Your custom home questions, answered

A custom home is designed around you: your site, the way you live, and your budget. A project or volume builder works from a set range of standard plans and builds the same designs many times over, with limited room to change them. We do the opposite. You can start with one of our existing designs and tailor it, or design from a blank page. Every David Reid Homes home is built to order by your local builder, with the layout, detail and finishes you choose.

Every build is different, so the honest answer is that it depends on the size and complexity of your home, your site, and council approvals. As a general guide, the design and approval stage often takes a few months, and construction of a custom home commonly runs from around six to twelve months after that. Your local builder will give you a realistic timeline for your specific home and site before you sign anything.

Because a custom home is priced on what you choose to build, there is no single sticker price. The main factors are the size of the home, the design, your site and its access, and the level of inclusions and finishes you select. Rather than start with a number, we start with your brief, then prepare a detailed, itemised quote so you can see exactly what your home includes. You receive a clear written contract before any construction begins.

We keep the process structured and transparent from the first conversation to handover:

1. First conversation. We get to know you, your site and what you want to build.
2. Design and concept. We shape a design around your brief, starting from one of our plans or from scratch.
3. Detailed quote and specification. You get an itemised quote that sets out exactly what your home includes.
4. Contract and approvals. We finalise your contract and manage the council and engineering approvals.
5. Construction, stage by stage. Your builder constructs your home in clear stages, and you can follow progress online through our client portal.
6. Handover. We hand over your finished home, with the paperwork and warranties that come with it.

Yes. We build custom homes for a wide range of sites, including sloping blocks, acreage, narrow lots and waterfront land. Each of these brings its own design and engineering considerations, and a custom approach is often the best way to make the most of a unique or challenging site.

Yes. If you love where you live but your current home no longer suits you, a knockdown rebuild lets you stay in your location and build a brand new custom home in its place. Your local builder can assess your block and talk you through what is involved.

David Reid Homes builds through a network of local builders, each running their own area. We currently have builders across Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia. The best place to start is to find your local builder, who knows your area, your council and your conditions.

Both. You can choose one of our designs as a starting point and change it to suit you, or bring your own plans and ideas and we will work with you to bring them to life. Our online design library is a good place to find inspiration and see what is possible.

Inclusions depend on the home you design and the specification you choose, which is part of what custom building means. Your detailed quote and specification set out exactly what is included in your home, in writing, before you commit. We walk you through every choice, from the structure through to the fixtures and finishes.

Your home is covered by the statutory builder’s warranty that applies in your state or territory, along with the manufacturer warranties on the materials, appliances and products used in your build. Your local builder will explain the warranties that apply to your specific home.

Yes. Our online gallery and virtual walk-through let you explore completed David Reid Homes homes and step inside our designs from anywhere.

Starting is simple. Find your local David Reid Homes builder, or contact our team, and we will talk through your ideas, your site and what you would like to build.