Choosing the person who's going to build your home is, without a doubt, the most important decision you'll make in this whole journey. Pick the right one and the next twelve months are exciting. Pick the wrong one and they're the worst twelve months of your life. I've seen both ends of it.
The first filter is always the boring stuff that people skip. Does the builder hold a current builder's licence in WA? Are they a member of a recognised industry association like the HIA or the MBA? Are they a registered business with a real office you can walk into? If any of those answers are fuzzy, move on. I'm not being dramatic, you wouldn't let an unregistered mechanic touch your car, and a custom new home costs a lot more than a car.
Once you've got two or three names who pass that filter, dig into reputation. Ask each builder for references and actually ring them. Don't just ask, "Were they good?" Ask, "Did the price hold? Did they communicate when something went wrong? Would you build with them again?" The answers to those three questions tell you more than any brochure.
Then there's the gut feel test, and don't dismiss it. You'll be sharing a lot of decisions, a lot of money and probably a few stressful moments with this person. If they cut you off in the first meeting, if they brush past your questions, if they're already promising the world before they've seen the block, that's your warning. A good builder asks more questions than they answer at the start.
Price is rarely your best guide, by the way. The cheapest quote almost always becomes the dearest finished job, because something's been left out. We'll talk more about that in another post.
A great Turquoise Coast builder should feel like a partner, not a salesperson. If you'd like to meet our team and see how we work with families building homes in Dongara, Port Denison and the surrounding area, head to inh.com.au/TurquoiseCoast and grab a chat.
