HOW TO SELECT A BUILDER FOR YOUR DEVELOPMENT

As a registered member of the Victorian Building Authority and having been involved in many  construction projects, NPI Group understands exactly what ‘best practise’ looks like in any builder and  client relationship. In our opinion, it all starts with making sure the finer details that a builder needs to  clearly understand the scope of the project & accurately quote are clearly presented. 

When NPI is assisting our clients to find the right builder, we manage this in a formal tender process.  Any builder we select to take part in the process will receive a tender pack consolidating all the below  formal documents which are a must for any construction: 

• Property designs / architectural drawings 
• Engineering computations 
• Soil reports 
• Arborist reports 
• Energy reports  
• Planning permits  
• Drainage designs  

In addition to this, we spend extensive amount of time working with clients during the design process to  agree certain design elements to include in the tender pack also. Some of the most common features  that we specify: 

• What type of tiles do we want used in wet areas? 
• Will bathrooms be fully tiled from floor to ceiling? 
• Do we want stone benchtops in the kitchen, or laminate? 
• Are we laying hardwood floors or engineered flooring? 
• Door handles, tapware, cabinetry design, architraves and skirting….. the list goes on and on!!! 

The reason we are so detailed as this point of the process is to stop unwanted changes throughout the  actual build process which invariably cost the client a significant amount of time and money! The least  number of assumptions that the builder has to make throughout a tender will ALWAYS improve the  accuracy of the quote and timings delivered in their submission. How many times have you heard stories  about clients having to pay tens of thousands more in “extras” or “variations” which should have been  identified at the start of the process? 

Once NPI Group have received our tender submissions back from builders, we take time analyzing them  in detail, to ensure they include all the detail we have specified in the scope and make sure we are  conducting an ‘apples-for-apples’ comparison. We present the submissions to our clients in a way which  allows for informed decisions to be made based on price, timing, work history and professionalism of  the builder.

In most projects, there will be multiple submissions that offer similar pricing and timing. In these cases  we suggest a short listing of 2-4 builders where we will dive deeper into finding the right fit for our  client. This process typically involves: 

• Face to face meeting with the builder 

o Are they strong communicators? Is there good rapport? Does the client develop an  immediate sense of trust? 

• Visiting builders project sites 

o Is the builder completing a similar project to our scope? What is the state of the  worksite, messy or organized? Is the site safely fenced and other hazards signed? • Testimonials from their previous clients 

o Did the builder deliver on what was promised? Were there strong communicators & was  the client happy with the outcome? 

From here we can usually land on one clear stand out which we feel will be the best fit for our clients.  NPI Group ensure that the successful builder is formally notified and the contracts between both parties  mirror what was promised in the tender submission. 

The final part of our tender process is to also need to select a building surveyor. The building surveyor is  an independent party that works for (us) the client to make sure the builder maintains a high quality of  workmanship and adheres to all planning, development and engineering guidelines that have been set  out in the planning stage of the development. The building surveyor completes the mandatory  inspections as set out in the Australian Standards and ultimately signs off on the development by issuing  a certificate of occupancy, which means the dwelling or dwellings is now habitable.  

Most people think property development is out of reach or get overwhelmed when they hear stories  about getting bounced between local council departments and unreliable trades who over promise and  under deliver, at NPI Group we have built a network of contacts and processes which streamlines  everything right from the initial property purchase right through to handing over the keys to your  finished development. Our goal is to take the stress and strain away by providing guidance, advice and  support every step of the way.  

NPI Group: NPI Group is a property investment firm that concentrates on small to medium scale residential development and are making  property investing/ development easy for everyone. We are bridging the gap between the average punter on the street and property  development by using our 3 step method which takes the hassle out of any property investment/ development by completing the acquistion,  the council and building permits and project management of the job from start to finish.

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