Two builders can hand you a document of similar length and similar category headings, and you can walk away thinking you're comparing the same thing when you're not. Inclusions lists aren't written to be compared, they're written to represent one builder's offer.
Aamico Homes, a Melbourne-based builder established in 2020, details its Elite inclusions package covering the full scope of a new home build, from slab engineering and permits through to appliances, finishes, and external items at handover.
Reading the inclusions list carefully, and knowing which details carry the most weight, is one of the more practical things a buyer can do before entering a contract.
A few categories tend to matter more than others.
Site costs
Site costs are where the gap between expectation and contract reality is most commonly felt. Buyers often assume they're covered in full. The reality depends on the builder, the block, and how specifically the inclusions list addresses them.
Aamico Homes' Elite package covers an engineer-designed 'P' class concrete waffle pod slab to AS2870, soil removal up to 700mm fall across up to 600sqm, and rock excavation removal and disposal within that scope. Termite protection, sewer connection, gas supply lines, and water connection up to 6 metres setback are all included.
What falls outside, retaining walls, bored piers, edge beams, tree root protection, and rock blasting, is also explicitly stated, with those items quoted separately once site information and an engineer-designed slab plan are assessed.
The specificity matters. When reviewing any inclusions list, look for how clearly site cost exclusions are described. Vague language around site costs is worth pressing on before contracts are signed.
Appliance size
Appliance brand gets most of the attention in inclusions lists. Size is the more practical consideration. 900mm appliances and 600mm appliances are a meaningful difference in a working kitchen, and upgrading after contract is a cost buyers don't always anticipate.
Aamico's Elite package includes 900mm European brand appliances, cooktop, rangehood, oven, and dishwasher. When reviewing an inclusions list, check the size alongside the brand category.
Stone benchtop categories
Stone benchtops appear in most inclusions lists at this end of the market. The category is what varies. Reconstituted stone and engineered stone are different products, and within reconstituted stone, categories reflect different grades.
Aamico's package specifies Category 1 reconstituted stone with a 40mm polished edge profile throughout, kitchen, ensuite, bathroom, powder room, and laundry.
Where an inclusions list references stone without specifying a category, it's worth asking which one applies and what an upgrade to a higher grade would cost.
Ceiling height
Ceiling height is listed in inclusions documents but rarely features in a builder's headline offer. It has a direct bearing on how a finished home feels day to day.
Aamico's Elite package specifies 2740mm throughout the home. It's a straightforward number to check when comparing packages.
What else Aamico's package covers
Beyond those headline categories, the Elite package includes a freestanding bathtub with chrome spout, semi-frameless 1800mm high laminated glass shower screens, and shower niches to all cubicles. LED downlights run throughout, up to 30 in single storey, 40 in double storey. A Rinnai 7 Star instantaneous hot water system is included, along with a timber-look sectional panel lift garage door, concrete driveway up to 30sqm, video intercom with doorbell, and a freestanding pillar letterbox.
The package carries a 7-year structural warranty and a 90-day maintenance period.
Aamico Homes builds across Melbourne and regional Victoria, covering custom homes, house-and-land packages, and knockdown rebuild projects.
What this means for you
Buyers in the early stages of comparing builders will find inclusions lists most useful when treated as a starting point for questions rather than a final answer. The key considerations include:
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Whether site costs and permits are included or provisional
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How much of the kitchen, bathroom and storage fit-out is standard
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What external and “move-in ready” elements are covered
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How many decisions and upgrades remain after signing
Inclusions lists are increasingly a reliable indicator of how predictable a build will be from contract to handover, not just what a home contains, but how much of it is already resolved.
Aamico Homes' Elite package reflects that shift, with a broad scope designed to reduce the number of open variables a buyer carries into construction.
Publisher Website: www.homeshelf.com.au