As you get ready to meet your short list of possible custom builder candidates in person, you may wonder when the best time is to start getting in touch with them and interviewing them. The answer is either before or very soon after you start the design phase with an architect.
By involving a builder early on, you can ensure that the design of your home and the budget you want to stick to throughout the process, among other things. Check out this article for a list of how an experienced custom builder like Home Builders Adelaide can help with the design phase of your building.
Once you’ve chosen your top 2 or 3 builder candidates, use the questions below in your meeting(s) with them to find the best partner for you and your family.
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How closely do you work with my interior designer and architect?
You should look for a builder who puts a high value on working with your architect and interior designer. This will stop misunderstandings, which can cause extra stress, schedule delays, and costs. More importantly, hearing how they deal with your design team will give you an idea of how they will deal with communication with you.
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Do you know how to build homes with the style and quality people want?
This is very important because each style of home has its problems. You want to know that your builder won’t try anything new on your project. Instead, they should use all the knowledge and lessons they’ve learned from building similar homes in the past.
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Can you tell me a little about how you came up with your estimates? How can you be sure that your budgets are right?
This has a lot going on. Listen to ensure that the builder’s process for estimating is very thorough. Their first estimate will be based on past hard costs and current market prices, so you should feel confident in their experience and knowledge of building custom homes. After finalising plans and specs, their detailed budget estimate will be based mostly on hard bids from vendors and subcontractors in the builder’s network. You want to ensure that you get multiple bids from good subcontractors and that those bids are carefully looked over to ensure they cover everything. You want to know that the builder’s team tries to keep their budgets as tight as possible.
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How long does it take for you to estimate my house?
A rough estimate can be done in as little as a week, while a detailed budget estimate can take up to three or four weeks. If the builder says it will take longer, you should find out why. You may have a very complicated home design, in which case it would make sense that the estimate would take more than a few weeks, or they may be too busy, which could be a sign that your project won’t get enough attention if you choose them as your builder.
Conclusion
These are some good questions to ask the person building your home. Before choosing a custom home builder such as Weeks Building Group, people should ask these questions to ensure they know what to expect from the builders.
