1. Are you a licensed builder?
This question makes an economical starter. Any builder answering ‘no’ blesses you with the chance to cease the conversation, save time, and go elsewhere. Residential builders in W.A. are required by law to be registered. And, they must have mandatory home warranty insurance for any building works over $20,000. If you’re not sure if your builder is licensed, head on over to the W.A. Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety and download the list of registered builders in W.A. If they’re not on the list, move on!
2. How long have you been building?
Don’t be afraid to ask a builder how long they’ve been in the industry. After all, you want a WA builder with experience – and expertise. Likewise, have they won any awards and if so, what for? For example, Averna Homes have been operating for eleven years with a host of home-building awards since 2009. And, for the last two years, we’ve won the HIA-CSR Australian Housing Awards Custom Spec Home of the Year Award for WA. Read more about our numerous building awards here.
3. Are you local?
Many overlook this commonsense question. If your builder does not live or work locally, they’ll have to travel extensively, which is not ideal. Consequently, you may find yourself lumped with subcontractors who aren’t 100% familiar with the project – and certainly not filled with any passion. But choose a local and dedicated boutique Perth building company, and you can expect a far greater level of dedication and passion. Local builders are also naturally more aware of the local environment, weather patterns, council restrictions, and so on.
4. What other projects will you be working on while building my home?
Find out how busy your prospective builder will be. You don’t want a stressed-out builder who is constantly chasing their tail, forgetting minor (or major!) details and not fully concentrating on the important job at hand – building your dream home.
5. Can I speak to other clients of yours?
Ask for past clients’ phone numbers and find out about their experience with your builder. Real clients will give you real stories – not glossy sales pitches. So have a chat and see how they found the entire building process, along with how they’re enjoying living in their new home.
Another great trick is to check out online forums. You can search for your builder’s name and see any comments that come up.
6. Have you had any current or past building disputes with the relevant state building commission?
Sometimes even the best people fall into trouble, so if there is some minor legal dispute, it may not mean the end of the world. However, by doing your research, you’ll have a greater understanding of your builder’s level of professionalism and reliability, along with the quality of work they produce.
7. What about ongoing communication?
Often, larger companies can be a little lax or impersonal when it comes to communication. Find out how they do communicate with clients – and how often. If you ever need to ask the builder questions, are you able to get in touch and speak to the supervisor directly? At Averna Homes, we’re a small, family-style boutique building company that chooses only a select number of home builds per year. Consequently, we are always available to our clients for phone calls and discussions.
Building a home is a very personal and emotional experience, so the ability to communicate well with your builder is essential.
8. Can I inspect other sites?
If you can visit the location of the builder’s current construction sites, you’ll get a greater understanding of the type of show they operate. Make sure it looks clean and tidy, not sloppy or disorganised. Look for a builder that treats your house as if it were their own.
Incidentally, Averna Homes builds one show home a year, specifically for our prospective clients. This gives you a taste of the type of work we do and also give plenty of inspiration.
9. Who are your contractors?
Good builders have good relationships with their trades and have worked closely with them over time. Shoddy builders have a revolving door of changing contractors and employees and are likely not to be trusted. At Averna Homes, we have a solid relationship with some of the best trades in Perth, and have been working closely with them for years.
Find out how Averna Homes can help create your luxury home today.