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Many people decide to build a duplex for one clear reason: profit. On the surface, duplex projects often look straightforward. Two dwellings, strong resale potential, and the promise of solid returns. But that profit can disappear quickly when hidden costs are missed early in the process. What catches most people off guard is that duplex builds often involve more than just design and construction costs. State government levies, council contribution fees, and infrastructure or

Many people decide to build a duplex for one clear reason: profit. On paper, the numbers can look strong. Two dwellings. Two income streams. A clear path to growth. But that profit can disappear very quickly when key costs are overlooked at the start. What most people do not realise upfront is that duplex projects often involve expenses beyond design and construction. State government levies. Council contribution fees. Infrastructure and service charges. These costs are rarel

One of the most common questions we hear from families is simple and honest: What if we want to build a custom home, but we don’t even have a plan yet? Many people assume they are already behind if they do not have drawings, layouts, or specifications ready. In reality, not having a plan often means you are starting at the right point. Custom home building is not meant to begin with plans pulled from thin air. It begins with understanding your block, your lifestyle, your budg

NSW gas bans are quietly reshaping how new homes are designed. If you are planning a custom home, these changes matter whether you have considered them yet or not. What used to be standard assumptions around cooktops, heating, and hot water are no longer guaranteed, and ignoring this early can create costly design changes later. In many councils across NSW, gas connections are being limited or removed altogether. This means no gas cooktops, no gas heating, and no gas hot wate

In a previous discussion, we covered the importance of your Occupation Certificate  and Subdivision Certificate . Now it’s time to connect those steps to the true finish line of any duplex project: the registration of your new titles . This is the moment your duplex officially becomes two separate, sellable properties. And it’s also the stage where many projects quietly get stuck. To reach registration, it’s not enough to simply finish building. You must ensure that all the i

With all the duplex activity right now, one question keeps coming up again and again: What’s the difference between an Occupation Certificate and a Subdivision Certificate? Both are critical. Both are non-negotiable. And confusing the two can lead to serious delays and financial stress if they are not handled properly from the start. What Is an Occupation Certificate? An Occupation Certificate (OC)  confirms that your duplex is safe, compliant, and suitable to live in. It is

One of the most common questions we get from clients is simple but important: I want to build a duplex in this area, but I don’t know what level of finishes I should be aiming for. What do I do? This decision matters more than most people realise, because choosing finishes without a clear strategy can either leave money on the table or push your build cost higher than the market will support. At Neogen Homes , we start with context, not guesswork. The first thing we look at i

Big families do not outgrow homes slowly. They outgrow them fast. What feels comfortable in the early years can quickly start to feel tight, noisy, and frustrating as children grow and daily life becomes busier. This is where the limits of a standard home show up first. More people means more movement through the house. More noise at all hours. More storage demands. More pressure on shared spaces like kitchens, living rooms, and bathrooms. Standard layouts are not designed fo

When you’re building outdoor spaces, the best results often come from thinking beyond the original plan. On this project, we were installing a deck around a pool area where all the pool equipment was exposed. The initial idea was to raise the equipment on top of the deck, but that solution would have kept it visible and taken away from the look and usability of the space. Instead, we rethought the design. We decided to frame the area out and continue the decking up and over t

A duplex you cannot register is not an investment. It may look finished. It may even have an Occupation Certificate. But without registration, it has no real outcome. It cannot be sold as two dwellings. It cannot be refinanced properly. And the value you thought you were creating stays locked on paper. This is where many duplex projects go wrong. Construction finishes and owners assume the hard part is over. In reality, registration is the true finish line. Without it, your d

Most construction headaches don’t show up years later.They start on day one.They come from early decisions that were rushed, simplified, or never properly explained. And once those decisions are locked in, the problems are built into the home. Many issues begin with what feels harmless at the time. Planning that moves too fast. Materials chosen because they are cheaper, not because they are right. Details that are skipped because they are hidden behind walls. These choices r

One of the most common questions we’re getting right now is simple: Can I build a duplex on my site? The answer, in many cases, is yes. But it depends on a few key factors, and recent changes have opened up opportunities that didn’t exist before. What Makes a Site Suitable for a Duplex In general, most sites can support a duplex if they meet the minimum lot size and frontage requirements  and are located in R2 zoning . These two factors alone rule out or allow many projects.

Sloping blocks have a bad reputation. Many buyers see a slope and immediately walk away, assuming it will be too expensive, too complex, or too risky. In reality, sloping blocks are not hard. They are misunderstood. And when handled properly, they can produce some of the most impressive homes you will ever see. The hesitation usually comes from fear. Uneven levels. Retaining walls. Drainage concerns. These challenges look intimidating on paper, especially if you have only see

Installing stone tiles in a basement driveway is more technical than most people realise. Basements deal with moisture, movement, temperature changes and higher wall pressure, so the preparation behind the tile matters just as much as the finish you see. At Neogen Homes , we follow a proven method to make sure every tile stays secure and looks premium for years. Here is how we do it properly. 1. Create the Correct Bonding Layer If the wall looks blue before tiling, that is in

Nothing makes a home feel messy and unfinished faster than exposed wires. The moment you walk in, they disrupt the flow of your space and take attention away from the design choices you made. Exposed wiring is almost always the result of electrical planning that was rushed, incomplete, or done too late in the process. By the time it is noticed, it often requires patching, rerouting or compromises that affect the quality of the final build. At Neogen Homes , we plan every wir

Most homeowners never see what really happens behind the scenes during a build. You see the finished home, but not the supervision, coordination and quality checks that make the result truly exceptional. That is why we sat down for a full Q&A to answer the most common questions about how we manage trades, maintain quality and keep you informed throughout the journey. Here is a clear breakdown of what you can expect when building your custom home with Neogen Homes . The Role

Every homeowner has heard it. Many have felt it. The moment you walk into a newly built room and think, “I wish this was bigger.” By the time the walls are up, the layout is locked in, and fixing it becomes costly or impossible. This is one of the most common frustrations in homebuilding, and it almost always comes from working with fixed, inflexible floor plans. Tight living rooms, cramped bedrooms, hallways that feel too narrow — these issues rarely come from the homeowner.

Most people think the hardest part of building a home is choosing the design. In reality, the real challenge begins long before construction starts. Compliance is where homeowners feel the most overwhelmed, and it is also where most delays, variations, and unexpected costs come from. Understanding this early can save you months of frustration and thousands of dollars in surprises. DA, CDC, LEPs, BASIX , engineering reports, stormwater requirements — the list is long and const

Herringbone flooring is one of the most stunning finishes you can choose for your custom home. It is timeless, elegant, and instantly elevates the look of any space. But what most homeowners never see is the work that has to happen underneath  for that patterned floor to look flawless for years. At Neogen Homes , we know herringbone only performs as beautifully as the foundation beneath it. Even a few millimetres of unevenness from structural beams or yellow-tongue flooring

If you are comparing today’s build prices to anything from 2020, you will be way off. The building industry has shifted more in the last five years than in the previous fifteen. The rules are tighter. The standards are higher. The materials are different. And the expectations for energy performance have completely changed. For anyone planning a custom home in 2025, understanding these changes is the key to staying on budget and avoiding major surprises later. Here is what has