At the moment when a house is taking shape through plans and models, it is time to find a good builder for a house.
The choice of the construction company can determine the execution time of the work, the price of the house, and of course the quality of the construction elements of the house and its finishes. It is about the company that is going to build the house in which we are going to live a large part of our lives.
For this reason, we have thought it important to write a post on how to find a good builder for a house.
WHO SHOULD FIND A GOOD BUILDER FOR A HOUSE?
Of course, if we know a trusted person among our friends or family, there will be no better option than to follow the recommendation they can make if they are satisfied with a construction company.
If, on the contrary, we do not have any references, the best option is to consult with a professional such as the architect of the house who will have already worked with construction companies and will know professionals in the sector.
In some cases, we have no reference to builders in the area or trusted builders, in this case, it will be important to filter the available companies according to some criteria of technical and economic solvency that we will see later.
In this sense, it is good to be clear about what we are going to assess to find a good builder for a house so that we can make a decision knowing all the conditions that can determine the success of a work.
FACTORS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT TO FIND A GOOD BUILDER FOR A HOUSE
1- MAKE IT LOCAL
It is often beneficial to find builder in North London close to where the house is to be built.
If the company is located within a radius of 50 km from the land, transport costs for both personnel and machinery and materials will be reduced, and with it the ecological footprint of the work itself.
A local builder also knows the local hardware stores from whom he is likely to get discounts for bulk purchases, as well as the suppliers of machinery if he does not own it, such as excavators or concrete mixers.
Likewise, it is important that the personnel who work on the site live relatively close to avoid extra travel costs and ensure that the site manager (builder) regularly visits the workplace not only to assess progress with our architect but also to To guarantee good performance and safety of the work team.
2- EXPERIENCE AND TECHNICAL SOLVENCY
The technical solvency of the builder must be verified by the architect.
In general, if you don’t know him from a previous project –if you haven’t worked together-, it’s good for the architect to carry out some basic checks.
1 Visit of previous works
To visit a work in progress or already finished by the construction company.
A site visit allows us to evaluate how the builder works and if he is rigorous with details and finishes.
In addition, the visit will give the architect an idea of the volume of work and activity of the company. A builder without works in progress should worry us since he perhaps does not have an active company capable of assuming a housing project.
2 Technical meetings for project evaluation
It will be necessary to organize a meeting in the office with the builder to review the project plans together.
Generally, in a technical meeting about the construction plans, the architect will be able to see if the builder knows what we are talking about and if he knows the systems that have been decided to use.
In this meeting, it is good to evaluate if the builder values the options for reducing costs and time in tasks such as stockpiling, work for the organization, and execution. This can give us an idea of the builder’s previous experience and technical understanding, as well as his initiative to get involved in the project and adjust costs.
3 Possible problems or legal procedures with previous clients
Another check to make when finding a good builder for a house is to make sure that the company has not had legal problems in previous works.
In this case, it is best to establish a trustworthy dialogue with the builder and talk to him about the problems that occurred in previous works.
4 Price
The price that the construction company offers us is important whether it is above average or below.
The best thing is a good balance in the quality-price ratio. Perhaps we will not stay with the company that offers the cheapest construction but with the one that has the most commitment in terms of time and deadlines.
It is important that in order to find a good builder for a house, we make a price comparison based on very detailed measurements. In this way, we can see what each of the companies that could build the house offers us and negotiate with them based on the comparison with the different companies.
