Process Stages

Discovery

Finding the right builder for your home is critical. Each year in NSW alone there are over 750 insurance notices and claims submitted by customers like you to HBC (Home Builders Compensation), as their building company has typically gone under (eg Newcastle example). They are not all small builders either. Even the big guys can fail (Ralan, Verve, Reed, Project Group, RCR Tomlinson, Kingston Homes  and Southern Cross to name a few in recent times).

So Baxter Homes recommend you do your homework and speak to at least 2-3 builders. This is going to be ‘your’ home so consider who you would invite into it as your builder is literally your first guest. If you wouldn’t have them at your housewarming BBQ (The BBQ test) then run a mile as you have 5-6 months to spend with them on your home build. Speak to some recent references (ideally at a similar price point) and do some drive bys of a builder’s recently completed work.

‘Try before you buy’ and watch out for the hard sell. Keep your options open and if you get a home contract to sign at the same time as your ‘Design and Development Application (DA)’ service fee then ask why? The design and DA phase is the only chance to see what your future home’s final design will look like, how your builder performs, how you are treated by the non sales staff and what your home, options and additions are really going to cost.

If you are happy at this point, then sign your building contract as you now know and understand the builder, its process and your costs. Prior to that it is hit and hope!

Discovery Tour

At Baxter we encourage you to go and see our commercial suppliers directly and very early on. In fact, before you even engage us or any builder for that matter. Visit our commercial suppliers showrooms as no display home will ever be able to present all the options and finishes as well as the actual manufacturers (there are just too many).