Google ‘custom builder Adelaide’ and you’ll quickly feel confused by your options (hint: there are literally dozens). You’ll see some big builders – with a thousand staff building more than a hundred homes a year. And some smaller builders – with a handful of staff (or maybe even no staff) building one or two homes a year.
Research a little further and you’ll see dozens of articles promoting the benefits of small builders (and warning of the dangers of large builders). And an equal number of articles saying the exact opposite. So, who do you believe? And how do you choose?
As confusing as it can be, it’s important to do thorough due diligence. While choosing the right builder will give you a smooth, enjoyable building experience and the home of your dreams, choosing the wrong builder could be the start of a costly nightmare.
The Cost Of Choosing The Wrong Builder
Whether from friends who have built a home, or from TV news or online articles, I’m sure you’ve heard some horror stories. Homes that go thousands over budget, months over time, and are full of defects. Not to mention homeowners who feel left in the dark – never hearing from or being able to contact their builder. And worst of all, people who lose their lifesavings because their builder went bust.
So, how can you tell which type of builder is better. And more importantly, which type of builder will give you the exact house you want – on time and on budget?
Why Big Vs Small Is The Wrong Question
The truth is, Adelaide has some large builders that are good, many that are ordinary, and some that are downright terrible. The same is true for small builders. Size is not the main factor that determines their quality.
And don’t be fooled by terms like ‘boutique’ or ‘bespoke’ (that small builders use) or ‘Number 1’ or ‘most trusted’ (that large builders use) in an attempt to impress.
Two Better Questions To Ask Your Builder
Question #1: What processes do you follow to ensure you deliver the exact home your clients want – on time and on budget?
The number one reason a building project goes off the rails – over time, over budget, and under quality (for both small and large builders) — is disorganisation.
It often begins when the designer doesn’t take time to understand what the homeowner really wants (or fails to make an accurate record of all the details).
The problems compound down the line when building materials are not ordered (or the wrong products are supplied), tradespeople are not scheduled (leaving your house sitting idle for weeks or months), and the builder has no process to let you know what’s happening (and doesn’t return phone calls or emails).
The result is a home that goes over budget (costing you thousands in extra costs), months over time (costing you thousands in extra rent or mortgage repayments), and is far less than the home you expected (leaving you feeling disappointed in the experience and the result).
The success of a building project largely boils down to the builder’s processes, including their:
- Checklists: design, construction, handover, and after sales support
- Scheduling program: council, trades, and quality control
- Ordering and communication systems: suppliers, trades, and customers.
Question #2: How many homes do you allocate per supervisor?
If the key to a successful building project is the building process, the key to following the process is having somebody to monitor every step.
There’s a famous saying, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” And this is certainly true with building quality homes. Nothing can be left to chance. Every one of more than a thousand steps in building a home must be intentionally planned, flawlessly executed, and meticulously checked.
That’s why your builder must have a good supervisor. And why that supervisor must not be responsible for too many homes. Shockingly, many larger builders allocate 15-25 homes per supervisor (and as many as 50 homes). It is simply impossible for one person to properly oversee so many projects at once.
Likewise, it’s impossible for a solo builder to successfully build a home when they are also trying to look after their own sales and marketing, administration, designing, trade recruitment, supplier network, construction supervision, and after sales support.
Ideally, your builder’s Construction Supervisor should be responsible for no more than 6 homes at one time. And you should have their direct contact so you can communicate with them at all times.
In addition to this, your builder should have a Design Supervisor who helps you through all the pre-contract tasks including floor plan, selections, council, and contracts.
Free Advice To Ensure You Get A Better House (And Building Experience) For Your Money
Delivering the hundreds of steps in building a home takes a skilled supervisor to oversee the processes. And they must not be stretched too thin trying to look after too many homes at once.
Whether you’re ready to build or still looking at your options, we’d be glad to show you our detailed processes. And the result of these systems and supervision in homes we’ve built in the Adelaide Hills. We’ll walk you through all the steps so you can see what’s involved in delivering a quality home, on time and on budget.
