Home Building Guide
At Heathcote Builders we guide our customers to make the right decisions when it comes to your home. When deciding on your home building work, there's a few important factors to remember as mistakes could make or break your budget and finishes.
Step 1 | Why add an extension to your property?
This is the beginning point of your building works, WHY?
Make list of the why's before doing anything, have an idea of the space you want to create to your home.
Be mindful of budget, it's very easy to over shoot the specification and then realise you won't be retiring anytime soon because you'll be paying for your extension.
The building trade hit a 40% increase on materials and labour since the covid pandemic and in some cases this has never been reduced. Be mindful building is expensive so you only want to do it once, and most importantly do it right. Know from the beginning what you want from your extension, new build or renovation. ​​​​​​​​
Step 2 | Architect, plans & permissions
Once you have realised what you want and need from your building work, you will need instruct an architect to bring your ideas to life. This process allows the drawings to be submitted to the local council for the relevant planning permission, if required.
Your architect will let you know if your development needs planning permission. Either way the plans will be required to record any changes on your property, that may alter the existing footprint or change of any materials.
Plans are required for building control to assess and inspect accordingly.
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Plans are really important when it comes to pricing, the more detail the better. All contractors should be pricing one specification. The less detail, the more quotes will differentiate and will lead to inconsistent quotations. This is because different contractors will deliver different build methods and standards of finishes. ​​
Stage 3 | Finding a building Contractor
Choose ideally 3 building contractors to quote your works. Once plans have been produced, research your contractors in depth:
Checking companies house for any debt or financial problems and how long they've been trading, ask friends and family for recommended companies and look at past work.
Always meet the contractor so you know if you can work together. Sometimes personalities don't align this can cause disruption from the get go. All building projects are built on trust and delivering each other's expectations. Remember, it's not just a money transaction when it's your home.
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Once a contractor haÈ™ been selected for a quotation - At Heathcote Builders we supply and breakdown a quotation based on the works specified by the plans, which are issued by the architect. The specification/finishes required by the home owner will be listed in the initial quotations. For example some people want a "turn key finish" (everything finished) or they would like to decorate themselves, supply appliances, supply their own kitchen, bathrooms etc. It all depends on the owner.
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Stage 4 | Payments & Sign offs
At Heathcote Builders we supply a scheduled stage payment plan before any work commences. We ask for a 10% deposit on success of quotation and agreed start date. Once the deposit is received a fourteen day cool off period is activated. Within this period the deposit can be returned free of charge.
All work is inspected and signed off before final stage payment is invoiced. This includes inspection reports and all relevant certifications.
Satisfying all planning, design and building inspections the building work is complete and all materials, plant and waste is removed from site.
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Finally, you get to enjoy your beautiful home.