FAQ(s)
Is it better to get council approval through a local DA or a Complying Development Certificate (CDC)?
The best pathway depends entirely on your block of land and your design goals, and our compliance team assesses this at the very start of your journey.
- CDC (Complying Development): This fast-tracked process bypasses local council and uses a private certifier. If your design complies 100% with state-wide planning codes, we can often secure approvals in as little as 20 days.
- DA (Development Application): If your land has environmental overlays (like heritage zones, flood risks, or high bushfire levels) or your design requires custom boundary variations, we manage the formal application process directly through your local council (e.g., Hills Shire or Blacktown City Council), which typically takes 3 to 6 months.
Can I change the floor plan layout of a standard design, or must I start completely from scratch?
You never have to settle for a rigid template with us. Ruby Homes applies Spatial Intelligence to give you total flexibility. You can choose to modify an existing design from our portfolio such as flipping a layout to capture natural northern light, extending a living area, or adding a butler’s pantry or collaborate directly with our in-house design team to sketch a completely bespoke custom home from a blank canvas.
Can I visit the site to see my home being built?
Yes, safety permitting. For work health and safety (WHS) compliance on active construction sites, all visits must be coordinated in advance. We schedule milestone site meetings with your dedicated Site Supervisor at the completion of key stages such as framing, lining, and fixing so you can walk through your home and see the progress firsthand.
What do you provide for my home after handover?
At Ruby Homes, handover is just the beginning of our relationship. We provide a 180-Day Defects Warranty to cover any minor settling adjustments or maintenance issues that may arise as you settle into your new home. During your official handover, we will also provide dedicated contact details for immediate assistance with any major urgent issues or emergencies during this period.
Can I bring my own custom architectural plans to Ruby Homes?
Yes, we are a true custom-capable builder. You can bring your own fully resolved architectural drawings to us for a comprehensive tender review, or you can bring loose conceptual sketches and collaborate closely with our in-house design team to refine the floor plan using our signature Spatial Intelligence framework.
What is "Spatial Intelligence," and how does Ruby Homes apply it to floor plans?
Spatial Intelligence is our core architectural philosophy. It means we don’t just design rooms; we design for human movement and lifestyle evolution. We optimize floor plans by maximizing natural solar orientation, eliminating wasteful hallway space, engineering multi-functional “zones” (so working from home doesn’t conflict with family spaces), and creating seamless indoor-outdoor transitions that make a standard footprint feel significantly larger.
How does a Ruby Homes contract compare to a standard HIA fixed-price contract?
While we utilize the industry-standard Housing Industry Association (HIA) contract framework as our foundation, Ruby Homes enhances this with a transparent pricing guarantee. Many standard contracts leave allowances for site costs as “Provisional Sums,” which can fluctuate. We convert these variables into genuinely fixed items within your final tender after rigorous pre-construction testing, ensuring the price on the page is the exact price you pay at handover.
Should I buy land before contacting a builder, or talk to a builder before I buy land?
At Ruby Homes, we can guide you at either stage. While we can’t finalize a design or an exact fixed-price tender until we know your land’s precise soil and boundary conditions, speaking with us before you buy can be a major advantage. Our team can evaluate potential blocks to help you spot hidden site costs, sloping challenges, or council restrictions early on.
Do you offer fixed-price building contracts?
Yes. Ruby Homes provides a comprehensive Fixed-Price Tender before construction starts. This ensures all site costs, council compliance fees, and chosen interior inclusions are locked in upfront so you face zero hidden surprises or budget blowouts.
Can I modify Ruby Homes’ standard floor plans?
Absolutely. We apply Spatial Intelligence to all of our designs, meaning you have total flexibility. You can alter room sizes, flip layouts to capture natural light, add luxury spaces like a butler’s pantry, or collaborate with us on a completely bespoke custom design.