade

Finance

Before you begin doing or thinking about home designs, facades, kitchens, bathrooms, landscaping or anything for that matter, you really should speak with a financial adviser or perhaps your bank or a finance broker to find out exactly how much money you are able to spend on the construction of your new home.

Once you have this figure in mind you’ll then be better prepared and more efficient with all the subsequent research you do, as you’ll then have a firm understanding of what is and isn’t an option for you to consider.

A lot of time can be wasted if you’re looking at home designs where the base house price is too expensive, hence why it’s so important to understand your financial capacity from the beginning. Only then as we explain in the next paragraph, can you begin to think about how you will allocate your total budget across each aspect of your new home construction project.

Strategic Budget Distribution

Once you’ve determined what the total amount is that you can access for the construction of your new home, you’ll then want to think about breaking down that total amount into smaller chunks which are then allocated for the various aspects that a builder will charge you to build a new home.

This is something we guide our clients through within our HomeVision program if you would like further assistance, otherwise, read on.

If you’ve already been looking at builders pricing online and you’ve found a design that’s just under what your total budget is then I’m afraid you’ve jumped the gun and you need to take a few steps back.

When you go and sit with a builder and tell them the home design you want to put on your block of land, the first things they are going to begin thinking about is what additional costs are going to be required to get the building site to the point where this home can be built on it.

This is known as site costs and includes things like excavation, retaining, under slab plumbing and structural footings, all of which are costs that can add up really quickly.

I say this to give you a heads-up that the total amount of dollars you have available for your build can’t be allocated to just the home design.

And this is before you begin thinking about upgrading standard inclusions throughout the home or considering landscaping. These all come at additional costs over and above the base house price. This is why it’s important to have a detailed budget pertaining to each aspect of your new home, ensuring you choose a home design that also leaves you with sufficient funds to finish the home the way you desire.

In our New Home Planning Program, we help you understand how to think about your overall budget for your new house, and how that budget really needs to be broken up into 9 different categories, with only one of those categories being an allowance for the house design itself.

We include the full breakdown of how to think about your new home budget for free at the beginning of our New Home Planning Program, all you need to do is have an account with Foresight Home Planning which you can get here.

Build Site / Block of Land

If you’ve already bought your block of land, great.

If not, there are some factors you should be on the lookout for when trying to determine which is the perfect block of land for your new home. I speak about this chapter in depth in this article so I’ll just give you a brief rundown here of the points covered there.

Some of the variables to consider when trying to find the best block of land or build site for your new house are as follows:

• Location including quality of the suburb;
• Availability of Utilities;
• Acreage Home Site variables such as distance to utilities, is an HSTP required, bushfire rated?
• The slope of the block;
• Soil Classification;
• Street Frontage, Block Depth, Building Envelopes & Height Restrictions;
• Bushfire Protection Requirements;
• Flood Protection Requirements;
• Sound Protection Requirements for your New Home;
• Estate Covenant Requirements and Incentives;
• Left Field Variables;
• Land Orientation;
• Land Value Growth Features;
• Land Value Hindering Considerations.

Overlooking any of these variables when buying a block of land could lead to regret later on down the road. Take the time, do your research and be as informed as possible.

Dual Living

Have you considered if you’d like your new home to be able to generate an additional income?

Perhaps for that same amount of money you were going to spend on a large home for yourself, you could instead build something roughly the same size but have a separately metered residence all under the same roof.

I’ve stayed in AirBnB’s where the homeowners had a distinct, lockable living space built into their homes. This separate unit had a spacious room with a queen-sized bed, a couch, and a large wardrobe, complemented by a private ensuite bathroom. We accessed the space through our own entrance on the side of the house, and the keys were conveniently retrieved from a lockbox next to this entry. Instead of a kitchen, there was an outdoor BBQ. This setup allowed the homeowners to earn extra income from their new property and if you think about it, it’s really just a large bedroom with its own ensuite and a private entry.

At the time of writing, QLD is currently in the midst of a housing crisis, leading to a sharp increase in rents across the state. While this situation is tough for renters, it offers people building new homes an opportunity. With a little thought and consideration, you could design your home in a manner that allows you to help ease the housing crisis and generate some income from your new home while you live there.

Alternatively, a dual occupancy home might offer you the ability to take in a loved one or family member who you’d prefer to live much closer to you but still far enough away that they aren’t in your living room after a long day at work.

What Do You Need From Your New Home?

It’s so easy to fall into the trap of selecting a home from a display village because you love the way the home is finished however, this completely overlooks how practical the home will be for your given circumstances.

Take a moment to consider each of the following queries to help you determine what kind of floor plan is going to be most suitable for you and your family.

• How many bedrooms do you need now and how many might you need five years from now?
• Do you need a home office?
• Do you want a home gym?
• How many separate living areas do you need?
• Would you like a kids retreat?
• Would you like a parent’s retreat?
• Would you like a mud room?
• Would you like a bar?
• Would you like to extend the garage to allow for a workshop or storage area?
• Have you considered how high you’d like the ceilings?

Consider this a primer on the essential questions to ponder as you start envisioning your new home. The purpose of this checklist is to stimulate your thoughts and help you pinpoint your needs. If you’re seeking a comprehensive approach, our HomeVision New Home Planning Program is tailor-made for you.

Discover how we can support you from the initial decision to build a new home to defining your precise preferences and introducing you to a Foresight Select Builder near you.

Internal Finishes

When planning your dream home, remember that builders are facilitators of your vision, not designers of it. Their role is to construct the home you’ve researched and envisioned, not to present you with all the possible inclusions. It’s crucial for you to thoroughly research and decide on the features you desire in advance.

Builders operate on tight schedules; they aren’t there to walk you through every option, but to take your well-considered vision and translate it into a tangible construction plan. To ensure you don’t miss out on any elements you might want, it’s essential to have a comprehensive understanding of your preferences and convey them clearly to your builder right from the start.

With that in mind, here are a few examples you may like to consider looking into:

• Upgrading internal doors from flush profile to something with a little character;
• Adding weather seals to your external doors;
• Having polished concrete floors;
• Square set ceilings in lieu of corniced ceilings;
• Micro Cement or polished plaster feature walls (we love Render X from the Gold Coast!).

This is just scratching the surface, If you’d like to go deeper on this check out our in-depth New Home Planning Program that strives to ensure you’ve considered all options available for your new home.

Functionality Concerns For Your New House

Apologies, but this section is exclusive to members of our New Home Planning Program.

As part of our Preliminary Education stage in the HomeVision program, we delve into the myriad of variables that contribute to crafting your new home. We discuss real-life issues encountered by homeowners during their building journey, providing valuable lessons that can prevent similar setbacks in your project.

Our program is meticulously designed to ensure you benefit from the collective experience of others, helping you to navigate the complexities of home building with confidence. By joining our program, you gain access to a wealth of knowledge that covers these issues comprehensively, ensuring that every detail of your home planning is addressed thoroughly.

The Preliminary Education stage is a free-to-use educational resource, create an account and check it out today.

Energy Efficiency

Have you investigated the various aspects that go into making a house energy efficient?

Builders need to ensure that new homes in Queensland come with a 6-star energy rating as standard. You can also help improve that star rating that your new home gets provided by the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme by being mindful of what variables affect your the rating your home will be given.

Take a look at the video below which explains what the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) encompasses; to get an idea of what’s required to improve your energy efficiency star rating.

Some of the variables you may like to consider are:

• Adding solar to offset energy usage within the home;
• Increasing the quantity and rating of insulation used throughout the home;
• Choosing energy-efficient appliances;
• Choosing an energy-efficient hot water system;
• Choosing energy-efficient cooling & heating systems for your new house;
• If upgrading to double-glazed windows is worth the additional expense.

Side Note: Where Are You Saving Your New Home Inspo?

Looking for a place to organize and store the growing collection of notes and ideas for your new home?

We got you.

Back when I was planning my first home I had the same problem, notes everywhere.

I was using Evernote, Excel, sheets of paper in my office and to-do list apps, but then I realised something, if I’m facing this problem then surely many others must be also. So I set out to build an online service where you can create a vision for the new home you’re planning by storing all of your notes and inspiration in one easy-to-access place.

I call this tool IdeaDrop and it’s available for free. You can save all of your notes and inspirational images for your new home there making it easy to keep track of everything so it’s easy to find when you begin speaking with your builder. Keeps it all tidy and in one place ya know.

Learn more about IdeaDrop.

Alright back to it.

Bathroom & Ensuite

A couple of questions you might like to consider for the Ensuite you’ll be walking in and out of for the next ten or so years are as follows:

• Does the shower easily fit two?
• Should you consider extending the shower floor area?
• Would you like a second shower outlet within the one enclosure?
• Have you seen how much easier it is to clean frameless glass shower screens?
• Would you like a tiled niche within the shower?
• Would you like a tiled seat or footrest in the shower?
• What type of vanity do you like?
• Does the vanity have two basins?
• What type of mirrors would you prefer?
• Are 1m high benches more comfortable than 900mm bench tops?
• Would you prefer an openable mirror shaving cabinet?
• Is the toilet suite within the wet area or is it concealed within its own room? (Protect your toothbrush!)

All this plus more in our New Home Planning Program, come get it.

Kitchen & Pantry

Some cool variables for you to think about with your new Kitchen might be:

• Adding soft close door hinges and drawer runners;
• Adding a built-in bin drawer (no more plastic bin in view!);
• Adding an integrated dishwasher;
• Adding an instantaneous cold/hot water tap to your benchtop (we like Billi);
• Ensuring you’ve got a sufficient amount of benchtop space;
• Adjusting the standard height of your cabinetry to suit your height.

Laundry

Apologies but this section is only available to members of our New Home Planning Program.

Our goal with the tools available through Foresight Home Planning is to help you plan the best home possible, by planning your home in a thorough manner we help eliminate the need for changes throughout the construction of your new home which can save you money in the long run.

Plus we love cool homes and can’t wait for you to show us what you built when it’s finished!

Landscaping

If you indicate to your builder that you have budgeted for landscaping to be included in your new home contract you can generally get your builder to draw up a landscaping plan and have it included within your full set of plans. If you have a specific layout for your property in mind, I recommend drawing up a rough draft for your builder to work from so they have something to help them gauge what you are looking for.

Some of the variables you might like to consider including on your rough draft are as follows:

• Types of and locations of fencing;
• Fenced-off safe zones for pets & young children to play away from vehicles;
• Location and size of garden beds;
• Types of trees you might like;
• Plain concrete or exposed aggregate paths and driveways;
• Adding a deck;
• Patio roof;
• Rubbish bin storage area;
• Locations for grass;
• Type of grass.

You’ll find all this plus more in our HomeVision Program, it really is everything you need to create an all-encompassing vision for your new home.

External Finishes

Please note that detailed guidance on external finishes is provided within the HomeVision program. The insights begin in the free Preliminary Education stage and are expanded upon in the comprehensive Vision Crafting stage.

If you would like access to our experience-based tips and ideas that will lead to you owning a home that’s the envy of your street, you know where to find us.

Electrical

Boy oh boy does it pay to check what electrical inclusions are offered as standard by your builder. I’ve found in the past that some still offer batten light points (YUK!) instead of LED downlights.

If your new home doesn’t come as standard with downlights throughout then you’ve got a problem as that’s just one of the sneaky ways that builders will reduce costs so their base house price can appear cheaper than their competitors.

Some variables to be on the lookout for in terms of electrical inclusions & upgrades for your new house are as follows:

• Downlights;
• Ceiling fans;
• A decent amount of power points throughout the new home;
• Consider upgrading to push button power points and light switches;
• Consider power points with USB charging plugs;
• Consider including an electric vehicle charging station;
• Consider including a security system.

I’d love to share more with you but those tips are my secret sauce, if you want that good stuff that I spent years working in the construction industry learning about then you’ll have to tap into the New Home Planning Program to get it.

Your new house will be totally dope if you do, so what are you waiting for, come suss it out and let’s get you the best house you can possibly build already!

Facade

Legit what’s the first thing people look at when they’re scrolling through realestate.com.au looking at homes they might like to buy?

Yeah, damn straight it’s the façade.

If you go and choose something basic that instils memories of visiting your uncle in his government-gifted housing commission house then what effect do you think that’s going to have on the resale value of your home down the track?

I’ll let you answer that one yourself.

Take your time with this one, do some Google image searches or check my Pinterest for new home facade inspo, then save all of the ones you like the most to your free Foresight Home Planning IdeaDrop account. That way once you’re ready to speak with a builder; you’ll have some really cool examples ready to show them that they can recreate for you.

The Moral of Our Story

The checklist provided in this article offers a glimpse into the comprehensive guidance our HomeVision program at Foresight Home Planning can offer you.

I’ve drawn on my ten-plus years of experience as a Carpenter and new home Estimator to create this service. During that time, I’ve witnessed the highs and lows of home building—from innovative designs to common setbacks. This service consolidates those insights into a simplified process designed to deliver you the best possible result: a home you adore, achieved more affordably by avoiding common pitfalls through thorough preparation.

If you want to take a modern streamlined approach to planning a new home that includes all the checklist variables mentioned above plus more, come check it out.

You can get started for free and the fee for the New Home Planning program is legit so trivial I’m basically giving it away at this point.

You’ve got nothing to lose, come check it out and I promise you’ll be positioned to get a cool as heck house when you’re finished.

**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.