4 THINGS A BUILDER SHOULD BE DOING BEFORE GIVING YOU A PRICE

The cost to build can make or break our decision to build a new home - everyone has a budget of course. But when we’re caught up in the excitement of wanting to get started, it can be easy to rush things and jump on the first quote given, especially if it sounds like a great deal!

However, caution is needed if things seem to happen ‘too fast’. There’s a lot that goes into pricing up a new build and without all the right details, it’s very likely that the cost is just a very rough estimate. The price could be a very different story once things get underway.

So with that in mind, check that your builder does these four things before they give you a quote to build you a new home.

1. Listen & ask questions

Four walls, windows and doors make a home. But there are literally hundreds of variables that are the difference between a house that is worth $500,000 and one that is worth one million dollars.

So it is important that your builder not only listens to the vision you have for your home, but also prompts you with questions that you probably haven’t thought about yet. We all live in our homes differently, and they need to understand how you ideally want to live in yours.

2. Site evaluation

Physically putting boots on the ground at your site is crucial for evaluating what challenges (or opportunities) there will be for the build.

If your site needs a lot of prep work before construction can begin, then that will obviously add to the price. And the location might also mean there are certain design considerations to be made in terms of aspect and position. If your builder doesn’t do a site visit before quoting, it will be very difficult for them to give you an accurate figure.

3.Understand your vision

After visiting the site, your builder should then be discussing the scope in greater detail. With the information gained from the initial conversation, and having visited the site, it’s time to dig deeper about everything from tapware to the roof, the cladding to the flooring. Because all of these things make a difference to the overall finish of your home - but also the price too!

4. Be honest & upfront

When getting a quote to build a new home, it’s important that you know exactly what is included and not included in the price. And it is up to the builder to be clear about this - for example, is the driveway part of the quote, or will you need to pay extra depending on the type of driveway you want? It unfortunately can be easy to get caught out on these kinds of things, and not find out until the build process is already underway!

Which is why you want your builder to be upfront and honest about everything to do with the build - like whether they can achieve the budget you want to stick to or meet the timeframes you’re hoping for. Before any dirt is turned, you should have full visibility of cost breakdowns so you can have confidence in what is going to be designed and built for you.

And here at Classic Builders, it’s a process we’ve perfected over the years, which is why we take longer than other building companies to quote. We know it may seem like we’re ‘dragging the chain’, but we’re simply doing our due diligence so you go into your build journey well-educated - with no surprises along the way.

That’s what guarantees we’ll deliver on your dream, better than anyone else.