Three important considerations when choosing a builder

When you’re embarking on a new project and it comes time to select a builder for your new home or renovation, it’s important to make the right choice. After all, choosing the right builder will help you bring your dream project to life—but settling for anything less may leave you with a bunch of regrets later on down the line.

It may seem like a time-consuming process, but it really is worth it, considering the amount of money involved. It has the potential to make or break the entire experience for you, so it’s not something you want to rush.

There are several main factors you need to take into account before making your decision.

Be sure about what you’re after

The first thing to consider is the details of what you’re after. This includes your budget and how much you’re willing to invest in your project—there are builders that specialise in first-time buyer homes, mid-range homes, top-end designs, and of course, luxury builders. It’s important to know what you’re aiming for as there is little point in approaching a high-end home builder for a smaller project, and vice versa.

Another thing to think about is what exactly your aim is for your project—you’ll find that many contractors specialise in certain projects, whether this be renovation services, assembling a kit home or new house constructions. For example, if you’re looking to build an eco-friendly home with sustainable features, you should look for a specialist builder who has experience in building projects in that area. This way, it’s also easier to ask for a portfolio of designs that are similar to what you want to embark on.

Spend enough time researching

Before making any decisions, do enough research when it comes to selecting the right builder for your home building or renovation project.

It’s recommended you go to at least three builders with a clear and succinct scope of works to get quotes, including detailed documentation and specification of materials. This is the most important thing for contractors to be able to accurately quote work and price, so the more detailed information you have, the better. It is also worth researching on the NSW Fair Trading website to check what information they have about your preferred builder—for example, whether they have a licence to do home warranty work, or if they have had any problems or disputes with past clients. This is also where you can ask for references from past or current clients of theirs.

That’s where GAXA Group come in, having used over 25 builders over the past four years on various client projects, of varying types. Depending on the project, GAXA Group invites the most appropriate size and type of builder, to tender on the project.

Ensuring you communicate openly and build rapport

Effective communication ensures a developing relationship with the builder, especially considering how involved you would like to be in the project. If you want to be more involved in the build, a smaller sized building company may provide a more personal service, involving you in the decision making along the way. On the other hand, if you’d like to sit back a bit more, choosing a medium sized builder with design & administrative support would be beneficial. That is, unless, you don’t have a client side project manager working for you.

Bear in mind, it is not always recommended to go with the cheapest priced builder. Firstly it is important to ensure all quotations through the tender process are comparable, and GAXA Group follow a diligent system on how to achieve this. Communication and active engagement during the quoting process should be highly weighted during decision making, as it truly sets the tone for the entire project.

All things considered, it is vital to choose a builder for your project who will deliver what you want, at the level of service you need, that is also in your budget.

To stay up-to-date, make sure you join our Behind The Build Newsletter via our homepage.

Katherine Kouli – Design & Project Manager at GAXA Group

P: 0406 735 467

E: [email protected]

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