How to build a house: Find a builder

Construction & Development

By Jason Duop / 25 January 2015

The prospect of building a house is both exciting and terrifying. Eager home owners often want to rush the process because their vision for a home is overwhelming and they are nervous to get the project through right away. Unfortunately all this anticipation and restlessness leads to many overlooking the most important part of building a home: finding a builder.

First time home-builders on Stuff pointed out their two options when building a house. You could finalise your design, get a bunch of builders to tender for the job, have a small nervous breakdown when you saw their quotes, have a glass or two of wine to recover, modify your design if you could/had to, then send it in to council for consent. Or you could submit your drawings to council while getting builders to tender at the same time and cross your fingers that you could afford the house you just paid thousands of dollars to get council consent for.

These home builders chose the second option due to time restraints. However they recommend having as much time as possible to spend on this project. They recommend having as much of your design down on paper before starting the project to avoid additional costs.

Getting Builders to Tender

Getting a quote from a builder is a long process – at least three weeks long. And when you’re comparing lots of different builders, this can be incredibly time consuming! But it’s all worth it to find the perfect builder. Look for one with a “there’ll be a way” rather than an “I cant (or won’t) do that for you” approach.

Builders quotes cover a range of things and it’s helpful to know a little bit of jargon – it could save you money. A full contract quote covers all labour, materials, subcontractors and management of a building project. On the other hand, labour only means the builder is only responsible for building work and the rest is up to you.

Price Isn’t Everything

So you think you’ve found “the one.” The builder who promises the world and a half for a jaw dropping small price. But what glitters may not be gold. Instead of looking for a cheap job, look for expertise. Finding Waikato master builders may be your safest bet. Afterall, building a house is a very long term commitment.