Home is closer than you think

With more than 46 years of home building experience, Clarendon Homes has refined the art of creating new homes, ensuring a better experience for every one of our customers. Having built thousands of homes over the decades, we’ve combined our wealth of experience with a commitment to continuously improving our processes. This dedication allows us to offer you a smoother, more enjoyable homebuilding journey today.

Note: this is a guide only and your official HIA contract takes precedence to the information provided.

Building a new home is one of the biggest decisions you'll make, and at Clarendon Homes, we're here to make that choice both easy and rewarding. Whether you're just beginning your home-building journey or nearing the final steps, no matter what stage you're in, Clarendon is ready to guide you along the way.

Moving on from your existing home

Choosing to build a new home is a different experience from buying an existing one, especially given the time it takes to prepare and construct. If you're selling your current home to build a new one, it's important to plan for where you'll live during the build. This might mean finding a short-term rental or staying with friends or family. If you're renting, consider reviewing your lease so you can avoid paying rent after you’ve moved into your new home. 

Hints and tips
Consult with your lender early to determine your borrowing capacity and monthly repayments, as this will affect the type and style of home you want to build as well as your build location. We can refer you to a trusted mortgage broker if required.

Building agreement and HIA contract

Your consultant will present a comprehensive "building agreement" along with the official HIA contract for your review and approval. This contract includes the working drawings and detailed specifications for your new home. Once you approve the agreement, all necessary building applications can be lodged. After that, a Lifestyle Studio consultant will reach out to schedule an appointment at our Lifestyle Studio in Loganholme, where you'll explore design options and finishes for your new home.

Contract deposit:
Balance of 5% of your contract value as per your HIA contract.

A note on progress payments
Unlike a home loan for an existing property, a construction home loan allows you to only pay for the part of the construction work that has been completed. Each progress payment coincides with the completion of each stage of construction, and these stages are all detailed in your HIA contract, including the payment amounts required. To avoid unnecessary delays in the construction of your home, check with your lender regarding their process of making progress payments.

Before we can begin construction, there are a few important steps that need to be completed.

Your Anticipated Start Date (ASD) is listed in your signed Building Agreement and HIA contract. While this date isn’t the exact start of construction, it serves as your price review deadline. By this date, all your contractual obligations must be fulfilled to keep the project on track.

Your dedicated Customer Service Consultant is here to guide you through the process and answer any questions you have along the way. To ensure a smooth and timely start to your build, please review the checklist below. These items must be completed before the ASD to meet the timelines outlined in the contract:

• Deposit paid
• Land registered
• Evidence of land title provided
• All permits and approvals received
• Covenant approvals obtained
• Authority to Commence Construction (ACC) from your lender
• Evidence of capacity to pay from your lender (if applicable), including all variations
• Demolition completed at least 3 weeks before ASD for secondary reports (if applicable)
• Tree removal where applicable
• Developer approval received
• All selection and construction documents signed

Completing these steps in a timely manner helps us stay aligned with the contract's timelines and ensures a smooth transition into the construction phase.

A lot of planning goes into getting your new home ready for construction, but once that’s complete and you start to see it come to life, it makes all the preparation worthwhile! As one of Queensland’s leading home builders, Clarendon Homes employs only the most experienced site managers and skilled tradespeople to ensure your home is built to the highest standards.

Customer service
Throughout the construction of your home, you'll receive regular updates every week, alternating between your customer service consultant and your site manager. These updates will be provided via phone or email. Additionally, your site manager will arrange an on-site meeting early in the process to answer any questions you might have. We’ll also upload progress photos of your home to your HomeHub account approximately every two weeks so you can follow along with its transformation.

Base stage

For a standard home with a concrete slab on ground construction, “base” stage is complete when the building’s slab has been poured.

Construction works:

• Excavation of site
• Piering works complete (if applicable)
• Internal and external drainage installed
• Formwork, pods and steel installed
• Concrete slab poured

Progress payment due:
15% of your contract value as per your HIA contract

Frame stage

“Frame” stage is complete when the building’s frame is finished; that is, the wall frames are fixed, roof trusses are fixed and all tie downs and bracing are complete. 

Construction works:

• Erection of house frame
• Installation of roof trusses

Progress payment due:
20% of your contract value as per your HIA contract

Enclosed stage

“Enclosed” stage is complete when external wall cladding, roof coverings, external windows and sliding doors are fixed, excluding the garage door and external hinged doors.

Construction works:

• Fascia and gutters installed
• Roof installed
• Plumbing and electrical rough-ins
• Air conditioning, alarm system rough-ins (if applicable)
• Windows installed
• Brickwork completed
• Eaves, upper downpipes and external painting (double storeys) completed
• Lightweight cladding installed (if applicable)
• Lock-up of home

Progress payment due:
25% of your contract value as per your HIA contract

Fixing stage

“Fixing” stage is complete when all internal linings, architraves, cornice, skirting, doors to rooms, wet area tiling, built in cabinets (excluding shelves and robe fitout) of your home are fitted and fixed into position. This excludes baths, stone bench tops and glass splashbacks if applicable to your home, which are installed after this stage is complete.

Construction works:

• Wall insulation and gyprock installed
• Waterproofing to wet areas
• Staircase installed (double storey homes)
• Skirting and architraves installed
• Kitchen and vanities installed
• Carpentry complete
• Tiling complete

Progress payment due:
20% of your contract value as per your HIA contract

On-site meeting
Just before tiling commences, you’ll be contacted by Clarendon to arrange an on-site meeting with your site manager and tiler. 

Hints and tips
Use this opportunity to view how your chosen colours and finishes have come to life, especially in your kitchen and bathrooms!

Practical completion

“Practical completion” stage is reached when all works are completed in compliance with your contract, including all plans and specifications for the work and all statutory requirements applying to the work. As per your contract, this excludes any “minor defects or omissions” which do not affect the home being occupied; such items are addressed in the final walk-through inspection.

Once your home has reached the practical completion stage, you’ll be contacted by your site manager to arrange an onsite for a “pre-handover walkthrough inspection”. At this meeting your site manager will take you through your home and advise on the process for addressing any minor defects or omissions prior to handover.

Construction works:

• Interior and lower (double storey) exterior painting completed
• Garage doors installed
• Plumbing and electrical completed
• Site and house clean up

Final progress payment due:
15% of your contract value as per your HIA contract

Hints and tips
Handover usually takes place within 2 weeks from the pre-handover walkthrough inspection. There will be important information to digest from your handover meeting, and in all the excitement you may not recall everything. Make sure you keep all the information provided to you for future reference. Also, make sure you arrange your home and contents insurance to commence from the date of practical completion.

Handover

As the name suggests, this is when Clarendon Homes officially hands over the keys to your new home! You’ll be contacted by your site manager to arrange a final onsite meeting at which your site manager will confirm that any minor defects and omissions have been addressed, provide explanation to any queries you may have regarding your home, and provide you with all the information you need to properly care for your new home. Finally, once all monies have been received by Clarendon Homes in accordance with your HIA contract, you’ll be issued with the keys to your new home, at which time you can officially celebrate being the proud owner of your very own new home, and the latest member of the Clarendon family!

Hints and tips
As the handover meeting is a major milestone in your build, it’s important not to rush it, so allow about 2-3 hours for this on-site meeting. To avoid inconvenience, at about 2 weeks prior to moving in, you should start organising your utility providers, redirect your mail and organise new bins from your local council.

Our service doesn’t end when you receive the keys to your new home. In fact, we see this as only the start of our relationship with you, because we want you to be happy with your home for many more years to come! Your customer service consultant or site manager will continue to be in contact with you for up to 3 months after handover, in case of any emergency items that need to be addressed once you have moved in. From this point on, Clarendon’s warranty and service team will take care of you, and our Lifetime Structural Guarantee stands as a testament to our commitment to you in the long term.

Customer service
Your new home is covered by numerous warranties. You may make a warranty claim at any time in writing to warranty and service team by sending an email to [email protected]. If your claim is approved under warranty our team will organise the necessary repair works pursuant to the claim.

Warranty requests

All builders in Queensland are required to provide a non-structural warranty period of 12 months after handover. However, in our experience you will likely notice items in the first 6 months after handover due to slight movement as a result of the natural settlement of the building after construction finishes (this is completely normal for a new home). We also recognise that most homeowners would prefer warranty requests to be addressed much earlier than the 12 month mark. That’s why you’ll receive an email request from Clarendon at 5 months post-handover to formally document any warranty items you would like addressed.

Hints and tips
Don’t wait until you hear from Clarendon to start noting items to be addressed at your 6 month warranty inspection. Instead, document any items you notice as soon as you see them, as this helps to ensure nothing is missed.

Lifetime structural guarantee

In Queensland, all home builders are required by law to provide a structural warranty for a period of 6 years from handover (more information on this can be found at www.qbcc.qld.gov.au). However, as we are confident your new home is built to last, at Clarendon Homes we’re proud to cover your new home with a lifetime structural guarantee!

Hints and tips
Clarendon’s guarantee covers major structural element failures, attributable to defective installation or workmanship for the life of your occupancy in your new home (not transferrable to subsequent owners). Further conditions can be found here.