Building Construction Problems
The last thing you wish to encounter are building construction problems but what are the most common and how can you avoid them?
Many issues homeowners encounter during the construction of their new home, house extension or renovation are largely preventable. By being careful about choosing your builder, many potential difficulties can be avoided. Check with your local Council, from the outset, whether you need a planning permit. You don’t want to be halfway through the design stage to discover you need one and then have to undertake a major design change.
If your plans do not have enough details regarding materials or fixtures/finishes you ought to specify those details in a specification document. The more detail you have in your specification document, the less likely you are to have misunderstandings with your builder. Negotiation and communication before signing the contract are vital. If problems do arise, it can be a good idea to have a third person involved that you & the builder trust to discuss problems with. Focus on achieving a good outcome – anger and blame help no one. Check that you’re being realistic in your expectations about what things cost and what’s achievable. Is there really something wrong – what do the drawings require and are there tests for defects?
If you need to demolish, be aware of what may be lurking unseen. If there’s asbestos involved the extra costs are going to be significant. If you are having a home extension constructed and the existing house is not square or the frame is rotting, extra work will need to be done on the existing house before the extension can go ahead. If the house is to be re-floored, there needs to be adequate; clearance under the bearers – otherwise manual digging may be required. Builders only quote on what is contained in the plans and specifications. These situations will result in a cost variation issued by the builder.
Finally, be prepared, you may need a budget that is big enough or a plan that is flexible enough to cope with unforeseen variations!
RFT Solutions has years of experience in Melbourne, helping people build their new house, home extension or renovation. There are numerous building issues that can result in excessive costs and cause stress during this major life investment.
Be sure you don’t make these FATAL mistakes:
- DON’T sign up with a builder who ‘quoted’ on the cost of your new home or house extension without plans. It’s an estimate, not a quote.
- DON’T get halfway through the design stage, then discover you need a town planning permit and thus a possible major design change.
- DON’T sign up with a builder because you obtained a low quote and find they have not included everything in their quote so that during construction you are hit with variations that add 15-25% to your building costs.
- DON’T jeopardise your new house, home extension or renovation by getting quotes from builders with a history of complaints, bankruptcy, insurance problems and no references.
- DON’T use the builder’s building surveyor just because they ‘know one another’. The building surveyor is working for you.
- DON’T sign a domestic building contract without understanding the legal implications.
- DON’T pay your builder for sub-standard work or before a contractual stage of construction is completed.
Save yourself from these mistakes and others. RFT Solutions has extensive experience in the building industry to guide you around these fatal traps, to protect you and your major investment.
We can provide you with further information on our drafting services and builders in Melbourne, building costs and builders’ quotes, and the quality Building Solutions that RFT Solutions can provide. RFT Solutions will inform you of the various stages of the building process and will assist you during the construction of your new house, home extension, or house renovation.
You can contact RFT Solutions by calling us on (03) 9421 2222 or quickly send details of your building project via our Contact Us page. You can also find details concerning house renovations, home extensions, kitchen renovations and bathroom renovations on the following links.
