Episode 12: The Construction Process Explained: What You Should Expect From Your Builder:

Building your home is exciting—but once construction starts, your property becomes a workplace, and that changes everything. 

In this episode, builder Simon Clark explains exactly what you should expect from your builder during the construction phase and what “good process” looks like when dozens of trades and suppliers are working hard to bring your new home or home renovation to life.

Simon unpacks the construction essentials that protect both your build and your sanity—clear communication, a proven system, respect for your time and property, and a contract that acts as the project playbook (there’s no “good bloke clause”). He also demystifies the parts of the contract homeowners most often misunderstand: variations (owner-initiated, builder-initiated, and regulatory), prime cost vs provisional sum allowances, and how progress payments work for custom builds.

Finally, he walks through the handover and defects process—including why SHM strongly recommends an independent private building inspection at practical completion to catch the details that statutory inspections often miss, and how defect periods and warranties actually play out over the first 3–6 months in a live home. 

You’ll learn:

• Why your builder must control site access (and what you should expect to stay informed)
• The construction principles you should demand: transparency, process, respect, aftercare
• The 3 types of variations—and how to avoid nasty surprises
• Provisional sums vs prime cost items (and how adjustments really work)
• Progress claims for custom builds: what “stage complete” looks like in reality
• Practical completion → independent inspection → defects list → handover (step-by-step)
• What changes in your home over seasons—and how defect periods/warranties help

Who it’s for: Homeowners planning a renovation or new build who want a clear, practical understanding of how construction runs—and how to protect quality, safety, and expectations from contract to handover.

If you'd like to know more, please reach out to Sustainable Homes Melbourne or call us on 1800 683 697.