What’s the best way to choose a builder? It’s easy with our builders brief template- Your secret weapon to simplicity
To help make both the big and small decisions simple and straightforward, Build In Oz have created your secret weapon to simplicity – a builder’s brief template which is available exclusively to members of The Building Home Masterclass. You can waste so much time, and create so much stress and frustration if you worry about whether you’ve thought of every little thing. Almost everybody forgets something when building their home, and you shouldn’t assume your builders and tradies will think of it during the build. If something’s not there, they assume it’s because you made a decision for it not to be there. Anyone missing ample outdoor taps?
Because building lets us create a home according to our wants, needs and desires, it’s only fitting that we choose to use a system that, within a matter of minutes, makes it easy to define those wants, needs and desires and get them prioritised. You simply fill in your brief as if taking a survey. You don’t have to over-think it. It’s not like it’s set in concrete; it’s just a great starting point that has a profound effect on the ease and efficiency of your planning.
The most efficient way to compare apples with apples when getting back quotes from builders
The builder’s brief template helps you define what you want in your home, but it has another purpose that is just as important. Having a Builder’s Brief is gold when it’s time to get quotes from builders. Getting quotes is one of the biggest barriers to building. Why? Because in the majority of cases, builders’ quotes are not comparing apples with apples. Quotes from different builders can vary so much that you are left feeling confused and scared that you are being ripped off. It’s enough to put you off so much that you abandon your home building journey altogether. No-one wants to get ripped off, right? But with a $60,000 difference between quotes, how do you know who to trust? And how does that discrepancy occur? Let me explain.
We often make the mistake of handing our plans to, say, three builders accompanied only by a verbal overview of what we love and what we don’t. We might think that we’ve been really clear about what we want in our home, but a casual verbal briefing like this can mean different things to different builders. In much the same way that three artists will paint three different interpretations of a landscape, three different builders will give you three different interpretations of your new home despite the floorplan being the same. You might then find yourself throwing your hands in the air because you have no idea where the extra $40,000 here and $60,000 there have come from. On the surface the builders’ quotes look the same, except for one thing – the price. But it’s very easy to clock up $60,000 worth of extras in a home. The types of windows alone can clock up that kind of money.
Here’s where the builder’s brief template makes magic. When you give three custom builders the same three things – your budget, your Builder’s Brief and your plans – you’ll be presented with each builder’s interpretation of what they can deliver for your budget. The magic in this process is that each builder knows exactly what you have to spend, what things matter to you most and the floorplan you want. Each builder then works separately to put together their own version of your best lifestyle. The difference is that you’ve set the scene for the quote, not them. What a beautifully simple way to compare apples with apples.
What if I’m using a volume builder?
If you are using a volume builder, the principles are no different and your Builder’s Brief is just as valuable. Volume builders have systemised the whole process and they will guide you through the selection of every possible option. But what’s great about having a Builder’s Brief, even if you are using a volume builder, is it lets you feel in control from the very beginning. You won’t be going in there unprepared for all the options that might be thrown at you. When the options are offered, you’ll be able to make a speedy decision about whether you want them, because you have your priorities set down in black and white in your Builder’s Brief. Because we are all about making the journey as efficient and straightforward as possible, we want to save you time. Submitting your budget and Builder’s Brief to volume builders before you meet them will make your initial meeting a powerhouse of efficiency.
Completing this step empowers you to say to your builder, ‘This is how much I have to spend, I have prioritised my new home according to my needs, wants and desires. With all this information please present me with my best options.’ Some budgets won’t get past the ‘needs’ section. Others will have it all. Either way, this is a great time to know where you stand. If you make your budget your first step, and your Builder’s Brief your second, you’re on the right path. What’s more, if things aren’t shaping up to be what you’d hoped, you can jump out without having sacrificed too much time and effort.
You can access The Building Home Masterclass here.
