What to Ask Your Builder Before Beginning a Renovation

Renovating a home or commercial space in Tauranga is a big undertaking and choosing a builder is an important decision. When you work with the right builder, the process is smoother, less stressful and more enjoyable. Asking your builder these six questions before the project begins will help you find the right partner for your renovation journey.

Are you a licensed building company?

You want to check your builder’s qualifications and make sure they have undergone the right training and experience to earn their spot as the builder for your renovation. By working with our Tauranga Master Builders and Licensed Building Practitioners, you can rest assured you’ve chosen a qualified Tauranga drainlayer, builder or tradesman. It’s also wise to ask if they have any sort of guarantee on their work.

What is your experience in renovations?

Renovations are different to new builds – choosing builders in Tauranga well versed in new builds doesn’t mean they’ll know where to start with a renovation. Make sure that the building company you choose has particular expertise in renovations by asking for examples of prior work, enquiring how long they’ve been around and finding out if they’ve won any awards for their renovations.

How does payment work?

It’s important to talk to your Tauranga building company about their payment plan options and feel comfortable with their process. Enquire about how their quoting process works, if they do progress payments and when and how often payments will be. Ask about what will happen in the event of unexpected costs – when and how will you find out about any surprises? You want to be fully aware of and on board with how their billing works from the get-go.

When can I expect the renovation to be complete?

While unexpected hiccups can arise, make sure your builder is working to a timeline. Having an estimate of when your project will be finished will help you plan things like when you can move back in and how long you need to secure a rental property for. Plus, it keeps your builder to a time frame that they will work hard to maintain.

How do you communicate with clients?

Clear communication is a key factor in the success of the builder-client relationship. Different individuals and building companies have different communication styles, so you should make sure you’re happy with your builder’s approach. Will you get daily updates? Are there weekly meetings? Do you prefer phone calls or emails? Are text messages okay? How will they communicate any unexpected events that pop up? Make sure you are both on the same page and everyone will be more comfortable.

Does your building company have insurance?

Liability insurance means that your builder is covered if they inadvertently cause any damage to your property. This is significant, as you don’t want to be the one stuck with the bill if anything goes wrong. Insurance is necessary – a building company without is a big warning sign.

If you’re looking for a building company to take on a renovation project in Tauranga, speak to the qualified, experienced and professional builders at The Renovation Company.

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