How to work with home builders

Will Sayner Will Sayner
Remodelación de Casa Bosques, Alejandra Zavala P. Alejandra Zavala P.
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 Those who are planning to build a home may be concerned about their selection of contractors for supervising the construction; after all, we don’t want to be worrying about problems down the line. So how do we pick a reliable home builder? Someone you can trust to build a house based on the plan and the price you have calculated and agreed upon.

 Today we’ll be guiding you through how to work with home builders, helping you to ensure that you pick a reliable professional, and that you can keep track of their work. Let’s get started…

​1. Find out from trusted sources

 The first step in deciding which contractor or company should be responsible for the construction of your home is to consider a contractor based on advice from the people you trust. If trusted friends and relatives have had particularly good experiences with a professional then you should consider hiring that person or company; taking into account the quality of their previous work and their asking price as well. However, it’s important to inquire about multiple companies and follow up with your own research in order to able to make a fair and accurate comparison.

​2. Find a contractor close to you

The next point of consideration in the investigation is finding a contractor with an office close to the site so that you can easily follow up with them if you encounter any problems later.

​3. Hire a reputable contractor

 Following a detailed investigation make sure that you select a contractor with a portfolio of quality work and proper insurance. A reputable company or contractor is unlikely to do anything to destroy their hard-earned reputation.

​4. Draft a proper written contract

 Do not overlook the importance of a proper written contract between you and the builder. The contract should be specific in matters such as wages, labour, cost of procurement of building materials and other relevant details including a rough time scale for the construction and a detailed list of materials. Both parties must have the same document in hand if there's a problem, for example if the contractor leaves the job before it's complete.

5. Split payments into instalments

 Pay in instalments rather than one large total payment to minimise the risk of the builder leaving the job before it’s completed, doing substandard work or suddenly demanding a higher rate. What should the instalments be? Well, consider the work, and avoid paying big bucks no matter what the contractor claims. It will also encourage the contractor to complete the construction in the time agreed.

​​6. If the contractor leaves the job then find a replacement as soon as possible

 If something unexpected happens and the contractor abandons the job, then you should find a new contractor as soon as possible – after taking appropriate legal action if necessary.

7. Check the work yourself

 You should visit the work regularly at each stage of construction. Do not let the contractor do it themselves, or wait until the work is complete to inspect it. 

 Check out this guide to extending your home on a budget for more, brilliant home building advice. 

 Translated from an article by SIRIRUK.

Have you got any tips for hiring a good home builder? If so let us know in the comments below!

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