End Building Disputes
Worried your builder and tradespeople will blame each other? Here’s how to ensure you get everything you pay for – on time and on budget
Adelaide’s Leading Energy Efficient Home Builder
- Flexible pricing to fit most budgets
- Expert guidance for the best outcome
- Finished on time and on budget guaranteed
- Stable temperature for supreme year-round comfort
- Measurable energy savings
[Book A Home Tour to see what a genuinely energy efficient home looks like]
Or keep reading for answers to your questions and concerns about building an energy efficient home in the Adelaide Hills
Not All So-Called Energy Efficient Homes (Or Builders) Are Equal
Tragically, too many Adelaide homeowners pay tens of thousands extra for so-called energy efficient building materials, a so-called specialist builder, and a so-called 7, 8, or even a 10-star home…
… yet end up with a house that is no more comfortable (or energy efficient) than a mass-produced home that comes with all the usual problems including delays, budget blowouts, and defects that always seem to be someone else’s responsibility.
The Honest Information You Need…
…To Ensure You Get A Genuinely Energy Efficient, Supremely Comfortable Home – Without The Headaches, Hassles, Or High Prices
This admittedly long website page contains all the information you need to get the energy efficient home you want (and are paying for) – a home that is…
- Genuinely energy efficient…
with measurable power savings - Supremely comfortable…
with stable 18-24-degree temperature all year round - Meticulously constructed…
to look better and last longer with less maintenance - Unbeatable value…
with honest guidance to get more for your money
… delivered on time, on budget, and with thoughtful service and honest, transparent communication.
Or if you prefer, schedule a Display Home Tour for expert advice to help you get the energy efficient home you want.
Fact Or Fiction? What You Should Expect From Your Energy Efficient Home
Are the claims over-hyped? Can you really save thousands in electricity? And enjoy year-round comfort. And how can you be sure you’re not needlessly overpaying for building materials and techniques that offer no real benefit.
Exaggerated? Maybe.
Possible? Most Certainly
Annoyingly, a lot of product claims are over-hyped. Sometimes because they are derived from carefully controlled laboratory testing. Often because the installation matters as much as the actual product (more about that in a minute). But I am pleased to say – with the right techniques and attention to detail – the benefits are real including…
Feeling Cold (Or Hot) In Your Home Is Now Optional
Forget four seasons in one day. How about one season all year long. That perfect mid-season t-shirt weather. No matter if the mercury outside soars to 40 or dips below 4 degrees with howling wind and sleet, you remain comfy inside at a stable 20 degrees. With little or even no air conditioning.
Power Bill: $Zero
Depending on the way you live you may even receive a credit. Because the power you generate could be more than you use. Adding up to tens of thousands in savings over the life of your home. And even more savings because a genuinely energy efficient home will also require far less maintenance.
However, this is not achieved merely through using a few so-called energy efficient products. There is no one key to building a comfortable, energy efficient home. It’s a combination of many factors. That’s why most builders can’t deliver on the energy savings they promise.
Where Do Most So-Called Energy Efficient Builders Go Wrong?
It’s easy to call yourself an energy efficient builder. And incorporate a few energy efficient products into a house. But more often than not, that just increases the price without giving you any noticeable benefits. Because most builders don’t have the knowledge, experience, or ethics to deliver on their claims.
Take installation, for example. What’s the use in paying extra for expensive, air-tight house wrap (that is supposed to stop air and therefore energy transfer) if your builder shoots it full of staple holes. Or fails to seal the edges around your windows and doors.
Or why bother spending extra for R6 insulation if your builder leaves gaps everywhere. Or invest in topline PVC double glazed windows without sealing them. Sounds silly, doesn’t it? But it happens. All the time.
And even before product choice and installation comes design. Most homes are not optimised to make the most of their block. And fail to maximise natural light, breezes, views and privacy. With a poorly designed home, you’re fighting an uphill battle – constantly spending money on heating and cooling to make it comfortable.
Our in-house designers take the utmost care to ensure your home design is fully optimised. Our tradespeople are meticulous in the way we install your building materials, so they achieve maximum performance. And our quality control processes triple-check everything to ensure maximum comfort and energy efficiency.
Prices: How Much Does It Cost To Build An Energy Efficient Home
(And How Can You Be Sure You’re Getting Value For Money)?
Yes, building a genuinely energy-efficient home will cost a little more than an equivalent mass-produced home (but only around 5% more if done right). There’s no getting around the fact that double glazed windows have twice the glass and will cost more. And R6 insulation is priced higher than R4 insulation.
But sadly, too many homeowners needlessly overpay on things that offer little to no real benefit. That’s why we don’t merely tell you what you need, we tell you what it will do for you and how it works. And we offer advice to help you get more house for your money. For example…
Save Money With The Right House Shape
You can save a lot of money with a clever design. The most cost-effective house to build is a rectangle. Construction is quick and easy. And uses less building material per square metre of internal space. Designed well, a rectangle home will look amazing (definitely not like the boxes of yesteryear).
Bigger = Better? Or Just Poorly Designed?
Most large homes are really just small homes with extra rooms tacked on. And that often means lots of hallways that waste space and make your home feel pokey and small (even when they’re big).
Our in-house design team takes time to understand the vision you have for your home. We optimise the design to make the most of your block of land. And create a layout with maximum useful space (and minimal hallways). That way you can have a smaller, more affordable home that looks, feels, and functions like a large home.
Specialty Rooms Vs More Efficient Alternatives
A custom house enables you to have everything you’ve ever wanted in a home. But that often leads people to add specialty rooms like a home gym, music or hobby room, or extra entertaining area that may only be used once or twice a week (or month).
Our design team helps you consider alternatives that could slash tens of thousands off the price of your home. For example, rather than adding numerous single-focus rooms, a cleverly designed multi-purpose room can give you a similar result at a much lower cost. You can save even more by utilising space outside your main home. For example, weatherproofing your patio enables it to double as a second entertaining area. Or add a stylish shed that gives you a huge home gym (or pool room) at half the cost of trying to fit it in your main house.
Permanent Structure Vs Replaceable Fittings
When choosing top-of-the-line across the board, costs quickly add up. Our team helps you understand the difference between permanent elements of your home, and things that can be changed in the future.
For example, it’s unlikely (and almost impossible) to retrofit better insulation, building wrap, and windows after your home is built. But it’s easy to swap some taps and lights for more premium options. Choosing cheaper fittings (that can be changed) can save you thousands and enable you to invest more in the permanent elements of your home that provide long-term benefits.
These are just some of the design options our team helps you consider so you can get more house for your money. Book a Display Home Tour and get advice specific to the home you want to build.
Australian Building Standards: Surprising Facts About Star And BAL Ratings
(And A Better Way To Ensure Your Home Is Genuinely Energy Efficient)
Have you ever wondered how people can live in super-cold climates overseas where the temperature regularly drops below zero? It’s because the houses are built for it. In fact, people coming to Australia from these countries often complain about how cold and uncomfortable our houses are.
Our [position] (who started his career in New Zealand) often shakes his head and says, “Minimum Australian Building Standards are still so far behind what we were building in New Zealand 10 years ago.”
Australian standards are getting better. But they are still way behind the rest of the world in terms of energy efficiency. And they are too often subjective. Things like star ratings may look good on paper. But they often fall short in terms of practical comfort and energy efficiency.
How Many Stars Do You Need?
Australia uses the NABER (National Australian Built Environment Rating) System to rate the energy efficiency of Australian homes. The required minimum in Adelaide is currently 6 stars.
All our homes easily meet a 7-star standard (sometimes 8 stars). And even Passiv Haus Certification. But more importantly, they offer objective benefits and noticeable year-round comfort. For example, achieving a higher NABER rating can be as easy as adding ceiling fans. But many of our clients don’t want the visual intrusion of ceiling fans. And because our homes are so comfortable, they don’t need them.
We don’t merely try to meet the subjective standards of NABER, we rely on objective physics to give you the most comfortable and energy efficient home possible.
Bushfire Attack Level (BAL)
Your BAL rating is determined by numerous factors including the slope of your land and surrounding bushland. For example, if your home is uphill from lots of trees, it will have a high BAL.
For most builders, there is a significant crossover between BAL and NABER Star ratings because a high BAL rating requires certain exterior building materials that also meet high star ratings. But this doesn’t give a complete picture because it fails to consider ventilated facades that offer unmatched thermal performance regardless of the exterior cladding.
Once again, while we certainly meet (and mostly exceed) Australian Building Standards, our focus is on more objective measurements that offer meaningful benefits you’ll notice as you live in your home.
How To Avoid The “That’s Not My Responsibility” Blame Game So Many Builders And Tradespeople Play
Building a home is a complicated process involving hundreds of steps performed by dozens of tradespeople. But the complexity is not the steps -- they are the same for almost every home. The challenges often come from the tradespeople – getting them to take responsibility for (and do their best job on) their tasks. So the next tradespeople in line can do their best work too.
Tradespeople are notorious for saying, “That’s not my responsibility.” The roofer will fit the roof but fail to install the downpipes saying, “That’s not my responsibility.” The tiler will start laying tiles without checking the waterproofing saying, “That’s not my responsibility.” The carpenter will fit the premium PVC double glazed windows without sealing them with caulking saying, “That’s not my responsibility.”
You think you’re paying your builder to manage all of this. And you are. But sadly, many builders are not good at it. And so your house sits idle while they try to resolve issues between tradespeople. And your house runs overtime, leaving you in limbo and costing you thousands in extra rent and mortgage payments.
We don’t allow this to happen. Firstly, our systems are structured to prevent it in the first place – by accurately specifying scope of work.
Secondly, if a tradesperson fails to fulfill their responsibility, we do whatever we have to do to get it done immediately – even if that means paying another tradesperson to finish what the first should have done.
And thirdly, if we experience this challenge on several jobs, we (a) review our trade specifications to ensure they are accurate and complete, and (b) meet with the tradespeople involved to review the process so they include every part of the job in future quotes and fulfill completely.
You can be sure we will deliver the result you want (and deserve) without buck passing or blaming.
Enjoyable Building Experience Without Headaches And Hassles
Too many builders (and their commission salespeople) rush you into signing a contract. And then when you’re committed, they keep you in the dark wondering what’s happening. They fail to answer phone calls or return emails. And palm you from person to person -- with site supervisors stretched across too many projects and nobody able to tell you what’s happening.
Transparent Communication Keeps You Fully Informed
When you build with Enduro, you’ll never be left wondering what’s happening. Your own login to our Project Management Platform enables you to follow the daily progress of your build (see everything our team sees – in real time). Ask questions and receive same-day answers. Visit your homesite anytime (you’re always welcome) and speak with your site supervisor (he’s onsite most days). And receive a detailed summary during our weekly meetings.
When friends ask how your home is going, you’ll be able to answer them with confidence because you’ll know exactly where things are up to.
Timeframe: How Long Should You Expect Your Build To Take?
Many builders promise the world and then disappoint clients with missed deadlines and thousands in extra expenses. We are honest and transparent from the beginning including how long you should expect your home build to take including:
From first contact to final design and contract: 12 months. Some clients get to this stage in 6 months. Many in 9 months. We recommend allowing 12 months, so you are not rushed.
From contract to hand over: 12 months. Before you sign your contract, you will have access to your complete building schedule so you can see what tasks will be completed when. You’ll know the exact timeframe before you commit to building.
Who Should You Expect To Deal With Throughout Your Build?
With most builders, the commission salesperson can’t do enough for you until the contract is signed. Then they (and everyone else in the company) become strangely quiet.
When you choose Enduro, your first point of contact will be with you the whole time. They will introduce you to the most relevant person at each stage of your build including:
- Pre-Contract: Planning and Design Manager who will also introduce you to your Building Designer and Estimator.
- Construction: Site Manager who will meet you every fortnight onsite and is always available by phone and email.
For total peace of mind, you will also have direct access to the owner of the company.
Sustainable Building With Less Waste And Greater Worksite Safety And Efficiency
Some studies indicate as much as 30% of building materials are wasted onsite. When you see rubbish littered on most building sites, that’s not hard to believe. This is not only bad for the environment, but it also creates an unproductive, unsafe worksite, and costs you thousands in wasted building materials.
We have several strategies to minimise waste including:
Design: Thoughtful design significantly reduces waste. For example, we design elements of your home around the standard sizes of building materials. For eaves, this will be 450, 600, 900 or 1200mm. We see other builders wasting hundreds in lumber because their lazy house design forces them to trim a 1200mm board to fit a 950mm eave.
Recycle: While other builders merely throw their scraps in a big pile, our tradespeople sort scraps into piles for recycling. We then pay a service to collect and recycle leftover plasterboard, timber, steel, and plastic into useful products including mulch for garden centres and soft-fall for play grounds. Not only is this good for the environment, it creates a safer, more productive worksite, and saves you around $5,000 in waste removal fees.
Not Quite Ready To Meet?
Download Our Latest Free Report And Discover How To Build A Comfortable, Low Maintenance, Energy-Efficient Passive House
While many builders claim to build energy-efficient houses, very few have the knowledge, experience, and formal certifications to deliver. As a result, many homeowners unknowingly overpay tens of thousands for a home that is no better than a standard house.
Get out latest report and discover the 5 keys to building a comfortable, low-maintenance, energy-efficient passive house. Or book a Free Consultation to get free advice for your home.
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