So you’ve decided to go ahead with a custom build, you have a fair idea of what you’d like to achieve, and you know your budget. The next important step might be to find a builder who aligns with your values and objectives to achieve your dream house. This article will run you through the importance of finding the right builder for your situation, even if it means waiting a little longer, and how you can ensure that you decide on the right person.
A glimpse of our experience
I feel it is important to share our experience in finding the right builder, as we made quite a few beginner errors. This process was completely new to us, and as expected, we had a lot to learn. I hope that sharing our story will help you to avoid some of the key mistakes we made.
Firstly, we had our plans drawn up by a local draftsperson. This experience was fantastic and we couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. The building design team listened to our thoughts and really tried to bring our goals to life (on paper!) We decided to focus on creating an energy-efficient home, optimising natural light, using natural materials where possible, and enhancing natural ventilation throughout the home.
Once our plans were underway, we started looking into options for local builders. This is where we made our first big mistake. We found a professional builder through a recommendation from a trusted source. We contacted the builder and they seemed very keen to chat to us about our plans. We met them at the site and talked through our concept, which was very well recieved. We then spoke very briefly about a rough quote, which was based on price per m2. We were happy with the suggested figure and excitedly ‘locked in’ our decision, but we had to wait approximately six months before the builder was ready to take on our job. Fast forward to receiving the formal quote, and we nearly fell of our chairs at what we saw on paper.
The quote was around 40% more than what we had discussed, and didn’t include GST. We felt completely devastated and like we had to start all over again.
We spent a few months collecting our thoughts and decided to make some changes to the house plan. These changes included removing a bedroom and ensuite, removing part of the decking, removing some custom large windows, and removing the carport and arbors. We figured that removing some non-essential elements would be financially necessary anyway, and we intentionally removed things that can be added later down the track. These things wouldn’t affect our overall goals of building the eco-friendly home of our dreams.
We started contacting other builders, and began feeling even more disheartened. Some builders weren’t interested in building a small, simple home (smaller profit margin), and others didn’t want to deal with recycled materials. Others didn’t value sustainable practices or understand the health benefits of using natural materials. It suddenly felt like building a small, quality home with sustainable materials was too much to ask!
Fortunately, while talking to some like-minded friends, another builder was suggested who sounded like a great fit. We jumped at the opportunity to speak to someone with similar values, and we really hoped that he would be interested in our project. This builder was not only interested, but he really like our design and concept. He loved the simplicity and the size, and he specialised in using reclaimed and sustainable building materials. He really just ‘got’ it. Additionally, this builder builds beautiful, unique, creative and eco-friendly homes as a passion.
We met and he gave us a quote (on paper this time) and we were over the moon to be moving forward. The only catch, we had to wait an additional 12 months for him to be ready to start our build, which to us is a small price to pay for a good builder with a solid reputation.
Why is it important to find the right builder?
Finding the right builder can honestly make or break your experience with building your new home. You’ve put in so much time and energy to get as far as designing your home, and you may already have working drawings ready to go. The last thing you want to do is settle for a builder who isn’t going to work with you to bring your dream to life.
If you’re building a custom home like we are, and you want to be as involved as possible in the construction process, then you will be working very closely with your builder (Alex is working with our builder almost every day).
Some key reasons to find the right builder:
– You need to have a good level of trust in each other. This person is building your home, and they should care as much as you do about the quality of the build. Trusting them to make important decisions in your best interest is imperative, especially if you aren’t experienced in this field.
– Custom homes require a holistic approach in creating the type of home you wish to achieve. Finding a builder who values the important aspects beyond the minimum standards is invaluable. A builder who knows and understands how you live and what you value is an important first step.
– You’re relying on your builder to stick to a budget and remain transparent about how they are spending your money. Any decisions to make changes to the specified materials should be done together and all parties should agree before the builder goes ahead. Even better if they are actively thinking about how they can tweak things to save you a bit of money without compromising on quality or sustainable design.
What could go wrong if you choose the wrong builder?
If you aren’t on the same page as your builder, cracks will very quickly begin to show and you may end up having a very negative experience. I’ve heard some horror stories about owner-builder relationships turning sour and neither being happy to continue. This situation could be very messy not only financially, but also have a huge mental and emotional impact on you and your family.
Depending on what type of contract you sign, you could end up paying more than what you were originally quoted. This could happen if material prices have changed between the time of signing a contract and the time of ordering materials. You could also end up paying more if your builder orders more expensive materials than are specified on the plans in an attempt to gain a higher percentage on their margin. Similarly, if your builder becomes very rigid in the type and source of their materials, this can be a red flag.
My tips for choosing the right builder for your new house:
1. Know your values (and budget)
If you’ve read my other blog post on how to design a sustainable home, you’ve probably done some work to uncover your values and your ‘why’. You can do a similar thing when asking yourself what kind of builder you would like to work with. Your budget may or may not be a big limiting factor, but for us it was as we don’t fancy having a large mortgage. Know your budget and stick to it!
2. Do some research
In the first instance, you might do a bit of a google or Instagram search of the builders in your area to get a feel for the type of homes they build. Make sure to also check your local newspaper to see if there are any smaller or ‘old school’ builders advertising their business that way. Create a list of potential builders before your start contacting them so you can compare quotes, timelines, values etc.
3. Ask around
The best way to find a builder that you know you can trust is to ask around your community. Get some real-life reviews and learn more about them as a person as well as their quality of work. We found our builder through some very well trusted friends of ours. Upon speaking to other people around town about who we had chosen, we were more than reassured that we had made the right decision. Never underestimate the power of word of mouth.
4. Interview several different builders
Although you may have your eye on one builder in particular, make sure you interview several different prospective builders and then choose the best option for your situation. We made a mistake by not doing this and I really hope you avoid it, as it can create so much stress.
5. Have a look at their work
With so much online and social media these days it’s easy to suss out a large building company and get a feel for their building style and results. However, don’t discount the old school builders who may not have a big social media presence. You can always contact a builder and ask them for some photos or links to real estate websites to have a look at their work.
6. Be prepared for your job to be ‘turned down’
Sometimes builders are just not into what you are trying to achieve and this is not something to get worked up about. You probably wouldn’t want someone who doesn’t align with your values or taste to build your home anyway.
7. Have your plans ready to go
It’s so much easier to get accurate construction costs from builders when you have a set of plans you can send to them. This allows to ‘compare apples to apples’ when having your home designs quoted.z
8. Be prepared to wait until your builder is ready, it’s worth it!!
Your builder may not be ready to start your project for months or even years. This may be a deal breaker for you, but in our experience, waiting for the right builder is 100% worth it in the long term! It has actually been a pleasure to continue renting our current home a little longer than expected.
I hope this article helped you in your search for finding the best builder for your sustainable home build. Let me know if you have any questions below!
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