Discover how you can conquer building with confidence
Building a home can be both an exciting and a challenging experience whether it is your first home or an investment. For many people this monumental process can be both daunting and very stressful.
Some of these negative emotions come from the current stigma or reputation in the industry about building and all of the things that can go wrong. It is, herefore, natural for people to have these concerns as it involves the investment and parting of large sums of money.
People naturally want the best and they want their home to turn our just like they dreamed about. In the end everybody would like to see what they are paying for and it is hard to visualise this when the home doesn’t even exist yet.
Furthermore, you may not be familiar with the building process or have perhaps had a bad or heard about bad experiences in the past.
Based on industry statistics and some of my own market research I have compiled a list of the top 10 and most common building fears people have before they commence their building project. I have listed those fears here and a response on how we can help you deal with them effectively:
1. POOR WORKMANSHIP/FINAL LOOK OF HOME
The most common complaint people have about their new home is concerning the workmanship or lack thereof. These usually appear in the form of defects or items not being constructed to standard, as planned or visualised by you the client. There is nothing more frustrating than having your home completed and for there to be items that ‘stick out’ like sore points. As it is a huge investment that takes many months to complete, people would feel ‘stuck’ with this home that they are not completely happy with.
One of the most effective methods to deal with the above fear is to discuss the type of material that will be used at the quotation stage and preliminary discussions. Therefore, preparation is the key and we ensure that comprehensive discussions on design take place that outline key features in order to meet your needs, wants and expectations. Our chosen tradespeople are of the highest quality who are dedicated to deliver quality work. They take pride in their work and deliver with precision. Remember we also do not want the hassle of defects and time wasting on fixing mistakes!
2. QUALITY OF MATERIAL USED
The next fear that people have is that the material used will be of poor quality and that they will not receive what they have paid for which will result in a home that will not stand the test of time. Ikona Developments ensures that we use all of the material as discussed prior to construction commencing. We always adhere to architectural and engineering recommendations as a guide and will discuss any changes prior to the work that is carried out. We have reliable suppliers and use material that is durable and of good quality. We offer home building warranty insurance that covers your home for a period of 6 years for structural work and 2 years for aesthetic issues. However, your satisfaction is important to us therefore we strive to construct your home to meet your expectations in turn meeting our expectations of a happy client. Even if you have certain material that you would like to purchase yourself or contribute, just let us know in the beginning and we can work out a plan together.
3. CONTRACTUAL/UNFINISHED WORK
People often worry about some of the work not being completed as per contract or that the money will ‘run out’ prior to the construction work being completed leaving an unfinished home. This is a valid concern and with such large amounts of money invested into your project it is no wonder that many people become afraid and hesitant.
To challenge this fear and help you feel in control, we have made our project management software available to our clients in order for you to track progress and stage of development. During the preliminary agreements followed by a comprehensive quotation, we outline each stage in the development and the amount of funds required at each stage. Your access will ensure that you have information and picture updates early in order to see that progress is going according to plan. Reinforcement
4. UNEXPECTED COST INCREASES/ VARIATIONS
There is a terrible stigma in the building industry that the builder often withholds information and then will charge the client during the build or towards the end with things that the client did not know. Whilst those so called ‘cowboys’ in the industry exist it is important that you recognise the legitimate builders from those that are not.
Our mission is to discuss as much detail as possible before we even commence the build and make it clear at key stages in development if any adjustments need to be made, if any, which are always a result of you changing your mind or forgetting to add a special feature. We provide reminders at key stages in development to check on your expectations and ask if there is anything that needs to be revised. No variations are ever made without your explicit approval. This ensures that there are no nasty surprises of extra costs or unexpected price increases.
5. NO COMMUNICATION
Silence can be quite deafening! Many people find it unsettling to be paying so much money without knowing for sure if everything is going as planned. Living with this fear for many months can often be enough to deter people from building in the first place.
We have worked hard to eliminate this fear by providing the access to the project management software, providing regular email updates with pictures. Whilst we discourage onsite visits it is only done so due to occupational health and safety reasons. The last thing we want is either you or a family member being injured onsite. Our communication is comprehensive and we are available to answer questions promptly. Therefore, try to relax and enjoy each stage as it occurs. One of the other aspects we solve early is updating your knowledge about the building process and making sure that you understand what is involved. Knowledge is power and leads to more confident decision making.
6. TAKING TOO LONG TO BUILD
Most people are eager to have their home completed or perhaps you have a particular deadline that you would like to meet e.g. to be in the home before Christmas. Whatever the reason it is important that we discuss these requirements prior to commencement in order to evaluate and identify any possible barriers to reaching your goals. Some of the things to consider are if your approvals are all in place, funding for the complete project is approved, available and paid in a timely manner, and that the project has been scheduled on time and that any variations are approved and resolved in a timely manner. We have taken extra care to ensure that we only take on jobs at any one time that we can handle. This ensures maximum resources available to meet all of the requirements for your project. The only other variable to consider is bad weather and this is in most cases a minor issue.
7. MISLEADING INFORMATION OR SIGNING CONTRACT WITH INFORMATION BEING HELD BACK FROM US
It is important that any person wishing to invest in building take the time to do their own prior reading and research in order to understand some of the stages and costs involved. We work hard at the preliminary stages and communication with you in order to iron out 99% of the requirements and thoroughly go through all of the architectural plans and all other documentation in order to obtain a complete picture of the project requirements. As there is always the possibility of people changing their minds or forgetting something, we ensure regular checks at certain stages as reminders and checkpoints. Your satisfaction is important to us and our processes are geared at reflecting this culture within our company.
8. DESIGN FAULTS
The design of any home is completed with the consultation of an architect. The design aspects are discussed at the preliminary stages which is prior to the construction contract. When the design and project is being discussed we take great care to fully understand your needs and requirements in your home. Every detail is visited and discussed. Design is a personal preference and while we help guide you throughout this process, the decision is ultimately yours alone. Therefore, design flaws must be sorted prior to construction as we cannot make any changes when the home is complete and it is not the builder’s responsibility for a change in opinion.
9. BUILDER GOING BROKE/BANKRUPT
Although this is something that can happen to any business there are several things for you to consider in order to challenge this fear. The reality is that you have a lot of control in your project via providing the funds for the build which are set at smaller increments relevant to the stage in construction. We provide regular updates at each stage in order to confirm that the project is where it needs to be in the construction process. We ensure that we have all of our insurances in place and these are there to insure you too. Even if unforeseen circumstances prevent us from building, we have insurance cover to provide the funding in order to compensate and/or have the job completed. In the end we always aim to deliver on our promise and that is providing you with the home you’ve always dreamed of.
10. DEFECTS
While we endeavour to understand all of your needs, wants and expectations early, realistically there is always human error as a variable to consider. Our aim is to thoroughly check each stage at critical points in the construction and eliminate any issues promptly. Regular updates provided to you is like having an extra pair of eyes which adds as a double security feature in picking up any issues. We also have a 100-point checklist at handover that all of our homes must pass. This is our guarantee in aiming for transparency to provide you with a home of the highest standards. As I mentioned earlier, we also do not want the hassle of defects and time wasting on fixing mistakes!
We hope that this information has been helpful and if you would like to discuss things further please email for give us a call.
We are excited to tackle your next project!!
