FAQ’S
Planning a custom home in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs? Whether you’re in Croydon, Ringwood, Heathmont, Warranwood, or anywhere across Melbourne’s east, we get asked a lot of the same questions. Here are honest answers to everything from costs and timelines to knockdown rebuilds and sloping blocks , so you can feel confident before your first conversation with us.
About Go Build Custom Homes FAQ's
How long have you been building custom homes in Melbourne?
Go Build Custom Homes has been a registered building company for over 6 years. Our CEO George has close to 15 years of experience in residential construction, from a carpentry apprenticeship through to managing multi-million-dollar custom home projects for high-end builders across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
What certifications and licences does Go Build Custom Homes hold?
Certificate III in Building and Construction – carpentry apprenticeship
Certificate IV in Building and Construction
Builders license (personal) – DB-U 61460
Builders license (company) – CDB-U 66221
Do you work in Melbourne's eastern suburbs?
Yes , our primary build areas include Croydon, Ringwood, Heathmont, Warranwood, Lilydale, Bayswater, Mitcham, Mooroolbark, Kilsyth, and Montrose. We have strong local knowledge of planning overlays, council requirements, and site conditions across these areas
Are all your staff qualified?
We have a lot of knowledge and experience in all aspects of construction with close to 15 years’ experience in residential building providing you with the best possible development design so that you can maximise your profits.
The Custom Home Building Process FAQ's
What does the custom home building process look like from start to finish?
Our process covers six stages: (1) initial site consultation and design brief, (2) concept design and budget alignment, (3) full working drawings and engineering documentation, (4) permits and council approvals, (5) construction, and (6) handover. We manage the entire process; all you need to do is make decisions.
Do you handle council permits and planning applications?
Yes. With your consent, we can obtain the building permit through a nominated Building Surveyor. We manage all documentation including working drawings, structural drawings, structural engineer calculations, soil reports, NatHERS energy reports, and any bushfire or flood overlays that apply to your site.
How long will the drawing and documentation package take?
Each package can vary in time, depending on the size, complexity and requirements from local council . On average, you can expect a drawing package to be completed within 1 month. This includes;
-working drawings (construction issue)
-Structural drawings (construction issue)
-Structural engineers calculations and certification
-Soil report by Geotechnical Engineer (includes site probing)
-Drainage plan (if required)
-Flood level (if required)
-NatHERS energy report
-Bushfire Attack Level report (if required), etc.
How long does a custom home build take in Melbourne?
A custom home build typically takes 12–18 months from initial design to handover. This includes the design and documentation phase (1–2 months), council and permit approvals (2–3 months), and construction (8–12 months). Timeline varies with the size and complexity of your home.
Do you work with a qualified draftsman?
We only work with a couple of hand selected licensed, qualified Engineers and Draftsman to make sure you’re house is designed practical, functional and on budget, while still maintaining a high level of aesthetics.
Costs & Budget FAQ's
How much does a custom home build cost in Melbourne?
Custom home costs vary based on size, design complexity, site conditions, materials, and finishes. We design homes across a range of budgets, from practical, well-appointed first homes to high-end architectural builds. We provide individual pricing after a site consultation and design brief.
What is the most cost effective way to build a custom home?
The most cost-effective approach is to have us design your home to suit your specific budget, block, and requirements from the beginning. A well-considered custom design avoids expensive variations during construction and ensures every dollar works harder than in an off-the-shelf volume build.
Would you classify your custom build projects as more affordable or luxury?
Both. We design and build across the full spectrum – from budget-smart first homes to high-end luxury residences with architectural finishes. We can also tailor the design style: modern, Hamptons, Scandinavian, coastal, contemporary, and more.
Knockdown Rebuilds FAQ's
Approximately how much does a knockdown, rebuild cost?
This depends on the type of house, such as tiled or metal roof, brick veneer or weatherboard, concrete slab or sub-floor, asbestos/hazardous materials, site access, what services are connected, etc. Each site is quoted accordingly, but you can expect to spend anywhere from $10k to $50k to have the house demolished.
What issues can you run into with knockdown rebuilds?
Every build faces its own potential challenges and issues. Before the house is demolished, all services are disconnected, and hazardous materials disposed of accordingly. By the time the house is ready to be demolished, it is quite safe to have some heavy machinery to meticulously pull the dwelling apart and group common materials together to minimise what goes to land fill. All safety measures are put in place so there are no incidents on site to complete a safe, effective and efficient demolition.
Can you make money off a knock down rebuild?
You can definitely make money off a knock down rebuild, but you also may not. This is where it is important to not over capitalise and to build smart. It also comes down to many factors, such as; is the existing dwelling paid off or on a mortgage, what is the land worth, can you fit more than one dwelling on the site, what is the budget of the build, prices of local homes for sale in the area, etc.
Would you recommend a knock down rebuild, over renovating?
The dwelling needs to be treated individually. For some homes it is more practical and beneficial on costs to knock down and rebuild, where other dwellings with different circumstance may be better off renovating or extending.
Sloping Blocks FAQ's
What can you do with a sloping block?
There are many options to what can be achieved on a sloping block. The dwelling can be designed with split levels to cater to the slope, or perhaps storage and carparking beneath the dwelling is better suited to your living. Each dwelling is meticulously designed to give you the best possible layout that your budget can afford.
Is it more expensive to build on a sloping block?
The soil classification will influence the costs more than if the block is sloping compared to being flat. Slopping blocks face their own challenges, just like every other building site. A well designed dwelling that suits the block can save you 10’s of thousands of dollars, whether on a sloping block or flat parcel of land. This is the benefit of having a custom home designed and built rather than a kit home/volume built home.
Do you offer landscaping as part of your sloping block build service?
We can help with all of your building needs, whether it be designing, admin tasks, building or landscaping.
How much longer would a sloping block build take, in comparison to a normal house build?
There are many variables that can affect the costs of the build, such as; site access, complexity of the build, depth and type of foundations, civil works, arborists, size of the build, steepness of the block, etc.
Do you recommend building on stilts?
There is nothing wrong with building on stilts. They can allow for a lot of storage space beneath the dwelling if spaced accordingly. They do require bracing that can restrict access and storage into the underside of the dwelling, although during the preliminary design phase we will be able to determine whether stilts is best for your design. Every site faces different challenges and every client has different needs, so we treat every design individually to see what is going to be the most practical method that will suit the clients needs.
Subdivisions & Dual Occupancy FAQ's
Do you have lots of experience with subdivision?
We have a lot of knowledge and experience in all aspects of construction with close to 15 years’ experience in residential building providing you with the best possible development design so that you can maximise your profits.
How much does it cost to subdivide?
There are many variables that can affect the price of subdivisions, such as local council application, surveyor costs, civil works, the number of parcels created by the plan and the number of owners corporation rules lodged with the plan. You could be looking anywhere from $20k – 100k.
Do you offer any services after the subdivision has been completed?
We can help with all your building requirements to transform the subdivided block into a developed site with numerous dwellings, so all you need to do is work out what you would like to do with the houses once built.