Type ‘home extension company’ into any search engine and you’ll be bombarded with pages of promising results.
Yet, despite the sheer number of builders who are eager to take on your project, how do you know which one is right for you?
Considering a home extension is one of the biggest investments of your life – next to a new car, house, or education – you want to get it right the first time, without fear of making a wrong decision.
To guide you on the path to a successful outcome, here are 4 qualities to look for in a home extension company.
SPECIALISTS IN HOME EXTENSIONS, ADDITIONS AND RENOVATIONS:
Your builder should have past experience and be able to overcome the unique challenges of a home extension project with total confidence.
What exactly does this mean? For starters, they know how to add space where it matters most to you, without taking away the things you love about the current layout.
Secondly, they have a network of trusted suppliers and tradespeople (i.e. plumbers, electricians) who have specialist skills and experience in all kinds of home extension projects.
Thirdly, they know what kind of extensions are achievable based on the limitations of your house. This is not to say that your dream extension cannot be done. But, if there are potential risks or challenges involved, a good home extension builder will tell you – and offer either a custom solution or a viable alternative.
CURRENT AND RELEVANT LICENSES AND INSURANCE:
Each state and territory has their own licensing requirements when it comes to home extensions. Therefore, you should always find out what those requirements are before you hire a builder.
According to NSW Fair Trading, one must have a building license in order to do any residential building work valued at more than $5,000 in labour and materials.
This stipulation applies to constructing a dwelling, altering, or adding to a dwelling. It also extends to repairing, renovating, decorating, and applying protective treatment to a dwelling.
In terms of insurance, your home extension company must have relevant and current insurance, freeing you of all legal and financial liability.
The types of insurance your builder should have include:
- Home Building Compensation Fund (HBCF) – Financially covers you (the owner) in the event the project is not completed due to the disappearance, insolvency, or death of the builder, or the builder fails to correct faults they are responsible for.
- Construction Insurance – Protects you (the owner) against any damage such as malicious damage, theft, vandalism, fire, storm, wind and water damage.
- Statutory Warranties – This warranty requires the builder to follow a number of guidelines outlined in the Home Building Act 1989 for all residential work they carry out.
POSITIVE REVIEWS AND TESTIMONIALS:
Reading about a company boast of their achievements is easy to ignore. But hearing this glowing praise from a reliable, unbiased source is far more credible.
When researching builders, look for testimonials/reviews on their website. They’ll either be scattered on different sections of the site or featured on their own dedicated page, or both.
But how do you know the reviews are genuine? For one, the testimonials should at least have the recipient’s name and their suburb. Secondly, the style of writing should also come across as natural, free of forced sales jargon.
Remember, not everyone’s a writer. So it’s common for people to rush their reviews and perhaps have the odd spelling mistake, use run-on sentences, or forget to capitalise some words. If anything, these “errors” make the reviews more believable.
SPEAKS THE SAME LANGUAGE AS YOU:
Here’s a challenge. Without looking it up, can you explain what the term ‘Birdsmouth’ means?
Give up? Fair enough. The term ‘Birdsmouth’ means: ‘A notch cut out of roof rafters to secure a firm bearing on top plates.’
Why are we asking you this question? Because, unless you’re a qualified builder or tradesman, then phrases like this probably sound like gibberish to you.
For this reason, it’s a good idea to choose a home extension company who speaks the same language as you do. Someone who can break down complex terms and concepts into words that make sense to you. This way, you can understand what’s going on at each stage of the process, why and how it benefits you in the long run.
As a result, you’ll know exactly what you’re saying ‘Yes’ to, and you can be confident you made the right choice.
APEX Alterations & Additions has over 70 years’ combined experience with building quality home additions and extensions. But don’t take our word for it. Here’s what our satisfied customers have to say!
For a free site visit today, contact us now.
