Quick answer
Choosing from ready-made home designs, instead of a custom plan, helps you stay on budget because the price is set before you sign. There is nothing left to redraw, re-price or change halfway through the build. You pick a plan, we confirm the price, and that price stays the same.
Key takeaways
- Extra costs after signing are the biggest cause of budget stress. Choosing from set home designs helps you avoid this.
- A "fixed price" and a "fixed home design" are not the same thing. Only a fixed design truly locks your costs in.
- Any change you ask for after signing almost always costs more than choosing the right plan from the start.
- Single storey home builders and double storey home builders both offer set plans that are simpler and quicker to price.
- A fixed home design isn't right for every block. Sloped or oddly shaped land may need a custom plan instead.
Building a new home is exciting. But many families are surprised when the final cost is higher than the first quote they were given.
This usually isn’t because anyone did the wrong thing. It happens when the home design is still changing after the contract is already signed.
Picking one of several ready-made home designs, whether single storey or double storey, is one of the simplest ways to stop this from happening. This article shows you exactly why, and where the savings really come from.
There are plenty of house builders to choose from, but not every one of them prices a home the same way. That’s worth knowing before you compare quotes.
Where a building budget can go wrong
A quote is just a guess about a home that hasn’t been built yet. There are a few key places where extra costs can pop up between the first quote and the day you move in.
Think of your budget like a garden hose. It usually only leaks at the joins. Here’s where those joins tend to be.
Quote → Contract → Handover
Design
Changing the plan
Every design change can mean new drawings, new engineering and new approvals before work even starts.
Allowances
Costs guessed early
Some costs can't be calculated yet, so they're estimated early and reconciled against the actual cost later, almost always for more.
Changes
Requests after signing
Asking for something new after the contract is signed almost always costs more than planning it in from the start.
Delay
Extra time, extra cost
Every extra week can mean paying rent and a home loan at the same time.
Each of these has its own cause, and its own fix. Here’s how a fixed home design closes each one before it opens.
| Where it happens | Why it happens | With a fixed home design |
|---|---|---|
| Design changes | Each change can mean new drawings and new approvals | The design is finished before you sign, so there's nothing left to redo |
| Guessed costs | Some costs can't be worked out until later in the build | Far fewer guesses, because most of the plan is already decided |
| Change requests | New requests after signing almost always cost more | There's no way to change a fixed design, so there's nothing extra to add |
| Extra time | Delays can mean paying rent and a loan together | A design that's been built before is easier to finish on time |
What a "fixed home design" actually means
Fixed home design
A complete house plan that is built exactly as it was drawn. The layout, size and inclusions are already decided, so the builder can give you one clear price for the whole home instead of guessing at parts of it.
It helps to understand the difference between a fixed price and a fixed home design, because people often mix the two up.
A fixed price is a promise about a number. A fixed home design is a promise about what is actually being built. A fixed price on a plan you can still change is only fixed until you change something, and most people eventually do.
Not sure which layout suits your lifestyle? Read our guide comparing single-storey and double-storey homes in Victoria before choosing your home design.
At Truland Homes, this is the whole model. You choose from a range of single storey house plans and double storey home designs, we confirm your price in writing, and we build that plan exactly as designed. There’s no way to customise it, which is exactly why there’s no way for costs to creep in.
How choosing the right home design saves you money
The drawings are already done
The plans, engineering and energy rating are already finished. That cost is shared across everyone who builds the same design, not paid by you alone.
The structure is already worked out
Working out a slab, frame and roof for a brand-new design takes time. A tested home design has already solved these problems. Soil type can still affect footings, that part always stays site-specific.
Costs are priced, not guessed
Fixtures and finishes already have a real price attached, instead of a rough guess that might change later on.
Builders already know the plan
A team who has built the same design before works faster and hits fewer surprises, because they already know what to expect.
Fewer requests, fewer add-ons
A design you can't change means there's nothing extra for a builder to add to your bill later on.
A shorter build can cost less
Every extra week of building can mean paying rent and a home loan together. A familiar design is easier to finish on schedule.
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Single storey vs double storey home designs: an honest comparison
Both options can save you money, as long as the plan is genuinely fixed. The best choice really depends on your block, your family and how you like to live.
Here’s how single storey and double storey home designs compare:
| Single storey home designs | Double storey home designs | |
|---|---|---|
| Best block shape | Wider, standard blocks | Narrower blocks needing more floor space |
| Everyday living | Everything on one level, easy for young kids or older family members | Bedrooms upstairs, living space downstairs, more separation |
| Build time | Often a little quicker | Usually takes a little longer |
| Design choice | A wide range of single storey house plans | A growing range of double storey home designs |
| Best suited to | First home buyers, downsizers | Growing families wanting more space on a smaller block |
When a fixed home design isn't right for you
We’d rather tell you this now than after you’ve paid a deposit. A fixed home design may not be the right fit if:
- Your block is an unusual shape or steeply sloped. Standard home designs are drawn for standard blocks, not tricky ones.
- You need something a set plan can’t offer. A ground-floor bedroom for a family member, or a very specific room layout, might not exist in any standard range.
- You want a one-of-a-kind home. If the design itself is the whole point of the project, a custom build is a fair reason to spend more.
- Your land has heritage rules or planning limits that a standard design simply doesn’t meet.
If any of this sounds like you, the lesson in this article is still useful. Ask any builder, custom or fixed, how each of the four cost points above is handled before you sign.
Questions to ask your new home builder before you sign
The bottom line
Staying on budget isn’t really about being extra careful. It comes down to how much of your home design is decided before you sign anything.
A fixed home design simply finishes that decision early. You give up the choice to move a wall later on. In exchange, the price you were told is the price you pay, and the date you were given is close to the date you move in.
That’s a fair trade for many first home buyers, growing families and downsizers. If it isn’t the right trade for you, take the questions in this article to whichever home builder you choose.
At Truland Homes, we’re one of the fixed price home builders Melbourne families turn to for single storey and double storey home designs across the south-east, so the price you’re given stays the price you pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "fixed home design" mean?
What's the difference between a fixed price and a fixed home design?
Should I choose a single storey or double storey home design?
Can I change a fixed home design after I choose it?
How do I choose the right new home builder?
Still have questions?
Talk to our team before you sign anything. We’ll answer every question on this page, in writing, with no obligation.
