Have you ever considered building you own homes...no, not themselves, but through a private builder.

It’s all very well to get quotes and references and ask for advice from former clients, but there are things you can do before signing the building contract with a builder which could save you terrible problems in the end.

Questions such as:-
· Does your builder hold a current government or local authority license and is his insurance up to date and sufficient to cover ALL claims for damage, negligence and other things
· Is your builder licensed to do the sort of work he’s contracting to do (electrical, plumbing, concreting etc)
· Are all fees and charges clearly stated on the contract, including lump sum and periodic payments and when they have to be made
· If it’s a fixed contract price, does it also include removal of rock during excavation (that little number cost me an additional $8000)
· Is there a ‘cooling off’ period in the contract? Can you change your mind after a certain number of days before the work begins?
· Has your builder obtained the proper development approvals from the local authority? (you MUST see them before he begins work, and not rely on him to say ‘don’t worry, it’ll come through.’ He won’t be paying the costs of restoration if he can’t proceed)
· Does the builder know all about foundations for the house? Is he pouring concrete? Is the drainage around the house adequate? These will all come back to bite you when the builder is long gone. Get INDEPENDENT advice to check what the builder is doing underneath your house.
· Has he specified commencement and completion dates? If not, ensure that he does
· Get a lawyer to look over the contract before you sign it. It’ll cost money, but could save you a fortune in the long run.

There are lots more things to consider, but these are the essential ones.
One of the major problems I had was over delays to the building schedule. Sometimes, its because of the weather. Okay, not the builder’s fault, but if he’s delayed by, say, two weeks, and if he’s scheduled to start another job when yours is finished, guess who’ll have a partly completed house and no tradesmen to finish it. You! Make sure that any potential delays are taken into account when you’re negotiating with the builder.

Of course, delays could be because of you. If you’ve got a great design, but want to alter the shape of a room or the position of a door when the house is being built, it could significantly affect the scheduled finish of the house. Make sure you’re really happy with the design before the house is started, because when it’s being built, delays could be costly.

Remember that good builders want to please a customer, but often there’s a balancing act between desire and the end price the customer is charged. And its only fair that the builder makes a profit from his work, so don’t expect the same end price if you’ve changed things half-way through. The extras and allowances can be considerable.