DirectBuild Australia

DirectBuild specialises in helping owner builders succeed.

We specialise in coaching people to successfully project manage the building or renovating of their homes as owner builders.

In effect, you are the project manager and we provide you with all the necessary tools so that you can do so with confidence.  This includes schedules and scopes of works, an easy to read, step-by-step construction manual, introductions to trades and suppliers and regular on-site consultations; all designed to assist you manage the project successfully.

We aim to give you the overall control of an owner builder with the advantages of our bulk buying power, access to pre-screened tradespeople and practical guidance from our experienced building personnel.

The principal of DirectBuild has had 20 years’ building experience in the Sydney housing market. He is a carpenter by trade and a licensed builder who over the years, has been closely involved in the luxury end of the home building market as a building contractor, supervisor, project manager and carpenter.

DirectBuild has acquired the Australian rights to a proven US Owner Builder System which has been successfully franchised in Colorado, Florida and Mexico.

Historically, it has been difficult for owner builders to obtain building finance, because many lenders think these loans are too risky. In fact, there are some lenders who have stepped back from the owner builder market.

However, DirectBuild works closely with several major lenders and these lenders are actively competing for this business, offering flexible terms and very competitive rates.

We would be happy to direct you to the right people at these banks to help make the process easier for you.

In NSW, two separate steps are require to qualify for your owner builder permit –

Once you have completed both of the steps, it is imperative that you collect your owner builder permit from the Department of Fair Trading before you do any work at all on the actual development.

As an owner builder, your lender will require a building risk insurance policy that covers you throughout the course of the building process.

In addition, you need to consider personal and property risks which may arise during the project.  Personal risks could involve tradespersons, public, you, your family and friends.  Property risks could involve the house property, neighbours’ property, property belonging to other members of the public, materials on site, equipment etc.

The types of cover you might wish to consider could include personal sickness and accident, public liability, workers compensation, volunteer worker insurance, contract/construction insurance and Home Owners Warranty insurance.

However, you should consult your insurance provider/broker who is licensed to provide professional advice in this area.  At the same time, you should ask your insurance provider/broker whether your existing home building or contents insurance policies cover any of these items.

Most certainly. We would suggest an initial meeting with you to establish an understanding of exactly what you have in mind. We can also provide you with our “ThinkPak” booklet to help you crystallize your ideas of what you and your family want from your home building/renovating project.

The next step would be to arrange a one hour free design consultation and feasibility analysis with a selected architect or draughtsperson to transfer your vision for your home into a first-cut design.

We work closely with select architects and draughtspersons who can help you create a design to meet the requirements of you, your family, your building site and your budget.

Certainly, in addition, during the pre-building phase, we will subject the plans to a detailed checklist to make sure they are all inclusive and will work for you and your tradespeople. Looking closely at the plans upfront and making sure nothing is missing will ensure the tradespeople know what is required of them and reduce the questions once building starts.

Should you choose a DirectBuild selected architect/draughtsperson, they are already familiar with this process and include checklist details in each home plan.

The most important consideration is making sure your plans are complete, knowing the requirements of each council and carefully wording your Development Application.

We would be happy to direct you to the right person who can prepare your Development Application submission to streamline the council approval process for you.

In some cases, the building/renovation work may be able to be approved by the council approved certifier which is a much quicker way to go.

New Complying Development rules were recently introduced, effective 25 February 2011. The new rules revolve around the size of the actual lot and width of the street frontage. The new rules cover such aspects as –

- Maximum site coverage
- Maximum floor area
- Minimum landscaping requirements
- Minimum Front/side/rear setbacks

We have a good understanding of the specific requirements necessary to meet the certifier approved process and would be happy to assist.

Many owner builders spend hours trying to find tradespeople, only to experience frustrating results and high bids, because they are one-time customers.

With DirectBuild on board, we provide access to a pool of pre-screened tradespeople we have worked with previously.

We will arrange two quotes for each major trade for you to choose from or you have the option of using your own contacts.

Absolutely.

We have special arrangements in place with a range of recognized building suppliers. This means you can take advantage of our pre-negotiated pricing arrangements and expect to buy your materials at trade prices or better. You deal direct with the suppliers so there is no middle man and therefore no mark-ups.

One of the main causes of budget overruns is the inability of owner builders to resist making changes after getting started. Changes can quickly escalate your building costs.

It is critically important to spend time thinking through the design and how much you want to allow for fit-out. For instance, the quality of the kitchen cabinets, bench top, the bathroom accessories, tiles etc can add significantly to the overall costs.

Because of your savings on builders’ fees and the absence of any mark-ups, you have a certain amount of leeway. However, careful monitoring of your budget throughout the building process will help keep your project on track. The budget is high on DirectBuild’s list of priorities to monitor as well.

Yes. DirectBuild provides you with an easy to read, step-by-step construction manual and timeline to help you manage and control the building process. These tools tell you when to book trades and when and what supplies to order to ensure that the materials are delivered to the site when your tradepeople need them.

Our normal business hours are 8.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday. However, we are readily available at other times via email or mobile to answer questions and help you solve problems.

DirectBuild will be on site at least weekly throughout the building process. This means up to 25 on-site visits with visits especially timed to coincide with the council inspection requirements.

We are more closely involved while the job is “getting out of the ground” and during this period, we are regularly on site from early hours to double check that the set-out, excavation and footings are done correctly.

Savings to the order of 10% and 15% could be expected. Typically, a builder charges between 10% to 20% over the construction costs of a new home or home renovation. Mark-ups of up to 10% are also added to the cost of building materials and trades by builders.

As an owner builder, another saving is the cost of home warranty insurance which is passed on to you by the builder – typically another 1.5% – 3%

DirectBuild charges a flat fee based on the size and complexity of your project. Fees range from 6% to 10% (plus GST) of budgeted building costs and are divided into two parts: part of the fee is payable upfront for pre-building planning and the balance is paid incrementally at the start of individual stages of the building process.

The planning and preparation stage can take 6 to 12 weeks. It really depends on the size and complexity of the project. Upon completion of the plans, you can submit your Development Application submission for approval which could be expected to take a further 6/8 weeks depending upon individual council. If the development qualifies as a Complying Development, the approval process is significantly streamlined and can be completed in 2/3 weeks. Detailed scope of works and budgeting are prepared at this stage.

As soon as you receive Council approval plus the Construction Certificate, you can commence the building process. Typically, a new home could be expected to take between 6 and 8 months.

The principal is a member of the Housing Industry Association.

It is as simple as calling us to arrange a free consultation. Building or renovating your home as owner builder isn’t a fit for everyone and we can walk you through a quick assessment to see if you are comfortable and ready to become a successful owner builder. And remember it’s never too early to call – even if you don’t have a design in mind or don’t have the finance sorted out.

The sooner you get on board, the better, so we can support you from day one.