6 tips for choosing your home builder

Making the decision to build your own home is a big one.

For first-time homebuilders to those building a property portfolio, choosing the right builder for your home is an important first step.

Choosing the right builder can make all the difference to your experience and the outcome.

Why choosing the right builder is important

Whether you’re building an investment property or your forever home, you’re not just making a financial investment.

Building a home takes time and energy, there’s lots of decision-making and maybe some problem solving along the way.

The process of building a home is made infinitely better if you’re working with a building team you can communicate with and trust.

Here are 6 great tips for helping choose the right home builder for your new home.

1. Research your local builders

Researching builders that are local to your area is a good first place to start.

Most builders have a niche to which they tailor their services. For example, some home building companies might specialise in homes for first home buyers and others might exclusively build luxury homes.

Choose a building company that excels at the type of home you’re looking to build. If it’s their bread and butter the process will be streamlined, which should ensure a good result.

Check out their website and get a feel for what different builder’s value; what’s important to some might not be important to others. Sharing common values is usually a good indicator for building a good relationship.

Experience isn’t always everything, but how long a building company has been operating successfully adds to their credibility.

2. Confirm your budget + investigate prices

As mentioned, most building companies will have a business model that’s set up to cater for different budgets.

Have a clear idea of your budget and the home you’re looking to build before you start contacting builders for quotes.

If you are looking to build a completely custom, high-end home it wouldn’t make sense to reach out to first-home builders and vice versa.

3. Read reviews

Once you’ve narrowed down your search, dig into testimonials and reviews.

Prior personal experience offers invaluable insight when it comes to making a big decision like choosing a home building company.

People tend to leave reviews when they experience very good or very bad service, so reviews can quite quickly paint a picture of the level of service and expertise you might experience with a particular builder.

4. Check out their work

Not all builders have display homes, but if they do pay them a visit. Be mindful that most display homes include luxury features and fittings that may not be included in their pricing. Simply ask some questions to get an idea of what will fit your budget.

If a builder you’re interested in doesn’t have a display home you can view, give them a call and arrange a time to visit a real build.

Seeing a real build gives allows you to see a blank canvas, you have the added benefit of meeting members of the team and seeing how they operate.

Following social media accounts is another great way to get a glimpse into the general vibe of a building company and see their work in progress.

5. Chat timeframes

You may have narrowed down your search at this point and big discrepancies in build timeframes could help make your decision.

Many factors can impact how long a building company intends for a build to take, and often due to unforeseen circumstances, a build may be longer than anticipated.

Look for a builder who seems realistic about timeframes, can talk through project timings confidently and has a good track record for builds that come in on time and budget.

When leaving reviews, people often share information about the timeframe of their build; so again, reviews can be a good place to look for real-life experiences.

6. Go with your gut

Possibly the most important tip, trust your instincts and the vibe you pick-up from a building company.

The relationship you have with your builder is important, you’re entrusting them with the build of your home and having a good relationship will make all the difference.

Everyone is different and sometimes you just click with a certain builder.