New Homes
Custom homes for Lennox Head and Ballina.
Architect designed homes built across the Northern Rivers, with MGM involved early to keep your project on budget.
The work
The bulk of MGM’s work is custom architect designed homes. Single dwellings on private blocks, mostly at the higher end of the residential market. Some are forever homes for families relocating from Sydney or Melbourne. Some are second homes on the coast. Some are local owners building the last home they intend to build.
We work across most styles, but the homes we build tend to share a few things in common: they’re designed for the specific block, oriented for the climate, and built to handle what this coast asks of a home over decades.
Early engagement, before the architect
Most of the homes we build come to us through an architect. But the projects that run best are the ones where we’re involved before the design starts.
What this looks like in practice: we sit down with you at the start, before the architect is engaged, and work through what you’re trying to build, what your budget actually is, and what the site can and can’t support. Then we help shape the brief that goes to the architect so the design that comes back lands on budget, not above it.
Most builders inherit a design and a budget that don’t match. The conversation then becomes about where to cut. We’d rather have that conversation before the design exists, when there’s still room to make decisions that protect both the budget and the design intent.
We charge a small consultation fee at this stage, which is deducted from the build cost if the project goes ahead.
Fixed price contracts
A fixed price contract means what we quote is what you pay. There are no surprises, and no variations because we underestimated.
Variations only occur when the actual scope of the project changes. If you decide partway through that you want a different oven, or to add a window, or to upgrade the flooring, that’s a variation. If we find that something we quoted on was wrong, that’s our problem, not yours.
How a new home build works
Five stages, from first conversation to handover.
Initial consultation
Free, no obligation. We talk through what you’re trying to build, the site, and your budget.
Design and quote
We work alongside your architect (or recommend one if you don’t have one yet) to shape a design that lands on budget. We then produce a fixed price quote based on a clear schedule of finishes.
Approvals
We handle the DA submission and council requirements. Same process across Ballina, Byron and Lismore councils.
Construction
Milestone based payments through clear build stages. We coordinate the trades, the suppliers and the schedule.
Handover and beyond
Two year defect period as standard. We stay in contact after handover.
A look at our new homes work
Start with a conversation.
The first consultation is free. Bring us a block, a set of plans, or just an idea you’ve been thinking about.