Building a new home often goes down as one of the most stressful events in one’s lifetime – and most often, you’re not even the one that has to build it!
There are so many reasons why building a home from the ground up can lead to stress and anxiety due to delays, mistakes and unbudgeted expenses.
Believe it or not, a lot of these occurrences can be avoided with a little extra thought, care and research at the early planning stages of the project – starting with choosing the right team for the job.
Here are just a few of the things to factor in when selecting the right builder for your dream home.
What’s your budget?
Your budget is integral to the type of home you can build. And because builders specialise in particular types of builds – from first home to mid-range, high-end custom builds to very high-budget luxury homes, your budget is also key to deciding the builder you’ll use.
Ask around
Reputation is everything. We recommend asking around your friends and family for their experience, and if possible, talk to someone currently building. Listen carefully to their responses.
Are they happy? Why? Why not? Do they feel listened to and understood? Are they easily contactable? Any major problems or conflicts? Are they happy with the workmanship? How has the builder responded to their concerns?
Do they specialise in the type of home you want?
Now that you have a shortlist of reputable builders, you need to know if they specialise in the type of home you want. Being a great bloke means nothing if he can’t deliver the home you had envisioned in the timeframe you’d expected.
Inspect their work
Inspect a near-complete current project, or ideally, an older home that’s been put on the market. How is the workmanship holding up after a few years of being lived in? Are there any major cracks or visible defects to the structure? Do the fittings and fixtures still look high-quality?
Are they local?
This one isn’t so obvious because, within reason, most builders aren’t averse to going outside of their usual trade area, and custom builders like Merit specialise in constructing homes that are ‘out of area’ daily.
However, it’s worth considering because when a builder is too far outside of where they’re comfortable, it can mean they have fewer options available to them when it comes to trades, suppliers or materials, which can mean delays or additional expenses.
Reduce the chances of blowing the budget by selecting a builder experienced in your area, OR, one that’s confident working in all areas like Merit Homes.
Are they registered? Licenced? Insured?
It’s so important to ensure your chosen builder is a legitimate, reputable company. At the very least, they should be a registered builder, licenced to work in the construction industry, have Public Liability Insurance and Home Building Compensation (HBC) – previously Home Warranty Insurance (HWI).
Because regulators can be slow to catch up with those not doing the right thing, you can ask the Housing Industry of Australia (HIA) or the Master Builders of Australia (MBA) for their list of members.