- Define how you want to live before deciding how much space you need.
- Test the property and the full project budget together.
- Treat decisions, documentation and handover as part of the build.
Start with the life, not the floor plan
Write down what a good weekday and a good weekend would feel like in your home. Where do people arrive, work, cook, gather and find quiet? Consider storage, changing household needs, accessibility, visiting family, daylight, privacy and the relationship to the garden.
Separate the brief into essentials, preferences and things you can defer. A larger wish list is useful; an unranked one is difficult to price. Add three reference images and explain the specific quality you like in each—light, proportion or material—rather than asking for a copy of a room.
Make the property a decision gate
Before committing to a design, establish the lot dimensions, boundaries, access, servicing and the approvals that need investigation. A survey and a site-specific planning review answer different questions; neither should be replaced by a listing description.
Ask your team to explain the likely building envelope, tree constraints, grading, drainage, neighbouring conditions and construction access. Record assumptions that still need confirmation. A concept that relies on an unresolved condition is an option to investigate, not a confirmed plan.
Build an all-in budget
Separate land or acquisition, construction, design and consultants, site work and utilities, permits and charges, financing and carrying costs, taxes, landscaping, furnishings and contingency. Identify what each quoted figure includes.
At concept stage, ask for a cost plan with assumptions and ranges. As drawings and specifications become more detailed, update it. Track a wish-list allowance separately from committed scope so you can decide where to spend before changes become expensive.
Choose the team and define responsibilities
Clarify who leads design, who coordinates consultants, who prepares permit submissions and who manages construction. Ask who is responsible for tracking decisions, updating the cost plan and communicating schedule changes.
For a new custom home, verify the appropriate builder licensing and warranty arrangements before signing. HCRA explains the requirements for contract homes built on an owner’s land. Licensing and warranty protection are different subjects; ask about both.
Plan decisions before construction needs them
Create a selections schedule covering windows, exterior materials, cabinetry, plumbing fixtures, flooring, lighting and appliances. Connect each choice to a drawing, allowance and required decision date. Keep the latest approved specification in one place.
During the build, request written updates that explain completed work, upcoming decisions, cost changes and schedule risks. At handover, bring the agreed scope and finish schedule to the walkthrough, record outstanding items and collect the documents you will need to operate and maintain the home.
A better first conversation.
- What can be established about this lot before detailed design?
- What is included in the project cost plan, and what remains unpriced?
- Who owns the decision log and the coordination between design and construction?
- What licensing, enrolment and warranty documentation applies to this new home?
References & further reading
Source pages checked 21 October 2026. Requirements may change; confirm the rules for your property and scope.
Use these guides to prepare your questions. Confirm property-specific requirements, scope and pricing with your project team.