There are many Auckland builders – how do you find the right one? Part 1

Are you dreaming of building your own house in Auckland? I do. I can see myself sitting on my very own deck chatting to a friend while enjoying a Flat White.
With interest rates low at the moment and many builders in Auckland not really busy - it makes a lot of sense to take the plunge and realize the dream of your own home. Now you just have to find the most suitable one of the many Auckland builders.

Having been involved with the building industry for over 30 years, I suggest the following plan of action:

Decide on the basics:

• Do you want to build for yourself or as a rental?
  
  
• If it’s for yourself: where do you want to live? Close to the city or out in the country? How about transport to your place of work or the kid’s school? What are the facilities like?
  
  

• How big should the house be? Depends where you are in life - have you got young kids or are they getting ready to leave the nest? 
  

• What can you afford? 

• You should find out about underground services, building zones, allowed site coverage, height restrictions and so on. Ask your architect or any of the Auckland builders for advice. 

• With rising energy cost it pays to consider energy efficient methods like passive solar design. Some plots are more suitable for that than others. Again get some guidance from a local designer or a building company. 

Then you should think about the various kinds of houses:

• Do you want a standard off the shelve house? Lots of builders have show homes all over the place and they will build the house for you and even adjust the plans according to your wishes. Then it's just a matter of deciding which show home comes closest to your dream house and your budget. 
  
  
• Or do you prefer the more individual approach with an architect designed solution which hopefully will turn out exactly as you imagined it? 

Let’s have a closer look at this alternative:

You can either find an architect, get the design and the building permit and then start looking for a builder or you can employ a building company right from the start, who then will in turn employ the architect.
The input of one of the experienced Auckland builders with their knowledge about the practicality of construction and their good understanding of the cost involved will alleviate a lot of the construction issues at an early stage. Builders do however sometimes cramp the architect’s style with their practical approach and the house might end up not as innovative as you wanted it to be.

On the other hand a lot of the architects prefer not to get involved in the actual construction phase and having the builder included in the process right from the start is a good idea for continuity.