Building a home on a sloping block is a challenge. You need to get your homes built by a company specializing in such constructions. These kind of homes present very unique challenges to the builder and if it is not handled carefully, you may end up with a very costly home.
While building a house on a sloping block is challenging, a well-built home can look very unique and stunning. Below are some of the aspects to consider before hiring a company to build your house.
Design Portfolio and Experience
It is extremely important to approach a builder who has prior experience in building homes on sloping blocks. Sloping blocks can slope either in front, rear, left of right. Each of these slopes will involve a different design element to cope with. Ask the builder to showcase his design portfolio to specifically show you how they have dealt with these different kind of slopes. Look for builders with innovative designs and a good track record of timely construction.
Upfront Costs
An established builder will be able to provide you with the complete details of the costs involved upfront. Do not go in for builders who will only provide you a partial quote. It is quite likely that they could up with surprise additional costs later on. Go through all the design sketches with them and ask them to list in detail the costs involved in each and every element of the design. You can specifically ask them to list out the items that will not be covered in their construction. It is better to get more detailed quote with no surprises than to just go in with the cheapest bidder.
Contracts
Once you decide the broader details with the builder, it is time to draw up the contracts. You must seek professional help here to ensure that you are protected on all fronts. You should look out for any price escalation clauses. If there are such clauses, then you must be absolutely sure about the instances in which such clauses can be invoked. These are some of the legal tricks that builders can play to get more money from you. Hiring a good lawyer may cost you, but it will be money which is well spent. You would rather want to spend some legal fees now to ensure a water tight contract than to spend a huge amount later on battling a court case if you have to sue the builder.
These are some of the aspects you need to consider before hiring a builder.
