Whether you’re a first home buyer, downsizer, empty nester or an investor, building a new home is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, financial investments you’ll ever make. It is essential that you spend the time researching and shopping for your builder as carefully as you do for your block of land.
One thing is for sure, the building process starts long before the concrete is poured. That’s why it’s important to do your homework. This is why Satterley works with Australia’s most reputable home builders so we can help you find the right home for your home site. Here are some helpful tips to consider when choosing a builder.
Quality
Look for quality in workmanship, materials and practices when you tour display homes.
Fixtures
Ask to visit their selection centre where you can view the fixtures used to build the home before your purchase.
Experience
While every builder was once a new builder, experience does matters.
Design
Does the builder have expertise in the style of home you would like to build?
Incentives
Look out for builder promotions offering inclusions and compare among other builders.
Customer Experience
You want a builder who will look after you once you’ve signed the dotted line and keep you updated throughout the building process.
Compare
Look at insurance, warranty and service with each and every builder you are looking at building with.
Research
Are past buyers satisfied? Look online for reviews and testimonials.
Registered
Ensure your builder is licenced and registered before you sign your contract.
Construction
Ask about construction times and when you can expect to move in.
Choosing a house plan
We know that the process of choosing the right home can be daunting if you haven’t built before. Here are our top tips;
• Maximise the natural attributes of your block and consider its orientation when finding a house plan to suit your home site.
• Get the house plan you desire drawn up on your home site first to see how it fits on your block so you can consider how much room you will have left for an alfresco area or backyard.
• Know your budget and have a realistic idea of what you can spend on your house. Overall, this will determine what sort of house plan you.
• Understand all the costs involved. Does this particular house plan include extras such as painting, flooring and blinds? Think about your lifestyle and the size of your family. This will determine the number of bedrooms you have or if an office, activity area or games room is needed.
• Consider how much privacy you would like in your home, as well as the placement of windows and how they will relate to your outdoor surroundings.
Display villages
Display villages play an important and helpful role to help buyers choose the right home for their lifestyle and needs by viewing the latest in modern home design. Leading home builders have their most up-to-date designs, gadgets, and innovations in their display homes and best of all, the experts are on site to help with pricing and concepts. Try-before-you-buy is a logical approach for anybody about to build a new home, which is why a weekend car tour of a Satterley display village could end up saving a buyer thousands of dollars as you compare kitchens, bathrooms, alfresco areas and other aspects of the various homes on display.
