Welcome to Builders Whangarei!
So why a site called Builders Whangarei?
Yes I realise it’s kind of a weird name to call a website, but there’s a reason I’ve called it Builders Whangarei, and it’s not THAT strange.
You see, when someone in Whangarei (NZ, in case you’ve arrived at this page by mistake) wants a builder, be it to construct their dream house, build extensions, do a conversion or provide a quote on their house plans; most people will get onto their computer and go searching. They will likely type in what they are looking for and, if they’ve done a bit of searching before, they will type in their area as well. (So they will type in something exactly like the sites’ name: builders whangarei.)
And I wanted you to find my site because, unlike many of the other sites that will pop up in your search engine, I do not own a building company, I’m not a house builder or apprentice and I don’t even work for one.
But I am a person who has needed to look for a reputable builders Whangarei. But after my bad experience I felt it was only fair that I tell you about some of the things I learnt and for you to watch out for.
How can Builders Whangarei help?
First up, please be sure to look for a builder that belongs to an assocation here in New Zealand. The two players in NZ are the Registered Master Builders Federation and the Certified Builders Association of New Zealand (CBANZ)
Both these organisations have members that have been dedicated to building New Zealand’s homes, offices, hospitals and schools for many years. They represent a nationwide network of trade qualified builders who meet the highest industry standards. Both organisations also offer apprentiship awards, House of the Year and Commercial Property awards.
Employing a Certified Builder or Registered Master Builder means that you can sit back and relax in the knowledge that everything is in the best of hands. Members are trade-qualified builders who must adhere to strict guidelines for achieving the highest possible standards in both workmanship and business practices. Most members have many years experience in the construction industry.
Why should you listen to Builders Whangarei?
You hear all these words being thrown about like: house refurbishments, builders group, building price, display homes, construction services and… the list goes on. All I wanted was someone who could give me the best building price for a conversion on my investment property. But I forgot to look out for the things like was the builder adequately insured, did he have good testimonials or referrals and part of an accredited building organisation.
But it’s not all doom and gloom! Here at Builders Whangarei I will recommend one builder who I KNOW provides the best service in Whangarei.
How to Save Big Bucks Building Your Own Home
This story is from a couple who decided that building their own home was important to them, but they wanted to save money where they could. They came up with a few good ideas, it involved them getting involved in doing dome of the work themselves. I’ll let them tell the story…
When we decided to build our own home a few years ago, it was an eye-opening experience, to say the least. The end cost was going to be tight so we were exploring different ways to cut costs. We decided on a contractor who was willing to enter into a “Cost Plus” contract. With normal building contracts, the customer is presented with a quote for the cost of construction, and that is the total amount they pay, even if the end cost is higher or lower.
In a Cost Plus scenario, the builder provides an estimate that fluctuates based on the actual end cost of building. So if the kitchen runs an extra $2000 because of those cherry cupboards you have to have, the cost of building is increased as well. On the other hand, if you can find a deal on material, or agree to do some of the work yourself, the customer celebrates the lower costs. We started scanning our builder’s estimate, analyzing where we could pitch in to save.
Flooring: The one that hit us hardest was the flooring estimate for $30,000. We priced around, found sales and decided to install the basement flooring and cork flooring in the kitchen ourselves. We would let our contractor install the hardwood in the rest of the house. This concession saved us $15,000 – we had cut the flooring bill in half! Hmmm, this was fun, what else could we save?
Plumbing: We determined how much of our $15,000 estimate included fixtures and were able to go out and purchase our own sinks, tubs, toilets, etc. on sale for better prices. Don’t forget, the plumber gets a discount, but he doesn’t shop around for the best deals. We ended up saving about $1,100 on plumbing fixtures, but used that saving to upgrade to slate walls in the shower.
Electrical: Our electrician allowed $2,500 for lighting fixtures which we were able to purchase at a local do-it-yourself box store for about $1,200 – a $1,300 saving!
Kitchen: Our contractor estimated $29,000 for kitchen cupboards based on mid to upper scale cabinets. After meeting with the cabinetry people, we got just what we wanted for $22,000 – a $7,000 saving!
Doors: I couldn’t get past an estimate for $7,500 for doors in the home – how could they justify that much money? After counting the doors and getting a price on hardware and securing a quantity discount, we got that price down to $4,000 – a $3,500 saving!
Painting: Our contractor allowed $5000 for painting which is not bad, but still too much. We had no desire to rent scaffolding to paint the high ceilings upstairs, but we decided to take on the basement ourselves, saving $2,500.
Trim: The trim was priced at $6,000, and since we were doing drywall returns on all the windows, we only required trim on the bottom sills of the windows, around the doors and baseboard. My husband had a handy trim air-nailer that rarely got used – up until then. After purchasing the material, we saved $4,000 on labor.
Landscaping: The quote for landscaping was $25,000, much of that figure involved heavy machinery to move dirt and add rocks for a retaining wall. We left that to the experts, but dealt with the grass seed and shrub planting ourselves, for a total savings of $5,000.
All totaled, we saved over $39,000 by putting in a few hours work and doing some extra shopping around. Part of that was used to lower the mortgage, the rest paid for our dream trip to the South Pacific.
Building or Renovating – 10 Things You Must Know
There are many sad cases of home renovations not going as planned – often going way over budget or schedule, or unforseen complications popping up unexpectedly and ruining even up to years of work.
Most of these situations would never have gone so awry with some careful planning and early decision making sooner in the renovation process. Below are a few issues that it is vital to think about before you begin your home renovation.
10 Things to Think About BEFORE Beginning Work
- Prepare a budget
- Be aware of council regulations
- Find a tradesperson
- Know your start and completion dates
- Selecting Products
- Prepare plans
- Purchasing products
- What should I purchase myself?
- What services are available to my property?
- What sort of hot water unit do I need?
Prepare a budget
Before you start shopping for your new bathroom or kitchen you must know your spending limits. Whether you are getting a loan or paying cash, you need to work out how much your project is going to cost. Some businesses also offer finance solutions for approved customers.
Be aware of council regulations
Find out all the information you can before you arrange tradesperson. If your home is heritage listed you will need to meet strict council regulations. Many renovations must be approved by the council before work can commence. Contact the Whangarei District Council for more details.
Finding a tradesperson
Speak with family and friends who have done renovations or built a home. It is important to find a tradesperson that you can communicate with. Make sure you understand everything they are telling you. Book a tradesperson well ahead of time, as they can be booked for months in advance. Ensure that your tradesperson is licensed. Your product warranties are only valid if installed by a licensed tradesperson.
Know your start and completion dates
Communicate with your tradesperson and come to an agreement of realistic start and completion dates for your project. If you have a specific date that the job must be finished by, for example you have relatives coming to stay, let your tradesperson know. Keep in mind that unexpected problems can hold up your project, no matter how well you have planned it.
Selecting Products
It may take a few shopping trips for you to decide on the products that give you the look you desire and are also practical for your needs. Browse through a print or online catalogue. Once you have decided on a style (modern, heritage or easy living) this will narrow down your product choices. Be aware of any size restrictions of the room. Print out or write down product specifications and measure up your bathroom. You may use the online bathroom planner at the Bourne Bathroom and Kitchen Centre website to layout the products you have chosen.
Talk to your tradesperson about your choices. If the tradesperson tells you that a product you have chosen is unsuitable, find out why. It may just be that extra work is required that they don’t want to do. Remember, it is your home and you need to be satisfied once the job is complete.
Prepare plans
It is important that you draw up plans of your bathroom or kitchen. Discuss the plans with your tradesperson. Let him know what sort of products you would like, so he will know what work needs to be done. For example if you have chosen an inwall cistern, the tradesperson will need to know so he can set up the plumbing correctly before the tiling is done. It is best to have specifications of all of the products you have chosen so the tradesperson knows exactly what work is required.
Purchasing products
When selecting products, find out how long it will take for delivery. Some goods such as tapware and toilets will be in stock, while others such as spas and vanity units are custom made and can take up to 1 month to order in. Often these custom made products are non-refundable so confirm your product choices with your tradesperson before ordering. Find out from your tradesperson which products they will required first. Generally, the first products needed are the shower base, bath or spa and mixers if they are being installed on the wall.
As an owner builder, what should I purchase myself?
If you are owner building, make sure you purchase all of the main products for your bathroom, kitchen and laundry. This will ensure that you make all of the decisions and achieve the result you want. There will be things you will not think about when placing an order, such as different handle types on a vanity unit, the pump position of your spa, that you will need to decide on. It is important to make these decisions yourself as they will affect the overall result of your project. Smaller fittings for plumbing can be purchased by your tradesperson.
What services are available to my property?
It is important to know whether you need gas or electric appliances (hot water unit, cooking appliances). If you live further out from the city, you may need LPG appliances. If you currently have electric appliances and you want to change to gas, speak with your tradesperson to determine if this is going to be cost effective and worthwhile in the long run. If you are building a new home, decide on the appliances you want before building begins, as the plumbing will need to be roughed in based on your product selection.
What sort of Hot Water Unit do I need?
There is a wide range of hot water units available and it can be quite daunting to try and choose one. If you are replacing an existing unit your choices can be limited, so speak with your tradesperson. The instantaneous hot water units are popular at the moment, but they use a larger gas line than the standard storage units. This can mean major plumbing changes which can be quite costly, though in the long run the instantaneous systems are cost efficient. See the Bourne Hot Water Selection Guide for more detail.
Many of these points seem somewhat obvious, but the problem arises when you start taking things for granted. When you don’t make sure that all your bases are covered, you may find that you have invested a lot of time, effort and money in a home renovation that you may end up unhappy with.
Do I Really Need A Contractor?
You need to paint the house. Maybe install a new bathroom sink. Or it’s time to replace the inflatable pool sitting in the backyard with a kidney-shaped in-ground pool. But what you need to ask yourself is… do you take on the project yourself?
Well, it all depends. To answer this question, you’ll need to ask three more questions:
• Do I have the money?
• Do I have the time?
• Do I have the skills?
DO I HAVE THE MONEY?
A big factor in any home improvement or repair is whether or not you can afford to hire a professional to do the work or, at least, help with the job. Paying for labour can add to the cost of any project, sometimes doubling it. Right? Like the answer to so many questions – it depends…
It’s possible you might have to spend even more money by not hiring a contractor or subcontractor. If you do a project yourself, you might have to buy or rent tools to get the job done. And you could spend a lot more buying building materials. Many contractors get special deals for buying in bulk or have built up relationships with many suppliers. You might be paying retail while your contractor is buying wholesale. Finally, if your skill level is not up to par, and you have to pay a contractor to come out and fix your mistakes, your costs could shoot through the roof (that you just tried to replace!)
Always consider money when taking on a remodeling or do-it-yourself project. Without access to proper tools, special discounts, or how-to knowledge, you might need a pro to come in and do the job. If it’s a simple project and you have the tools and the skills, then hiring someone else to do it could be the wrong move.
Unless…
DO I HAVE THE TIME?
You always must consider how much time will be involved to finish your construction project. Replacing a tap might only take you a few hours if you have the tools and talent. But if you’re going to tackle a larger task, factor in how much of your time it will take up. And not just the time you’ll spend actually working on it but the time it will take to find the right price, shop for any special tools and for the materials, and to clean up after your job is done.
Whatever project you have in mind, try to estimate how much time it will take to complete. Once you’ve got your time estimate in hand… double it. Well, not always but unexpected problems always seem to creep up on your that add delays. Many “weekend warriors” will start a simple bathroom remodel that should only take three days. If an unseen problem occurs, the completion date could get pushed to the following weekend. Imagine if this happens and it’s the only bathroom in the house…
If you’re short on time, it might be a good idea to bring in an expert to handle the workload. If you have too much time on your hands… I could use help installing a ceiling fan.
DO I HAVE THE SKILLS?
If you ask anyone who drives a car whether or not they are a good driver, nearly every person will tell you they’re the best driver in the world. They can’t all be right because I nearly got run off the road twelve times yesterday. Some people don’t know they’re the bad driver that everyone complains about. Many people also think they’re exceptionally skilled with tools. “Good with their hands,” they’ll tell you.
It’s a good idea to make an honest assessment of your skill level before beginning any new remodeling project.
The danger of watching too many “home improvement” shows is that the hosts always make it look so easy. They edit it down till each project looks clean and simple and only takes a half hour to complete (with commercials!)
If you are putting new tiles on your shower walls or installing a new backsplash in your kitchen you could be working with expensive materials. A trial-and-error approach or learning on-the-job could really increase your costs.
ARE THERE ALTERNATIVES?
Sure, there are always alternatives. You can do it all yourself, you can bring in a contracting pro for the entire project, or you can do some of the “dirty work” yourself. To save on the amount of money you have to pay someone else and to save on the amount of time others will be tramping through your home, you could do a lot of the prep work on your own.
For example, if you’re hiring professional painters to paint your house, you could scrape and sand a lot of the paint before they ever get there. Or, if you’re adding a new room to the home, you could handle the cleanup yourself after the project is completed. There are a number of ways to do this “grunt work” to save time and money on the project while still bringing in an expert to do the job right… when it really counts.
A final thing to keep in mind, when doing it yourself – be careful to not void any warranties on labour or products that you own by working on them. If they’re covered, let someone else handle it.
Whether you do-it-yourself or you do-some-of-it-yourself, make sure you think about everything involved in the project. Asking yourself these questions, and answering honestly, could save you time, money, and maybe even a few fingers… those jigsaws can be tricky to operate.
Good luck!
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