Build a custom home that
feels unmistakably yours

To begin a bespoke house construction in Brisbane, start with the land itself. What are you working with? Look at the gradient or slope, the frontage or width of the lot, which way it faces and whether flooding could be an issue. These details shape more than most people expect.

It also helps to have a general idea of the size of home you’re aiming for and the level of investment you feel comfortable with. It does not need to be exact. Once you’ve thought through those basics, get in touch and we can talk through the rest with you.

You get to decide the floorplan, how the rooms connect and how well the house flows – instead of having to pick from set designs that aren’t easily changed. What really sets us apart is the practicality of the design. A custom build makes sure the house fits how you live, your land, and your family’s routines. To get a sense of what a ‘custom’ home can be, in actual houses our team has built, have a browse through our portfolio.

The budget depends, at the beginning, on three main things: your land, the size of the home and the selection of fixtures and finishes. Preparing the land, the quality of the soil, whether it slopes, if retaining walls are needed, and if there’s any risk of flooding, all impact the cost. As can the overall built area under roof. Finishes, inclusions and features such as pools or upgraded materials also shape the final investment, which is why early conversations about expectations and budget alignment are essential.

If you already purchased land, we’re able to assess it and tell you what build can be achieved. We do a site assessment to learn all about the land’s features before any designing starts. This way, your new home will work naturally with the land, and not against it. If you’ve purchased a challenging block, whether it be sloping or flood affected, our experienced team can help you make sense of what’s realistically able to be built.

At BESA, our in-house team can craft and design a custom luxury home for you. You’re welcome to provide your own plans, ideas, or reference images. Some clients come to us with completed drawings from an architect, while others simply show us collections of pictures, or basic floorplans. If you do supply plans, we will look at them properly to make sure they suit your budget and the land, before we proceed further. Bring your vision to life with our intuitive in-house design team.

Once a first, fairly basic design has been approved, a complete, individual cost estimate for foundations, the structure, and your selected inclusions is provided. Costs are given as separate figures for you to understand exactly where your money is going, and so you’re not just presented with a single, overall sum. When you approve this first estimate, we send an invoice for a design fee to begin a more precise contract and drawings for the house you want. If you’d like help to find out what generally drives prices on your dream build, get in touch with our friendly sales team.

Usually, building a custom house takes about eleven or twelve months once building starts. The work goes through set steps – slab, frame, weatherproofing, fittings and finishing. Each step is properly reviewed to ensure both good quality and the project doesn’t lose momentum. If you’d like a better idea of the order in which building phases normally happen, read our article on the stages of house construction.

Among the most common mistakes in planning a custom home is allowing the overall size to exceed what you originally intended to invest – particularly when adding additional built areas under roof. Mistakes can also pop-up when insufficient consideration is given to the lot itself. If the block is difficult, that can raise site work expenses if you don’t assess those conditions early.

If you are prepared to begin talking things over, speak to us about what’s most important to you, your preferred floor plan layouts and design features. We can then help assess if your budget aligns with your vision. A careful planning meeting will alleviate expensive changes further down the line. Contact us if you’d like a second perspective on your early ideas.

Designing in Brisbane means considering the orientation of the house, the path of sunlight, seasonal winds, and giving shade. We also consider the block’s level, views from the site, how water runs off the land, managing storm water, and also getting in outdoor spaces – even a pool, should you wish.

Custom homes designed for you must comply with Brisbane City Council and Queensland building requirements. Including setbacks, height limits, energy efficiency standards, liveable housing provisions, flood overlays, bushfire considerations and wind ratings. Some reports, such as flood information for certain sites, may be required early, while all compliance checks are managed as part of our due diligence process before construction begins. If your block is sloping or constrained, you may also want to review our sloping block guide before our first consult.

Yes. Sloping, narrow or irregular blocks simply need a more considered design approach. This is where working with a custom builder makes sense, rather than trying to adapt a fixed floor plan that was never designed for your site. By assessing the land in detail, and shaping your home around natural levels, orientation and access, complex blocks often end up with more interesting designs. For a deeper overview, visit our sloping block page, or get in touch to discuss your block.

When you’re choosing a home builder, it’s good to find one that employs designers, gives clear prices, has management who are taking part, and whose team have experience on a wide range of house construction.

The ability to walk through real builds in progress, access display homes and work with a stable construction team provides greater confidence. A builder with structured processes and internal resources is better equipped to deliver consistency and quality, so book a discovery session when you’re ready to compare options.

You can be as involved to the extent you like during the design phase. Some customers like collaborating with us a lot – visiting showrooms, choosing suppliers, and giving their feedback. While some prefer guided recommendations from the design team. However we do things, our process is set up to make sure everything is clear and you will feel confident at every stage. You can see how we support clients and their selections through our interior design process.

In simple terms, your contract should show you exactly what you’re agreeing to build. That usually means a full set of plans, a written list explaining what’s included in the price, what finishes and features have been selected, and the formal HIA building contract itself. The important part isn’t just the paperwork; it’s how clearly everything is described. The more specific it is, the fewer surprises there are later. If you want help understanding your construction agreement, call our team on 07 3106 9929.