Episode 8: Matthew Phillips - The Do's and Don't's in Signing a Building Contract

Matthew Phillips from Patterson Homes comes in to talk to us about what to expect from your building contact when building a new home.

A building contract is quite an involved document. It includes everything from time frames, payments required, materials used to build, appliances, tiles, driveways, landscaping, floorplans, fence lines, plumbing, lighting plans, this list goes on! Matthew Phillips is here again today to explain the do’s and don’ts of signing a builder’s contract.

Intro:

Matthew Phillips, Managing Director of Patterson Homes, has the eye for detail, the commitment to customers and the passion to build. He’s seen plenty of building contracts in his time and knows what works and what should be questioned. With 26 years experience in the building industry, Matthew is here to tell us how to get it right. Welcome Matthew!

1. What is a building contract?
a. What should we be looking for in a building contract?
2. What are some of the red flags we should be looking for when seeing a building contract for the first time?
3. What sort of building accreditations should we be looking for when we appoint a builder?
4. Is there a standard way of doing payments to your builder?
5. What energy efficient/star ratings should we be expecting in our new house?
a. Are regulations always changing?
6. What type of inclusions are considered standard?
a. What inclusions are no so standard?
b. What happens if we want to change the inclusions half way through the build?
7. Mark from Seaford wants to know what would be the standard time from signing the contract to getting the certificate of occupancy?
8. What’s some good advice to give people who want to build that can help the process of building a new home?

Show Notes:

Photos of the medical/childcare centre that turned into a big hole, damaging neighbouring properties as mentioned in Fun Facts. Credit: Clare Kermond of The Age for that story. 

 

 

Here is a link to a checklist of what is required in regards to getting building permits & insurance for Extensions and renovations costing more than $10,000.

https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/housing/building-and-renovating/checklists/extensions-and-renovations-costing-more-than-10000

 

Special Listener Offer: Matthew Phillips is offering a free consultation and quote for someone who is wanting to build their dream home. To be in the running, you need to go to Facebook and Like, Share and Comment why you would love to win a free consultation.