Ep15 - Common mistakes to avoid when building

Welcome to Building with Bluebird Episode 15

 In today's episode, we'll be discussing common mistakes to avoid when building your home.

Building a home can be an overwhelming task, and it's important to be aware of some of the most common mistakes that homeowners make during the building process. From budgeting to design to construction, we'll cover everything you need to know to avoid these mistakes and ensure a smooth and successful building experience.

Whether you're building your first home or your fifth, this podcast is a must-listen for anyone looking to make their dream home a reality.

So join us for today’s episode, and let's learn how to avoid the common mistakes that can cost you time, money, and headaches when building your home.

Transcript

[00:00:00] Speaker 2: Hi everybody and welcome back to Building with Bluebird today. We've got episode 15 for you and we'll be talking about common mistakes to avoid in the home building journey. It's a bit 

[00:00:14] Speaker 1: different today. We're recording on a Sunday, which is highly unusual for us. But we've been struggling for time, but we really want to be bringing these episodes out on a regular, so we've decided and opted to do it on a Sunday morning.

Put my 

[00:00:27] Speaker 2: overtime invoice in tomorrow morning. Yeah. 

[00:00:29] Speaker 1: Welcome to Building with Bluebird, the Design and Renovation podcast, brought to you by Christian Case and Jeremy Thomason, directors of Bluebird Design and Build. Highlighting the dos and don'ts of renovating or building your dream home. This podcast will give you the insiders Guide to the home building journey.

As well as interviewing other industry specialists, Christian and Jeremy, bring their knowledge and expertise to the table for you, for people. Now let's get into this episode, and if you enjoy, please like, share, and subscribe. So today's episode is about common mistakes to avoid in the home building journey.

We see it a fair bit in terms of speed bumps that happen throughout the. We just want to try and avoid these as much as possible and also make it easier for you as the homeowner to, um, avoid these 

[00:01:19] Speaker 2: issues. Yeah. And if you avoid these, it'll make everyone's life easier. Yeah. You as the client, the builder, any consultants you have.

So yeah. 

[00:01:29] Speaker 1: And like you hear about a lot of horror stories of the, the build more a building journey, and then you actually hear the ins and outs and it's like a lot of those items could be avoided, so it shouldn't actually be a horror build, it's just avoiding common mistakes. 

[00:01:45] Speaker 2: Some of the things that we talk about in today's episode, you probably have heard us talk about in different episodes if you've listened to those episodes, but we just wanted to sort of condense it all into one episode because this is what we see.

Yeah. So don't avoid 

[00:01:59] Speaker 1: all the other episodes. Go back. Go back and actually listen to those as well. But this is a general overview of quite a few episodes we've. So I think the first one in any building journey is your, your prelim process switch involves getting your drawings and your external consultants engaged with engineering, survey, building approval, all of those.

And soil tests. Soil tests, getting all of those correct in the right order, I guess. We like to get a concept plan together with a client and then price it so that you don't start in the construction phase of all construction design phase of drawings. To find out that you can't afford it. So getting a concept planned together, then pricing it is the first step.

From there, we normally get a surveyor. At the same time we're doing concepts, we've got surveyor out on site, getting the survey, along with engaging the certifier from the get-go as well. So then they know exactly what you're gonna be doing. Yeah, 

[00:02:58] Speaker 2: and I know a lot of people try to avoid. These upfront costs in the early stages, which is just in our opinion, a completely wrong way to go about saving money.

They see like, you know, I've gotta pay for a saw test, a surveyor, building design, yes. Engineering, and they think they'll just kick that can down the road and then deal with it sort of in the build contract, and then also try to finance those costs. This is probably one of the biggest mistakes that we.

Yeah, 

[00:03:29] Speaker 1: it can add time, but also add additional cost straight away. So if you've designed a home, And then you find out from the certifier that you've gotta make all these changes. You've gotta go back into the design process. You've gotta go back into the costing process with your builder. Yeah. The engineer might be involved cause he has to change something structurally.

So then you have to change the structural 

[00:03:48] Speaker 2: plans. Yeah. The ser the survey. You might have gone off council records and Yeah. You find out that the survey's different. Yeah. Well your 

[00:03:55] Speaker 1: soil test has been done, but So I, we try to get a, um, when you get a borehole done for your soil, If you're gonna put a pool in, you put one smack bang where you're gonna be putting in your pool.

Yeah. So making sure that you've got all these sort of processes in place where you get your drawings done, your concepts, then you engage your engineer, your certifier, or at least pay them a deposit. So maybe don't go. If you wanna save some costs, just engage them as a deposit to show that you're being serious about the project.

And most guys will give you some sort of. Some certifiers are actually breaking up their costs in terms of just providing preliminary feedback, which is great as well. It reduces your cost, but at least you're getting that advice from the get go. Yeah. So the next step I guess from that is actually knowing what's on your drawings.

[00:04:43] Speaker 2: Yeah. The amount of times that we start building a job and clients turn up and say, oh, I didn't know that was going there, or, I don't like that, or, 

[00:04:53] Speaker 1: not that I don't like it, but they didn't understand that someone's going 

[00:04:57] Speaker 2: there. Is crazy. And I think just, it's probably a combination of people not being able to read drawings, which is fair enough.

Like if you haven't, if you haven't been building in the building industry and been through a few builds, drawings are probably not so much hard to read as they are hard to understand. Just 

[00:05:15] Speaker 1: well, visually getting a spatial understanding Yeah. Of how something's gonna look is extremely hard. Yeah. So, but also people get to it really excited, so they get excited about drawings.

And get excited about the whole process, but they probably don't focus on the minute details. So whereas your air conditioning point's gonna be, and your vents and all these little things, but even knowing your finishes and throughout your build, like the amount of times you'll have people not understand what the finish is, even though it's listed and it's normally in the drawings.

Yeah. And then we, we've got even like, we provide samples of the, the finishes when we design, just because we want people to see and feel. Touch these products so you know exactly what you're getting. Yeah, there's no, yeah, there's no hidden agenda. . Yeah. Or they just don't, people don't, I guess, don't understand it properly.

So when you do get on site and they've, they've seen something, they can get upset and they can get emotional about it and. I guess if you can avoid that by actually knowing exactly what is gonna be in your drawings, where something's located, what it looks like, what's the color like 

[00:06:20] Speaker 2: the 3D renders make that a lot easier now to Yes.

Be so realistic. 

[00:06:25] Speaker 1: Yeah, and we're actually, we're as a company getting VR headset, so you can ob sit down. We're not gonna let you walk around in the office with goggles on when we're getting those, I can't wait. You can actually walk through your model and see exactly what the color is or where something.

Where a light switch is, where the, which way the doors swing and yeah. All these little details that you probably won't know until you get on 

[00:06:47] Speaker 2: site. Yeah. I think the most important thing just in that sort of drawing area is ask questions. Yeah. If you don't understand something or Yeah, don't assume, and don't be scared to ask your designer or your builder question.

Because if you don't understand something, that's the only way you're gonna get, get answers and make sure that you're happy with what's going on. And the, the finishes and the design 

[00:07:10] Speaker 1: and also knowing your drawings will stop variations. Yeah. Like or at least reduce them. Yeah. Yeah. Because if you know exactly what's going on and can understand your drawings and where things are located, you can, you can get on top of them in the, the design phase.

So, not only are you gonna understand your product, but you're also gonna save yourself money and heartache. 

[00:07:30] Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, yeah. As we keep banging on about in all our episodes, variations, normally a product of not having understood those drawings and specifications. 

[00:07:40] Speaker 1: Yeah, sometimes like obviously you want to add a few things, which is fine.

It's normally like a PowerPoint or yeah, additional light switches or an additional downlight. But those sort of things, you can't really guess, I guess, until you're in the house and you start figuring out how you're gonna use it. But you can avoid them by knowing exactly what's. What's happening and what's on the drawings 

[00:07:59] Speaker 2: and just, I guess also when, when you are working through the drawings, thinking about how you're gonna live in the house.

Yeah. Like where your bed's gonna be positioned. Yeah. What do you need? How many charges do you need next to your bed for all your bits and pieces? Yeah. What 

[00:08:12] Speaker 1: are you charging next to your bed? I 

[00:08:13] Speaker 2: got my, my watch, my phone. My iPad should 

[00:08:17] Speaker 1: leave that in the drawer. Well, yeah, it's the, the, the mental clear. 

[00:08:20] Speaker 2: Yeah.

and just other things too, like same thing like in the kitchen, how many benchtop, Chuck? 

[00:08:25] Speaker 1: Yeah. How many appliances do you have and appliances and where were your appliances sit in the kitchen. Yeah. It's probably a big one, like hiding toasters. It's hiding coffee machines. It's 

[00:08:34] Speaker 2: all those little bits and pieces of how you live.

I think that a lot of times people don't consider when they're doing their drawing. 

[00:08:42] Speaker 1: No. And a lot of, I'm not saying all, but some designers, they don't think about that. They're just, yeah, designing something for you and, but they haven't spoken to you about how you live your life and Yeah. Do you sit down for a formal dining for dinner and those sort of things.

So yeah, figuring out how you're gonna use the house is the best way to go. So from there, we've, you've obviously got your design, it's been priced, you've found a builder. So then the next one is knowing your contact. . This is, if not all, I think it's one of the most important things. 

[00:09:13] Speaker 2: It blows my mind how many people that we build for don't properly read their contract.

Yeah. Before they sign it. Like, you know, once it's all agreed upon, within the contract and scope, we send our contract out for e signatures. So we don't sort of, it's all digital. Yeah. We don't always sit there with them and do an actual signing, but it blows my mind how many times people. Just sign where they're supposed to sign.

[00:09:38] Speaker 1: A lot of people do are and are across it, but yeah, you get a number of people that just sign a contract and these contracts are worth upwards of over $500,000. Like they're big investments. Yeah, so knowing the terms and conditions like is, is. It's crazy. So knowing your contracts inside and out will save you so much heartache and so many, like reduce your stress levels.

Like cuz you know, it's just, it's your form of rules of builder. It is, it's, it's for both the builder and the homeowner and 

[00:10:10] Speaker 2: you as the client, how you have to behave and what your obligations are under the contract throughout the build. A lot of clients don't understand that. They think that this is the contract the builder has to complete the build for the price and the specification.

They don't understand that as the client. They actually also have obligations under the contract. Yes. Of what they have to do when they have to pay money. When they have 

[00:10:32] Speaker 1: to present certain things. Yeah. Like if there's a bank involved providing like your proof of your loan and all these sort of things.

So yeah. So 

[00:10:40] Speaker 2: it's definitely things that have to be done for both parties, the builder and the client. And you really need to read this properly and understand it. I know we always talk about this, but it is so important 

[00:10:52] Speaker 1: and sit, so sit down with your builder. Yeah. Like request it like, or even get legal advice.

Get a. Like a lawyer's couple grand for, to review it all. I'm guessing it is 

[00:11:03] Speaker 2: probably wouldn't even, I don't think it would even be that. 

[00:11:05] Speaker 1: Yeah. So based off that, like it's a couple grand and you're spending five, $600,000, like just very small investment to know exactly what you can and can't do along with what your builder can and can't do either.

So understanding your payment terms, when things are due, when you have to pay, when they're gonna be issuing invoice. What are the terms of the variations, like the um, practical completion's? Probably a big one that a lot of people don't understand. 

[00:11:34] Speaker 2: Yeah. Practical completion's, always one that is, I dunno, we try to explain it well prior of it all sort of happening, but clients are always a bit shocked, unsure, and shocked of how the process works.

And this is contract dependent too. The contracts we use, basically we'll call a practical completion date once we're sort of getting close to that time. on this, inspe on this date. Yeah. We have to do an inspection with the client and go through, show that jobs practically complete and that means that it's not a hundred percent finished, but it's practically ready for Yeah, while you guys 

[00:12:09] Speaker 1: fixed minor 

[00:12:10] Speaker 2: defects.

So there's always a few things that'll be happening still. Like might have appliances be fixed, fixed off, or it might be a bit of silicon still happening, or a few bits and pieces to. So at this meeting we're saying the home is practically complete and we'll put that sort of set of defects together for you, that list together.

And from here we will sort of just proceed and get every, all those defects done that we can. And then after that we'll be when we book a handover date, which is when we give you the keys and you're basically right to move. It's a fun time. It's a fun time. But one thing about that is prior to handover, pretty much every build contract will say that you have to have your, all your final accounts paid to the builder.

Yeah. So there's no outstanding money. 

[00:12:54] Speaker 1: Well, just the one we, we use master builders and that's their term. So I don't know what other states are. I'm assuming that master builders is very similar throughout the states. 

[00:13:02] Speaker 2: Yeah. So yeah, basically you'll need to settle all your outstanding accounts with the builder, with the contract we use, and then we will hand over the keys and your right to move in.

[00:13:11] Speaker 1: Same with if, if you move in early, there's all clauses about what's deemed as practical completion. Um, yeah. So that, yeah. If you take access to the property, yeah. Prior to hand. 

[00:13:22] Speaker 2: Yes. There's a lot of, there's a lot of stuff that's in the contract, obviously, so there's lots of stuff, and 

[00:13:25] Speaker 1: especially tracking your defects, like that's another contract term that a lot of people don't understand and what's required for those completion of 

[00:13:34] Speaker 2: defects.

Yeah, a lot of people seem to think that. They, and this is again, build contract dependent, but if they're small, minor defects or whatever the defects are, a lot of people think that they can withhold money from the builder. Yeah. That's again, with the contracts we use, that's not the case. Holding money out is not, is not okay.

You can get in a bit of trouble for that. Yeah. It's not okay with the contract to withhold money as a means of getting defects. 

[00:13:59] Speaker 1: Yeah, most guys are are very good. So they, they'll come back and get 'em all fixed. But yeah, I guess if you're breaching contracts, it's not an ideal situation. Yeah. To create, especially for both parties.

So knowing your contract terms and conditions is just a great way of eliminating any issues. Yeah, 

[00:14:16] Speaker 2: just empowering yourself with that information and knowledge too, so that you're prepared for it when it comes up during 

[00:14:22] Speaker 1: the build. So the other one I guess, is understand your scope of works as well within the build.

So you know your contract, but do you know the scope of works and what's included and excluded? Just because it's on a set of drawings doesn't mean that someone's actually priced it. Yeah. And 

[00:14:36] Speaker 2: this is, and don't assume. Yeah. When it comes to building, designing, don't ever assume you need to ask questions and.

With your build contract, you should also have your builder's quote and their contract attached to the contract. So it's all, or at least, yeah, scope of works. Yeah, so it's all forms a full package and it, you should have a typed out scope of works from the builder so that you can go through and itemize all the stuff that's being done.

Are there things included, like boundary fencing is there? Yeah, landscaping's a big one. Retaining walls include, Have they included the pool? Are there exclusions? And if it's not noted in the scope of works, particular item that you're hoping will be covered under the build quote, you need to ask and get that included in your scope of work.

Yeah, or just say, Hey, I can't see that on the scope of works. How's it been included? So that's why a scope of works in a quote is so important. 

[00:15:31] Speaker 1: Yeah, it's great as well because there might be things in there that you don't want them to cover. Yeah. So 

[00:15:36] Speaker 2: yeah, like have they allowed for building approval, like soil tests and all that sort of stuff.

But hopefully you've got those done. Lovely. You've got the soil test already, but Yeah. Yeah. That you might, they may have included things that you don't want and they may have not included things that you do want. Yeah. So it's again, just so important to read all the inform. 

[00:15:54] Speaker 1: Let's see it. So then we've got a few little other points that I guess we've thought about as well is, and we see quite a.

You've gotta have sort of contingencies, not only finance contingencies, but also time contingencies. Things don't always go to plan on, uh, with building as much as we try and normally is very, everything's normally up to date and arrives on time, but sometimes you do get a hiccup, especially the amount of rain we're having at the moment is causing so many.

And especially with concrete issues at the moment, the amount of delays that you get. And the 

[00:16:28] Speaker 2: other thing too is if it's a custom build, this house hasn't been built before, so it's not like a project home where it's been Yeah, built and replicated 50, a hundred, 200 times. It's the first time this design has been built.

So you know, there are gonna be things that come up, things won't go exactly to plan. So that will, it can impact cost, but it can also. Impact time. 

[00:16:53] Speaker 1: Yeah. So like I guess if you're signing a bill contract and it says it's gonna take just example, 50 weeks. Yeah. And you've gotta rent somewhere or live somewhere else.

Don't allow just 50 weeks Yeah. To live out because guarantee it that 50 weeks could blow out. Yeah. Even two weeks, like yeah, but you haven't allowed for that. So allowing an additional couple weeks or, or at least have a chat to the real estate agent or whatever the situation is, and just allowing a buffer from the get-go so that you're not stressed.

Yeah. And trying to move house while also trying to finish a, a build. 

[00:17:29] Speaker 2: Yeah, I would, yeah. I think like contingencies both. and cost. You need to have a decent buffer in place. Like Yes. So especially, especially time with what's happened. Yeah. Given the industry. Yeah. Like a lot of things that did go up in cost.

If you're in a fixed price contract, the builder didn't really have a right to come to you for a variation, but time was another one that, that they could come to you with variations for extensions of time. Mm-hmm. . So 5% wouldn't have been enough time. Extra time buffer. Not, no, not in the last sort of 12 to 18 months.

Yeah. So, yeah, just making sure that you've got an allowance at your rental property. If you need to extend, can you extend for another month or two and Yep. Don't have the removalist book for that 50 weeks, if that's the, yeah. That your build contract is due to facts. 

[00:18:20] Speaker 1: I just, you see it over and over and you hear about it and just, it's so stressful for everybody.

Yeah. So then also just, I guess, Have a clear, open communication with your builder and just be mindful that obviously it's your home and that you're stressed to get it done. But they're also, if they're a good person, stressed to get you in there. Like every builder wants to finish the build on time and reduce the amount of hiccups that happen on site.

But they do happen. Yeah, 

[00:18:47] Speaker 2: and there's nothing worse as the builder. Trying to have that bad conversation. Trying to, well, not so much having the conversation, but if you've got a time constraint with the end of contract, you know the client is pushing you to get in and you are trying to push really hard to get things finished, that's when subbies are rushing around site.

You know, if, if you don't have the time to get things finished to a high standard and there's a time pressure on everyone, that's when everyone starts rushing. You get work. That's not exactly where it should be. Yeah. You'd need to really be able to try, try and take that pressure off yourself, but also the builder so that everyone has time to finish the job and do it to a high standard.

[00:19:28] Speaker 1: Yeah. And so it just comes back to communication and just being open about it and having those hard conversations because it will happen. Yeah. But hopefully it doesn't. If you follow these rules and listen 

[00:19:41] Speaker 2: to our previous podcast, there'll always be something, a custom build. Nothing goes a hundred percent to plan.

[00:19:45] Speaker 1: No. So yeah, it, it's just building in a nutshell, I guess, that. As much as you can plan and prepare. Sometimes things do go astray, and same with like if you're weather dependent on things like these, these holdups happen. So if your start of your build's delayed because of rain, then it pushes the whole finish out and yeah, pushes every trade back.

So these things do have an issue. So that's why if. Have open communication, have a chat to your builder or whoever is involved. And yeah, just be mindful that everybody's trying to get to the same journey at the end. So just trying to work together and. Be happy is probably the, makes it a lot easier. Be happy, 

[00:20:28] Speaker 2: be happy,

I like 

[00:20:29] Speaker 1: that message. Just be happy, . So hopefully we've given you some more of a condensed version of the last couple episodes and what to avoid. But yeah, if you can know your uh contracts, know your drawings, just. Be well informed, I guess. And if you've got any questions, just ask them. Yeah, that's the more you know, the better, 

[00:20:51] Speaker 2: like Yeah.

Yeah. Read everything. Don't assume. Be well informed. I think that's a really good summary of just understanding everything. Be happy. Yeah. Be happy. If you follow those steps, you will have a really good time. It's a recipe for success when you, it's a recipe for success. That's right. Yeah. It's onto it today.

Yeah. , you're on fire, , 

[00:21:13] Speaker 1: so Yeah. Well, if you've got any topics you want us to cover, let us know, but we'll hopefully bring a lot more episodes to you. We 

[00:21:21] Speaker 2: won't. Hopefully we will. Yeah, we'll see it. Like share, 

[00:21:24] Speaker 1: subscribe. Great. Well, we'll speak to you soon. 

[00:21:26] Speaker 2: Alright. See you next time. 

[00:21:29] Speaker 1: All right folks. Thanks for listening to Building a Bluebird.

We hope you got some great information outta today's episode. If there are any questions or topics you want us to cover, or even if you want to be a guest on the podcast, please reach out via Instagram. Bluebird underscore db or head to our website, www.bluebirddb.com.au and contact us through there.

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