The big old question ‘How long does it take to build a house?’, and we wish there was a straightforward answer. However, no one building situation is the same. And we wouldn’t want that. Otherwise, all houses throughout New Zealand would all look the same and have no personal touches or adjustments for location, needs, etc. It would be a copy-and-paste situation, which is boring.
So, we’re here to help unpack what factors influence this and provide you with the information you need for when you decide on taking on the task of building your own home.
Are you ready? Let’s get our shovels and dig in.
Factors that affect a build timeline
There are numerous factors that affect the build timeline, from the council consenting process to bad weather conditions. That’s why we always recommend having done your homework and having a base plan of where you can allow budget blowouts, and what parts of the build you are allowing wiggle room for.
Check out our building cost and planning blog for tips on how to plan for building your dream home. And don’t just take it from us, check out Consumer’s info Building a New Home web page for things to consider when building your home.
Alright, let’s unpack the different factors that could affect your home build timeline:
Time of year
When you decide to hit go on your build, how long it takes might be affected by bad weather or random weather storms. Weather always needs an allowance, even in Summer, as you never know what mother nature is brewing up, and you’re better to be safe than sorry.
Skill availability
Right, you have your land, you have your plans, and you have your builder, so let’s get moving! But did you consider whether your favourite plumber or trusted sparky is available? Taking into consideration that some of the other skilled tradies might be booked out over this time, may slow you down, so make sure to get in touch with everyone before hitting go. With Lavish Homes this is something you don’t need to worry about, it’s all factored into our building process.
Compliance and consent
Unfortunately, when you build your new home there is a bit of paperwork that needs to be completed, so making yourself aware of the different things you need to tick off and complete will make the process a little less daunting. You can research this on your local council’s website or even give them a ring to find out wait times. At Lavish Homes we take this off your hands and do the grunt work for you.
Size and design complexity
If you were to build a simple tiny home, then you can imagine your timeline being a lot shorter than a large complex luxury home build. This is something Lavish Homes makes their clients aware of because if you want Lavish and quality you need to allow for this in your planning.
Site preparation
Depending on where your piece of land is located, what state it is in, and what you want done to the land to make way for your dream home this could make a nice wee dent in your timeline. But it is a necessary step to ensure a strong base for your home.
Supply chain
As we have learnt from the last few years, it doesn’t take much to affect the supply chain for certain products to be available. So, consider when picking that one-of-a-kind tile how long you are willing to wait for it to be installed in your home.
Effective project management
Last but not least is having an effective project management approach. This is the backbone of a successful home build. Meaning, the dedicated person needs to be on top of getting consents in on time, being in charge of coordination and communication with all stakeholders e.g. subcontractors, and suppliers, and making sure that each phase is being completed roughly in the designated timeframe. It’s a big job, but it’s essential to keep things moving. That’s why Lavish Homes has someone solely designated for this purpose.
Average build timeline
Right, let’s get to the good bits, talking about actual timelines. But let’s remember folks as we’ve just discussed there are a few different factors that can impact your build timeline. So, these are just guidelines:
- Pre-construction Phase = This is where we are discussing your needs and wants, assessing the land, drawing up plans, going over the plans and changes to plans, and applying for regulatory requirements. This part can take between 3 to 6 months.
- Base foundation = We’re talking about laying a slab for your home and putting up the frames to create a strong base for your home. Approximately 1 to 2 months.
- Enclosure = Once the frames are up the exciting bit starts happening where walls, roof, and windows start to be installed. This can take roughly from 2 to 4 months to complete.
- Interior = Now the really exciting part starts where the inside of your home starts to take shape from plumbing to painting. This can sometimes be the longest part of the build dependent on what you have happening inside. Remember when we mentioned complexity? This is the stage where it can take longer. As a guide, we say from 2 to 4 months of your timeline.
- Exterior = Now for the final touches. Dependent on your design will determine how quickly the final part is completed. Some choose to leave it for another time, others want to do that part themselves, or we have those with elaborate designs. Allow roughly 1 to 2 months for this phase.
As you can see building a house isn’t a five-minute job, and there are a lot of factors to consider. If you have been counting along you will note it takes roughly 8 to 12 months to get a house completed. So, you need to be in it for the long haul.
Looking to build in the Wellington region? Have a look at Lavish Homes house and land packages available or contact us if you want to start the building process. We’ll be there every step of the way.
