While it may still seem a long way off, those who dream of putting up the Christmas tree in the lounge room of their brand new home this year, have just weeks to get cracking, according to a local housing expert.
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Darren Semmler from G.J. Gardner Homes Dubbo said work calendars of the region’s most popular builders were filling fast for the second half of the year as new home builders sought to beat the Christmas rush.
“Once you’ve made the commitment to build, the idea of being settled in your new home in time to carve the Christmas turkey becomes irresistible,” Mr Semmler said. “However, plenty of other people have the same idea, so if it’s something you have your heart set on, now is the time to take action.”
“Business increases by an average of 25 percent for us at this time of year and enquiries reach their highest peak, so it’s a case of first in first served unfortunately.”
Mr Semmler said many new home owners underestimated the time it took to build a new home, not allowing for possible delays caused by planning approvals, unfavourable weather and changes to the original plan.
“It takes on average, five to six months to build a new home from your first meeting with the builder to the day you take possession,” Mr Semmler said. “So it’s important to plan accordingly or you could find the contents of your home still in packing boxes come December 25.”
“We do our best but we usually find any contracts signed after July have a slimmer chance of being fulfilled before the new year. So we’re urging people to book in and see their preferred builder as soon as possible so they can get the ball rolling.”
In the spirit of Christmas, here are a few tips that will get you closer to receiving the ultimate gift – a brand new house!
- Research, research, research. The number one issue with time delays in new home builds are changes to design, so to avoid this issue having a clear idea of what you want will help. Display homes are the number one point of inspiration for new homes designs, so make sure you visit a few to get some ideas.
- Include the builder in the process as soon as possible. The builder is the expert so finding one you trust is imperative. Involve them, ideally, at site selection. They can advise on the right home design for your block saving lots of time and money in the long run. There may be specific features you want to include in your house, but if your site doesn’t allow for them, ask your builder to suggest alternatives that will be close to the original concept.
- Be clear with your builders about your ideal end result. The more detail you can provide as to what is important for you in a home, the better they can assist you in finding the perfect design and fixtures.
- Trust the experts. Working off existing plans is a smart way to build because the design experts have done all the work for you already. The more modifications and changes you make, the longer and more expensive the build process may take. A good builder can always build a custom home but using a pre-existing design takes all the guess work out and ensures you can stick to a budget and timeline more easily.
- Be flexible. The reputation of a builder is paramount to their success so they will always want to do what is best for you and the new home. If a delay does occur understand the builder will always try to do what they can to make up time, and exceed your expectations.
