The 5 most common site costs
The five site costs that catch most people out, and why they belong in your budget from day one rather than as a nasty surprise later.
Watch
See exactly how your home gets built.
Most builders ask you to take their word for it. We film ours. Walk through finished Marvel homes, follow live builds on site, and get the questions every family asks answered directly by Mo. It is the most honest way to see what you are really buying before you build.
Subscribe on YouTube25 videos · 4 live Sydney builds to follow
Start here
The future of healthy, energy-efficient homes in Sydney.
A plain-English introduction to what a healthy, energy-efficient home gives a Sydney family: filtered fresh air, a steady temperature in every room and far lower running costs, proven rather than promised.
Browse by topic
01
Your questions, answered
Mo, to camera, answering one question at a time on cost, budget and how building really works. Watch a few before we talk and the conversation starts further along.
Take control of your building budget
How to stay in control of your build budget from the start, instead of being surprised by it midway through construction.
Custom home build: strategic insights
The strategic things worth thinking through before you commit to a custom home build.
02
Client stories
Real Marvel families, in their own words, on what changed once they moved into a home built properly. The clearest way to judge a builder is to hear it from the people who live in the result.
From sick house to healthy home: Rohan & Misha's story, Lilyfield
Rohan and Misha moved from a home that was making them unwell into a certified Passive House in Lilyfield. Their story of what changed once the air, temperature and damp were finally under control.
A certified Passive House, toured: Sam & Alica's knockdown rebuild, Riverwood
Sam and Alica chose a knockdown rebuild at Riverwood with a certified Passive House at the top of their list. A walkthrough of the finished home and what made the difference for their family.
Why this family chose a Passive House: the Strathfield build
A South Strathfield family on why they chose to build a certified Passive House, and what they were really looking for in a home and a builder.
From a DA-approved reno to a Passive House knockdown rebuild, West Pymble
This West Pymble family already had a DA-approved renovation, then chose to knock down and rebuild a certified Passive House instead. Why they changed course and what tipped the decision.
How quiet is a Passive House? Acoustic performance, Croydon
Just how quiet a Passive House is to live in, filmed at our Croydon build in the Inner West. The airtight, well-insulated envelope keeps outside noise out, so the home stays calm and peaceful inside.
03
How Marvel works
How we run a project from first call to handover, resolving design, engineering and a fixed price before construction, so nothing surprises you once you build.
How to build the perfect family home: the Marvel 360 Home Method
How the Marvel 360 Home Method resolves design, engineering and a fixed price before construction starts, so there are no surprises once you are building.
Build your forever family home right the first time: the design & tender film
Most homes are priced off thin drawings, then the surprises start once construction begins. We do it the other way around: your whole home is designed, engineered and priced before a spade goes in the ground.
04
How we build
Inside a live Marvel site, stage by stage, from demolition and footings through to the finishing details, so you can see exactly how your home gets made.
How is a Passive Home built? (Ep 1)
Episode one of the build series: an overview of how a Passive House actually goes together, from the ground up, so you know what to expect on site.
House demolition: what to watch when you knock down to rebuild (Ep 2)
What to watch for when you knock down to rebuild, so demolition sets up the new home cleanly instead of creating problems later.
Choosing strong foundations: house footings (Ep 3)
How we choose the right footing system for your block and soil, because the foundation decides how everything above it performs.
Deep foundations with metal screw piers (Ep 4)
When deep foundations on metal screw piers are the right call for a block, and why they make for a stronger, more stable home.
Strip footings to support the load (Ep 5)
How strip footings carry the load of the home safely into the ground.
Cut and fill: do it right for a strong house (Ep 6)
Getting cut and fill right so the home sits on stable, level ground and avoids movement down the track.
How we create a seamless kitchen splashback (Ep 7)
A detail episode: how we create a seamless window splashback in the kitchen, where the glass meets the joinery cleanly.
Electrical rough-in: 7 decisions that affect your home forever
Seven decisions made at electrical rough-in that you live with for the life of the home, so they are worth getting right early.
Waterproofing: get it right or your house will be ruined
Why waterproofing is one detail you cannot afford to get wrong, and how we make sure it is done properly the first time.
05
Why it performs
The building science that delivers the comfort: the airtight envelope, insulation, membranes and glazing that make a Marvel home healthy and efficient. The how behind the outcome.
You need more than insulation: how we make your home airtight
Why insulation on its own is not enough. A continuous airtight envelope is what actually holds a comfortable, efficient temperature inside the home.
Slab edge insulation: a must for energy-efficient homes
A small detail with a big impact: insulating the slab edge stops heat escaping through the floor, a gap most standard builds leave open.
Roof insulation for a Passive House
How we insulate the roof of a Passive House to help hold a steady, even temperature through a Sydney summer and winter.
Pro Clima Solitex Extasana membrane
A look at the breathable membrane we use to keep the building envelope dry and protected while still letting it breathe.
Lean Passive House: making certified homes more affordable (Design Expo 2025)
From the 2025 Design Expo: how a leaner, smarter approach to design and construction makes certified Passive Homes more affordable.
Follow the builds
Watch homes go from brief to handover.
These are live Marvel projects. We are documenting each one as it happens, from site and design through construction, so you can see the whole process unfold rather than just the finished photos.
Under constructionPassive House
West Pymble Passive House
A Hamptons-style certified Passive House on a leafy Upper North Shore block, on site now.
See the project
Under constructionPassive House
South Strathfield Passive House
A certified Passive House taking shape in the Inner West. Full story coming as the build progresses.
Story coming as it progressesUnder construction
Passive House
Carlton Passive House
A certified Passive House under construction in Sydney's south. Follow along as it comes together.
Story coming as it progressesIn design & approvals
Duplex development
Blacktown Duplex Development
A duplex development in design and approvals: from site purchase and DA through to a Marvel design and build.
Story coming as it progressesReady to talk
Seen enough? Let's talk about your home.
Book an obligation-free video call with Mo. Bring your block, your ideas and your questions, and walk away understanding exactly how we would build for you.
Book a call with Mo