22 Questions to ask yourself and know the answer to before you build:

1. What do the letters “PS” means when a builder/salesperson puts it alongside a dollar figure on your initial building quote, prior to deposit and initial preliminary sign up?
2. Does the meaning of this “PS” change when it is alongside a dollar amount item (or items) stated in the final legally binding building contract the builder gives you to sign?
3. What do the letters “PC” means when placed against an item or items within the specification items of any building quote?
4. When a builder has a “PC” item and dollar amount attached to it, do all builders have to have the same dollar amount stated for that same item?
5. You see a home advertised as 200sq/mts, you see another advertised as 190sq/mts. Which is the bigger home? Don’t be caught buying a home YOU THINK is bigger when it is actually smaller. This is a potentially huge trap and you need to know how to pick this up. This example could cost you close to $10,000 if you don’t don’t understand the implications.
   In this example if the 190 sq/mt home was measured using the same DIMENSION TECHNIQUE as the 200sq/mt home then the 190sq/mt home is ACTUALLY 208 sq/mts – a bigger home.
6. Why, when you sign your building contract, are the plans on a scale of 1-100, (1 cm = 1 m), yet when you get a colour brochure or look at new home guides in the press or internet, the scales are all different and many have no scale at all? How do you compare them
7. What does Copyright (©) mean? Most consumers don’t understand this issue. If you give a builder/designer/architect your ideas to add to their copyright plan and they draw them for you. Who then owns the copyright? You might naturally assume you still own the ideas you gave them, however, this is not necessarily true. What would happen if you want to add some of your ideas to another builders/designers plan because you want to change builder? Basically, you can’t. Infringing copyright can be very costly and builders/designers/architects have a right to protect works they complete for you when requested by you. However if you insist on owning the copyright, it gives you the ability to get as many comparative building quotes as you like in order to get the best price. When a builder owns the Copyright
   of the plans you have little, if no power, to negotiate and can end up paying too much. When you own the Copyright you have full control and builders having to bid hard against each other to win your business.
8. If you sign a pre-contract agreement and pay a deposit, how many days does the builder have to fix the building price before they could charge you with a “price rise” prior to supplying you with the final building contract? Are the days counted as business days or is it ‘every’ day?
9. Garages – if you look in the new home guides in the weekend press and on the internet, some builders have a dimension for the garage size and others do not. Why is that? Why are all the room dimensions stated for the house but not the garage dimensions?
10. If two builders’ provide room dimensions on a design plan, both 4.20m x 3.8m, will both rooms end up being identical in size?
11. If a builder writes in the quote “vanities to bathroom and ensuite are included” does that mean you get vanity cupboards included under the vanity tops?
12. Do all the builders use the same building contract?
13. What does “piling” mean? Could this cost be avoided and how?
14. What does “headworks” mean? Does this cost apply to every block?
15. What does “timber set” mean? Would every block require this?
16. What is an “easement”? What is the name of the works you may be required to pay to build into an easement?
17. What does “materials handling fee” mean? Could you avoid this fee?
18. What does “site access fee” mean? What could you do to delete this
    fee?
19. What does “site set out fee” mean? What does it mean if your builder says he has to “re-peg” plus in addition charge a “site set out fee”?
20. What does “Sub Soil Drains” mean? Why would a block require this?
21. What does “Wind Rating” mean? What items would need to be changed?
22. What is the maximum % by law a builder can ask you to pay?

These are just a few of the questions that you must ask your builder, and there are so many more. Perhaps now you can see why so many consumers end up paying more than they should after signing on an initial quote price. It’s confusing. But with someone at your side, who has the experience to navigate you through the building obstacle course, it can become a much less painful, dare we say enjoyable experience!

If you have struggled to answer any of the questions above, you should give us a call. Not knowing “what you don’t know” will cost you money and lost opportunity. But we can help you.

Many people would sign a builder’s paperwork without knowing really understanding what they are agreeing to. Did you know all the answers for the questions we asked above?

By working with Building Headquarters and Home Building Protection Australia you will avoid many of the problems that other people, with limited knowledge and understanding encounter. Building problems never just cost a few hundred dollars, in many cases they are thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars. It is a mine field out there.

Building Headquarters will help you navigate a successful path throughout the initial pre contract buying and building process and we can make sure you get the best possible price from quality builders we can recommend.