There is an array of options for home construction, each with different implications for your budget, timeline and the level of customisation you can achieve. Most come down to the trade-off between certainty and flexibility.

Certainty vs. Flexibility

If you buy a house that's already built, there is a lot of certainty about what you're going to get, but limited flexibility. When you build an architectural home, you have full flexibility but little certainty about what it will cost. I'd like to propose that if you use the Design & Construct methodology, with the right tools and team, you can have both.

Your Options

• Existing House: Set price, complete certainty, zero flexibility. You can see what you're getting, but there's no personalisation.
• Off-the-Plan: Created by large corporations building many houses from the same plans. Certainty in pricing, but limited design flexibility.
• Standard Custom: You employ a building designer to develop your plans. Full flexibility, but the designer typically drafts your ideas without much creative input.
• Architectural: Starting with a blank piece of paper. The sky's the limit — but architect-designed homes are notorious for running over budget. After analysing our records, I found that 65% of architectural plans never got built.
• Design & Construct: The architect and builder work together from the start. This model offers the best of both certainty and flexibility.

On-Site vs. Off-Site

Buildings can be stick-framed on-site or prefabricated off-site. Modularity is the future of the construction industry. Panelised homes allow the building shell to go together quickly, becoming watertight in just a few weeks.