Builders are often good at communicating when you first meet. Most are quick to answer questions, provide information, and be helpful in any way they can. It’s important to maintain this once a contract is signed.
Ideally, your builder should be readily accessible, responding promptly to phone calls and emails. Effective communication should be a two-way street, ensuring that all your questions and concerns are addressed throughout the building process. This level of engagement is important for a smooth and successful working relationship.
A lack of communication during the building process can lead to uncertainty about the progress of your home, concerns over possible delays and budget overruns, and worries about the final outcome. It’s natural to feel uneasy when you’re not updated regularly, especially when friends inquire about your project.
However, your building experience doesn’t have to mirror the stressful scenarios often shared online. The following article outlines simple things you can do to ensure clear communication with your builder, so you always know what’s happening, feel confident about your build, and enjoy the process.
Communication That Overcomes Budget Blowouts And Extra Expenses
Establish A Budget: It’s important to set a firm budget for yourself and stick to it. If your top figure is $700,000, don’t torture yourself looking at designs that cost north of $1 million to build.
Communicate Your Budget: When your builder asks for your budget, be totally honest with them from the beginning (and ask them to be totally honest with you). A good builder will urge you to leave a little wiggle room for unforeseen expenses (like site preparation). But they will also take measures (like a comprehensive site assessment) to avoid these surprises.
Prioritise Your Budget: Rank your wish list in order of importance. If there are certain features you really want in your home, tell your builder, and ask them how to include them in the most efficient and affordable ways. Focus on things that are more permanent (like the floorplan). You can always upgrade light fittings, taps, and appliances – you can’t easily increase the ceiling height or size of a room.
Specify Your Budget: Make sure everything is included in your contract before you sign. If your contract doesn’t list driveway, fencing, and landscaping (with exact specifications) don’t assume they are included.
Communication That Gives You Confidence With Timelines
Understand The Timeline: The average custom home takes 6-18 months to build. Longer if there are site preparation complications due to unforeseen things like rock or asbestos. A good builder will explain this to you and set out a clear timeline with benchmarks you can follow. Don’t rush them. You’ll have a lifetime to enjoy your home. Give your builders time to do their best work. An extra day (or even a week) spent on things like tiling will result in quality you can feel proud of.
Follow The Timeline: Good builders involve you in the process. They may even give you access to their Building Management Platform so you can see everything including material orders and deliveries, scheduling of all trades, and progress photos. They will also send regular updates via email. And invite you to meet on site so you can see progress first-hand.
Don’t Interrupt The Timeline: A good builder will make you aware of your responsibilities. Be sure to make progress payments on time. Answer questions and give authorisations quickly. And choose your selections (fittings, fixtures, appliances etc.) ahead of time so they can be ordered on time and ready onsite when needed.
Communication That Assures Quality (In Frame, Features, And Finishes)
Define Quality: Quality means different things to different people. For some people, quality is all about how something looks (appearance). For others, quality is about how something works (function). And for some, quality is judged over time by how something lasts.
Ask you builder for examples of quality workmanship. Inspect their previous work (in both photo and in person). Get them to show you examples of poor-quality workmanship, so you see and understand the difference.
For example, to the untrained eye, there appears to be little difference between a $100 tap and a $1,000 tap. But when you know what you’re looking for, you’ll be able to see that one is made of numerous welded components (including plastic) while the other is made from a single piece of solid steel. At first glance they may look identical. But while the $1,000 tap can look and function flawlessly for years (maybe decades), the $100 tap is likely to lose its shine (and function) prematurely.
On the other hand, while a natural stone benchtop may have a certain prestigious appeal, a manufactured stone benchtop can look similar and stay stain-free longer, for a fraction of the price.
Talk with your builder about what quality means for every aspect of your home so you can make design and selection decisions with confidence.
Expect Quality: Once you understand what quality looks like, expect it. Your builder is only human. They may not pick up every tiny imperfection themselves. If you notice a blemish, point it out. It’s often easier to fix things during the build rather than come back after everything is finished. At the same time, be reasonable. Remember: You can’t expect Rolls Royce quality for Toyota prices.
Freedom For Quality: Nobody works well with someone looking over their shoulder. Give your builder room (and time) to do their work. Accept the fact that building is sometimes messy. And things don’t look perfectly polished until they are finished. Resist the urge to micro-manage. Choose a builder you can trust. And then trust them.
Communication That Overcomes Mistakes and Misunderstandings
Know What You Want: One of the most challenging parts of building a dream home is deciding what you want. When you visit friends and family, take notice of things you like about their homes. Consider the appearance from the street – the driveway, landscaping and fencing, front door, and foyer. Observe the floorplan – the size of the rooms and how the house flows from section to section (including connecting inside and outside). Take note of the styling – the colours, textures, and shapes throughout the home. Compile all your ideas (and photographs) into a folder you can show your builder.
Say What You Want: A good builder won’t merely ask you for a wish list of things you want. They will seek to understand the overall vision you have for your home. They will get to know you and your family – your personality and how you like to live. They will ask insightful questions to help you clarify and refine your ideas. And they will guide you to the most effective and affordable ways to get the outcome you want.
Design What You Want: Your chosen designer will transfer your ideas into a detailed concept plan. Study this with them. Discuss every detail. Ask clarifying questions. And go back and forth until you feel confident in every aspect. At the same time, have fun. This is the start of breathing life into your dream home.
Confirm What You Want: 3-D renderings are a great way to help you visualise your home. If you’re feeling unsure, consider a Lifesize Walkthrough Plan where your plan is projected in real size onto the floor and walls of a warehouse. You can walk through your entire house and get a feel for how everything flows and fits (including furniture).
Contract What You Want: Don’t rely on verbal agreements, get everything in writing. And don’t sign a contract unless it includes every last detail (including exact specifications).
Communication That Assures Ongoing Support
Financial Stability: Confirm the financial stability of your builder to ensure they are able to finish your home (as promised) and will be in business for many years to support you. Remember: Guarantees are only as good as the company that stands behind them.
Local Business: On the one hand, it may feel reassuring to choose a large, national building company. But many people find they just end up being a number in a huge machine. And with multiple points of contact, they often struggle to get the answers and action they need.
A good local builder will have a local office and a commitment to the local community. You will deal directly with the owner and key staff who live in the area, shop in the area, and raise their families in the area. This means they will do everything to serve you well. After all, they will want to maintain their reputation in the local area
Communication That Fosters Cooperation Without Conflict
Ask Questions: If you ever feel uneasy about something, reach out to your builder straight away. Don’t let your imagination run away with things that may be unfounded.
Don’t speculate, communicate. You’ll head off misunderstandings. And you’ll feel a lot better about your building experience.
If your questions aren’t urgent, try to organise them into batches and save them for your weekly / fortnightly meetings. This allows your builder to work productively so they can keep your build on schedule.
Answer Questions: When your builder needs information or authorisation, respond as quickly as you can. Slow responses can snowball into weeks of delays over the course of your build. Make sure your answers are clear, detailed, and confirmed in writing. If possible, send your answers via your builder’s online Project Management Platform so they are documented and easily retrievable.
Free Guide for Building Your Dream Home in Victoria
Building your dream home should (and can) be an enjoyable experience. The key is clear, consistent communication from your first meeting. To support you in this, it’s great to get informed. That’s why we invite you to download our practical guide to building your custom dream home in Victoria.
THINKING OF BUILDING A NEW HOME?
How to get the result you want and great memories from building your luxury custom home.
It’s been created based on our 20 years of knowledge and experience and shows you the proven process we recommend (including client communication) to give you a building experience and home you’ll love.