Well this ole house once knew my children
This house once knew my wife
This ole house was home and comfort
As we fought the storms of life
If you’re hoping to build a house that will last long enough to harbour a life time of memories, like the ‘ole’ house from the famous, Statler Brothers song, This Ole House, then you need to choose the right builder.
And from a conveyancer’s perspective, there seem to be three main areas where extra attention up front will lead to a happier home at the end of the building process.

Does the builder have firm foundations?

The first thing I look for in a builder is a solid track record.
I realise this makes it harder for new kids on the block, but choosing a licensed builder with a long track record can pay itself off in many ways.
Firstly, experience in managing projects and selecting staff and contractors, will make your build go more smoothly and even help to avoid time or cost blowouts.
Secondly, established builders tend to have better buying prices for materials and fittings and pass some of those savings onto you.
Thirdly, an experienced builder should be able to feed you ideas during the pre-sales process, helping you to get the best value from every square metre of your property.

Is the contract clear?

Your building contract is the real foundation of any project.It needs to be clear and should have very few estimates or TBAs. In fact, a builder happy to work to a fixed price means that everybody will be doing their best to work toward the same goal.
This is also where any inclusions or exclusions should be noted, particularly items like flooring, fittings, driveways, landscaping, etc. Most of these items are considered extras by default.
You should also make it clear that if you are basing your contract on a display home, you have specified exactly how your home will match or differ from the one you have inspected. Often, the display home has been embellished with extras.It also pays to be suspicious of special promotions or bonuses. With such an important purchase, you should really focus on how your quote compares to other conventional quotes because within the industry there are many fixed costs that remain similar and will need to be paid somehow.

How long will it take?

How long your house build will take is the $64,000 ($640,000 is probably more appropriate for this topic) question.
It can take six months going through the planning process and an further six to seven months to build a standard house.
Of course, many factors will come to bear on the process and different builders handle their scheduling differently.
When discussing this with your builder, ask them about their average build times over the previous year and what contingency plans they have in place for bad weather, material delays, and staffing.
No doubt, one of our team members will be by your side if you’ve chosen us as your conveyancers, giving you access to our expertise and our trusted network of allied professionals for many parts of the house building process.
Here’s to a successful build, a long list of memories, and a house that rarely bats an eyelid to storms, unlike the one from the song.
This ole house once rang with laughter
This ole house heard many shouts
But now it trembles in the darkness
When the lightnin’ walks about