Programme·14 February 2026·4 min read
How long does a custom home take from brief to handover?
Sixteen to thirty months. Why the range is that wide, and where the time actually goes.
Sixteen to thirty months, end to end
Skydouny's typical commission moves through four phases: 1-2 weeks of discovery, 6-12 weeks of design and approvals, 9-18 months of construction, then 12 months of post-occupancy aftercare that overlaps your life in the new home. The range is wide because complexity varies; the rhythm doesn't.
Where the time actually goes
Most of the variation is in two phases. Design takes longer when council approvals are slower or when the family is still resolving the brief — that's normal and the studio doesn't push past it. Construction takes longer when the build is technically demanding (sloped sites, custom joinery, specialised finishes) or when long-lead materials are imported.
What you can do to shorten it
Sign off decisions promptly. Most projects that run long do so because variations and re-decisions arrive mid-build. A clear brief signed off at design end, plus a family that can decide within a week when asked, can take 2-3 months off a typical programme. The studio's job is to ask the right questions early; yours is to answer them.
What you should never do to shorten it
Compress the construction programme below 9 months. Below that, quality drops measurably and the foreman runs people instead of running the site. Skydouny won't take a commission that requires the studio to compromise the build quality to meet a date.
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