building with apg - enjoyable from the first step

Nothing is quite as exciting and fulfilling as building a brand new home. Except maybe showing it off to your friends and family!

At apg, we believe the actual building experience should be just as satisfying as the home itself. So we do everything in our power to make it easy. It’s all about going that extra mile to exceed your expectations every step of the way.

That’s what sets us apart.

the apg building journey

Below you can read about what to expect from the apg building journey and what we do to exceed your expectations at each step to ensure your building experience is enjoyable every step of the way.

stage one - pre-contract

quality advice and the design of your dreams

Your apg journey starts with your research phase – while you’re still deciding what to build. We want you to end up with a home you’ll love, so we make sure you get the advice you need to make that happen. Honest, objective advice that will help you make good decisions, and avoid ‘surprises’.

Before our building and design consultants start working with you on your home design, we’ll visit and assess your block. If it’s a difficult block, we’ll get our Building Manager to inspect it too, so we can establish the most cost-effective ways to design and build your home.

Then the fun begins. Our Building & Design Consultants will work with you to ensure you achieve a design solution for your block and the perfect home for your lifestyle. At the end of this process, they will present your New Home Building Proposal. This proposal will include details of your site, your chosen home design, any modifications and specification changes, as well as itemised costs.

access to apg's in-house new home finance specialist

During your research phase we can also provide you access to our in-house home loan specialist, Resolve Finance.

Resolve are specialists in new home construction finance and have access to all major finance products and lenders to find the best finance solution for you.

new home building proposal and deposit

Once you’ve signed your New Home Building Proposal, we request a $5,000 deposit.

This allows us to produce a formal building contract, prepare your working design drawings and apply for local government and developer approvals and for your building permit.

stage two - drawings, approvals and contract prep

21-days to finalise your home design

At apg we understand that getting your home design “just right” can be daunting with so many things to consider and so many decisions to make. That’s why we give you the opportunity to get the design of your new home perfect.

For 21 days after signing your New Home Building Proposal, you can spend your time taking a closer look at your plans and making any design adjustments you need.

meet your sales administrator

Your Sales Administrator is like your own pre-construction personal assistant. Our Sales Administrators are dedicated customer service professionals and they’ll keep you up-to-date on the progress of your designs and contract. Not only that, at any time they are available to answer any of your questions or provide assistance to help you through this stage.

preparing for construction

Now that you’ve finalised your home design, we can prepare your working drawings. These are required for council and developer approvals and your building permit application and will form part of your building contract. During this time we will also apply for all required planning or developer approvals, complete engineering assessments of your block and home design, and dozens of other administrative tasks required before we can start the build. 

These and other actions will be happening often simultaneously to avoid any unnecessary delays and any associated costs – as the old saying goes time is money.

The required tasks involved in this stage are unique to every home we build and depending on your home design and the local council/shire the length of time and complexity of this stage can vary significantly.

Your Sales Administrator will keep you up-to-date on the progress throughout this stage.

your building contract

Once we’ve prepared your Building Contract, your Sales Consultant will contact you to walk you through it. These documents include your working drawings and detailed addenda that list all of the inclusions in your new home. This ensures we have captured all of your requests and nothing is left to chance. 

Assuming it’s all in order a signed copy comes back to our office and you keep a copy for your records.

stage three - pre-start

pre-start information meeting

Pre-start is where you select the colours, fixtures and finishes for your home and is an exciting part of your building journey. It's when you can start to add your own personal touches to the design and visualise it becoming your home. 

When we receive your signed Building Contract, you’ll be invited to an information meeting. This is where we explain the pre-start process, provide you with details on what you will need to do prior to your pre-start and take you through our Showroom.

finance pack

If you’re financing your new home through a lending authority, we’ll provide you with a Finance Pack to give to your lender so you can get unconditional finance approval. If you’re financing the house yourself, we’ll need a current bank statement showing sufficient funds to cover the building works.

selecting your tiles, lighting and air-conditioning

Before your Prestart Meeting you will need to visit any of our recommended suppliers to choose your tiles, lighting and air-conditioning. We’ve partnered with the best suppliers in Perth to offer you a great range of options. Each of our partner suppliers will assist you with exactly what you need for your new home and will send the details of your choices to us. We’ll ask you to confirm them at your Prestart meeting and then incorporate the details into the addenda of your Building Contract. If you choose tiles or lights (or a lighting plan) that aren’t covered by our standard home specifications, we’ll cost them individually and present these costs to you.

setting up your gas and electricity

The last thing you need to do before your Prestart Meeting is set up your electricity and gas accounts with Synergy (electricity) & Alinta Gas (gas). Please record your new account numbers, so you can bring them along to your meeting.

pre-start meeting

At this meeting, you can select your colours, fixtures and finishes, and confirm your tile selections, your lighting and electrical layout, and your cabinet and kitchen material selections. Of course, you’re not alone in the process. One of our expert Selection Consultants will help you wherever you need it, offering style advice and feedback on what works with your design, and what doesn’t. So you end up with exactly the look, feel and functionality you want. They’ll also let you know if any of your selections aren’t covered by our standard home specifications. If any items are outside of the specifications, they’ll will organise a quote and send you an itemised breakdown of any additional costs and credits, so you know how much it will impact your budget. After you’ve finalised all your selections, we’ll prepare a final set of drawings and documentation for you to review and finalise your choices.

final sign-off

Now that you’ve made all your selections, you have your unconditional finance approval, and you’ve signed off on the final drawings and documentation, we can schedule the construction of your new home and provide you with a start date.

stage four - construction

meet your client liaison officer

From this point on, you’ll be dealing mostly with your dedicated Client Liaison Officer. They’ll keep you updated on the progress of your new home, and let you know what’s being planned during all the stages of construction. They are your go-to person during construction and will answer any of your questions at any time.

ground-floor slab

As the foundation of your home, the ground-floor concrete slab is the first stage of construction. We ‘pour’ it, then leave it to ‘cure’ (harden) for a short period. Once it’s cured, we install your plumbing drains, then take delivery of your external and internal bricks, windows and sliding doors. This is also when you'll meet your Site Managers to discuss the build.

brickwork and second-storey slab

Brickwork is where it starts to get exciting for you. It feels like things are happening quickly, and you can start to picture what your new home will look like, inside and out. If you’re building a double-storey home, we pour the second-storey slab after the ground-floor bricks are laid. Once it’s cured too, we lay the second-storey brickwork. Once the bricks are all laid, the home is at 'plate height' stage.

roof, electrical, plumbing and gas

Like the brickwork, the roof construction is a very exciting stage. Finally you can see your home’s full shape! First, our carpenters build the roof frame (don’t worry if it’s blue; it's just been treated). Once the roof is framed, the plumbing, electrical and gas are finalised, then the roof cover will go on!

lock-up

Lock-up is an exciting time. The front door goes on and the home is secure. And from then on, it will be locked at all times, and only your Site Manager and trades will have a key to access your home.

Soon after lock-up, any cabinetry frame-work will be installed, and your tiler will be able to start work. They’ll usually waterproof the shower recesses first, so the waterproofing agent can cure overnight. Then they’ll tile the shower recess, followed by the rest of the wet areas (bathroom, en-suite, kitchen, laundry and toilets).

Once your cabinetry is completed and bench-tops are installed, the final tiling will be completed and a number of other trades will be busily working to finish your homes.

stage five - hand-over

pre hand-over inspection

Your home is nearly finished! But before we give you the keys, we'll invite you to meet your Site Manager on site for a Pre-handover inspection. This is our opportunity to show you how to use and maintain your home for years to come. The Site Manager has a detailed process to run through with you. It’s also an opportunity for you to ask questions and discuss any areas you feel need attention. The Site Manager will then arrange to complete all agreed outstanding items.

hand-over

Your home is ready! You Client Liaison Officer will invite you into our office to celebrate the completion of your home and collect your keys. A this meeting they will explain to you our post-completion maintenance program and your structural and product warrantees and provide you with all documentation relating to your new home.

stage six - post hand-over service

maintenance

At apg our service doesn’t finish after hand-over. We give you the opportunity to settle into your new home and 6-months after hand-over, we will contact you to see if there are any items that you feel need fixing. In addition, one of our maintenance specialists will visit your home and undertake a comprehensive inspection to make sure everything is as it should be. Sometimes as a new home ‘settles’ there minor changes that can cause, for example cornice cracking or as the home endures temperature changes silicon sealants can come away from surfaces. These items are very common in new home construction and our maintenance inspection will ensure any items in your new home are identified and we will coordinate the required trades to fix these within 30-days.

10-year structural warranty

At apg we pride ourselves on delivering quality homes and provide a ten year structural guarantee giving you piece-of-mind.

experience the apg difference for yourself

Call (08) 6555 7565 now to speak with one of our Building and Design Consultants or:

click here tocontact our building & design team