The Akora Home Building Process.

From preparation of your block to final plans and approvals, Akora makes getting your build underway a breeze.

Building a home is a considerable commitment, and not without challenges. At Akora, we take the time to ensure you understand each stage of the building process, for peace of mind at every step.

We work with you to make sure all the basics are covered, liaising with the relevant parties to ensure your block is ready to build on, and that all local council requirements are met, so that all you have to concern yourself with is getting ready to move in to your new Akora-built home as quickly and as effortlessly as possible. 

Review the following steps, and remember: if you have a question, one of our friendly team is always ready and waiting to assist you with your enquiries.

The first thing to consider in practical terms ensuring your chosen block meets the correct requirements for us to start building your new home on. This could mean tree removal, or the demolition of existing structures, all of which would need to be completed well in advance of the agreed delivery date of your Akora home.

We recommend that this process of block preparation be completed as early as possible, allowing time for soil to settle, so that the site is prepared for building to commence. Doing so will not only allow for easy truck access when it comes time to receive your new home from us, it will also enable its assembly to proceed as smoothly and as quickly as possible.

Our team will be with you every step – talk to us about your block preparation, and we’ll clear the path towards your new home together.

Things are about to leap from the page, and onto the stage of your new life. Once the contract has been signed and the deposit paid, and upon completion of the 5 business days cooling off period, our drafting team can commence your final plans, which consist of the working drawings, the site plan, your desired floorplan, and elevation and technical drawings. 

Once these plans have been completed by our team, they’ll be sent to you for signing. In the event alterations are required, a simple call to your Akora consultant will ensure you get the assistance you need to make these changes with a minimum of fuss. 

Once your final plans have been drafted and signed off, they’re sent to an independent engineer and to your local council for approval.

You needn’t worry about paperwork – the Akora administrative team handles this phase of your project for you entirely, and will update you throughout the approvals process.

If at any time you have a query or concern about the approvals process, give Akora a call – we’re always happy to answer any questions you may have, at any time.

Every Akora home is crafted in our centralised fabrication facility before being delivered to your desired location. Prior to the delivery process, our transportation specialists will conduct a thorough site survey to ensure your home reaches you as effortlessly as possible.

Once they’ve identified any obstacles that might inhibit transport – whether trees, poles, or overhead wires – we can advise of any further steps that may need to be taken to allow your home to be delivered.

Typically, this process is completed after the signing of contracts, but in special circumstances may be carried out prior to entering the building contract, to determine whether your site is suitable for transportable delivery.

If required, we can then customise your home design to suit your site – with as minimal disruption as possible.

It’s time to get excited. Your new home is closer than ever. While engineering and council approvals are being obtained, you can enjoy one of the most fulfilling parts of the entire process – the Selections stage. 

This is where you get to choose all the colours, fittings and finishes of your new home, exploring first-hand just how the interiors and exteriors will come together to create the kind of dwelling that, till now, you’d perhaps only dreamed of. 

Your guide through this stage will be one of our expert Akora Selections consultants, who will assist you with your choices and any enquiries you may have. You’ll also have the option to choose items within your chosen Specification, or to upgrade items to your taste and preference for an additional cost. 

The best way to taste what’s possible is at the MyChoice Design Studio, which brings together products, colour choices and inspirations under one roof for you to start envisioning just how your home will come to life inside and out. 

See the stuff that dreams are made of with the MyChoice Design Studio, and Akora Homes.

You’re almost there. Once your plans and selections are finalised and council development approval has been received, Akora will provide you with a Builder’s Pack. Simply forward it to your bank so that the formal approval of your construction loan can be granted.

Once formal finance approval has been given, we can commence the building process. Whilst we wait for your finance approval, our Administration team will schedule and prepare all the work orders required to build your home.

Your plans have been finalised and your bank has received your Builder’s Pack. While the bank works towards approving your construction loan, we prepare for the construction phase of your new Akora home to commence.

The construction team now have everything they need to begin building to your desired plans and specifications once your loan is approved. 

You’ve chosen your lot of land. You’ve selected the floorplans and design options you want in your new home, and you’ve received confirmation of your construction loan approval. Now everything is in readiness to start building your new home.

From preparation of your ‘pad’ to the final finishing items, the construction phase is perhaps the most exciting period of the entire building process with the exception of actually stepping into your new home for the first time. 

It starts with the land. And it ends with your vision, made real.

Making sure your land is a clean canvas to build on is an essential preliminary, and is relatively simple and inexpensive. With the following tips, it’s easy to ensure your home has a solid, stable base on which to stand, to prevent shifting or warping over the decades.

Soil Preparation.

Soil that effects the footings of your new home extends well beyond the line of the building. 

For example, tree roots from trees located some distance away can cause movement of the site. That’s why we recommend that nearby trees are removed early in the build process, to allow time for the soil to settle before your home arrives and is set down on its ‘pad’.

Preparing the Pad.

Before your home arrives, you must prepare the pad. This is the area of soil on which your new home will sit. The pad itself must consist of a minimum 100mm of road base or similar material, compressed to 100kpa. 

A highly compressed pad prevents any movement in your home, ensuring it is not damaged in future years, and must be at least 2m wider than the footprint of your home – including any verandahs – to allow room for jacks in the set down process. 

Tie down holes also must be drilled in the exact locations specified on the plans provided. With the pad now prepared, you can be sure your home is as protected as can be against unwanted movement.

Following these guidelines is essential if your home is to have a solid, sturdy foundation. 

Your home is starting to take shape! From floor framing to doors, here are the steps you can expect to see unfold in this initial phase.

Floor Framing.

Your Supaloc steel floor framing is assembled.

Wall and Roof Framing.

Your Supaloc steel wall and roof is erected.

Window Installation.

Glass windows are inserted into the frames.

1. External Linings.
   Roof, gutters and fascia are installed and cladding affixed to your home’s exterior.
   
   
2. Internal Linings.
   Gyprock is applied to the internal walls.
   
   
3. Second fix carpentry.
   Doors, skirtings and architraves are installed.

With the bones of your new home in place, it’s time to add the finishing details – inside and out – and get your home ready for delivery.

1. Joinery and Tiles.
   At this stage, joinery and tiles are installed in your kitchen and wet areas.
   
   
2. Home Inspection.
   Before any further work is carried out, you’re required to inspect your new home in our construction yard prior to delivery to ensure you’re satisfied with its progress.
   
   If you can’t make it to the Akora yard, we invite you to view videos of the home instead. Our Construction Team will talk through the delivery process with you and share the information you need to co-ordinate your plumber and electrician to be on site upon delivery of your home.
   
   Should you notice any issues at all during the inspection, it is vital you notify our Construction team so we can review and address any concerns.
   
   That way, we can remedy any issues that have arisen, ensuring you’re 100% satisfied with your new home before it arrives.
   
   
3. Second Fix Electrical and Plumbing.
   Light connections, switches, wet trap areas, sanitary ware and connections are installed.
   
   
4. Final Finishing Items.
   Painting, tiling, bathroom accessories, appliances and flooring are completed.

Once the final finishing items have been applied, all is in readiness for Akora to deliver your new home right to (what will be) your door.

With your new Akora home now purpose-built to exacting standards in our construction yard, it’s time to bring it on home to you.

Akora’s transport specialists are the best in the industry, trained and experience in all manner of haulage scenarios. Before, during, and after the delivery process, every measure is taken, and every protocol followed to ensure your home arrives to you safely and on time. 

With our specially designed trucks and jacks, your precious cargo is in good hands. We invite Akora customers waiting on a new home to touch base as required – we’ll keep you up to date on its movements and its ultimate arrival time, for your utmost peace of mind.

Get excited. Your home is coming home.

Your home is complete, and soon you’ll be stepping across the threshold of your new life for the very first time. 

Shortly before that moment arrives, your home is being carefully lifted onto a custom-designed truck at Akora’s build yard in Edinburgh North, South Australia. Once it’s lifted on our purpose-built jacks, your delivery truck drives beneath it and takes the load. 

These trucks are especially created for maximum manoeuvrability in the delivery of pre-built, modular and transportable homes, ensuring the security and safe arrival of your dream home over the delivery process.  

Akora uses the most accomplished delivery service in Australia to deliver the homes that leave our site. Let us take care of the heavy lifting, so you can get ready to move in.

Things are really moving now. Your home is on its way from our build yards to wherever you call home, transported securely on our custom built trucks. 

We use designated transport routes to ensure the safety of your home and of other road users, utilising police escorts where appropriate. It really is an extraordinary sight, seeing a fully-built Akora home wending its way across the stunning Australian countryside – not to mention seeing it arrive on your chosen lot of land, ready for placement. 

On occasion, unforeseen circumstance may require us to use alternative routes. This is an exceedingly rare occurrence, and we always strive to ensure minimal disruptions to the delivery timetable. We encourage owners to be present at their block on delivery, to witness first-hand the arrival of their brand new home. 

Once it arrives at your block, it’s time to set your new home down in its forever home.

Your home has arrived. Now the task is to set it down with exacting precision, in accordance with council approval, as the truck moves into precision over your prepared site or pad.

Your home is raised from the truck with the jacks, and held up by secure, temporary props, after which the truck drives out from underneath the home. Per the engineering report, concrete blocks with ant caps are laid out and levelled, and tie-downs are bolted to the underside of the home to provide a solid and secure attachment. 

Then, your home is carefully lowered onto the concrete blocks, and the tie-downs are concreted into the pre-dug homes. The Eagle has landed.

Now your home has arrived safely on site, it’s time to get everything connected in preparation for you to start living the life you’ve always waited for.

Your new home is here. All that remains now is to connect it to essential services such as water, sewerage and electricity. 

Once done, everything will be in readiness and your new home journey can really begin – with you at the centre of your very own, beautifully built Akora home. 

In this final phase, as in all preceding phases, Akora is here to help with any questions you may have about the After Delivery process. 

Congratulations. And welcome to the Akora family.

Once we’ve delivered your home, it’s up to you to have your services connected. To help you prepare, our Construction team will advise you of your estimated home delivery date approximately 4–8 weeks in advance. 

Once provided with this date, we strongly suggest you begin booking your plumbing, sewerage, electrical and stormwater connections – ideally for the day after delivery. These connections should be completed within 2 weeks of set down, to ensure the smooth transition of your financing.

To help prepare things further, during the design phase the Akora team will provide all the necessary concept plans and site layouts to you, ready to provide to your local plumber, electrician, and earthmover. Keep them handy for when the time comes to get connected.

Plumbing Connection.

You’ll need your plumber to connect your home to the mains water, via one specialised location in your home. Discharges for your toilets and sinks are located below floor level – your plumber will also be required to gather these discharges, and direct them to the sewer.

Electricity Connection.

On delivery of your home, it is wired electrically according to your plans and selections. Your electrician will simply need to wire from the mains meter box to your home. If the home is a split module design, your electrician will need to connect the services in the ceiling prior to connection.