Adding A Granny Flat? 6 Tips On How To Find The Best Builders

Are you considering extending your house in a form of a granny flat? Granny flats are extensions of the main house built attached or detached. Usually, homeowners would opt for it to gain more space or when they just want to improve the overall value of their property.

If you think you need one, then you shouldn’t hesitate! But before you start planning, you must find the right granny flat builders first. Just like houses, granny flats should also last long so take some time in finding the builders you can trust. Besides, you’ll be working with the builders for around 3 to 5 months so you should make a good decision.

It’s best if you can find the granny flat builders who you can comfortably say the things you want to. So if you’re having trouble where to start, here are some tips to help you find the builders you can trust!

1. Do some research and read reviews

Nowadays, it’s easier to look for granny flat builders online since most of them have websites. It’s best if you look for builders specialising in building granny flats instead of general builders. That way, it’ll be easier to talk about the project.

Of course, you’ll have to check every granny flat builder you’ll find in your search. Then, you can pick your top 3 or 5 builders based on their online reviews, location, quality of work, and pricing. Furthermore, it’s important to check if they’re licenced or not. Otherwise, you might end up being scammed.

If you have some basic questions that aren’t included on their FAQs page, then you can just chat with them. It’s a plus if they respond immediately.

2. Look for past designs

While you’re at their website, take some time to look for the past granny flats they built. It will give you an idea of how their designs look. In addition, you’ll also discover designs that you like.

Are you wondering if the builders are experienced enough in building granny flats? Well, usually, you can confirm it by looking at how many granny flats they already built. However, you can still get to know them better when you conduct an interview. But for now, you can base everything on what you see online.

If you see past customers who had more than one project with the builders, then you can also consult them. This will give you an overview of how the builders handle projects.

3. Consider recommendations

Aside from the online world, you can also find granny flat builders through your family and friends. If you know some of them who had renovations or who also had granny flats, then you should ask them about the builders they hired.

Usually, it’s easier to hire people recommended by your family or friends as they give honest feedback. Moreover, you’ll also be informed about the experience they had throughout the project.

So once you’ve listed the granny flat builders you would like to consider, then you can now conduct an interview.

4. Set a meeting and ask the right questions

Now that you know the builders’ credentials, then it’s time to talk to them personally. You can set a meeting with each of your preferred builders. That way you can discuss and ask more questions about the project.

Before the actual meeting, prepare the list of questions you would like to ask so that you won’t forget them. Here are some of the questions you can add to your list:

• How many projects can you handle at the same time?
• How much does a certain design cost?
• Do you handle the permits and contracts?
• How many granny flats have they built before?
• Aside from these, you may add more questions to clarify everything you want and need to know.

5. Evaluate costs

After the interview, you should evaluate your budget, and take note of the costs the builders mentioned in the interview. However, you shouldn’t be blinded by cheap quotations since they usually have hidden fees.

It’s best if the construction cost and other fees are all out in the open so that you can prepare your budget. Keep in mind that you should get the granny flat your money deserves. So instead of picking a builder because they offer a cheap price, just choose the one with reasonable pricing and better quality.

6. Keep in touch

Once you’ve chosen the builders for your granny flat, communicate with them regularly. You can even set a weekly meeting to discuss the progress and other updates about the project. However, you should also contact them through emails or calls so that you get to be updated every step of the way.

Communicating with your builders is important so that problems can be easily solved. Moreover, whenever a problem arises, both parties can easily inform each other.

Finding the right builders can be an exhausting task, but once you see the outcome, it’ll all be worth it. Let us know your tips for finding the best builders by leaving a comment below!