Do you want to deal with a poorly built home that’s taken hours, days, or years to finish? How about legal action to take on that dodgy builder you went with? The answer is of course not. You can avoid all of this trouble if you choose a good, best practice builder. We help break down what makes a “good” builder in this blog.
However, with over 14,000 residential builders in Australia, how do you go about finding the right builder for your new home? You should choose a builder who you can collaborate with, someone who can listen and provide feedback, without making your input feel any less important.
This doesn’t necessarily mean going with someone who agrees with everything you put forward. A builder is a professional, and a good professional will offer their opinion and advice when needed – this is particularly important as there is so much at stake when building a new home or renovating.
Get Started in Finding the Right Builder for Your Home Renovation
Choosing the right builder for your renovation can be time-consuming but it’s time well spent considering the amount of money involved.
That’s why we break down some factors to consider when deciding on the right builder.
Best Practice Builder
A Best Practice builder strives to be ‘client-centric’ in all aspects of their craft, actively working to raise industry standards. In Australia, only around 10% of residential homebuilders are best practice builders – you should take this into account when choosing your builder.
Friend and Family Recommendations
Personal recommendations can be a good place to start, but it shouldn’t be the only determining influence over which builder you choose for your new home.
If all goes well in your build then you would be thankful for the recommendation, but what if something goes wrong or it doesn’t turn out the way you expected? This could cost you more in the long run with expensive fixes and disappointment.
Qualifications
Ensure that any builder you are considering has their NSW builder’s licence. This licence requires the person to have relevant building experience, hold the right formal qualifications and have no black marks against their name.
Indications of a Poor Builder
Typically, inexperienced, poor builders demonstrate these red flags, and you should be wary of these undesirable behaviours in a builder:
• They show a lack of structure, process, and professionalism.
• Based on research and/or reviews, they may show a track record of delivering jobs late and with cost blowouts.
• There is minimal to no online presence or portfolio of work available.
Important Questions to Ask Your New Home Builder
After you’ve done all the research, chosen a builder and are ready to build, there might be some questions you still don’t have the answers for.
Now’s the perfect opportunity to ask the builders you are considering, and here is a list of essential questions to get you started:
• Company – How long have you been in business?
• Qualifications – Can you provide evidence of your NSW builder’s licence and insurance?
• Experience – Where can I find examples of your work?
• Approvals – What approvals are required and who is responsible for attaining them?
• Day-To-Day Operations – Who will be the project manager? What happens if I am unsatisfied at any stage of the process?
• Price – When you provide a quote, is that the final amount? What is covered and not covered in the price? Do research on prime cost items and provisional sum.
By asking questions such as these, it may help you to narrow down the final shortlist.
Building Your Dream Home Renovation? See the Professionals at Spannenberg & Son
Take away the stress of choosing the right builder by talking to the building experts at Spannenberg & Son. At Spannenberg & Son, we pride ourselves on being a family owned and operated business since 1971. We are fully licensed and insured, with years of industry experience and many satisfied clients. Our team will be with you at every step of the building process, so you know what’s going on at all times. To get started on building that dream home of yours, contact us today.