What's Not Included in a New Home Build?

When it comes to planning costs, budgets, and timelines for your new home build, inclusions and exclusions will play a big role. Every builder will have a list of their standard home inclusions, so it’s worth understanding what’s generally not included so that you can be prepared.

Let’s delve into what’s generally not included in a new home construction so that you can get a better understanding of what you’ll need to organise, book, or purchase independently from your builder’s package. 

What’s Generally Not Included in a New Home Build

Imagine moving into your dream home, only to realise after a week of living there, that you’d forgotten how often you use the air conditioning (unlikely in North Queensland), or that your builder never mentioned that you’d need to get your own blinds. It can be easy to get caught up in what’s included in a building package, rather than trying to discern what you might need to consider outside of the main boxes you’ve ticked.

The below list will give you a solid outline of generally what’s not included in a home build, so you can plan and budget effectively.

Landscaping

Generally, landscaping is not included in a new home build. You can of course expect site preparation, foundations, and flooring to be included in the construction costs, but landscaping can end up being quite a large additional cost to your overall build, so make sure you’ve planned accordingly.  

Curtains and Blinds

This might seem obvious to some, or surprising to others - but it’s worth knowing that curtains and blinds are usually not included in a new home build. This is mainly because they are largely considered to be a cosmetic element of the home.

Furniture & Fittings

Yes, new home build inclusions will usually cover basic fixtures in the kitchen and bathroom, but it won’t extend across the home. The majority of furniture and fittings will need to be accounted for outside of the building costs.

Paths and Driveways

Most builders are primarily concerned with the construction of the home, meaning that anything outside its main walls will usually not be listed as an inclusion. This means that if you need to have a driveway up to the house from the road, it's always a good plan to discuss this with your builder at the start. 

Flooring 

Flooring is one that will vary from builder to builder. However, most builders will generally offer basic options, with the ability to choose specific flooring at a higher price. This will then include cost of materials and labour, but it’s important that you nail down the flooring with your builder early on in the design process to make sure you’re on the same page. 

Fly Screens

Some builders will include them, others won’t. Either way, it’s an important necessity that is often overlooked. Be sure to check over the inclusions in your building package for fly screens. If they’re not listed - talk to your builder about adding them in, or prepare for an external service provider to have them installed. 

Customise Your Home’s Features with Cougar Homes

Cougar Homes offers high-quality new home builds in Cairns and North Queensland with home designs to match every type of budget and personal preferences. With over 20 years of building expertise, we understand what most homeowners are looking for in their dream home and have a customisable list of inclusions that tick off every box. View our extensive collection of Cairns home designs to find your ideal home build with us today!