Before moving in

Before you can take handover of your new home, you must:

• Receive notification of practical completion
• Conduct a final building inspection
• Pay the builder all outstanding money.

Receive notification of practical completion

When your home is ready, your builder will formally notify you of its ‘practical completion’.

Practical completion means the work has been completed in accordance with your contract and any statutory requirements, with the exception of any minor defects or omissions, and is reasonably suitable to inhabit.

Conduct a final building inspection

You must conduct a final inspection of the home with your builder. If your home is financed, your lender may also want to inspect the home before making final payment to your builder.

If you want to engage a building consultant or inspector to perform the final inspection, you should advise your builder that they will be attending.

The Find a Master Builder search is a free service that helps you find properly licensed Master Builders for your upcoming job, including building inspectors.

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Pay the builder all outstanding money

You’ll be unable to take possession of the home until the builder has been paid all outstanding money, so you should check whether your lender needs to be present at the final inspection to avoid any delays.

Defect liability period

The defect liability period specified in your contract begins from the date of practical completion and runs for the length of time outlined in your contract.

After you take possession of your new home, your builder is obligated to rectify any faults that occur during the defect liability period of 12 months. You must notify them of any defects (in writing).