Buying land is a huge milestone. But for many first-time builders, the excitement quickly gives way to a daunting question: what do I actually do next?
The building process in Victoria can feel overwhelming — there are builders to compare, designs to shortlist, permits to navigate, and contracts to sign. This guide breaks it down into clear steps so you know exactly where to focus.
Step 1: Understand Your Block
Before you do anything else, get to know your land. Key things to find out:
- Exact dimensions — width, depth, and total area. These determine which house designs will actually fit.
- Orientation — which direction does the front face? North-facing backyards are gold in Victoria for passive solar.
- Slope — a flat block is cheaper to build on. A sloping block needs cut-and-fill or a split-level design, which adds cost.
- Overlays — check your council's planning portal for bushfire, flood, or vegetation overlays. These can restrict what you can build.
- Soil report — if you don't already have one from the land sale, get a soil test done. Soil classification (M, H1, H2, E) affects your slab type and cost.
Your land's title documents and Section 32 will have most of this. Your conveyancer can help you interpret them.
Step 2: Know Your Setbacks
Setbacks are the minimum distances your home must sit from the property boundaries. In Victoria, typical setbacks are:
- Front setback: 4–6m from the street (varies by council and street type)
- Side setbacks: 1–1.5m on each side for single storey, more for double storey
- Rear setback: typically 3–6m depending on lot depth
Setbacks directly affect the maximum width and depth of house that can sit on your block. A 14m wide block with 1.5m setbacks on each side gives you a maximum house width of 11m — so any design wider than 11m won't fit.
Tip: Use AptSide to search by your block dimensions and instantly filter out designs that won't fit your setback-adjusted envelope.
Step 3: Set Your Budget
Building costs in Victoria typically range from $1,800 to $3,800 per square metre for a volume-built home, depending on:
- Builder and inclusions level
- House size and storeys
- Site costs (slope, soil, access)
- Upgrades and selections
A rough budget breakdown for a typical Victorian new build:
- Base house price: $350,000–$650,000 (depending on size and builder)
- Site costs: $15,000–$60,000 (earthworks, connections, fencing)
- Upgrades and selections: $10,000–$50,000+
- Landscaping: $15,000–$40,000
- Driveways, blinds, letterbox: $5,000–$15,000
Always build in a 10–15% contingency buffer. Site costs in particular can blow out if the soil or slope throws up surprises.
Step 4: Shortlist House Designs That Fit Your Block
This is where most people waste the most time — visiting display homes, requesting brochures, and falling in love with a design only to find out it doesn't fit their block.
The smarter approach: enter your block dimensions into AptSide's free search tool and instantly see which designs from Victorian builders will actually fit. Filter by bedrooms, storeys, and style to narrow it down.
Things to look for in a floor plan:
- Room layout — does the main bedroom get morning sun? Is the living area north-facing?
- Garage position — front-facing garages eat into street appeal and can dominate narrow lots
- Alfresco and outdoor flow — where does the indoor/outdoor living connect?
- Future flexibility — can the study become a 4th bedroom? Can the layout accommodate teens or ageing parents?
Step 5: Compare Builders
Victoria has hundreds of builders. The major volume builders — Metricon, Carlisle, Simonds, Henley, Burbank, Boutique Homes — offer competitive pricing and large design catalogues. Custom builders offer more flexibility but at higher cost and longer timelines.
When comparing builders, look beyond the base price:
- Inclusions level — what's actually in the base price? Flooring, tiling, appliances, stone benchtops?
- Site cost policy — does the builder assess site costs before or after you sign? "Guaranteed fixed price" is very different from "price subject to site costs"
- Build time — typical Victorian builds run 12–18 months from slab to handover
- Reviews — check ProductReview.com.au and HIA reviews, not just the builder's own testimonials
- Licence check — verify the builder's registration on the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) website
Step 6: Get a Soil Test and Feature Survey
If your land purchase didn't include these, organise them now — before signing a building contract:
- Soil test (geotechnical report): ~$500–$1,500. Tells you the soil classification which affects slab design and cost.
- Feature and level survey: ~$800–$1,500. Gives you exact contours, easements, and boundary positions. Required by most builders before pricing.
Skipping these until contract stage is a common mistake — they can significantly change your site costs.
Step 7: Understand the Contract Before You Sign
Most Victorian builders use a HIA or MBA fixed-price contract. Key things to check:
- Provisional sums — any "provisional sum" item (e.g., electrical, prime cost items) is an estimate, not a fixed price. It can go up.
- Rise and fall clause — some contracts allow the builder to pass on material cost increases. Try to remove this.
- Variations — understand how changes during construction are priced and documented
- Progress payments — typically 5 stages (base, frame, lock-up, fixing, completion)
- Defects liability period — usually 12 months from handover
Consider getting a building solicitor or independent certifier to review the contract before you sign.
Step 8: Apply for Building Permits
In Victoria, your builder typically handles the building permit application, but you need to be across the timeline:
- Your builder submits plans to a registered building surveyor
- Permit approval typically takes 4–8 weeks
- Construction cannot start until the permit is issued
If you're in a Growth Area or estate, the developer may have a Design Review Panel (DRP) that needs to approve your design before the building permit can be issued. Check your Section 173 agreement.
Step 9: Make Your Selections
After signing contracts, you'll go through a selections appointment where you choose finishes — flooring, tiles, cabinetry, appliances, tapware, bricks, roof tiles, and more. This is where builds often go over budget.
Tips for selections:
- Set a selections budget before the appointment, not during it
- Prioritise what you can't easily change later (tiles, flooring, layout changes)
- Splurge on kitchen and bathrooms — they have the most daily impact
- Keep an eye on the upgrade costs — $500 here and $1,000 there adds up fast
Step 10: Construction and Handover
Once construction starts, your main jobs are:
- Making progress payments on time
- Doing stage inspections (ideally with an independent building inspector)
- Documenting any issues in writing, not verbally
- Doing a thorough pre-handover inspection before you sign off
At handover, don't rush. Walk through every room, check every window, door, tap, appliance, and finish. Any defects should be noted on the handover form.
Ready to Find Designs That Fit Your Block?
The best first step after buying land is knowing which house designs will actually work on your block. Skip the hours of browsing builder websites — enter your block dimensions into AptSide and see all compatible Victorian house designs instantly.