Questions to Ask Before Selecting Your Builder – F.A.Q

Most people dream about owning their plot of land and building their dream home on that plot. This dream can only come to fruition if you hire the right builder. It’s important to get the process of selecting a builder for constructing your home right since it’s going to be one of the most important and expensive undertakings in your life. You must consider several factors here, the primary ones being that the builder must have good communication skills, professionalism, and transparency.

You need to know how much you’ll be involved in the entire process and if you’ll have the freedom and flexibility to make decisions. To help you, we’ve compiled a list of key questions that you must ask before selecting a builder so that you end up with a great final choice.

How many homes will be under construction and supervised at any one time?

This is an important consideration since you want to be working with a builder that limits the number of homes they’re working on at one time. This not only ensures superior quality control, a more personalized service, and access to quality workmen. 

We limit the number of homes we build every year to ensure superior quality control, access to quality tradesmen, faster response times and more personal experience for you.

Will I be able to supply any items myself for the builder to install as part of the contract?

The builder you want to work with should allow you to make onsite variations during the construction process to add your personal touch. There shouldn’t be additional costs for these variations.  If the change is significant that requires a rework or new materials then while the variation is a ‘can-do’ there may be a cost applied for the change.   Furthermore, the cost of the variations shouldn’t be added on top of the builder’s fees, so it’s important that you discuss this with the builder before selecting them.

Once I enter into the building contract, will there be any change to the price?

Before selecting work with a builder, you must ensure that the prices aren’t going to change once you enter into the building contract. You ideally want to work with a builder that has fixed-price contracts. This ensures that there isn’t going to be any price variations or changes during the building process.  

What’s the benefit of working with a boutique builder?

Choosing to work with a boutique builder is the obvious choice here, as they are more passionate about attention to detail in the building project. They only take on a select number of clients at a time and manage to provide you exclusive services for your home’s construction

How and when will the final price for my home be determined?

You need to be clear about the final price for your home building project, which means asking them about any hefty additional costs later in the project. That’s something that has happened with numerous homeowners who hired builders with the cheapest quotes and later found the final price had changed.

That’s why it’s important to work with experienced builders; they offer fixed-price contracts.

Generally, the ‘final price’ is determined by your selections/ builders recommendations including all engineering before the signing of a fixed price contract.

Can you provide references and contacts for past clients?

The home builder you choose to work with should have no problems in providing you with a complete list of recently completed homes for you to review. They should also provide you with contact details of previous clients, so you can get an insight into the building process and overall experience of working with the builders.