subject: The Steps of Building a New Home [print this page] The Steps of Building a New Home The Steps of Building a New Home
Prior to purchasing a block of land you will want to make certain that it has an orientation which will facilitate excellent design principles. It should also be of a sufficient size to accommodate your building requirements after taking into account local council criteria including setbacks, height restrictions and plot ratio.
Its location relative to your place of work, schools, shops, public transport and other services need to also be suitable for your needs.
Once you've selected a block you'll have to make probably the most important choice of all; which is, to nominate a builder who can develop the home that suits your lifestyle and spending budget.
Once a building contract is signed the builder takes possession of the site and you might have NO power to participate within the procedure. For this reason it's really critical to get to know as much as you can about the builder you finally choose before you sign a contract.
The builder will employ subcontractors to build what has been specified inside the contract. His primary job is to coordinate activities on site by providing the suitable materials and trades people.
The quality of the finished product will reflect not only the materials used but also the standard of workmanship. The builder who spends time on-site to supervise, check and coordinate tasks will normally get the best results.
Stages of the Construction Process
It is helpful to know the sequence of tasks in house construction. The type of construction, (e.g. double brick, brick veneer or steel frame) may result in minor changes to the order. Generally, the construction sequence is as follows:
1. Survey - A site survey is carried out by a licensed surveyor. The surveyor will mark the corners of the site with pegs and draw a site plan showing the slope of the land with the use of contour lines.
2. Approvals - Planning, building and water authority approvals, and all the relevant insurances need to be obtained.
3. Site-works - The block is cleared, levelled and compacted where the building is to be located.
4. Retaining Walls - Where soil levels change, retaining walls will have to be built.
5. Footings and Slab - Once the concrete workers set out the site and dig the footing trenches, concrete is poured in place with appropriate steel reinforcement. The slab region is then formed up and termite protection, plumbing and electrical pre-lays are completed before the slab is poured.
6. Brickwork - For double brick construction, bricklayers lay the outer skin of brickwork initial, then the internal walls are built. If the property is really a brick veneer
construction, then the internal walls and roof are framed up prior to the external brickwork being laid.
7. Roof Framing - The roof frame is constructed by the carpenters.
8. Roof Plumbing - Gutters, valley iron, flashings and down-pipes are installed.
9. Roof Cover - Tiles or iron roofing sheets are installed.
10. Electrical - Wiring is installed via the roof frame and chased down internal brick walls.
11. Plumbing - All pipes that have to be ducted by means of the roof and chased into the walls are installed.
12. Plastering - The plasterer 'floats' (cement renders) the internal brick walls. In brick veneer homes internal walls are lined with gyprock.
13. Ceiling Plaster - Ceilings and cornices are installed.
14. Plastering - If the home is a double brick construction the plasterer will return to 'set' (white plaster) the internal walls.
15. Glazing - The glazier installs glass to all windows, sidelights, highlights and sliding doors.
16. Brick-cleaning - All internal and external face bricks are cleaned.
17. Carpentry - The fixing carpenter will install doors, shelving, skirting, architraves, sills and scribe boards. A wood deck or patio may be added at this stage.
18. Cabinetwork - The cabinet maker will install the kitchen, bathroom and laundry cabinets.
19. Plumbing - The plumber will install plumbing fixtures including bath, basin, trough and sink. He may possibly also connect down-pipes to soakwells.
20. Tiling - The tiler lays the ceramic tiles to the wet areas including bathroom, laundry and toilet. Waterproofing of the shower ought to be completed prior to tiling.
21. Plumbing - The plumber will fit the taps, gas fittings, toilet pan, cistern and hot water unit.
22. Electrical - The electrician will fit the switches, lights, hotplate, oven, fans and alarms.
23. Painting - The painter will complete all internal and external painting. On two-storey homes the painter will have to paint all external, high work before the scaffold is removed.
24. Glazing - The shower screen and mirrors are installed.
25. Concreting - The concrete to the garage or carport floor is poured.
26. Paving - The driveway and paths are paved.
27. Concreting - The crossover to the road will probably be constructed to the council's specifications.
28. Garage Door - The garage door is installed.
29. Final Site Clean - All rubbish is removed and the site levelled. There should be various site cleans during construction.
30. Fly Screens & Security Doors - These items are installed.
31. House Cleaning - The internal house cleaning includes sweeping floors, dusting cupboards and drawers inside and out, washing down all glass and removing all stickers from construction supplies.
32. Practical Inspection - Once the building is practically complete it is going to be inspected by the owner and builder together. Any items requiring attention are listed and the builder promises to rectify these within a specified time.
33. Hand-over - Keys are handed over to the owner when the final account is paid. The type of materials, the building size, the number of storeys and site constraints, including weather, will influence the sequence of work on a building site. There is no harm in varying the order of some things so long as trades people are able to perform their tasks without obstruction and without damaging the work performed by previous trades. A neat and ordered building site is imperative to a very good final result.
