The most crucial decision you’ll make is choosing the right building partner. You're about to invest significant money and want to do everything possible to ensure a successful outcome. Here are a few things you should consider:

1. Does your builder have related work experience?

"Choose horses for courses' as the saying goes. Always check if they have completed similar work recently, including levels of complexity and budget size. Do they have all the necessary resources available and what is their realistic time frame to complete?

2. Are they being 100% clear about their processes and pricing?

When taking on a building project, there is a lot to get your head around – especially if you haven’t built before. So if a prospective builder isn’t able to communicate their processes and pricing clearly and in detail, move on and find someone who can! Read all tags and fine print on quotes to ensure clarity around what is and (most importantly) what isn't included. It’s critical of course to compare apples with apples and avoid any nasty surprises.

3. Check their most recent and similar projects.

In short, the proof is in the pudding. Before you sign up, take a look at their current or most recent similar work and talk to their clients. This will provide valuable insights into how they work. Ask if there were additional variation costs, and were these well communicated and fair?

4. Meet the team.

Every building project is a team effort, so don’t just talk to the owner or salesman. Construction is an intrusive process and trust is everything so make time to meet the actual building crew to get a feel for who’ll be working on your site every day.