Finding the best building company for your new home
Plans for your new home are underway. Perhaps you’ve bought a nice piece of dirt, drawn the house plans and made a budget. To finalise your plans, you need to find a building company. After all, you can’t build the house yourself. Searching for land, drawing floor plans and creating a budget was hectic, right? Fortunately, looking for home builders is easy as 123. Besides showing you how to locate a good company, here at CTE – Adelaide Business Directory, we offer you advice, so you can make wise decisions.
Money matters
Can you really afford to build? If you’re low on cash, apply for a construction mortgage. Ask the mortgage lender to pre-approve your application before you begin the project. This confirms your financial credibility and budget to realtors and builders. Use a build cost calculator to compute the costs of the entire project.
Identify your needs
Decide what kind of home you want and how much you’re willing to spend. Each building company specialises in a certain type of house. And prices range from company-to-company. Whether you’re an empty-nester, a move-up, a first-time homebuyer or finally building your dream home, look for a company that fits your needs.
Get names
Contact the Housing Industry Association (HIA) or the Master Builders Association (MBA) to get a list of building companies. These associations offer a list of local construction companies on their websites. If you’re in contact with a real estate agent, ask for a list of trustworthy companies. Finally, ask neighbours and friends about their builder, and if they’re happy with the job that was done.
Gather quotes
It’s important to hire a building company that is reputable. However, it’s not sensible paying more than is necessary. Collect quotes from the construction companies you’ve listed. Be sure to understand everything included in the estimate. Does the company include finish work and clean up in the overall cost? Working materials should also be present in the quotation.
Consider speciality
You wouldn’t hire an HVAC specialist to fix your plumbing or an electrician to repair your roof. Therefore, don’t hire an apartment building company to create a mansion. Ask the company about other projects they’ve worked on that match yours. Find out if they have photos and if you can talk to previous clients about their work.
Do your homework
Narrow down the list to three building companies you may like to use. Research these builders. Contact other people the company has built homes for and ask questions like if they experienced any major problems and if the project was done on budget and on time. Similarly, visit the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website to check if any complaints or cases have been filed against the company and whether they were resolved.
Experience
If a construction company has built 10 homes similar to yours, they’re more likely to foresee and decipher the common problems that arise during a project than a company that has only one home under its belt. Note how many houses the company has constructed and the size of each project.
