Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Apr 01, 2010 2:43 pm Hi All I am sooo excited to find this forum. What a godsend for newbies like me and my family. We have purchased a block of land are awaiting registration in June/July. We have pretty much decided on a builder and have had our first tender meeting. However, I am concerned over the site costs and all the other added bits they seem to have thrown in. How can we be sure we are not being ripped off??? Any info or thoughts on building for the first time especially in regards to approaching site costs would be greatly appreciated. Thx Mel. Re: New Home builders 2Apr 01, 2010 3:05 pm Hi Aussie-chik, Welcome to the forum. It's hard to deal with builders when there are so many hidden costs. So keep trawling the forum and getting hints. When you go to your first meeting it's important to try to nail down the costs of inclusions since there can be a big difference between you initial 'price guide) to your fixed price contract. If you can be clear about what you want and ask for definite prices that's a start (although you'll always find things to add). I've heard the rule of thumb is take your house and garage base price and add 50% and thats about the price you'll be looking at. It takes time to refine all your choices. With your site costs, it's hard to predict until a soil and engineers report is done on your block. This is where the hidden nasties can lurk. So once you have that, it might help nail down the big items. Things like kitchen upgrades, electrical upgrades can add up to a lot so be aware. Our fixed price contract came in $25,000 higher than our 'price guide' and we had to do some major revisions to get the price down. I don't know if we would have gone with our builder if we had known. Also, be aware of the fact that most builders charge between 15-20% more for the things you get them to do (e.g. paving, stormwater, floor coverings). Best of luck to you as you venture into your exciting project. Handover February 2011 Happy with our home Re: New Home builders 3Apr 02, 2010 5:24 pm Do not be afraid to ask questions. Try making them give you prices before signing anything. Let them know you are happy to walk as there is no shortage of builders. Think of the things you definitely want in your house and get prices. As far as site costs go you are basically in the hands of the gods. It depends on the soil quality, compaction, slope, surrounding trees and more. If there are other people bulding where you are ask them what their site costs are and that should give you a ballpark figure. Good luck Hi All, we are starting to think of building with Masterpiece Builders in Victoria, has anyone had any feedback or experience with them 0 13588 1 7941 Is it just a report written to give to the bank initially and it is based on what and how your payments are made up for, or is it a full service where they go out and… 2 5599 |