8 Questions To Ask Your Home Builder Before You Sign That Contract!

You want the best home building team to handle the task of renovating or extending your home. Whom you choose could make the difference between a crappy home building experience and a pleasant and positive one.

You don’t want to entrust the task of building your dream home to a home builder who hasn’t earned your trust.

Here are 8 questions to ask your home builder to help you come to a well-informed decision.

1. Are you a licensed and insured home builder?

This is one of the most important questions to ask a potential home builder.

By law, all builders must have an up to date builders’ license, as well as insurance. Just because a home builder tells you that they are both licensed and insured, doesn’t mean you should take their word for it. Ask for documentation to back up their claims.

It also helps to do your own research. Find out if their license allows them to practise the specific work you need to be done.

A building contractor should also be fully insured so you won’t be held liable for any accidents or injuries that occur during construction.

Your home builder should also take out home warranty insurance that covers defects in construction after the work is done. This should be taken out before starting construction work because inspections need to be made during construction.

Make sure you hire a licensed builder

2. Do you provide Home Indemnity Insurance?

Also make sure your builder issues you a Certificate of Currency for Home Indemnity Insurance, which covers you for financial loss should there be occurrences like the builder dying or their company becoming insolvent.

3. Have you ever been declared bankrupt?

If your home builder was declared bankrupt at some point — watch out. A bankrupt company can pull the plug without warning and leave you to pick up the pieces like searching for another builder to complete the job.

A good indicator is also how long the company has been in operation, and where. Which leads me to the next important question.

4. Are you based in the same area as us?

Choosing a local home builder in your area is a wise decision since they don’t have to travel far and they can hire subcontractors whom they’ve built a good relationship with throughout the years.

Plus, a home builder based in your area will know the challenges of renovating and extending in your area. This includes the all-important council regulations for DA approvals.

Further, you might be renovating on bush fire prone land, which has its own set of requirements.

5. Can we view your recently finished projects?

By viewing your potential home builder’s recently finished projects, you can gauge your compatibility and also evaluate the quality of their work.

If you want a more thorough research, take the time to track down their previous clients.

The reliability of first-hand feedback is hard to beat.

Recent projects may reveal sub-standard planning or workmanship

6. Do you have client testimonials?

A reliable home builder should have proof of client testimonials to back up their claims.

They should be easily accessible and ready for viewing.

They should also have a working website.

7. Can you provide me a fixed price?

Don’t hesitate to ask your potential home builder how much the whole project is going to cost you. The best home builders are those who can provide you with a fixed price to avoid surprises and cost overruns along the way.

Here’s what to do: Get an itemised costing and specification from the builder before signing any contract.

You can have a professional review the costing to identify potential red flags and discuss them with your home builder before you finalise everything.

8. What is your time frame for this project?

Make sure your home builder can provide a definite timeline that states the construction project’s start and completion dates. This should include the time assigned for cleaning up after the construction is done.

Because the longer the construction extends, the more add-ons in pricing it will have.

If a home builder can answer all these questions to your satisfaction, then you can be confident in their ability to deliver.

Ask Us

Add-Style has decades of experience building and constructing on the North Shore. We meet the criteria to make your home renovation in Dee Why and all across Sydney’s northern beaches a success.

Call us now for a consultation and have a feel for how we will work with you as a team.