The Custom Home Design Process: Step-by-Step Guide

Embarking on the journey to create your dream home is both exciting and complex. At Trendsetter Homes, we aim to minimise the complexities, with a design process refined over decades to ensure your vision translates seamlessly into architectural reality.

In this guide, Michael Agostino, Managing Director of Trendsetter Homes and one of Western Australia’s youngest-ever registered builders, shares his expertise and insight into Perth custom house planning.

With this step-by-step walkthrough of the custom home design stages for Perth homeowners, you’ll be armed with invaluable insights that will help you navigate each stage of the home-building journey with confidence. From initial consultation through to final documentation, Michael Agostino’s shared expertise will help you understand what to expect when building a custom home in Perth.

This step-by-step guide will cover:

1. Initial Consultation
2. Concept Design and Revisions
3. Exterior Design
4. Interior Architecture
5. The Approvals Process
6. Construction
7. Getting Started

 

Step 1: Initial consultation and brief development

First Contact

The custom home design journey begins when you submit a contact form. Typically this will cover basic information such as:

• Full name
• Contact details (email or phone number)
• Custom design & build budget (rough range and estimate)

It may also contain additional high-level information, such as:

• Style of home (modern, coastal, etc.)
• Basic home requirements (e.g., two-story single, five by three, four by three, etc.)
• If you need a builder’s advice on finding the right land for your design
• The suburb or plot location (site address)

If this information is not provided during the initial contact form submission, it may be requested through follow-up by email or over the phone.

These added details provide necessary context for the first meeting, helping the design & build team to come armed with the right questions.

Initial Consultation

Typically, the initial consultation is conversational and relaxed. There is a focus on understanding your connection to the property and your vision for the home.

At Trendsetter Homes, we usually start by understanding how you have come to this stage of the journey. We might ask how you came to acquire the block, and why that block is important to you. Whether you have held the block for many years, or just recently decided to move into a new area for the suburb (such as schooling or environment). These questions set a basis for the rest of the discussion and create an in-depth understanding of your connection to your home and block.

In our 25+ years of working on custom homes in Perth, we’ve found that a detailed consultation process or Q&A often struggles to be as informative as a good, healthy conversation.

Comprehensive Follow-Up Consultation

Depending on the Perth custom home builder you choose, you may find that only an initial consultation is requested before the design phase begins. In this instance the initial consultation may be more formally structured, to understand your specific needs.

At Trendsetter, we do things slightly differently,

Following the initial meeting, we arrange a comprehensive design brief session with our full team — Managing Director Michael Agostino, our interior designer, architectural designer, and project administrator.

In this meeting, our team works together to build a comprehensive understanding of your lifestyle and needs. Questions we may ask during this phase include:

• What does a typical day look like for your household?
• Where do family members go when they need some quiet time or space to themselves?
• How do you typically entertain – casual gatherings, formal dinner parties, outdoor barbecues – and how many people do you usually host?
• What frustrates you most about your current home’s layout or functionality?
• What personal activities or hobbies do household members engage in that might require dedicated or specialised spaces?

What if I am not sure what I am looking for in a home?

Even if you’re uncertain about aspects of your dream home, a home-building expert will be able to guide you through these decisions. The right expert will be able to resolve conflicting preferences by considering your block’s characteristics, life stage, and future requirements.

 

Step 2: Concept design and revisions

Once the detailed brief is established, either through a single initial consultation (as some home builders may prefer) or a two-step consultation process, the custom house planning will then begin.

The creative process will look different for every custom home builder. At Trendsetter Homes, we opt for a three-stage approach.

Our design team begins a three-stage creative process to develop your initial concept designs. Rather than immediately digitalising everything, our architectural designer starts with the freedom to explore creative solutions based on your requirements. This approach prevents creativity from being hindered too early and often results in innovative solutions you might not have considered.

Development of Designs

Stage 1: Unbounded Creative Development

To provide unique homes that are truly one’s own, we found it crucial to begin with unbounded creativity. To ensure this, we provide our architectural designer with a simple brief only consisting of the basic requirements such as budget and size.

From there, we allow creativity to flow, without restrictions.

Stage 2: Refinement and Functionality

Once the initial concept is prepared, it is then cross-checked with the interior designer who ensures that the home can perfectly cater to the functionality requested by the client.

Stage 3: Ready to Showcase

Once the initial draft of the home is prepared, it is presented to Trendsetter Homes managing director Michael Agostino for any final tweaks.

Client Feedback

How first concept designs are presented varies from builder to builder. Typically you can expect either hand-drawn sketches or digital renders, either of these forms may be presented in 2D or 3D.

At Trendsetter Homes we choose to present our clients with detailed hand-drawn sketches rather than computer-generated plans. This manual approach allows our designers to truly “feel” the space as they create it, resulting in more thoughtful designs than we feel automated programs can produce.

After presenting the initial concept, we encourage you to:

• Take time to consider the design (typically 1-2 weeks)
• Discuss it thoroughly with family members
• Note any adjustments or questions you have

When in the feedback stage, it is important to take as much time as necessary to feel comfortable with the design, and confident in the feedback you provide. While you will most likely feel ready to provide feedback in the first meeting, taking the extra time to think through it, will give you the best chance of discovering your perfect home.

Constructive Dialogue

Following feedback, you will likely engage in further constructive discussions about your requested changes.

These discussions allow your home builder to share their expert opinion and provide professional advice regarding your changes.

At Trendsetter Homes, we make a point to explore the reasoning behind any design changes — not to discourage you, but to ensure all options and potential implications are fully considered. As premium custom home builders, we see it as our responsibility to push the boundaries and show our clients new solutions that they may not be aware of, or considered.

Typical Revision Cycle

Most Trendsetter Home clients request approximately two revisions until they reach their final concept. The first revision typically involves minor adjustments rather than complete redesigns, such as:

• Room sizing modifications
• Layout refinements
• Exterior element adjustments
• Preliminary finishes selections

For certain detailed elements like cabinetry configuration, we might recommend waiting until the interior design phase when spatial functionality can be more thoroughly examined.

 

Step 3: Finalising Exterior Design and Documentation

Once you have approved your concept floor plan, you will then progress to the detailed design phase.

At this stage, CAD (Computer-Aided Design) floorplans are often introduced (if they have not been already) alongside plans for elevation.

Depending on the level of detail undertaken in your home design process, these presentations may be introduced together.

At Trendsetter Homes, we opt to separate elevation and floorplans into two separate stages, to simplify your bespoke home design process and ensure the client has the time to process and visualise the space.

Visualising the Space

We understand that visualising space from designs can be challenging and what we see is that different clients can differ drastically in what helps them to visualise. To aid in this process, you may be asked to take part in:

• Exploring homes which under construction
• Comparing your planned room dimensions to physical spaces
• Discussions on how light, height and proportion affect spatial perception

At Trendsetter Homes, we also occasionally work with a specialised service that allows you to walk through a projected floorplan of your home. This allows clients to walk through it and “feel” the dimensions themselves.

Design Documentation

The documentation at this stage typically includes:

• Conceptual floor plans with room dimensions, ceiling heights and specifications, cross-ventilation and natural light considerations
• Preliminary elevations showing external appearance

We deliberately keep this documentation more simplistic, as the next stage will develop these elements further.

 

Step 4: Interior Architecture and Documentation

After your floor plan and exterior design are approved, attention shifts to the internal spaces. This is where your home begins to truly reflect your personality, lifestyle, and day-to-day routines.

Interior Design Consultation

The interior design phase typically starts with a dedicated consultation, either with a dedicated interior designer or your project point of contact. During this session, you’ll sit down with your designer to explore how you live—and how your home can support that.

The First Draft

Once your needs are understood, the interior designer will develop a full design scheme. This generally includes:

• Room layouts and spatial planning
• Material and finish suggestions
• Electrical and lighting plans
• Furnishing plans

Some builders may involve you more heavily in each individual decision, while others—like Trendsetter Homes — will complete a scheme for your review and then refine this with your input.

Optimising this process over more than two decades, we have found that this approach allows for selections to be viewed holistically, ensuring visual cohesion across the entire home. It also minimises decision-fatigue, allowing for more thorough decision-making, that results in stronger outcomes.

Providing Interior Feedback

Once the proposed interior scheme is ready or underway, you’ll likely receive both digital documentation and physical samples to help guide decision-making. If you are working with Trendsetter Homes you can also expect detailed internal drawings.

From here, you can:

• Review which materials and appliances you would like in your home
• Assess how the practicality of interior design options fits into your lifestyle
• Review expected costs, lead times, and maintenance implications of different materials.
• Provide feedback or request adjustments

Similar to the earlier review process, we ask that you take the time to carefully review the selections. Your design team will work with you during this stage to refine the selections while ensuring the overall scheme remains consistent and balanced.

Interior design decisions you can expect to make

Some of the decisions you may be confronted with during the interior design phase include:

• Flooring (e.g. timber, tile, polished concrete)
• Tapware, sinks, showers and fittings
• Cabinetry and door hardware
• Appliances (ovens, cooktops, rangehoods, etc.)
• Lighting fixtures and electrical placement

Builders vary in how much choice they offer. Some work within set inclusion ranges, while others allow complete freedom. As bespoke home builders, our team does not work with a standard range of selections, in the interest of picking the best possible material out there for a custom home.

As bespoke custom home builders, our team is happy to go above and beyond with no fixed selection ranges and flexibility for requested materials. If you have a bespoke material in mind, ensure that you are working with a Perth custom home builder who is willing to work outside the box.

Design Documentation

Your selections may be noted down by your builder at different key points, or recorded in live documentation (as we do at Trendsetter Homes). Typically, documentation that surfaces during this stage includes:

• Interior design schedules
• Room-by-room specifications
• Detailed electrical and lighting plans
• Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment (FFE) Schedule

These documents are updated as your selections are finalised and reviewed. To finalise documentation, your custom home builder will work with the relevant suppliers to nail down the technical specification for the final documentation. This process is repeated for every material selected.

At Trendsetter Homes, we use this documentation just to help us with the construction process, but also to allow you full oversight as to how your decisions affect your quote and timelines.

 

Step 5: Approvals and Final Documentation

Before construction begins, your plans need to go through relevant approval channels. This can include local council planning approval, development applications, or meeting specific building codes and regulations.

Preparing for Submission

Before submitting your plans, most builders will conduct a compliance check. This is where they’ll identify:

• Boundary setbacks or height restrictions
• Potential privacy concerns (e.g. overlooking neighbours)
• Local council preferences or heritage overlays

If a particular design feature, such as a large window, could be an issue, your builder will usually present options to you for adjustment or justify the inclusion as part of the submission.

Submitting for Council Approval

Once the plans are ready, they’ll be submitted to the local authority for review. Processing times can vary significantly depending on your council and the complexity of your build. Some builders provide automated updates or weekly check-ins; others rely on direct contact when updates are available.

To ensure that we stay ahead, our team tracks and conducts weekly approval check-ins. This ensures that no time is lost waiting for responses and allows the client to stay fully informed.

Dealing With Challenges

It’s not uncommon for questions or objections to arise during the council approval process, especially if your design includes features that push boundaries or sit outside standard planning rules. When this happens, your builder should already have a strategy in place.

At Trendsetter Homes, high-risk items are flagged and discussed with clients well before submission. If an issue arises, you’ll stay informed and part of the decision-making process.

Depending on the nature of the feedback, your builder may:

• Work directly with council planning officers to negotiate a solution
• Engage an external town planning consultant to support your case
• Present you with a set of alternative options to keep the project moving

Finalising All Documentation

Once approvals are granted, your documentation package is finalised. This now includes:

• Full working drawings
• Engineering details
• Final selections and specifications
• Approved plans and permits

 

Step 6: Construction

With your design finalised and approvals in place, construction can begin — an exciting milestone in your custom home journey.

At this point, your plans, selections, and specifications should clearly reflect your vision. If you feel apprehensive about your design at this stage, it is important to speak directly with your home builder before construction begins.

What Happens Next

Your builder will provide regular updates, keeping you informed on progress, timelines, and key milestones related to your home build. You may also continue to work through some of your interior design choices, including finishing touches and furnishing.

Managing Changes During the Build

While thorough documentation reduces the risk of surprises, some challenges may still arise:

• If a selected material becomes unavailable, your builder will offer carefully matched alternatives that maintain the design intent.
• If supplier pricing changes, you’ll be informed early and provided with options to adjust or reselect.

 

Ready to Design Your Custom Home?

Designing a custom home is a big undertaking but with the right builder, it should feel clear, collaborative, and exciting at every stage. From your first consultation through to final construction, the process should reflect your vision and support your lifestyle — not just now, but for years to come.

 

At Trendsetter Homes, we believe in doing things properly the first time. That means listening carefully, planning thoroughly, and building with precision so you can enjoy a home that’s not only beautiful, but built to last.

 

If you’re ready to start the conversation, or simply want to learn more, reach out to our team or complete the form below.