14 to 20 months. Here's every step.
The knock down rebuild process in Sydney takes 14 to 20 months from first engagement to handover with a specialist custom builder like Marvel Homes. This page walks through each stage, what happens at each one, and what it costs in time and money, so you know what to expect before you commit. No sales pitch.
Book a discovery callFrom first call to handover.
30-minute video call to confirm scope and site fit. No fee, no obligation.
Fee-based design, engineering, and costing. Includes site survey, geotech, and planning consultation. Typical fee $15,000 to $30,000, deducted from contract if proceeding.
Council lodgement. Most Sydney councils run 12 to 16 weeks. Duration varies by LGA.
Every line item documented at the end of pre-con. No allowances, no placeholder numbers.
Fenced site, Buildern portal with daily updates, fortnightly site meetings.
Documented defect review at handover, then a post-occupancy measurement and review six months later.
Transparent on fees and when they happen.
- Discovery call: free.
- Pre-construction phase: $15,000 to $30,000, scaled to project size. Deducted from contract if you proceed.
- DA lodgement and council fees: $5,000 to $15,000 depending on council.
- Construction: fixed-price contract issued after pre-con. No allowances.
See the full cost picture on our Passive House cost in Sydney page, or the broader cost to build a house in Sydney guide for non-Passivhaus comparisons.
What's different at Marvel.
Paid pre-construction, not free design
We charge for the pre-con phase so the engineering and planning work has the time it needs. "Free design" almost always means rushed drawings and cost surprises later.
Fixed-price contract after pre-con. No allowances.
Volume builders routinely use allowance line items (placeholder numbers for kitchens, bathrooms, tiling). Allowances are the single biggest source of cost blow-outs in Sydney KDR builds. Our contracts don't contain them.
Buildern portal and 6-month post-occupancy check-in
Daily site updates during construction, and a documented performance review six months after you move in.
Frequently asked
- 14 to 20 months total. Council DA is the single longest stage (12 to 16 weeks in most Sydney councils).
Book a 30-minute discovery call.
We'll review your block, your brief and your budget, and tell you honestly whether a Marvel KDR is the right fit. No sales pitch, no obligation.