Building your dream home? Don’t get stung with the wrong builder

Building your new home is very exciting and there is much to think about. Particularly important is how to choose your builder, as this can make the process simple or very stressful.

To start off, consider the following checklist when building your new home which will help you manage the planning process:

• Scope the project
• Organise your finances
• Complete the design
• Arrange project management
• Project manager arranges the builder and other tradespeople
• Review your plans and budget
• Get a building consent and any resource consents
• Begin construction
• Complete your project

When building a new home, the following are some helpful hints in helping you to select the right builder:

• Create a shortlist of builders – search online, ask for advice and speak to any family or friends who have recently built a new home
• Create a quotation package for builders – include things like drawings, specifications, council consent conditions
• Compare quotations – looking at both costs and timings
• Find out about site management – these include things like: demolition material will be recycled, construction offcuts will be recycled, litter control measures will be in place, sediment control measures will be in place, site will be left secure and tidy at end of each day

To help further refine your decision on which builder you should choose, consider asking the following 12 important questions to your builder:

1. What is your contract licence number?
2. Where can I see examples of your work?
3. What other jobs have you got on at the moment?
4. Who will supervise the work?
5. Do you have proper insurance?
6. How much deposit do you need?
7. When can you start the work and how long will it take?
8. What sort of contact will be used?
9. How much will it cost?
10. When are progress payments to be made?
11. What happens if the work is defective?
12. Who cleans the site?
13. What (if anything) am I responsible for? Ie. Landscaping, tanks etc

We’re keen to hear your thoughts on how you selected the right builder when building your dream home? If you know anyone who is building or considering building, why not share this article with them? They will be forever grateful!

Source (first section):
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment: Building and Housing Information: http://www.dbh.govt.nz/handc-your-planning-checklist

Source (second section):
Your Home (A joint initiative of the Australian Government and the design and construction industries): https://www.yourhome.gov.au/renovatorsguide/builder.html

Source (third section):
Department of Fair Trading: http://www.homebuilders.net.au/pdfs/Home%20Building%20Check%20List.pdf