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How to Choose the Right Builder for Your Home Renovation or Extension

Nov 4, 2014

If you are thinking about a home renovation or a home extension in Perth, it is important to choose the right builder. A well-built renovation or extension will not only enhance your lifestyle, but will also increase your home’s market value. Conversely, an incompetent builder can cost you thousands of dollars by botching your renovation or extension.

Here are some factors you need to consider when hiring a builder for your home renovation or home extension.

What Do They Specialise in?

There are a lot of builders in Perth. They have different specialties. Some build new homes off of a series of templates. Some do general building work. Some specialise in commercial building. Some specialise in extensions and renovations. We will discuss other factors that come into play, but we recommend that you start out by looking for a builder who specialises in extensions and renovations.

The main reason is that a commercial builder or someone who usually does full homes will see renovations and additions as “beneath them” and not give your project the attention it deserves. Also, there are some special skills that are needed when building extensions and additions or renovating. It is a bit more difficult than building a home from scratch.

Style and Design

A versatile builder who is experienced in renovations, extensions and second storey additions will be able to adapt their work to the style of your home. It is extremely important that your addition looks the same as the rest of the home. In some cases, this will be done by modernising your home first, but the bottom line is that the builder must be able to seamlessly integrate the addition into the original home, literally and stylistically.

Energy Efficiency

We also recommend that your builder is able to provide an energy-efficient addition or renovation and to shore up any “energy leaks” in your current home. Energy efficient homes stay more comfortable in heat and cold and they cost less money for gas and electric.

Are They Registered and Licensed?

Always make sure your builder is registered and licensed. You can always check this through the state authority. If your builder isn’t licensed, you can lose valuable protection against shoddy work and shady business practices.

Do They Have Insurance?

If your builder’s insurance isn’t up to date, you have no guarantee of collecting your money should they damage your home or not complete their work. It is a lot easier to collect from an insurance company than a broke, ex-builder who has “moved” to another state. They should carry Builder’s All Risk Insurance, Home Warranties Insurance, Worker’s Compensation and Public Liability Insurance. Make sure your builder produces their certificates.

References and Testimonials

An experienced builder who has consistently produced great results is going to have a large following of satisfied customers. At the very least, they should have testimonials. It is also helpful if you can see examples of their work, but you must also understand that builders don’t want to invade the privacy of their satisfied customers.

The Contract

Ask to see a copy of a contract. Do they use a lot of confusing words or is the contract in plain English? It should include every detail of the job and it should be accurate. If a builder is hurrying you to sign without reading, it is a red flag. Make sure you understand everything that is on the contract before you sign. If you are more comfortable hiring a solicitor to look it over for you, then we recommend you do that.

Why Next Level Extensions is Your Best Choice

At Next Level Extensions, as you can tell from our name, we specialise in home extensions, home renovations and second storey additions. We have over 70 years of combined experience in the Perth area and have a legion of satisfied customers to prove it. We are fully licensed and insured. We can build your addition or extension in any style you need.

Call us today: 1300 948 094.

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