Building a custom home requires clear communication with your builder. Look for builders who use online project-management systems with weekly updates and photos, and meet the site supervisor who'll be your main contact. Choosing based on price alone often leads to regret.
Have you ever had a friend who's been building a home and complained about not being informed about the progress of their job? Building a new home can be a daunting experience, especially if it's the first time you have ever done it. When you consider that it's possibly one of the biggest investments you will make in your life, You want to make sure you really trust your builder before you sign a contract. Did you know that when you do sign a building contract, your builder takes on the responsibility of your block? This makes it possible for the builder to prevent you from accessing your block and experiencing your new home being built. It's why it can be very unsettling if you don't feel well informed about how your new home is progressing and what is happening next. It should never be too hard for your builder to make a time with you on site to run through where your job is at and what's happening next. A professional builder will do this at regular intervals. One of the best ways to ensure that you are kept informed of the building process is to insist that you only work with a builder who uses a comprehensive online project management system. This system should send you weekly updates that fill you in on things like any design changes you have made, and where they are up to, the status of the schedule and what stage different building tasks are up to, where you are in terms of progress claims and what is left to be paid, and shows you photos from site and a comprehensive job log of what your builder has been doing and organizing to drive your job on. On top of this, you should be able to access that system online from anywhere, anytime, and check on details and ask questions of your builder. Another thing to consider before you sign a contract with your builder is making sure you are clear on who will be working with you and talking to you during the build. It's important that you meet and feel comfortable with the key people involved in your build. For most custom home builders, this will be the builder, and they are the person you'll be working with from your initial consult right through to the end of the warranty period. The site supervisor, is the person who is an employee of the builder and is responsible for organizing and coordinating the trades under the guidance of the builder. You will work with both of these people as you build, and you want to feel comfortable that you are able to talk with either of them about any issue that you might have. We've all heard the story of someone who didn't feel quite right about their builder but went ahead anyway because their price was good or a friend told them that it would be a good idea to work with this builder. What they found was they couldn't talk to the builder about issues they had, and this meant that they ended up not only unhappy with their builder, but unhappy with the outcome of their new home, a home that they were going to live in for a long time. Don't let this happen to you. To find out how to make sure you pick the right builder for your dream home, download our free guide of 7 things to ask your builder before you commit.
