The difference is in the detail

You might hire a builder to take care of the plans, consents, and construction of your home to an agreed standard and budget. But what else are they doing for you?

Aligning yourself with a builder you can trust is imperative. You need to ensure the details (and, importantly, the disclosure of full inclusions) are covered in your contract. Building a house that meets the subdivision standards and rules (covenants) is often overlooked and can create enormous implications for the homeowner. 

To assume that your builder is taking care of the covenants, fences, landscaping plan, subdivision bonds, developer’s approval and streetscape changes is not a wise assumption to make. Subdivisions often require some or all of these items to be signed off and completed within a certain time frame after the build completion, for full developer’s approval, allowing you to move into your new home. In some cases, this gets down to items like fence staining to be completed, which may not be included in the build cost. Make sure you understand the covenants of the subdivision you are looking to build in.

Building for the first time is both exciting and daunting. Often, I see first-time home builders leap into contracts with a construction company that from the first glance, seems affordable. Check the inclusions; some builders may fail to include all the items needed to finish your journey. A good building company will talk openly to you and be clear about your section’s full requirements and what it takes to build a home there. Caution should be taken if you’ve asked for a home build based on the lowest price. You need to make sure you are clear on what your ‘price to build’ really includes.

The difference is in the detail. Choose a builder who includes all the necessary items, the steps you haven’t considered before, and the parts of the puzzle you didn’t know you needed. Are they just building your house, or are they helping you navigate through the whole journey to new homeownership?

Ask the question, “What else do I need for a complete sign off from the subdivision developer, and what timeline do I have to complete this in?” Become informed.