‘Fixed’ isn’t always ‘fixed’. Some builders may fix things to ‘what they know’ or ‘up to’ a certain amount but if it goes over the specified calculation, they charge you the additional cost. Alternatively, they may choose not to get the required reports up front so they can then ‘fix’ costs to a lower amount, adding them in once the build has commenced. This means you’re locked into a build where you don’t know what the final price will be because the builder didn’t do all the necessary ground work before starting your build. 

Not all tenders are created equal. A free tender will not accurately tell you how much your new home will actually cost to build. To deliver a free tender, builders may not inspect your site or get the required reports before determining the tender price. So, while your tender may be free, it won’t be accurate. Ask your builder if their tender includes a site inspection or any site related costs such as soil testing or contour surveys. If not, it’s not the final price. 

Make sure your builder has done ALL the reports, not just the ones required by council. Ensure that in your site cost breakdown that the words “up to” or “approximately” don’t precede any large costing items like piering or drop edge beams. This is typically where a builder may “estimate” because they’re unsure of how much piering is required, or how big the drop edge beams are, and is a result of not having done the appropriate site investigations. 

There are many important factors to consider when choosing the right builder for you, but a few of the key considerations are; reputation and experience, flexibility in design and customisation, and timeframes. The best advice we can give is to do your homework. This is your forever home and you’re committing a lot of hard-earned cash to something so you want to make sure the builder knows what they’re doing, will build something according to YOUR needs, not theirs, and will be able to finish in a timely manner. No one wants to wait years to get into their new home.