New Homes, Extensions & Renovations.

Creating and maintaining a proper budget is one of the most important things you can do. Regardless of how comprehensive your budgeting is, it’s likely to cost more.

Costs such as electrical and gas connections and meters, fencing, gates, letterboxes, outdoor concreting, landscaping and window coverings are a few things people forget to include in the budget. Besides small minor costs, which all add up, your budget should allow for unforeseen circumstances, such as design or fittings changes, particularly structural changes or additional earthworks that might be required. 

These are commonly known as finishing costs and can usually run anywhere from 10-25% of your budget. Along with the build cost of your home, you’ll also need to allow for costs associated with preparing your site for construction and other expenses like stamp duties, loan settlement costs and planning fees. 

Create a budget spreadsheet and update and add additional costs as they arise. That way, you’ll know exactly where you are financially at any given time. 

Picking the right builder is probably the most important decision you’ll make in the building process. 

You’re going to be working with your builder for many months. You want a builder you can trust. The cheapest quote isn’t always the best way to go. Some unscrupulous builders go in cheap on the quote and then charge an arm and a leg for any variations.  

Picking a builder you can trust can avoid a lot of problems down the road.

• Make sure your builder is licensed and adequately insured. 
• Don’t be shy. Ask the builder for references. Were previous customers satisfied? 
• Personality and communication. You’ll be working with your builder for several months. You need to be comfortable with them. If they don’t communicate well with you, they probably don’t communicate well with their contractors. 

There will be many things during the building process that you don’t know or understand. There will always be variations or issues that crop up during construction. You need a builder you can trust. One that will answer your questions honestly and keeps you informed on the progress of the job. 

Unless you have an open budget, you need to make sure your expectations are realistic. There’s no point in designing a $300,000 renovation when your budget is $150,000. It takes a builder considerable time to create a detailed quote, so talk to them about what you’re after, and they’ll be able to let you know if it’s realistic and within your budget. 

Good communication between your builder and designer/draftsperson is critical. A builder that offers in-house design and drafting services is always a plus. It usually results in more bang for your buck when the project is completed. 

Start the design process by making a list of “must-haves”. These are things your design must include. Then make a list of “would love”. These are things that you want but don’t necessarily need. This allows your designer and builder to work up a design that will match your budget. 

The devils in the details. Make sure you have detailed plans. For example, tiling your bathroom and wet areas can cost anywhere from $50 to $230 per square meter, depending on the tiles you choose. It sounds like common sense, but many people forget simple things like an electrical plan. You can never have too many powerpoints, and most TV’s are wall mounted nowadays, so you need connection outlets and powerpoints halfway up the wall. So work out where all your appliances are going. It’s much easier to get the electricals right before the insulation, plasterboard, and paint goes on.  

Work out where your furniture is going. You need to think about how you are going to live in the space. So sketch your existing or proposed furniture onto the plans to see how everything fits. Is there enough room to fit the furniture you have or want? 

Spend time working out your cabinetry needs. Is there enough space between the kitchen wall and the island bench to slide out the stools and still comfortably walk around them?  

If you haven’t built before, you will probably underestimate the time your project will take to complete. The “we’ll be in there by Christmas” never happens. A good builder will be able to give you a realistic time frame. Your builder will always try to get the job done as quick as possible, so they can move onto the next project. However, they can’t control the weather, material shortages or pandemic lockdowns. If it’s going to take six months, allow for eight.

Building a new home or renovating is stressful. Be realistic and flexible with your timeframes and reduce stress.