Five Things First-Home Builders Should Know Before Purchasing a House and Land Package

Building a home for the first time is an exciting and sometimes daunting process. If you’re a first-home builder considering a house and land package, it’s important to feel informed and confident about your chosen builder and know what to expect.

We’ve put together a list of key things to keep in mind (and questions to ask) before you make your decision.

First and foremost, you should ensure your chosen builder is credible with appropriate licensing. As a first step, you can search the current Register of builders on the Western Australian community services website. They also have a search tool for Building and Energy licenses and registrations. You can use the builder’s identifier (such as BC11422) to look them up and determine their licensing status.

It’s essential that your home builder is covered by insurance. In some cases, if a builder isn’t insured, you could be held liable for any claims. You are well within your rights to request evidence that your builder has appropriate levels of insurance in place before undergoing any work.

It also pays to find out if your chosen builder is a member of any industry associations, such as the Housing Industry Association of Australia (HIA). The HIA is the national association for building professionals, promoting high standards in the industry.

WA Country Builders are also members of Master Builders WA and the Urban Development Institute of Australia WA.

The next step for first-home builders is to see if your future builder is reputable and trustworthy. If you have a builder in mind, start with their website and social media accounts. Look through their house and land portfolio, their previous client testimonials, and even visit their display homes if possible. For a deeper dive, you can see what other clients have to say about their experiences. Search for the builder on review sites such as Google reviews and ProductReview.

Consider your builder’s experience in the industry and how long they’ve been operating, too. Choosing a large home builder with a strong reputation, proven track record, and a dedicated team of staff can offer a reassuring sense of security.

In the case of WA Country Builders, we’ve been operating for more than 30 years, and are proud members of the JWH Group, one of the largest residential building groups in Western Australia.

First-home builders Courtney and Hayden already had a block in mind, and chose their builder by looking through other houses under construction in their area.

“The other WA Country Builders houses really stood out; they were just beautiful. We knew that they’d done a good job, and that’s why we trusted them.”

Before committing to a house and land package, it is vital that, as first-time builders, you discuss your budget and any additional costs. Be sure to read the fine print, knowing what is included in your package and any costs that may fall outside of this scope. A good home builder will be transparent about items, add-ons or situations that could lead to additional charges beyond your budget.

Additionally, make sure you’re informed about the approximate timeline from start to finish. Knowing the schedule will help you prepare for your move and plan ahead. It’s also a good idea to ask about common delays, so you’re aware of potential setbacks.

Your house and land package comes with a host of inclusions. Your builder should provide you with a list of specifications, which details everything that’s included in the price of your home. Depending on your builder and your package, you may be able to discuss customisations and changes prior to construction.

There will be a cut-off point where you can no longer make any changes to the house design, so it’s important to double-check your inclusions before construction gets underway.

Ideally, if this is your first time building, it is best to know exactly what you want, discuss it with your homebuilder and plan everything well in advance. However, if you forget something important that needs to be added to the design, knowing key dates in the process will help ensure it can still be incorporated.

As first-time builders, you will likely have plenty of questions during the building journey, which is why it’s important to know how to ask questions. Before construction, you should have a dedicated consultant who is ready to answer all of your questions prior to taking the plunge.

Once your home is underway, be sure you know who your liaison is. This point of contact should keep you up to date on your build and be able to address any enquiries throughout construction. Many builders will also offer opportunities to meet with your Construction Supervisor on-site so you can see the progress of your home in person.

And of course, ensure you know where to go after your home is completed in case anything pops up. With WA Country builders, we have a service team who will be ready to assist should you need anything once you have picked up your keys.