Dealing with Difficult Builders
Building the home of your dreams or adding a long-desired expansion to your home should be a rewarding process, but it can be stressful and upsetting if you’re dealing with difficult builders. Even the smallest project can become a headache when incompetent or unpleasant builders are involved, and obtaining the answers you need as a property owner can often become a herculean task when a builder is both difficult to manage and reticent. As a property owner, you will ultimately be responsible, both financially and legally, for the state of your property once the work is completed. Because of this, it’s always wise to take a proactive role in the process, which isn’t always easy when you’re working with builders who complicate the process. Learning how to best manage the builders on your site and the complications some can create isn’t always easy, but it can mean the difference between a satisfactory project and a disastrous one.
Protect Your Investments
Difficult builders don’t have to be unpleasant or unfriendly to earn such a title. They can be very approachable and likable, but make working with them a chore because they’re disorganised, offer a lack of transparency during the building process or don’t offer clear timelines and dates for completion. One of the first ways for homeowners to protect themselves and their investment is to get work agreements in writing, rather than relying upon verbal agreements which can be misinterpreted at a later date.
Ensuring that all home renovations, extensions and new building projects are council approved and in keeping with the law is also important when it comes to protecting your investment. The last thing you want is to be forced into tearing down a brand new structure and rebuilding it because the correct permits weren’t obtained or the work wasn’t up to standard.
Difficult Builders: How a Building Inspector Can Help
Working with a difficult builder can be a challenge for the average homeowner, but may not be so complicated when there’s an industry insider involved in the project. Working with a reputable building inspector can help you to have a clearer view of what’s happening every step of the way, while ensuring all work is up to standard and completed in accordance with the law.
Look for professional building inspection companies which not only offer renovation inspections and construction reports, but also those which specialise in dispute resolution related to the building process. When you’re in the middle of a project with a difficult builder, a professional inspector who offers resolution services can also act as a liaison between you to minimise conflict and facilitate a better experience.
Dealing with a difficult builder doesn’t have to ruin the experience of building or expanding your own home. In some cases, however, the best course of action for managing the experience is to work with a qualified inspector who is also experienced in mediation and conflict resolution.
Houspect Building Inspections – Buy, Build, Invest and Sell with Confidence
Contact our office on 08 9240 8855 or
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