Hicaliber Team

Why Having a Support Network is Essential in the Building Industry

Posted on March 27, 2024 by - Becoming a Franchisee

Builders are constantly running uphill. Turning another person’s life savings into something special, while ensuring your workmates are safe and running a profitable business is a lot of responsibility. That’s why it’s important to remember that you’re never alone.

The building industry has weathered a storm of challenges in the last few years. The industry halted when the pandemic started, and then all of a sudden government grants caused sharp increases in demand, inflation, and supply chain delays.

The challenges were enough to cause many businesses to collapse, and it’s only natural that this has taken a toll on mental health and wellbeing in the industry. That’s why it’s so important to have a support network to turn to.

You’re Not Alone

In a support network, you are likely to find someone who has experienced your problem before. When you’re trying to scale up, all of a sudden you have to go from being a builder to a business owner. As you bring on more team members your risks and responsibilities grow, and people just assume that you know what you’re doing.

Then suddenly, you’re managing compliance, HR, recruitment, finance, sales, and accounting. There is a lot to work through and you still need to ensure that your projects run smoothly. You may find yourself working overtime and the weight of responsibility, lack of downtime, and stress of encountering unfamiliar scenarios can be challenging. So, it’s important to have people to go to for help.

Try to form mentoring relationships and alliances with other builders in the industry who are willing to give back. Having relationships with experts in other fields of business and leadership will also help you to tackle the challenges of scaling up. Most importantly, make sure that you continue talking to your friends and family, and remember that you can access professional mental health support services.

At G.J. Gardner Homes, we encourage all of our franchisees to pick up the phone as soon as a problem arises. We’ve all asked for advice more than once and are willing to share it back. We also have finance, HR, marketing, and mental health experts readily available for anyone who needs it.

Everyone in the industry is facing the same hurdles and we know that we’re stronger together. You’ll be amazed how quickly a problem can be solved when you’re brave enough to raise your hand and ask for help.

Stronger Together

Every industry faces ups and downs, but networks offer resilience in the face of uncertainty. The issues that the building industry has recently faced seemed to pop up overnight and haven’t been easy to navigate.

However, it’s easier to solve a problem when you’re not the only one working on it. At G.J. Gardner Homes, we’ve leveraged our combined expertise and shared knowledge from throughout the network to work our way through the pandemic. Regular and open communication is important to us.

When it came to getting the best rates for carpenters or securing materials on time amid talent and supply chain shortages, having access to a support network helped. Every franchisee is willing to share their knowledge to solve a problem because it benefits the whole group and we have a diverse group of professional experts who inject best practice business thinking into our network. With strong systems and the right foundations, you can weather any storm.

Bring the Joy Back into Building

Construction is a male-dominated industry and often builders find it hard to talk about things that are weighing them down. It is also highly regulated and involves a lot of safety risks

Not only does that come with a big personal burden, but it also brings financial risk. Many builders are trying to secure financial freedom by building more homes, which naturally puts pressure on their plates. They also don’t have a lot of time to spend with family and friends.

That’s why it’s important to build relationships and take time out. At G.J. Gardner Homes, we often bring our franchisees together for catch-ups, breakouts, and trips away. It’s reinvigorating to talk to people who are facing the same challenges and have the same dreams. Many of us don’t realise how much we need that time until we take it.

The Power of a Network

When you have a network of good people around you, you don’t have to be lonely in leadership, constantly wondering if you’re making the right choices or not. It’s important to invest in relationships because together, it’s easier to share learnings and solve problems.

How to Recruit, Train, and Engage the Right Staff to Drive Capacity

Posted on March 27, 2024 by - Becoming a Franchisee

Demand for homes spiked during the pandemic, putting pressure on jobs and inflating wages, while border closures have limited the supply of workers. If builders want to continue driving business growth in the current environment, it’s time to get innovative in the ways we attract and retain top talent.

Securing and retaining the right talent is crucial to your growth. When you’re a builder and you want to scale up your business, you have to start bringing the right people on board so that you can work on your business, rather than in it – or risk becoming a productivity bottleneck.

Talent, financial performance, and growth are all tightly intertwined, so it’s only natural that retaining, developing, and upskilling staff will start falling under your remit as your business grows.

However, with international job supply restricted and employee expectations around wages, flexibility, and purpose growing, it’s important that you think holistically about how you can make the employee experience with your business more attractive.

Refine Your Recruitment Process

It’s important to get recruitment right, and never make a quick hire out of urgency or desperation. The cost of having stop/starts can be massive, financially and operationally. Not only does your investment in onboarding and training go to waste, but you also find yourself back at square one of the recruitment process. Hiring a person who doesn’t compliment or add to your internal culture can also take its toll on existing staff.

That’s why it’s important to add rigour to your recruitment process. For example, ask your candidates to tell you about a difficult problem that they have worked on. If they have the experience that you are looking for, they should be able to answer the question with great depth and detail.

The approach that they took and the way they dealt with people while solving a problem should also give you a signal as to whether or not they will be a good culture fit. Ask in-depth questions that assess every skill set that you need for the role, and look for a learning mindset around the skills that are more flexible and trainable.

Remember that offering competitive wages is table stakes, but wages aren’t also the only deciding factor in working with an employer. Also, consider if you have established a strong employer brand and reputation within your community. Do you know what really matters to talented individuals in the building industry? Here are a few questions you should ask yourself if you’re struggling to attract applicants:

  • Is working in your business enjoyable?
  • What’s the employee experience like?
  • Are you offering competitive wages?
  • Does the work align with your ideal candidate’s values?
  • Can you offer flexibility?
  • Do you offer learning and growth opportunities?

Invest in Upskilling

Never underestimate the amount of support that a new team member will need to succeed. It’s important to make meaningful investments into new and existing team members so that they can grow as individuals while contributing more value back to your business. Constantly facilitating education and upskilling is completely necessary given the dynamic market pressures and the need for technical skills in the building industry.

It’s also important to look at your onboarding process. Ensure that you have a clear ramp-up plan so that your new team members can hit the ground running and make sure they understand how to be successful in their role.

Your role as a leader is to make your team as productive as it can be, so make sure that you give your team time and support. Regular one-on-ones are a great way to share knowledge, check in on progress towards your goals and KPIs, and address any concerns before they turn into problems.

If you want employees to look within your business for their next move, then also make sure that you create more visibility over internal opportunities. Create clear skills-based pathways toward future roles and co-create development plans. Transparent and fair internal mobility is essential if you want to keep staff engaged.

Engage Through Purpose

Having a clearly defined purpose helps your business better align with customer needs and gives it a competitive edge. Purposeful businesses also tend to have higher rates of employee engagement, retention, and productivity.

Employees are demanding new levels of flexibility, wellbeing, and purpose beyond extrinsic financial motivators as part of the overall employer value proposition. As Aaron Mckewen, a behavioural scientist at Gartner recently highlighted, “people’s worlds became smaller during lockdowns and they faced a very real existential health threat. As a result, millions of employees deeply reflected on what was important to them and the role of work in their lives.

So, if you have a business that offers a product or service that truly resonates with customers, then you will find it easier to hire people that will help your business grow and envision better ways of doing things.

At G.J. Gardner Homes, a core part of our vision is, ‘for each of our franchises to be profitable and trusted by more families than any of our competitors in our communities.’ Every customer should be happy to recommend us to their closest friend and family because we understand the role that their home will play in their lives and that naturally attracts purpose-driven builders to join our network.

When you know that you have values-aligned team members on board, you’ll be far more comfortable delegating work and will be able to spend more time planning new growth pathways for your business.

Pay it Forward If you look after employees, they will look after your customers. Build times will improve, you will have better site supervision and the quality of your product will go up, along with client satisfaction, cash flow, and job cost control. The employee experience is important for both your business profitability and reputation within your local community.

How a CRM Can Help You Sell More Homes

Posted on March 27, 2024 by - Becoming a Franchisee

The path to purchase in the home-building journey is long and when a potential customer first reaches out to you, it could be one to two years before they are ready to sign off. They are most likely about to make the biggest investment in their life, so it’s important to nurture your relationship with them throughout the decision-making process.

While customers are exploring the market, it’s important that you do your groundwork and continue building a relationship with them. However, it can be difficult to keep up with every single lead when demand is high. That’s why having a customer relationship management (CRM) system is essential.

What is a CRM?

A CRM is a software system that helps business owners manage their customer relationships. Once a lead enquires about your business, the CRM helps you track and nurture your ongoing relationship with them.

Why Do I Need a CRM?

When you’re too busy to even think about tomorrow, a CRM will help you nurture relationships with every lead so that you’re able to sign deals, become more profitable, and ensure that you have enough work flowing in within one to two years’ time. If you want to scale up your business, then it’s important to have a CRM.

How Can I Use a CRM to Sell More Homes?

  1. Understand Your Customers

As soon as a lead fills out a contact form on your website, their details will be stored in your CRM and you will be able to see information about how they found your website. If a lead calls your sales team or visits your display home, their details can be easily added to the CRM.

A CRM will help you get all of that information about every customer out of your head and on record for future reference. The lead’s contact record will become a central source of truth, with contact details and any information you have gathered from your conversations safely saved away. Recording every interaction ensures that you’re able to walk into every follow-up conversation with the right context and ensure that you’re meeting their needs. It’s the experience and attention that your customer deserves, especially when they have so many options out on the table in front of them.

If you or any other salesperson in your business is able to consult with the customer and then remember every distinct need that they express, you’re far more likely to be able to build trust, deliver a quote that will meet their needs, win the work, and make the home building process far more rewarding for everyone involved.

  1. Solve Their Problems

For many people, building a home is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and there is a lot to learn along the way. If you’re able to proactively guide leads throughout the process, you’re far more likely to earn their trust.

A CRM will help you to follow up with timely and relevant prompts. You can set up reminders so that you can reach out to them again at the right time, as well as automated nurturing mechanisms, such as an email series and remarketing campaigns that keep your business front of mind. You can follow up with any information that you like, as long as it’s helpful and valuable.

There are so many details that have to come together in order to build a beautiful home. From the layout to the door handles, it’s a lot for a customer to work through. If you’re always one step ahead of your customer, you can become their home-building guide and solve their problems with minimal additional effort. It’s that level of expertise and attentiveness that will help you to charge what you’re worth and win more work.

The fortune is in the follow-up, especially when the path to purchase is long. So, it’s essential to have a CRM system that helps you to stay in touch with every customer.

  1. Set Your Targets and Hit Them

CRMs have a variety of out-of-the-box reports that will keep your sales and marketing efforts on track. Building is a cash flow business and the industry has its own ups and downs. Just because you have leads today, doesn’t mean that you will have a steady flow of business tomorrow.

A CRM will help you to look at how many leads you have in your sales pipeline, and use historical data to understand how many are likely to convert. It’s also easy to calculate your average deal size, close rate, and time to close so that you can forecast how much work you’re likely to have in the future.

With that kind of insight in front of you, a CRM will help you to plan forward, stay profitable, and scale.

A CRM Will Help You Become Customer-Centric

It’s getting harder and harder for builders to deliver the types of experiences that customers expect. That’s why you need the right technology in place. In a project-based industry where customers have multiple options, it’s important that you can use a CRM to build relationships, personalise the experience, and set yourself apart on something other than the lowest price.

Buying a first home vs investment property

Posted on November 14, 2018 by - First Time Builder

If you’ve been busy saving for a deposit, you might be wondering about the pros and cons of buying a first home vs an investment property. While owning your own home has long been considered an Australian dream, there are many advantages in purchasing an investment property to rent out to someone else. Let’s take a look at the benefits of each approach.

A home of your own: buying a first home

Buying a home to live in is appealing for many reasons:

    • First, living in a house you’re paying off is emotionally rewarding. You don’t need to ask permission to buy a dog, paint the walls, or hang a picture. This gives you freedom to infuse your personality into its styling, colour palette, and garden.
    • You might be eligible for a First Home Owner Grant. While the amount depends on where you live, one thing is consistent across all states and territories – the grant isn’t available for investment properties.
    • It offers you stability: you can choose how long you stay in your home, and won’t need to re-negotiate rent each year.
    • When you eventually sell, you won’t have to pay Capital Gains Tax.

On the flip side:

    • You can’t claim any tax deductions on your expenses.
    • Interest rates can fluctuate and impact your repayments.

The bottom line: purchasing an investment property

Buying an investment property requires objectivity and lots of research. On the plus side:

    • By renting out your property, you’ll generate cash flow that can help pay off your mortgage.
    • Your choice comes down to investment potential rather than emotions: that is, how much rent you’re likely to earn, and how much the property will increase in value.
    • You can claim a tax deduction on many expenses, such as interest on the loan and property maintenance.
    • You’ll have the flexibility to look at areas in which you may not want to live, but that have great investment potential.
    • If your property is negatively geared – or generating less income than it costs – you can reduce the amount of tax you pay on your earnings.

It’s also worth noting that:

    • It takes time and energy to manage the property and find the right tenants, so you might want to appoint a property manager.
    • If you sell your investment property and make a profit, you’ll need to pay Capital Gains Tax.
    • You’ll still need to pay rent on the property you live in.

A Final Word

Choosing whether to buy your first home or an investment property isn’t clear-cut. G.J. Gardner Homes can help you weigh up your options, and give you advice on building a dream home for your own use or partnering with us for your investment project.

What Is A Split Level Home?

Posted on November 26, 2018 by - Choosing your Home

You may have heard that sloping blocks are difficult to build on, take more time, and cost more money. While sloping blocks can throw up extra challenges, don’t let that deter you. With a split level home, you can make the most of the gradient of your land to create a unique and stylish property. But first, what is a split level home?

Split level vs multi-storey: what’s the difference?

Split level homes are specifically designed for sloping blocks. They are built into the natural angle of the land to work with the landscape, rather than against it. Typically, they have staggered floor levels, short sets of stairs and up to four separate levels. With tri-level homes, the middle level is traditionally used for open-plan living areas, with bedrooms located upstairs and the downstairs reserved for a spare bedroom or additional living area. In contrast, a multi-storey home comprises two or more levels built directly on top of each other.

Give it to me straight: what do I need to know about split level?

Sloping blocks present their own challenges, which you’ll need to factor in during the building process:

    • Your builder will need to undertake an extensive site survey, paying special attention to drainage and soil stability. Site costs need to be factored into your budget.
    • Structural design is particularly important for sloping blocks.
    • Steep blocks will usually require major excavation to create a level slab, and retaining walls may be required.
    • Multiple stairs aren’t suitable for everyone: those who are unsteady on their feet would do better in a one-story home.

So is it worth it?

Despite these challenges, split level homes bring many advantages:

    • The separation of living and sleeping areas brings an element of privacy. You can create distinct zones for work, rest, play and meal times.
    • They maximise natural light and ventilation and offer abundant views.
    • By working with the natural contours of the land, the home fits harmoniously into its surrounding landscape.
    • Each home is tailored to the slope and size of the block, resulting in a unique yet practical design.
    • They offer plenty of space. By building vertically rather than horizontally, you can make the most of your land size.

In short, the end result is well worth it: you’ll have an elegant home that flows seamlessly into nature and makes the most of its aspect and views.

A Final Word

At G.J. Gardner Homes, we have home designs that are tailored to suit steep or sloping blocks. Be inspired by our Element Home Series or chat to our friendly team to talk through your options.

How To Make Paint Colour Work For You

Posted on December 12, 2018 by - Designing & Inspiration

Choosing the paint colours for your home is an exciting experience as you decide the overall look and design. However, as such a crucial feature of your home, it can be a daunting process to choose the right colour. 

It’s important to educate yourself about how colours work in the home, and you will then have the confidence to express yourself through colour. From neutral colours for their entire house to exciting statement colours, there’s endless opportunity when it comes to your home’s paint colours.  

How to pick your home’s paint colour 

There are some tried and true principles about using colour in interiors. One of the key things here is to understand the difference between dominant and recessive colours and how the application of colour can change the visual proportions of a room. Dominant colours like yellow and red will feel like they’re jumping forward, while recessive colours like purple and blue will feel like they’re going back. 

Contrasting light and dark colours

Pairing dominant and recessive colours can be used to create focal points in a room, create an illusion of depth and space, or draw attention to statement pieces. Light colours don’t necessarily make a small space appear bigger. For example, even using dark colours such as charcoal on all four walls and using good lighting to highlight objects away from the walls can actually diminish the boundaries with the room, making it appear spacious. The best interiors use colour on walls to provide interest and contrast. 

The effects of light

One of the classic mistakes people often make is to buy sample colour pots and paint them directly on their walls. However, the colour on your walls is influenced by the light that the room receives at any given time of the day, as well as your flooring colour, lighting and furnishings. Colour reflects all of these elements and will not stay the same throughout your house. 

The colour in the space

A clever trick is to paint your chosen colours on a piece of A3 cardboard and move the piece of cardboard throughout your house – place it on your walls, floors, windowsills – and view it in all different aspects of your house. 

Understanding the theory behind the use of colour in interiors and viewing your chosen colours in different aspects of your house will give you the confidence to make clever colour decisions. It’s about trusting yourself and ultimately, remembering that you can always paint again if the result is not what you had planned. 

The most popular home paint colours 

Whilst there’s always trending paint colours, there a few colours that remain most popular for home interiors and exteriors. These colours are most frequent in-home designs due to their versatile look that can be adapted to a range of styles and needs.  

  • White: White painted walls have become a classic for homes for good reason. You can rely on this colour to bounce light around the room to keep it feeling open, clean and airy. White paint in your home also provides a blank canvas for you to style, letting other elements stand out.  
  • Beige: Beige offers homeowners all the benefits of white’s neutral base, whilst providing warmth. With variations like eggshell and ecru, beige is a great option to create a comforting and inviting space that is a softer alternative to white. 
  • Grey: Many leading home design styles, such as Scandinavian, have incorporated the colour grey. This colour offers a range of shades from light to dark and creates a sophisticated and modern look in interiors and exteriors alike. 
  • Blue: Blue is a favourite palette for trending home styles like Hamptons, as it provides a calming and soothing colour that gives a rustic touch. This colour is especially popular in bedrooms and bathrooms. The array of shades can have different effects, with lighter shades of blue opening up spaces, while darker shades create a cosy and intimate atmosphere. 

Best paint colours for your home 

With G.J. Gardner Homes, our friendly design experts can help you decide the right colour palette for your home design.  Our customisable home designs offer you the freedom to find the right paint colours for your dream home. Get in touch today.  

Home Office Workspace Design Ideas That Make You Want To Work

Posted on December 14, 2018 by - Designing & Inspiration

Forget cramped cubicles and noisy coworkers: the beauty of working from home is that you can create an office space that’s stylish, comfortable and inspiring. With these home office workspace design ideas, you’ll actually want to work!

A dedicated space

The advent of new technology has blurred the boundaries between home and work. This means we’re often ‘on call’ even after work hours but, on the flipside, workplaces are becoming more flexible in allowing you to work from home. If this sounds like you, it’s more important than ever to have a dedicated space set aside. For your home office to be productive, it should have:

    • Excellent wifi access that’s capable of downloading large files and videos.
    • Privacy, so you can shut yourself off from the rest of the house.
    • Plenty of natural light, to help reduce stress and connect you to the outside world.
    • Appropriate set-up. Do you require more than one screen? A colour printer and scanner? A spot away from the computer where you can review documents? Factor in all your requirements at the design phase.

Storage and organisation: the winning formula

To stay organised and clear-headed, you’ll need plenty of storage. Having a place for everything will keep your mind – and desk – free of clutter.

    • Use a filing cabinet to store important paperwork. If you’re dealing with sensitive information, make sure the cabinet can be locked.
    • Incorporate cupboards, shelves and drawers for items you don’t need every day, like books, spare paper, and ink cartridges.
    • Consider installing a bulletin board or chalkboard to display your daily to-do list.
    • Use desk accessories and a tray organiser to keep your workspace tidy.

Look after your wellbeing

Make your comfort a priority. After all, you can’t be productive if you’re suffering from wrist soreness or back pain.

    • Invest in an ergonomic chair with wheels, lumbar back support, and adjustable height.
    • Think about a desk that easily converts from sitting to standing.
    • Make sure all the resources you use regularly are within arm’s reach.

Add personal flair

The beauty of a home office is that you can put your own personal stamp on it and indulge your creativity. You could:

    • Incorporate personal touches like framed artworks, family photos, or a family calendar.
    • Add a splash of colour with a feature wall or interesting wallpaper.
    • Brighten up your environment with some indoor plants.

A Final Word

If a home office is a must-have in your new home, G.J. Gardner Homes has many house designs that fit the bill – or you can customise a design. Get in touch with your local office for more ideas and inspiration.

How’s the Serenity? Seven Minimalist Home Design Ideas

Posted on December 14, 2018 by - Planning your Home

Love sleek lines, simplicity, and ample space? Want to cut the clutter and stop searching for your own stuff? Then a minimalist home may just be your perfect match. 

There are many ways to achieve this home design style, which is why we have provided some helpful minimalist home design ideas to give your home a fresh, clean look – and achieve a less stressful lifestyle.

What is a minimalist home?

Quite simply, minimalism is the philosophy that “less is more”. In minimalist settings surfaces are clean and uncluttered, and the design is stripped back to the essentials. By removing these unnecessary items, spaces are often made to feel larger and more peaceful. 

Two key hallmarks of minimalist style are simplicity and functional design. This means every element needs to serve a dual purpose: it must be practical as well as look good, complementing the pared-back aesthetic. Interior design should be clean, featuring crisp whites, neutral colour palettes, and a variety of textures.

Minimalist homes need efficient floor plans with open spaces, minimal interior walls, large hidden storage areas, and a focus placed on natural light. These home designs avoid tucked away spaces, complex lines, and angled roof profiles.

Why choose minimalism?

Being surrounded by clutter can feel overwhelming and chaotic. On the flipside, research shows that an uncluttered and clean space inspires a sense of calm and can reduce stress. Minimalist environments can also remove unnecessary distractions and actually help you focus, whether it be on your work, study, or personal goals and mindfulness. 

Minimalism creates a soothing environment, but discipline is required to keep surfaces clear and maintain the clean aesthetic.

Minimalist home décor ideas

When creating a minimalist home design there are seven key tips you can follow:

  1. Streamline your furniture and choose high-quality pieces. If you remove unnecessary pieces or overly large furniture from your home, you will be able to create ‘negative space’ and open up the room. This creates an instant feeling of calm.

2. Experiment with texture. To prevent interiors from feeling stark, add layers of texture with items like simple throw pillows, light fixtures, and rugs. Wood and wool complement this aesthetic well and create contrast with neutral bases.

3. Assess each room with a critical eye. Remove clutter and eliminate anything that is not necessary. Ensure surfaces are clear and sparse while investing in hidden storage to keep everything tidy. In short, find a place for everything and commit to using it so things like keys, bills, and kitchen appliances are tucked out of sight.

4. Choose a minimalist home colour scheme. Choosing a neutral colour palette that uses whites, greys, and earth-coloured tones for a classic backdrop will help give your home a minimalist feel. This doesn’t mean you have to go monochromatic – in fact, a good rule of thumb is to combine colours that occur in nature and choose two or three colours at most. You could have one colour as the dominant base, a secondary colour layered on top of that, and a third colour reserved for accents.

5. Invest in modern storage. You can only part ways with so many of your belongings before you need to find a place for your remaining items to live. Investing in stylish storage allows for your little bits of clutter to live inside while still appearing tidy on the outside. This is a great solution for those who love the minimalist aesthetic but aren’t ready to let go of their collector ways.

6. Bring the outside in. Simple designs and open spaces are greatly complemented by the incorporation of natural elements and indoor-outdoor flow. Selecting a few succulents and pot plants as your chosen decoration can work to brighten up your space. To ensure optimal indoor-outdoor flow you can read our complete guide connecting indoor and outdoor spaces.

7. Forget about complex shapes. When choosing elements to include in your minimalist home design it is important think about flat, sharp, and clean surfaces that can reflect light. This will make your room appear more spacious, while conversely complex shapes will make your home feel cluttered.

Minimalist home design floor plans

Floor plans for minimalist home designs should focus on creating clean, open, light-filled spaces. They also maximise efficiency for function in as many areas as possible, for example stacking stairs alongside the wall, flanking closets, and load-bearing exterior walls to eliminate the need for obstructing open floor designs with interior structural support.

G.J. Gardner Homes are able to work with you to ensure your home design incorporates any and all minimalist home design elements you wish to include, all while being optimised for your personal needs. 

G.J. Gardner minimalist home designs

For more inspiration, get in touch with your local G.J. Gardner Homes office or explore our entire range of home designs. At G.J. Gardner, we can help you achieve your dream minimalist home.

How To Subdivide Your Property for Maximum Profit

Posted on December 14, 2018 by - Cost to Build

In recent years, the price of Australian property has skyrocketed. If you’re lucky enough to have a big backyard, your land could be ripe for subdivision. This post outlines how to subdivide your property, and what you need to know to potentially make a profit.

What is a subdivision?

Subdivision means dividing your property into two or more lots. To do this, you could:

    • Subdivide your land and sell the new lot for someone else to develop.
    • Build a house on the newly-created lot, which you could later sell or rent out.
    • Demolish your existing home and build three or four townhouses.

Why subdivide?

Over the past few decades, our overall population has increased, while the size of each family has decreased. This means:

    • There’s a shortage of available properties, especially in urban areas.
    • A high value is placed on houses – and vacant land – in established areas. It’s even better if you have access to public transport and communal green spaces.
    • A big block of land could become potential equity to make a profit.

How does subdivision work?

Before you go any further, there are some key questions to ask:

1. First, work out if a subdivision is possible

To be viable for subdivision, your block of land should:

    • Comply with local zoning laws. Check with your local council to see if your property is in an area that allows subdivisions.
    • Conform to your local council’s minimum lot size. This varies depending on where you live, but a good rule of thumb is to have at least 700 square metres of usable land.
    • Ideally be relatively flat, to reduce the costs of construction and access.
    • Have enough space to install another driveway.

2. Call in an expert

Once you’ve done your own assessment, call in an expert. You could speak to a surveyor, certified town planner, or an experienced builder. They can advise you about zoning, overlays, and minimum lot size. Planning overlays identify features of the environment that might be impacted by a new development. In some cases, subdivisions may not be permitted due to protected vegetation, flooding, bushfire risk, or the location of heritage buildings.

3. Apply for planning permission

With the help of your builder or surveyor, it’s time to put together a development proposal. You’ll need to outline how you suggest splitting the land and show plans for a proposed house, driveway, and car parks.

A Final Word

Subdividing your land is a complex endeavour but can be well worth the effort. As Australia’s number 1 rated national home builder, G.J. Gardner Homes has proven project experience coupled with local expertise and can help you through the process.

The 8 Best Ways to Save for a House Deposit

Posted on December 14, 2018 by - Cost to Build

If you’ve long dreamed of owning your own home but feel overwhelmed by the first hurdle – saving for a deposit – you’re not alone. The good news is that some savvy tips and tricks can help you pull together a deposit in less time than you think. Read on to discover the eight best ways to save for a house deposit.

1. Be specific with your goal

Let’s be frank: for budgeting to be effective, you need to know exactly how much you need to save, and why. If you only have vague plans of wanting to buy a house ‘some day’, your goal won’t feel real or tangible and you probably won’t do much to make it happen. On the other hand, if you know what you’re working towards and how to get there, you’re more likely to make regular lifestyle concessions – like forgoing a coffee, a movie, or a dinner out.

2. Be realistic

Do your sums and identify how much you can realistically afford to spend on loan repayments. Make sure you set an achievable goal, finding a balance between what you want and what you can afford.

3. Set an end goal and work backwards

If you’ve calculated that you can afford repayments on a $500,000 house, how much deposit will you need?

  • Banks prefer you to have a 20% deposit as this means less risk for them. On a $500,000 property, this means a deposit of $100,000.
  • If you’ve saved less than 20% but are keen to jump into the property market, banks might still be willing to lend you money but will also charge Lenders Mortgage Insurance.

So, how do you get from your current position to save $100,000?

4. Analyse your expenditure

First, track your expenditure for a month or two, making note of every dollar you spend. At the end of this period, work out how much you’re spending on rent, groceries, electricity, water, and so on. This might seem like a lot of effort but stick with it, as it can be hugely effective to understand where your money is going:

    • By categorising your expenditure, you’ll realise where your budget could be scaled back.
    • You might be surprised how quickly your non-essential purchases add up. Set a clear goal for cutting back on discretionary items, like lunches at work, coffee, or Friday night drinks.
    • Again, be realistic. There’s no point dispensing with a holiday budget for the foreseeable future when you’d be happier and more committed to saving if you choose to reduce holiday expenditure instead.
    • There are lots of finance apps that can help you manage your money and track expenses.

5. Set up a high-interest account

Research different banks and building societies, as some savings accounts are more generous than others. Check the fine print so you have a clear idea of any fees the bank will charge. Once you’ve chosen the best deal, open a separate, high-interest account. And here’s the key: automatically transfer your savings the day after payday. This way, you’re compelled to live off your salary after making your monthly savings.

6. Make a budget – and make it stick

Once you know where your salary is going, set a budget for each and every expense. Make sure you include incidentals like gifts, taxis, and meals out. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) offers both a budget planner and an app for tracking expenditure, which can help you stick to your budget.

7. Reduce your debts

If you have any debts, like car loans or credit cards, try to pay these off as a priority once you start your savings plan. Not only will you save on interest, but it will help with your credit rating and ability to borrow when you’re ready.

8. Do your research

Check to see if you’re eligible for a First Home Owners Grant. This can count towards your deposit, but it’s generally geared towards those buying or building a new home. You might also be eligible for concessions on stamp duty if you’re a first home buyer, a pensioner, or buying a property of lower value (generally less than $500,000 in most states).

A Final Word

If you have any questions about budgeting or how to secure financing, contact your local G.J. Gardner Homes office.