Talk to people who have completed a home extension in Melbourne and you’ll be surprised how many tell you: DON’T DO IT!!
All builders appear to be qualified, experienced and professional. And they seem so helpful at first. But when you sign the contract, things can go downhill fast.
Here are some of the biggest complaints we hear when it comes to home extension horror stories…
Time delays.
This can be so frustrating, and end up costing you a lot of money. Extending your home, regardless of its a ground floor extension or two storey extension, is a complicated project. You have to coordinate lots of things including finding somewhere to stay during construction, packing, holidays, removalists, friends to help… and a whole lot more. A delay with your home extension affects every one of those things. It can even leave you at risk of being left homeless.
Budget blowout
When you sign a building contract, you assume everything is covered. So you do your sums and arrange finance accordingly. That’s why it’s so frustrating when your extension builder suddenly tells you about the extras required to finish your home. It may not seem like much at first, but when you add $500 here and $1,000 there… your bank balance is quickly drained and you can find yourself juggling bills just to get your home finished.
Incorrect Appliances and Accessories
Choosing appliances, accessories and colours takes time. You visit several shops, talk with experts, and make choices that match. So when the tiler fails to check the tiles that were delivered and glues the wrong ones to your floor, what are you supposed to do? You suddenly find yourself in a no-win battle of the blame game. And it often ends with you compromising or paying extra to have things removed and replaced.
Ask around and you’ll discover these things happen ALL THE TIME.
But they can be easily avoided
With proper management and a communication systems. We use an online management system that logs all communication between client, suppliers, tradespeople and builder. Every decision is logged in real-time. Colours, models, measurements– all the details available for everyone to check.
Without this system we’d make mistakes too. So be sure to check your builder has a professional management and communication system. And that he has the skill and discipline to use it properly or you’ll end up with your own home extension horror stories.
If not, be prepared to suffer all the horror stories you hear from others. They are all true. But with the right systems they can so easily be avoided.
