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Once your building plans are ready it’s time to find a builder. You are about to make a large investment so you need to consider who will do the work very carefully. Below are some pointers that might help you choose a good builder.
• Try to get personal recommendations from friends, neighbours or construction industry professionals you trust.
• Always obtain at least 3 written quotations and ask for detailed quotes to show that all the work is quoted for. Ask about how extra work requested during building will be costed.
• Ask lots of questions when the builders visit your home. A good builder will be happy to spend time with you and answer all of your questions. A good builder should give you useful ideas.
• Ask builders for references and a list of recently completed work and check these out, they might not be genuine. A good builder should be able to arrange for you to speak with his clients.
• Don’t automatically choose the cheapest quote; the lowest price isn’t always the best price. And if one quote comes in a lot cheaper than the rest then you might want to ask yourself why. This could be the sign of a cowboy builder.
• Never employ a builder who asks for money up front. You should pay in stage payments and never pay for more than the value of work completed. You might be asked to pay for materials delivered to site; however these can be easily and quickly removed.
• If a builder advertises membership to a professional federation, then check it out.
• Don’t employ a builder who needs to travel long distances to your home unless you are absolutely sure of a genuine reason.
• Take your time, don’t rush into choosing your builder and get it right. The cowboy builders really are out there and can come across as really nice people. An incomplete extension and no money left, is an all too common situation and not a pleasant one.
• Use the JCT Building Contract, if this looks complicated then ask a professional to help. And if the builder you chose doesn’t want a contract then you just might have caught yourself a cowboy.
• Never make the final payment until Building Control has issued a final certificate and not until you are completely satisfied that all the work done has been done correctly. If you’re not sure it’s worth employing a surveyor. Remember its hard work getting your money back.
If this is all a bit scary, or maybe you just haven’t got the time, we have the answer Building Plans Ltd Project Management. Our surveying team will take care of it all and it just might work out cheaper in the long run. |
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