Questions to ask builder

Still a bit overwhelmed with getting everything in place to build our new home. Just wondering if there is a guide or checklist that anyone knows of questions that i should be asking the builder we choose. Quite worried i'll miss something and it will cost me a fortune!

Learn plenty before you buy especially on the up coming steps,spend lots of time reading up on others experiences especially the bad ones in which it will illustrate what not to do, information and knowledge is your best friend,if your extremely inexperienced then make sure you get a knowledgeable highly qualified building inspector who does pre contract inspections also as mistakes, unfair clauses etc are very common ,don't be fooled into a false sence if security with the line of,it's a standard HIA/MBA contract,their heavily in favour of the builder,by getting a building inspector you put the builder on notice that you have knowledge on your side,it's false economy to not get one especially with inexperienced clients,but learn lots and don't stop as builders love it when you know almost nothing,good luck.

you should choose a builder on personal recommendations from people you know. Once you have narrowed down a couple of builders or building companies, go and see them- not in their office but on site, have a couple of hours spare, and just observe how the trades are behaving, how they are working, how clean is the site, is it organised etc..
it is the small details that make a great builder and a great building team.
You will be surprised when you go from site to site how different each site looks. It won't take you long to pick the one you want to sit down with to give you a quote.

Good Luck

Great information,too often customers only go to display homes ,then pick a builder,if this is only what you have done,then you have almost done nothing as a display is their very best work with hand picked trades,your not going to get this although your entitled to this standard when a home is sold based on a display,even when you choose a builder ,check 3 of their recent local builds and ask the owners questions ,as this is a far better representation of what you can expect.

"check 3 of their recent local builds and ask the owners questions ,as this is a far better representation of what you can expect."

This is also good info. I'm getting some quotes on the weekend so if anyone has more great questions to ask I'm eager to read them all!

Try and get your head around how they actually build a house and do some research on what way is best. Here in Perth construction of a house differs from the rest of Australia. There are slight differences in how they complete the build. I worked out what I wanted and gave them all a list. Also try to get as much specified into the price before the contracts are signed that way you will save yourself a lot of money on upgrades at pre start. Things like, type of basins and sinks you want, back to wall toilets, tiling to full height, type of tiles, insulation levels, door types and model, bench tops, cupboards, painting, the list goes on and on. If you dont they will quote you on the base stuff knowing you will upgrade at pre start and charge you way more than the products actually cost.
For instance our build list as an example. 2 x gas instantanous hot water systems, coroma XX basins, back to wall toilets, frameless glass shower screens, cavity insulation to walls, full anticon to roof, corinthian type xx 28 course doors to entire house, Bosch xxx induction cook top, 3 phase power, 31 coarse brick height to entire house including garage, etc, etc, etc.
The more you can specify the better.

Wise advice above.

When you are considering what to include the -things you forget - may be helpful and of interest.

I recommend taking photos of the quality of work you view in the buider’s display homes and any other homes you visit . You can refer to the photos later and use them with builder to reflect on quality of work at your place.

Ask the previous customers you meet about their experiences with post build warranty- builder’s response to issues that arise.
And how things were handled by the builder when they raised a concern or there was a problem?

A mandatory request to the builders’ sales consultant should be to provide you with the contact details of 5 customers who have built with them recently. Ideally where there have been issues with the build that have been satisfactorily resolved. No builder or build is perfect therefore there will always be issues. If a builder cannot or won’t provide this information it’s a bad sign. Politely thank them for their time and find a more transparent builder with understanding of and pride in their work that will.

Site works and Engineering always seem to be an issue on difficult blocks
here's my checklist
1. Contour Survey
2. geotech soil report (Site Classication)
3. Footings Engineering ( Footings, Slab design, retaining walls,etc)
4. Councils DA and BA Checklist (Title, Specifications, Energy, Stormwater,DA, CDC,etc)
5. Property and services Checklist (Easements, Sewer, Electrical,Gas, BAL, Water table levels,etc)
6. 3D Bim Model, Data and Quantities
7.8 etc
Cheers
Chris

Tell them that you will be engaging your own private consultant to conduct inspection at various stages on the build , and see how they react.

Ask them if they will rectify any defects identified by your private consultant before they issue theIr progress stage Invoices.

Structuralbimguy is on the ball, structure is nearly always forgotten ,what you don't see will nearly always determine your home's intregril qualities,it's one hell of a pointer to a quality builder,so learn lots in this area ,then fire away questions and this can separate good building practices with average to poor practices.