You want to live in a perfect little oasis...

It’s got to have everything you need and nothing you don’t!

You want innovation…

Or maybe self-sufficiency?!

We all know what WE want in our home…

The key is to articulate what’s in your mind into a design, then it’s the builder’s job to turn it into a beautiful home!

Nothing has changed about the way we design a home...

We first express our ideas to an expert, then get it drawn up on paper or computer. - Simple, right!?                  

What’s documented, is what gets… That’s why it’s so VERY important to get these documents right!

Of course, building a home is a relationship of trust.

When making the biggest purchase of your life it is critical you trust your builder and let’s be honest, you’d be mad to sign up with one you didn’t!

But trust is merely a starting point…

To significantly decrease the risks of misinterpretation, let’s get things black and white!

Let’s get everything documented so you as the client know what beautiful outcome you will get from your home.

Take your time to review the documents, don’t be afraid to ask LOADS of questions and get clear on everything.

Not everyone needs pages and pages of information, once again we’re all different.

Some people need very simple documentation others want every little detail itemised. There’s no right and wrong, you just have to be clear on where you stand and the outcome you will achieve.

The critical point is; verbalization of thoughts and desires holds no weight, without documentation!

We have learnt this lesson from our own mistakes...

A young couple came to us to take over from another builder that wasn’t achieving the sustainability aspects the couple was aiming to achieve.

They had all their plans and permits and wanted to get started YESTERDAY!

We obliged!

We saw that this was to be a beautiful little home and the couple were great and really motivated to do something unique, while placing a lot of emphasis on performance and green innovation.

Because we all wanted to get things moving the documentation process was fast tracked!

We received information from the clients of works that they thought had already been completed by the past builder…. But they weren’t!

We never thought to check for ourselves, we just took the owner’s word for it… BIG MISTAKE!

When entering into a building contract a client has an expectation that things are accurate. If there is anything unclear in the documentation or you think something should be investigated further, bring it up with your builder.

Documentation is key, it is your absolute building bible!

What gets documented, gets built!

Only minimal aspects of the project should be PS or PC items. This should only be items that haven’t yet been chosen or a price hasn’t been able to be fixed after ‘reasonable’ investigation.

We’ve certainly learnt our lesson and will NEVER be fast-tracking any project without the correct documentation and understanding from everyone involved.

It’s the biggest purchase you will ever make, don’t leave it to chance!

~ Simon Clarke, GM