Is a House & Land Package Right For You?

House and land packages have a bit of a reputation for being a sorry affair in Canterbury. Miserable sites with cut and paste floor plans come to mind - bringing anyone with a shred of interest in design zero joy. There’s whole subdivisions we would throw out Marie Kondo style given the chance!

Cookie-cutter housing … not the type of house + land packages we have in mind.

You could almost assume that in order to build something worthwhile, a design + build package is the only way. But, when done well, house + land packages can be great! We’ve put some of our thoughts down on what the benefits are, and what to look out for, so you can decide for yourself.

Visualization

An obvious point, but one worth making; not all of us know where to start when it comes to designing a house! However, when given a floor plan and some renders, most people have an immediate sense of whether they like what they see, and whether it suits their needs.  

If you’re looking at plans, don’t be afraid to ask why certain decisions have been made, and who has been involved in making them. We like our plans to be reviewed by our builder, architect and interior designer before they are sent off for consent.

An internal render - great for visualization

Process

A house + land package with consented plans can save the buyer 6 -12 months on the design and consent process. This means that if you fall in love with a particular set of plans, you can start building as soon as you’re ready.

Of course, time itself can’t be promised, but good communication can be! Make sure you’re working with a company who will look after you through the process and keep you informed. Meeting the people you will be working with is a good place to start… that friendly salesperson won’t be looking after you once you’ve signed a contract and they’ve got their commission.

A smaller house such as this one could be ready in 7 months

Price

We’ve all seen Grand Designs … people don’t always prepare for the costs involved with designing and building. A good builder will give you solid advice on your budget (and make sure you’re not in a caravan over Christmas)- but nothing can give you the same confidence that comes with having a fixed price guarantee. With a specific number, it’s much easier to plan and get your affairs in order.

Remember the final number isn’t everything; look for transparent, itemized pricing and steer clear of builders using a flat per sqm rate. A good builder will happily talk you through their costings, giving you alternative options to bring costs down if need be.

A fixed price can be guaranteed from the outset on a house + land package.

Design

Some house + land packages come with consultation time so you can make decisions with the support of an interior designer. In some cases, the designer will have penciled some decisions in, giving you a foundation to work from, with the ability to keep or change the selections.

Make sure you fully understand what consultation time is included in the build package (if any) and who you will be dealing with. One qualified designer who shares your vision is obviously preferable to being passed from ‘colour expert’ to ‘bathroom expert’ to ‘flooring expert’ and so on.

One of our current house + land packages

We love a design and build project, and never shy away from a challenge - but the fact is, this is not the best option for all of our clients. The benefits of a house + land package are undeniable; when the architect gets it right, when the builders are set to go, and the right team is in place - it’s magical.  

At the end of the day, we’d like to see fewer ugly houses going up in Canterbury, and we see ourselves as part of the solution. If this all makes sense to you, and you’re interested in what we have available or ‘in the works’ get in touch using the form below. We’d love to hear from you!