Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Apr 12, 2009 10:15 am Hi all, Well the journey continues, I think my first post was in 2007 ! After lots of false starts with builders such as Inform and JGKing and architects who want to build a home double my budget (I was warned ) - urrgghhh, can't believe the stuff you get told I have been given an new sense of energy with the interest rate drops. Since December we have our own plans and are now council approved. I am going to take the working drawings, energy rating, soil tests and engineering report and send to 3 x builders for a quote. Has anyone got any tips or gotchas on this approach ? I have noticed that builders rates are dropping and we are getting more for our $$, anyone else notice this ? The builders are actually chasing me up Anywho ! as always I look forward to your advice ! * Are we there yet ? Demolition has come and gone ! yippeeee..hang on that was months ago !! come on Mr Builder, dig a hole at least Finaly ! Hole Dug ! well done darren 20/06/2010. Slab is down ! Framing is complete 20/10/2010 we are progressing like a snail on heat - excited and determined but very very slow Steveo Re: Taking own plans to tender, any tips? 2Apr 12, 2009 10:29 am Steveo, What about your finishes selections. You know, which taps, toilet, kitchen sink, etc you want. I hope you've built a relationship with the builders you are getting quotes from. They'll try harder if you are someone they've got to know a little. Also, have some backup builders in case one (or more) of the builders comes back with a price that is way over the top. Good luck. Cheers, Casa Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Re: Taking own plans to tender, any tips? 3Apr 12, 2009 10:47 am Thanks Casa2, Yup I am keeping in touch with the builders frequently, and hoping that being "straight up" will make them more inclined to recipricate. Specifications list will be interesting as some builders may not deal with the brands we like, however I suspect there will be a similar product... Cheers Steveo * Are we there yet ? Demolition has come and gone ! yippeeee..hang on that was months ago !! come on Mr Builder, dig a hole at least Finaly ! Hole Dug ! well done darren 20/06/2010. Slab is down ! Framing is complete 20/10/2010 we are progressing like a snail on heat - excited and determined but very very slow Steveo The fastest thing a builder will do is bank your cheque, those systems work perfectly with lightning speed, everything else is slow burn. Just the way it is. 1 5607 Can someone please offer some advice? Im DESPERATE. Because I'm completely and utterly exhausted. How long are variations taking with other companies at the moment? We… 0 11921 Thanks. I called VBA today and they said it was a Consumer Affairs issue, the old handball. Seems like the government organisations don't want to do their job at the moment. 2 5692 |