House building and your thoughts

We had our place built 5 years ago and still love it.

Some responses to your queries and some other comments:

A. Group Builders:

We checked out numerous group builders and pulled ideas / plans etc from these. (and the Home Shows and the Design Center in Parnell)
I also tried to get pricing information to get a cost / m2 comparison - across the various builders / plans. (this needs to be done in conjunction with a thorough review of their std inclusions as it does vary.)
We managed to find a group builder who was on the knee of the curve in terms of cost / m2, who also happened to have some plans that were very close to what we wanted AND their show home finish was right up there too. (IMO if the show homes are substandard - their builds can only be worse.) (Note: The builder we chose went bust 2 years after our build as many did in 2011...)
We then had the plans modified to suit by them ie. minor changes = minimal additional cost.
I was on site on average 3 times per week. I noted what they were doing. Took photos of key works - incl cables etc before close in and queried everything that didn't look right.
I was in almost daily contact with the PM - ensuring progress and to make sure we were getting what we were paying for.

Notes:

An architect will give you a bespoke outcome but they will cost more - so this is up to you.
Likewise a contract draughtsman could likely provide plans / specs / schedules etc for you to get building consent and pricing - and you could then secure either a builder or self manage.
Self manage is IMO a dangerous route for a novice as building is a complex game and the novice will likely get tripped up and this could end up costing more. Furthermore group builders can get materials at cheaper rates. And the process of selecting/securing quality tradies and sequencing their works for efficient delivery is well beyond most people. You may save some cash - but the risks of a blowout both in time and $ are higher.

B. Contracts:

Standard Build Company Contracts:
1. Will often not have a contract duration or end date / or Liquidated damages - Insist on both of them to keep them to programme.
2. Tend to have loads of Provisional Sums - I took the time to detail and negotiate these out to give price certainty.
3. They also tend to on charge items that you could supply yourself at lower cost e.g. we supplied bamboo flooring, carpets, light fittings, log burner - and by doing so got what we wanted at a lower cost the they would have supplied them at. (Do watch out that your installs/tradies don't delay or adversely affect the main builder though as this will cost you.)
Variations after works commence - ARE TO BE AVOIDED LIKE THE PLAGUE. As the changes / rework and knock on effects can be very expensive. We had none because we detailed everything before we signed up. This took a couple of months - but was worth it.
Read and understand your contract and plans. Know what you have paid for and ensure you get it.
The builder did try some things on - e.g. we need to move the house northward - thereby reducing north facing lawn - no you will not / you need downpipes right by your patio doors - no I don't they are ugly / you need to fence the retaining wall - no I don't. I stuck to my guns as I was right and did not need to compromise on these matters as they would have either compromised the final build and were only being suggested to make life easier for them + the odd variation here and there. My point...... if you are right - stick to your guns - it is YOUR home after all.
Ensure that you have all documents / consents / insurances in place.
Ensure progress payments are justified and that they are not claiming too much too early. (This should be set out in a payment schedule and if you are borrowing to build the bank will likely have requirements that need to be met too - progress valuations etc.)
Ensure you have reserve budget - just in case - ie. do not commit 100% of your finances on day one.
Make sure you get the CCC before release of the final payment.

C. Final Build Price:

Because of the above effort put into detailing / specifying / removing unknowns and driving their performance - our build came in pretty much bang on budget. I sh&t you not.

(Note: I am a Civil Engineer / Project Manager with 20+ years experience - so I was able to use these skills and exp to protect our interests and drive the builders PM. If you do or you have a family member / friend with related build skills - do seek their support and advice.)

D. Insulation and Heating:

Double glazed even though we didn't need to in 2009.
Maximised windows on the north side for passive heating.
Had wider eaves built on the west side to provide shading in summer / but still allow winter sun in.
We are on roof water - we installed 2 underground concrete tanks - we have had 5 summers incl 3 droughts and have never had to buy water.
Installed to Zone 3 insulation level ie. Sth Island / Taupo for entire house - even though we are in Auckland. Incl garage.
Installed noiseline and sound proofing to all bedrooms + solid core doors with acoustic seals.
Wood burner for heating and effect (16 kW) vs 4 kW gas fire ...pffft.

D. Electrical / Data / Power / TV:

Think about how you want to live / where your entertainment zones may be / and put in more "stuff" then you think you will need.
Loads of power points - everywhere.
Ph / Data / TV - to every room. (Some rooms e.g. family room / dining has 2 possible locations for TV / computer etc. to provide flexibility in the future.)
Designated wardrobe in study as a media cupboard so ran all data back to there + data + multiple power points. This is now the server cupboard.
Prewired the lounge for 5.1 HT - incl hard point in ceiling for the projector and had projector screen installed at build time.
Prewired out door speakers for the patio - terminating in speaker blocks and running to the family room media set up.
Installed external power points for future spa / out door power tools etc.
Installed switches and cable runs for future outdoor lighting.
Lighting - we went for halogens or flush mount - for quality of the light / aesthetics and to avoid losing heat through other options eg. downlights. : /
Note: Solar heating and power was not cost effective for us in terms of a NPV analysis in 2009 - I suspect this is still the case for us, but the $ are changing.

Ok...I think that's it : ) hope something is of assistance.

Cheers

Ed

maoriboy

driller2000