Custom/special conditions in building contracts?

Has anybody gone with a builder using standard MBA/HIA contracts and added customisations and/or special conditions? If so, what did you add/change and why?

Also, does anyone have anything that they would've added to or changed in the contract, now with the benefit of hindsight and experience?

Overall the standard documents are reasonably fair to both parties.

Although some here will think them more aimed at protecting builders I think it's the builders greater knowledge that makes that appear the case. (one of the reasons I started my website was to provide more knowledge to customers)

Trying to change the contract in your favour is likely to get some push back from builders.

The existing contracts have been well proven in the courts, while your change may not stand the test in court. . . . remember not all lawyers are experts in all areas of the law and experts in contract law don't come cheap.

This is not about changing standard contract it is about customising it with special conditions. Frequently I find that builders try to push builder's risk on the owners, or get some other advantage. So it seems worthwhile to carefully review and if necessary re negotiate before signing off. Owners need to remember that they have the power to walk away and should use it as a negotiating tool, once they sign they loose the power. Yes, large project builders have the market power to refuse any changes and many get away with that, but its always worth a try and by challenging the builder at the ouset sets the tone that the owner is not a pushover.
Review of special conditions is just one of the 30 or so items reviewed in a pre contract review that I do.

I've got a copy of the ACT MBA standard contract, which is used by our currently preferred builder (a custom builder). This is the first time that I've built, but as someone who routinely deals with large commercial contracts in my day job I don't have any major problems with it; it does seem reasonably fair and balanced to me. The only thing that I'd like to add at this stage for myself is a nexus between certain stage payments and independent inspection, but I don't know how practical it'd be to add.

Also, this being my first time building, I don't know what I don't know, so I'd really to see what conditions others have successfully added and how they worked out (especially if it involves things I haven't even thought about). It seems that custom conditions are mostly added by builders, and not clients - is that correct?

We're in the process of selecting a building inspector and arranging a solicitor, but I'm trying to educate myself as much as possible first.