- Unregistered Subdivisions - will ALWAYS take longer to title than the sales office quotes you.
- Display Homes - are lovely, but mostly because they've been upgraded with at least $100K of extras. Unless you're prepared to upgrade, your house aint gunna look like the display!
- Inclusions - vary greatly between builders, and hidden extras mount up very quickly. Compare apples with apples.
- Ask Questions - on forums, of friends who have built, but mostly of your builder. Find out what alterations and options other people have taken on your house in the past.
- Selections - Carry your colour scheme from outside, in. Choose from the most limited range first & then progress to items with most options, usually paint. And never leave your home without your samples on board!
- Upgrades - Include things that are structural and can't be easily changed later, eg. celing height, eaves, window & door placement, built in fireplace, alfresco under roofline.
- Plans - Read them carefully as not everything discussed at sales makes its way onto the plans.
- Records - Document EVERYTHING and follow up discussions with emails to clarify, prompt action and leave a trail.
- Valuations - despite what your land could sell for & your building actually costs, banks base the value on comparative sales in your suburb. Tough if you're in a new area!
- Finance - Approvals only last for 6 months, so if your land is delayed, you'll have to re-apply. P.S. Get your finances sorted out early & don't change jobs until your loan contract is signed!
Our Pre-start Tips
I'd like to start this page by saying that we are by no means experts in this building caper, but we have learnt a few things that might save some others a bit of time, effort, money and heartache;
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