April 2011 Ask a Builder

I see a lot of adverts for Affordable Housing. What’s the story?

Affordable homes are a great initiative and there is plenty of information available with a simple online search. There are around twenty designs available for homes in Bellamack, and prices are from $342,000 to $420,000 for two to three bedroom homes. This is a fantastic chance to enter the market and if you qualify for one of these restricted blocks, then you would spend a long time searching to find a deal as good as what you may get for these homes purely in terms of size, let alone something brand new!

If you are in the market, you simply must factor these onto your list of properties to look at and examine.

Which way should I approach planning my home prior to construction?

Like the home needing good foundations for it to be a success, it is essential that as a client you have a great relationship with your builder. After all, they will be building what for most people is the biggest investment of their lives.

When you walk into your builder’s office the initial relationship you start with, which hopefully should be positive, is typically the relationship together you end the project with. This is especially so if you and your builder work together and give some time and thought to planning your home. In that light, being pro-active and being able to have question and answer sessions with your builder should be the accepted minimum. If they can’t do this for you, you should find one who can.

Working closely with your builder and giving the planning process time will improve the outcomes no end. Insist on receiving a full Schedule of Finishes and a detailed Plan at each version of the drawings as you work to completion so you know exactly what you are paying for. Some builders are unwilling to change their range, style or standard of construction and it would be important you establish this prior to choosing a builder if this is essential to your vision for your home.

So often the major source of negative stories you hear about in the industry is because builder and client are not understanding precisely what is in the home, or drawings that don’t show the full areas of the home and don’t line up with the Schedule of Finishes. All of this should line up and make sense at all times, or if this isn’t the case, you should seek clarification from your builder immediately.

A classic example is with extras. Extras, or variations in some cases, can be charged at any rate after construction starts – not all builders charge market rates for such work, and usually there is little consumer protection in the contract. So make clear that you know what these costs are for extras prior to entering into a contract.