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Learn how Advance Build takes the hassle out of buying (and building) your first home.
Are you a first time home buyer gearing up to build your own house?
Perhaps you’re already looking at land.
Cooking up kitchen plans.
Or thinking about all the memories you’ll make there.
There’s no denying: it’s an exciting journey!
It can also be a road rife with unexpected – and often rather stressful – hurdles.
We’re talking:
- Budget blowouts
- Project delays
- Design fails
- And…the list goes on.
Granted, all those things sound pretty overwhelming.
But before you start slowly backing away, have you ever considered a prefabricated home?
What is a prefabricated home?
Essentially, a prefabricated (or transportable) home is constructed in a factory. Once it’s built, it’s delivered to the site where it’s fixed to its foundations. Site services are also connected at this point.
Think it sounds simple? It is.
In fact, taking this route could see you side stepping many of the challenges people face when building traditional homes.
Where does Advance Build come in?
Advance Build has been supporting New Zealanders build their own homes since 2008. They’ve helped more than 500 customers design, manage and build their dream houses – and overcome many of the pitfalls that first time home buyers face.
So what exactly are those pitfalls? Will they really affect you? And how can Advance Build help you avoid them?
Read on.
1. Budget blowouts + surprise costs
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of building your first home. After all, you want it to be just right. But veering away from the budget you’ve set can end up costing you a lot more than you can actually afford.
On top of that, there are often unforeseen (and uncontrollable) costs along the way, such as:
- Weather delays – if your build takes longer than expected, you’ll pay more interest on loans or bridging finance, as well as alternative accommodation
- Builder fees – if you sign a ‘cost-plus’ contract, you pay the actual cost of construction plus a fee to the builder. That means you’re responsible for any mistakes or labour price increases.
How to avoid it
Dale Jacobs, Home Consultant at Advance Build, says it’s difficult to factor in all site cost items – even for prefabricated homes. However, because Advance Build’s quotes are carefully calculated, they remove much of the cost uncertainty first home builders can face.
‘We provide clients with contracts that factor in all foreseeable costs,’ he explains. ‘That level of transparency gives customers peace of mind throughout the building process.’
As for those all-too-often weather delays so common throughout traditional builds, Dale says taking construction off site is a game-changer.
‘We manufacture all our homes in our purpose-built factory,’ he tells us. ‘That means clients don’t need to worry about weather-related delays or site complications – both of which can really impact a project’s budget.’
2. Project delays
Everyone knows a home isn’t built in a day. But if you’re living with family while you build or paying rent somewhere else, you want it finished as soon as possible.
There are any number of obstacles that can slow your construction down and leave you feeling frustrated and stressed.
The most common progress-stoppers include:
- Unpredictable weather
- Labour shortages
- Site complications.
And there are plenty more where those came from!
How to avoid it
That’s why Dale encourages first home buyers and builders to consider taking the prefabricated path – especially as the effects of climate change start ramping up.
‘Again, it’s about factory building – that controlled environment that isn’t affected by weather,’ he says. ‘As extreme weather becomes more of an issue, so will the delays for onsite builds.’
But it’s not just removing rain, wind and thunderstorms that speed the prefabrication process up. According to Dale, it also comes down to an efficient production process and experienced project managers.
‘Because we overlap factory construction with the siteworks, we can halve a client’s build time,’ he reveals. ‘In fact, our build time is 62% faster than the national average for residential homes.
‘We also have dedicated project managers who keep construction on track – and clients updated.’
3. Not being in the know
If this is your first home building experience, you’re probably unfamiliar with the process. This is to be expected!
Inexperience often leads to stress, misunderstanding and poor decision-making. And none of these make your journey much fun.
How to avoid it
‘Get an expert in your corner,’ advises Dale. ‘There are so many aspects to consider when creating your home and it’s simply not realistic to know everything. You want to feel confident you’re making the right decisions because at the end of the day, you’re going to live in this home – hopefully for a long time.’
Working with a company like Advance Build simplifies the process for clients. The team is there from start to finish, guiding you through a clear step-by-step journey – that won’t overwhelm you.
‘We have an extremely experienced team who is there for the whole ride,’ Dale explains. ‘We manage every part of the build, including design, planning, consents, construction and sign off.’
Sounds hassle-free? It is.
4. Getting the design right
Unless you’re an architect or designer, it’s daunting to plan your house layout. Chances are, you won’t get it quite right and may end up with impractical designs that don’t meet your long-term needs.
Trust us: insufficient storage or poorly placed rooms will annoy you – a lot!
How to avoid it
Dale recommends choosing a pre-designed floor plan that works for your family, lifestyle and budget.
‘It can be hard to visualise the layout of your house and actually work out what you need,’ he says. ‘That’s why we have a wide range of pre-designed plans for clients. All these can be customised to suit their specific site and needs – without sacrificing the efficiency of prefabrication construction.
‘Ultimately, a home should be functional, practical and optimised for space – and you do need expert input to bring that to life.’
He also says it’s important to turn to the experts to understand what won’t work.
‘Our expert team has seen the fallout of design flaws and can help clients dodge them. If you can avoid making functionality mistakes, you’ll avoid a whole lot of frustration down the track.’
5. Contractor chaos
When it comes to building, there’s a knack to knowing which trades you need – and when. For example, you can’t install bathroom tiles until your waterproof membrane is in. Nor can you start putting in kitchen cabinetry before your electricals are at least roughed in.
So if you’re trying to manage all those elements of a build – without much (if any) experience – it could get pretty overwhelming, pretty quickly. Not to mention delaying your project and upping your costs.
How to avoid it
Dale says one of the best decisions you can make when buying your first home is to outsource everything that could potentially trip you up.
‘We’re essentially a one-stop solution for clients,’ he explains. ‘We handle the entire process – from design and planning, to construction and installation.
‘Our team is the single point of contact for the homeowner, meaning clients don’t need to manage multiple contractors and risk mistakes along the way.
‘Also, the prefab process means very little onsite construction,’ he continues. ‘That means the chance of errors from subcontractors is minimised – again reducing a client’s construction stress.’
Making your first home fun
Thinking of building your first home? Think about taking the prefabricated path.
You’ll get certainty around:
- Costs
- Timeframe
- Design.
You might even enjoy the process!
Get in touch with the Advance Build team to learn more about building your home – without stress, budget blowouts or design blunders.