Application process

After registering your interest for Group Self Build, we’ll arrange an assessment interview.  If you meet the Group Self Build criteria, you’ll be given details of the house and land packages available in your area.  Then you will nominate the house and land package you prefer.

Once we have enough people to enable the project to go ahead, an orientation meeting is held. At the orientation meeting, you’ll meet the other participants and your Building Adviser, as well as the Department's Project Officer.  They’ll go over in detail what will be required to build the houses.
 
Along with the others in your group, you’ll sign an individual participation agreement and join as a party to an agreement signed by all members of the group. These agreements set out your rights and responsibilities.

You’ll also need to seek independent legal advice, and sign legal documentation for the bridging loan and a Contract of Sale to purchase the land.

You can leave a group voluntarily if you want to.  You can also be removed by us involuntarily, for example if you fail to meet the 20 hours per week work requirement.

When you are looking for a home loan, we can give you the names of lenders who are prepared to finance our homes and are aware of how Group Self Build works. Talk to these lenders first and compare what they can offer.

Remember, you need to be able to borrow enough to pay out the estimated Group Self Build project cost for the house and land package that you select. 

It’s ok to have a deposit saved already, but if it is too high you may fail the assets test.

If you are a first home owner and meet the grant’s eligibility criteria you may receive the $7,000 grant and the $5,000 First Home Bonus. An additional $3,000 may be available for people living in regional areas.

Building your home

Next, construction can begin. The construction phase will take approximately 12 months.

During this phase, construction meetings are held weekly or fortnightly, for approximately 1 to 2 hours. At least one member of each participating household needs to attend. These meetings, chaired by your Building Adviser, review the accounts to be paid and plan the construction activity for the following week. Minutes of each meeting are kept, with copies going to each household and to the Department. You can use these meetings to raise any questions or issues you may have.

Each project is provided with two tool trailers equipped with power and hand tools. You are expected to provide your own small hand tools such as a hammer, tape and nail bag.

A minimum of 20 hours per household must be worked each week on the building sites until all building is finished.

If you like, you can work more than 20 hours in  week, but any extra hours can’t be carried over to the next week.

Your family or friends can help with the building, (as long as it is allowed by the Building Adviser, they have an OH&S Red Card and they sign an indemnity absolving the group, the Building Adviser and the Department from injury or loss of income). Any hours they contribute won’t count towards your weekly total of 20 hours.

If you can’t work your 20 hours in any week, you need to make up any shortfall the following week, or by an arrangement agreed to by the Building Adviser.  (This includes illness supported by a medical certificate.)

You can nominate an approved and qualified replacement person to fill in for you for short absences, if the Building Adviser approves it. If the shortfall is not made up then the group can elect to use contract labour to make up the deficit. If you repeatedly fail to do your 20 hours, you can be removed from the group.

Moving into your new home

When your house is completed, you must live in it for at least the first 12 months or you may be charged a fee for the subsidies provided by the program.

You can move in after: 

• Completion of construction of all houses in the group
• An Occupancy Permit has been issued
• Evidence of Building Insurance is provided
• All accounts are paid and your bridging loan balance is reconciled