Deciding to build a home is one of the biggest financial decisions you will ever make so it really pays to conduct thorough research before you lock yourself into a contract. As part of your research, you should speak to a range of Perth residential builders to get advice on home types and designs as well as determining the suitability of the land you intend to purchase. Without talking to professionals you are likely to be unpleasantly surprised by some of the costs popping up that you never knew existed!
Site costs are just one of these unexpected fees which can drastically affect the overall cost of your construction project and unfortunately builders can’t give an exact quote on these costs until a number of tests are completed such as soil and compaction testing, contour surveys and bushfire attack level testing. These tests tell the builder how much work is involved in preparing the site for the building project and obviously the more work that is required to prepare the site, the higher the costs will be. Many residential buildersWA actually quote a minimal fee for site works in order to make their prices seem more affordable, but at Great Living Homes we prefer honest and open communication even if that includespreparing our clients for the worst case scenario rather than hitting them with unexpected costs at the end of the building process.
Bushfire Attack Levels (BAL) for your block will also directly affect the types of construction materials you can use (according to building regulations). Fire-resistant materials that are required to be used on homes in higher fire risk areas are often much more expensive; it is not uncommon for homes in high risk zones to end up costing tens of thousands of dollars more than one built in a low risk area. This cost alone can significantly affect the affordability of building a home and it is therefore imperative that you determine the BAL level of the block before purchasing.
People who are building a home for the first time also need to remember that a quote for building may not include things like internal wall painting, window coverings, flooring, paving, landscaping or air-conditioning. Whilst all of these items are typically found in completed homes, it is not standard for them to be included in a building quote unless you specifically request it (pay attention to the ‘Inclusions List’ or ‘Specifications’ for each builder). This is something I was unaware of before coming to work in this industry and it is no doubt something that first time builders would be unaware of.
These are just some examples of why you need to conduct thorough research. Even if you think you know the answer to a concern you have, there is no harmin asking the question of your residential home builder rather than to assume your answer is correct, as the old adage says “It is better to be safe than sorry!”.
