Are you ready to sign a building contract and hit ‘go’ on your project?

Before you start construction on your new build or renovation, this is what you need to know first.

This is for those of you who have got your plans locked and loaded, and it’s now time to sign contracts with a builder and hit go!

All this season, I’m sharing a fantastic resource I’ve created to help you, and you can access it now for free. 

If you’re struggling with understanding the overall steps for your project, what you should be focussing on and when, or how to best invest your efforts, energy and money to get a great outcome in your future home, this will be super helpful.

It’s my online workshop called “Your Project Plan”. 

Head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/projectplan to access and watch it online now. I’ve also added some great bonus resources I’ve made available for you, including the transcripts of all the podcasts in this season packaged up in a fantastic E-Guide. 

Getting ready to sign a building contract and start construction is an exciting point in your project, because it means everything is about to become real. All the planning, preparing and decision-making you’ve been doing, is about to turn into real floors, walls and roof on your site. 

However, it’s also the point at which you’ll be legally bound to someone, plus handing over loads of money on a regular basis. 

Homeowners can get it so wrong at this stage. From stress and frustration, right through to half-finished homes and bankrupt builders, the risks at this stage are high.

It is possible to enjoy this stage though, and to get yourself prepared and informed so you can be actively involved in, and confident through your construction phase.

It’s such an exciting point of the project, to be ready to sign a building contract, and hit ‘go’ on seeing all the dreaming, planning, designing, deciding that’s happened up to this point, become reality on site. 

To start to see your future home, whether it’s a renovation or new build, actually take real shape. 

To start to walk around the rooms and spaces you’ve been envisaging for so long, and have an amazing time seeing it progress, as your future life in your home becomes more and more tangible, the closer you get to construction completion.

And, it’s also a time where there can be big confusion. If you’ve never been part of the construction industry, it can look quite bamboozling to see your home get put together. Lots of terminology and processes, and things happening that you may or may not understand. 

Plus you can feel like you’re hemorrhaging money as you see payment after payment being handed over.

There’s a lot of expertise that goes into building homes. And it’s not always transparent when you’re getting a great quality job – or a terrible one. 

In fact, you can often find out you got a terrible quality job well after the builder has finished the job, left the site, and something starts to leak, break down, rust or fail. Worse, the failure can be hidden away inside a wall, under a floor, or in the roof, and you have no idea at all that corners were cut and things done shoddily. 

It’s only until something big goes wrong that costs a lot to fix, or the building inspector of the future purchaser of your home finds it, lets you know, and impacts the resale value you can get for your home.

Many homeowners enter this phase thinking the only thing they have to worry about is choose a builder and get that contract signed. That the builder will then take care of the rest, and let them know when they need input or decisions.

However, you may have heard me say this before: Every project needs a Project Manager. And the builder is not your project manager. They are their own project manager.

It’s really common at this point to be quite fearful of making the final decision to commit to a builder, a contract price, and sign away on the dotted line. Especially if you’ve found your builder via a tender process, and haven’t spent a lot of time with the builders you’re getting quotes from and choosing from.

There can be fears associated with the sheer sum of money. With knowing whether this builder is going to deliver on all their promises, or turn into another type of person who ends up causing headaches and dramas on site. There’s often a great fear from homeowners about whether they can really trust the builder they’re choosing, and making the right choice. It can sometimes feel like a big gamble.

Get yourself informed. Be able to visit the site on a regular basis – ideally when the builder is there (as it’s illegal to be on the site or in your home without the builder’s permission anyway) – and know what you’re looking at as you review the current progress. 

It’s a huge investment. Don’t let it go to chance. You unlock what’s possible for your future home, and being informed and educated about what to expect, and what to demand, is the best way to achieve a great outcome for your home, your finances and your future lifestyle.

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE NOW

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST:

Access my free online workshop “Your Project Plan” >>> FREE WORKSHOP

Learn more about Undercover Architect’s mini courses

• Set + Stick to Your Budget >>> CLICK HERE
• Choose Your Builder >>> CLICK HERE

Planning to design your own new home or renovation? Home Design Masterclass shares my methods of home design, room by room >>> CLICK HERE

Work with me on your new home or renovation inside The HOME Method >>> CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Supplying your own fixtures and products for your project (is it a good idea?) >>> WATCH HERE

Using friends or family for your project (and managing your risk) >>> WATCH HERE

How many drawings do I need to build or renovate? >>> READ HERE

Interview with lawyer, Despina Priala – what you need to know about a contract before you sign >>> LISTEN HERE