More and more people are choosing a renovation or house extension over relocating, for a multitude of reasons. Stay in your comfort zone, keep your job and the kids in their schools but enhance that lifestyle and add thousands to the value of your investment – it’s no surprise that it’s a popular choice. But too often mistakes are made when comparing renovation quotes from different builders. That often means that renovation or home extension costs way more than they planned for.
What’s the solution? Firstly, make sure that when you get those builder quotes, you know what to look out for! Because by avoiding some of the most common mistakes when it comes to that builder quote, home extension prices are much more affordable. But get that builder quote wrong, and your house extension cost could blow out exponentially.
So read up and keep that home extension cost under control by avoiding these traps when it comes to builders’ quotes:
1. Not starting with a plan
Working with a drafting service to plan your renovation project is critical to it’s success. A draftsman will produce details plans for builders to follow, both when quoting and constructing the renovation project.
RFT Solutions building designers in Melbourne add even more value obtaining permits and even assisting with sourcing and comparing builders quotes that can ultimate
2. Comparing apples with oranges
It goes without saying that you should be getting more than a single quote. But when you’re comparing those multiple quotes, make sure you’re comparing apples with apples. For instance, the bottom line on one quote might be a lot cheaper, but are there any important things missing – quote ‘exclusions’ – that will cost you a lot down the line? If in doubt, ask the builder what is included and what is not.
3. Not questioning the cheapest quote
Additionally, if price is really the most important thing to you, beware of that cheapest quote! Often, you’ve found an experienced, quality gem of a builder – but just like a used Datsun is cheaper than a new Porsche, that price might be low for a reason.
4. Not understanding the quote jargon
In particular, understand the common building quote jargon, like ‘prime cost’ and ‘provisional sums’. In both cases, they’re basically allowances for costs rather than a guaranteed price, and some builders will creatively use these conventions to make their quote appear artificially competitive.
5. Not digging deeper than the quote
If you think you’re happy with that builders quotes, don’t stop there! Look on the builder’s website for testimonials. And don’t be shy to even ask the builder if they can refer you to a couple of past clients who can vouch for their work.
6. Not getting to know the builders
Lastly, while a carefully scrutinised and double-checked quote is all good and well, at the end of the day you’re going to be dealing with human beings – and getting on with those people is important as they are charged with your dream home extension or house renovation. So if something doesn’t seem quite ‘right’ with the relationship, that might be a good reason to look again at that second-best quote.
RFT Solutions knows all too well the importance of quotes when it comes to your home extension or renovation, which is why you should consider using expert services to design the perfect home extension and avoid costly mistakes.
