By Alvin Curtis
So, you’ve decided to build your own house. Congratulations! There are many things you’ll need to consider before you can roll up your sleeves and get started. Do you have a property chosen yet? Do you know how many stories or rooms you’d like? Have you considered what the yard of your house might look like?
Have you found the best home builder for you? The last question should require some research, and not be a decision to take lightly. After all, your builder will ultimately be in charge of your dream home. Below are some tips and considerations when starting your journey of finding the perfect builder for your home.
Put Effort into Your Research
Google is a wonderful tool in that you can type in a few keywords and have millions of answers at your fingertips in seconds. However, keep in mind that some of the best things are usually recommended not through the computer, but by word of mouth.
Ask around—your neighbourhood, your workspace, your friend circles—to see if you can find personal experiences behind a builder. Alternatively, if you have a real estate agent for your property, don’t be shy! They may have great connections in Canberra for home builders. If these routes don’t work, then Google might be your next best bet. Be prepared to carefully skim through the information to know that you can find a builder that will best suit your needs.
Make sure you are specific when researching—write the name of your town. Add “reviews” to the search to see if anything comes up. Keywords like “award-winning” and “professional” may help narrow down your results. Once you’ve found a few possible candidates, research the websites thoroughly. Look out for things such as:
- The date. Has the website been updated recently?
- The portfolio. Does the website offer photos of previous work?
- The quotes. Are there any prices listed to help give you an idea of a budget?
- The reviews. Is there any portion of the website where you can see what other customers have said about their work?
Once you feel you’ve found a few good choices, reach out and ask to speak with people directly. Meeting with an individual can help give you both a feel as to whether or not you have found the right place. Research can take time, but when given careful thought and consideration, it can drastically improve the quality of your home builder.
