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Ash Bryan - Director/Builder

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How to choose the right builder

Five things that you should look for when choosing a builder

Whether you’re renovating a room, adding a second storey or extension to your home, or building an entirely new house, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is selecting the builder who will do the work. 

Choose the right builder, and your project will be plain sailing, you’ll get a quality end product (both in terms of workmanship and materials), and chances are it’ll come in at or under budget. Choose the wrong builder, however, and you could be in for a nightmare journey of shoddy workmanship, budget and time overruns, and potentially even an unfinished project.

In this article, we’ll run through the top five things you should look for when choosing a builder.

1. Ensure they specialise in the right type of project

Every building company is different, with different experience, expertise and background. Some builders specialise in internal renovations; others in building custom homes; others in volume building; others (like Next Gen BuIlding Solutions) have broad expertise. When researching builders, ensure they specialise in – and have a track record in – the type of project you want to hire them for. 

2. Ensure they are legally sound

Secondly, ensure any builder you hire has, at the bare minimum, the proper registration and insurances. These include:

  • Builder’s registration
  • Public liability insurance 
  • Worker’s compensation insurance
  • Home indemnity insurance.

Without these, you’re unlikely to have any recourse if things go wrong. It’s also worth researching the directors of the company to ensure they haven’t previously liquidated building companies.

3. Check out their track record

When researching a builder, check out their past projects to ensure they have a suitable track record. You can do this in the first instance via their website or social media channels. If possible, visit completed projects by the builder and see the quality of the construction and finish. 

In addition, look at the builder’s reviews on their website, Google or their social media channels; you can also ask the builder for testimonials and references from previous customers.

4. Provides a comprehensive quote – not just the cheapest quote

The quote you get from a builder will tell you a lot about them. If it’s highly detailed, that’s a good thing, a list of inclusions, exclusions, and provisional sums can help you understand the break up of costs and help you compare quote for quote.

A remarkably cheap quote should ring alarm bells too: if you’re sourcing quotes from a few builders and one comes in significantly cheaper than the others, then you probably need to be asking what corners are being cut or what’s being omitted. The cheapest is rarely the best when it comes to builders!

5. Make sure they’re the right fit

Finally – and most importantly – you should ensure that the builder you choose is the right fit for you and your project. You’re going to be working with this company (and probably person) for an extended period of time (usually months) on a project which is a significant financial commitment. 

It’s absolutely essential that you and your chosen builder can communicate effectively – and particularly that they listen to your needs and desires. If this isn’t happening when you’re just discussing the project with them, imagine how difficult things could get when you’re in the middle of construction and things aren’t going right. 

With more than two decades of experience in custom renovations, second storey additions, extensions and new builds, Next Gen Building Solutions harnesses our years of building expertise to help our clients realise their visions – no matter how big or small they are. To discuss your project, contact Ash today!