Pros and Cons of Tendering for Residential Building

For any home owner the cost of renovating or building a new home is a significant purchase.  Naturally you need to ensure you are getting the best price possible, however, it is also critically important that you select a builder who will deliver a high quality project.

Clients and Architects regularly ask a quantity of builders to tender for any given project.  However, there are a lot of factors that clients need to consider before choosing who to appoint.

Tendering has little appeal for Builders, because it is a very time consuming and expensive process & regularly the lowest price is selected.  If a builder wins on a low price and then cannot or does not deliver the expected quality, the long term cost to the client will be massively higher financially and emotionally, putting you and your family under significant stress for an extended period of time.

1)      Cost of Tendering

If a tender is prepared thoroughly it will cost a Builder thousands of dollars put together.   This cost is made up of work contracted out to Quantity Surveyors and setting aside several days to organise plans, contact all relevant trades, detail the scope of work and send it out for pricing.  All quotes then need to be followed up and a tender document or tender pack prepared.

2)      Comparing Prices

If 4 builders tender on a project and 3 have similar prices and one is significantly less, warning bells should be ringing.  For one of four tenders to be much less than the others it suggests it was rushed, items were left out and/or they are not quoting to allow for all the subcontracted work to be delivered by high quality tradespeople.

3)      Price vs Value

Staring a building project is like starting a long term relationship.  You want to be sure you select someone that you can trust.  If you choose the wrong partner to save 200K on a large job, you may well find that it costs you 700K extra by the end of job or worst case that you spend all the money and do not get a good result.  If you have bad building work done, the cost to repair the work second time around will be much higher than having it done correctly the first time.   

4)      Asset Value

Building is an investment.  When you are building or renovating the cost to build should increase the value of your asset.  Cutting corners is likely to see the impact on your asset either reduced or minimised.  All clients have a budget and you need to choose a building partner who will respect your goals, work with you to deliver the project within the set budget and deliver the best possible quality possible within that framework.

5)      Reliability

Structural quality guarantees are set at 7 years by the government.  If you choose the wrong builder though, as demonstrated by many horror stories on TV, it can be very difficult, almost impossible to get them to help you when things go wrong.  For this reason it is critical to pick qualified, experienced builders.  You need to see the quality of the work, meet or speak with several former clients and know that they can be relied on to assist with any warranty work, if required, when required in the future.

A recommended alternative to Tendering

To avoid the pitfalls of tendering and choosing the wrong partner or a misleading price, there is another less known and very effective option. 

Do your research on the builders you are interested in; call past clients, visit past jobs, meet their team, find out their company history and check out their licences.  Select a great builder that you trust and would like to work with, one who you can be sure will deliver the result you want for your home. 

Set your budget with them (and your architect where appropriate) and work as a team to engineer the project costing so that you can be confident you are getting the look, quality and price that will work for you, delivered by a reputable, high quality building company. 

The value for you, your family and for your home asset will be well worth the time you spend researching and engaging the right building partner for your project.

Project Management Software for Residential Building

Building your new your new home or renovating is an exciting and important endeavour.  At the Home Building Centre we want the process to be as smooth and enjoyable as possible.  This is why we provide each of our clients with access to a secure website with all of the details of their home building project.

Whether you are at home, at work, on the road, or on holidays, the Home Building Centre puts information at your fingertips about your selections, upgrades, financial decisions, questions, documents, photos and more.

Selection Sheet

See choices and stay on schedule.  Our site organises selection items on a single colour-coded list, displayed with all of the pertinent allowance, pricing, and other helpful information.  Upcoming selections are automatically flagged to help keep you on schedule. With just a few clicks, you can enter your choices.

Expenses & Change Orders

Eliminate any surprise price variations as every decision made on the selection sheet is automatically reflected on the expenses page. With a single click, you can see how each of your choices have affected the final price of your home. If you need to approve a change order, you can do it electronically, saving you the time and hassle of faxing or mailing signatures to us.

Schedule & Milestones

Building a home is an involved process.  To make is easier for you we set up key project milestones in the system so that you can check the progress made so far and see what steps are coming up next.

Questions List

Over the course of a project, you will have lots of questions and this section will help you keep all of those questions, and your builder’s answers, organised and in one place. Simply enter your questions here, and your builder’s responses will be listed right next to them.

Comments, Photos, and Files

As your home building project progresses, you will need to have “conversations” about certain items, like asking for clarification on a selection or providing an update on a request. Rather than using e-mail, you can add comments to many of the items in the site. Comments group these conversations together with the items to which they relate, which keeps information organised and available to everyone, cutting down on misunderstandings. You and your builder can also attach photos and files.

Warranty List

Once your home is complete, you can submit warranty requests online. You can come back to the site to check the status, add comments as necessary, and then verify when they are complete.

Designing and installing a wooden deck is a great way to increase your home’s value. An investment as important as that needs to be installed by a licensed professional with plenty of experience to ensure you get the job done right. Although many deck builders use pressure treated decking, adding a more opulent and rich decking material can be a fantastic way to break from the conventional. Use this top five list of unconventional decking materials to help you find an alternative to the most basic of decking materials—pressure treated lumber.

Tropical Hardwoods

For a step up from pressure treated, exotic hardwoods are in a class all to themselves. Hardwoods like massaranduba, tigerwood, ipe, Mahogany, cumaru and red tauari all look gorgeous. Many exotic hardwoods are so tough; they often require predrilling. Because hardwoods are just that—hard—they are often installed with hidden fasteners, which help save time and money on installation prices. Exotic hardwoods cost around three times more than conventional pressure treated materials, so keep that in mind when you’re determining your budget.

Composites

Wood composite materials have been rapidly increasing in popularity due to the fact that they are made from recycled wood resins and flours and mixed with a polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride and create a strong bond that helps to prevent decay. These modern materials come in a huge variety of styles, colours and designs. They are installed just like typical deck materials, which helps keep labour costs consistent with other installation materials.

Recycled Plastics

Recycled plastics are considered composites as well. They are priced slightly higher cost than wood-based composites but use no wood fibers, only a percentage of pre/post-consumer plastics. Wood-based composite decking can’t compete with plastics low maintenance costs. By keeping maintenance costs down, plastic decking averages out to be the same price as most wood-based composites.

Bamboo Composites

This amazing decking material is not what you think—it is made from grass and plastic composites. Bamboo is really a grass and a super-fast growing alternative to wood. Since bamboo is such a fast growing grass, it can be harvested in just a few years, compared to slower and more costly tree harvesting methods. This makes it one of the fastest growing sustainable building materials in the world. And because bamboo is able to grow just about anywhere in the world, costs tend to remain consistent around the world. Bamboo is versatile enough to be painted or stained any colour, so you’re sure to get the style and design of your choice.

Aluminum

This uncommon decking surface is typically used for commercial buildings due to the high costs of installation. Although installation prices are nearly eight times more than a pressure treated deck, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t a viable choice for residential construction. In fact, aluminum decking has increased in popularity as a residential decking material over the last decade. With a durable finish, long lifespan and an ultra-cool surface even in direct sunlight, it is easy to see why aluminum decking materials have become so popular.

The exterior of your home does more than just look nice. It’s also the first line of defense against the elements. That’s why it’s important to hire a licensed and insured professional with plenty of experience to ensure the job is done right, and also to ensure the job in performed in an ecofriendly way. Use this article to help find the greenest cladding for your home and for the planet.

Check your Existing Cladding

Before you decide on any cladding renovation, repair or removal project, it’s best to be sure that your existing cladding needs to be replaced. The most ecofriendly cladding is the cladding that’s already installed. It requires no materials or fossil fuels to install. Your existing cladding might be better off being cleaned, painted, stained or repaired to get it looking like new again. As long as your cladding isn’t rotting, sagging, or warping, it should be just fine after basic repairs and maintenance.

Find out what you need

Now that you’ve checked your existing cladding and it definitely needs to be replaced, then it’s time to do some research on cladding materials. Since there are so many materials that can be used for cladding, it can be difficult at best to find the right product for your home.

Some cladding products are ecofriendly; and some of are not. It’s best to look at ecofriendly cladding materials from a different perspective. The greenest cladding material you can buy is not a particular product; it is the product that will last indefinitely. Keep a lookout for products with a lifetime warranty or an extended lifespan to ensure your siding stays in place for years to come. That way, you’ll be sure to get a cladding product that not only saves you money on maintenance and repair costs, but also one that never needs to be replaced.

Find out what you want

While low maintenance and a long warranty are good signs that a cladding material is going to be ecofriendly, it is never the deciding factor when it comes to cladding installation. Materials, labour and other costs are the true deciding factor when it comes to cladding purchases—after all, budgets are set from the get go. Use this materials list and labour pricing guide to help you decide which cladding material is the most ecofriendly choice for your home.

PVC Weatherboard and Composites

PVC and wood composites are the cheapest and easiest to install of all cladding materials. They need basic annual maintenance and repairs, making them the most maintenance free of all cladding products. The downside—PVC is made from environmentally harmful materials. PVC and wood composites both use vast amounts of manmade chemicals and burn tons of fossil fuels annually, making them a bad choice when it comes to ecofriendly cladding materials, but a good choice for tight budgets.

Fibre Cement Board and Solid Wood Weatherboard 

These two cladding materials have been stuck together into the same category because they both have similar ecofriendly features and prices. Fibre cement cladding and wood cladding can last lifetimes, installation costs are low, and they require basic maintenance, making them a popular choice among green builders.

The downside—your wood product may be harvested in an unsustainable way. Cementious cladding may use materials that have been strip mined. Ensure that sustainable harvesting/mining methods are used before purchasing your cladding materials.                                             

An outdoor space not only adds a functional room to an unused area of your yard, it also adds to your overall home square footage. With the addition of a quality deck, a home quickly becomes worth more money which is why it’s definitely a job best left to professional contractors. No matter who you hire though, it’s up to the homeowner to choose the materials used when building a deck. Wood and concrete are typical materials used for building decks, patios and porches. Use this article to help you determine which decking material is right for your deck project.

Wood and its Benefits

Wood is a unique product building material and should be treated as such. Wood lasts lifetimes with proper maintenance and it’s also a renewable resource. The majority of wood decking materials are typically pressure treated with a borate or a chromium based preservative, which allows the materials to help prevent decay and insect infestation. Since wood grows just about everywhere in the world, it can be a cheap and local source of decking material. And because wood comes in a wide variety of species, sizes, colour and textures, you’re sure to get exactly the design you are looking for in your new deck.

Wood can do something that concrete has a tough time with—going high. Wood can be used to build a deck at any height off of the ground while concrete has a tough time. From a two story master bedroom crow’s nest, to the barely-off-the-ground backyard outdoor barbecue deck, wood is the ultimate in decking materials. And because it’s so easy to work with, labour costs are kept to a minimum.

What’s wrong with Wood?

The biggest problem with wood—insect infestation and decay. Wood is a living organism; therefore it decays and rots away after its death. Wood must be preserved using chemical sealants to keep it intact through the coming years. Even if you use a commercial pressure treated decking material, rot can become a problem without using a deck preservative. Maintenance issues add to the frustration of owning a material in constant need of care. From scrubbing and washing to staining and sealing, deck maintenance can be a game changer for those who prefer easier care materials.

Concrete and its Benefits

A concrete slab will last indefinitely once it has been poured and allowed to cure for 28 days. Concrete is an extremely tough material and will last.  Concrete is also strong enough to support a structure above unlike a wooden decking surface. By using future foresight in your deck building strategy, a concrete patio can easily be transformed into an indoor room in the future.  

Concrete can also be painted and stained creating a durable and smooth finish perfect for all weather activities and outdoor fun. Concrete has one unique ability that wood decking can never have—it can be textured to look like stone, brick and many other amazing patterns and designs. Because textured concrete is a permanent and amazing looking creation, values can exceed wood decks.

What’s wrong with Concrete?

The biggest disadvantage with concrete is that it increases in expense exponentially compared to the amount of space the project is encompassing as a whole. For example, the less space you have with your deck project to maneuverer trucks and other concrete equipment, the higher the installation costs are going to run. Throw in footers, steps or other odd angled form work and concrete can quickly become five times more expensive than a wood deck.

If you need help deciding the best material for your deck, seek professional advice.  They will help you weigh up all options taking into account your home, your lifestyle, your goals and your budget.

Painting the interior of the house can be fun for some and a disaster for others.

When choosing paint colours, it's important to spend some time deciding the right colour scheme.  If you are unsure what to choose we recommend you get professional advice. 

When you choose a good colour scheme for your home it will improve the value of your property & increase the happiness of everyone living there. 

At the other extreme, choosing the wrong colours for your home can reduce the perceived value of your property and be disappointing and stressful for the entire family.

Choosing colours that suit your lifestyle

If you will be living in the property, it's critical that you choose colours that reflect your style, colour preferences and lifestyle.  If you will be selling or renting the property you need to choose colours that will have the broadest appeal.

Some factors to consider are below:

• What is the size of your room? Larger rooms can afford to have bolder colours than smaller rooms. Bigger rooms have more light and can be made feel more warm & inviting when painted with darker colours.  Smaller rooms are normally better with light colours, as they increase the perceived size of the room
• Are there windows in the room? Larger windows will add to the lightness and brightness of the colour, so rooms with no windows tend to look better with softer tones.
• What works with your furniture and furnishings?  If you have existing items that you want to keep and showcase in your newly painted home then it's important the colours you select are designed to compliment any artwork, furnitures, curtains and accessories etc that you will be displaying in each room. 

• Colour tips

  As a general rule floor colours are darker than walls and ceilings are lighter than walls, as this formula tends to make rooms look larger.  Naturally you can choose anything including bold colours and textured paints, however, you need to be very clear about the effect you want to create when you pick feature colours & get professional advice to ensure the colours you are choosing for the areas you want to paint, will all work together to give you the home environment you're after.

 

The common brick is one of the greatest inventions. Brick making transforms low-strength mud into strong materials that can endure harsh conditions for centuries when properly cared for. Many people prefer to invest and live in a brick house basically because of the impression that they are more durable than others.

Bricks can be made of clay, soft slate, calcium silicate, concrete or from quarried stone. Brick material is free from pollutants and allergens. There are many several types of bricks. Deciding which brick to use is an important consideration. The four most common types of bricks are:

• i. Engineering Block – They’re not particularly attractive looking bricks but they are tenacious and solid and so very useful.      
• ii. Facing Bricks – this is a very common type of brick which is generally used in small or medium sized projects.     
• iii. Reclaimed Bricks – these are normally cheap bricks which you can get from other areas of the house or other demolished houses.     
• iv. Decorative Bricks – these help add a classy look to existing brickwork that might look boring to you.

Choosing the perfect bricks for your project is not a difficult job. A wise decision will really help make your home improvement projects more visually exciting. Let us now consider the advantages of bricks.

Advantages of using Bricks

There are several reasons why people prefer bricks over other building material. It has various benefits such as value recognition, fire protection, comfort, and is also environment-friendly. Aside from the classical appeal bricks can bring to your house, they also have the following value and energy efficiency:

• Adds value to the house – a house made of bricks has an impression of being solid and durable. According to a study, bricks houses are highly demanded. Therefore, it can add up to 6% on resale value than non – brick homes. We can use decorative bricks to add beauty to the house as well.
• Climate control – brick houses are more beneficial to cold areas. Brick has the ability to slow heat movement, giving you a warmer and more comfortable environment inside the house.  This special property of bricks also reduces the usage of heaters during severely cold weather. Bricks like Engineering blocks can be suitable in this case as they are very strong.
• Requires less maintenance – Bricks do not require frequent repainting, repair or reinstallation, provided that they are properly installed. Although it is true that brick houses are usually costly but the maintenance of the house will not add costs to it. If it is properly installed and taken care of, it is guaranteed that bricks need about two life times before requiring renovation.
• Fire Proof nature – Bricks are naturally fire proof. It gives a higher sense of security in emergency fire conditions to you and your family. Some bricks are made up of clay so they don’t produce combustion gases, which is the second most harmful reason for casualties after the fire itself. This also results in decrease of the fire insurance of around 32%.
• Bricks and beauty – Bricks not only add value but add beauty to your house as well. You can mix and match your bricks with over 10,000 colors and styles from traditional to modern home designs depending on the structure and your personality. Decorative bricks often feature carvings or other artistic qualities designed to look attractive and are available in a range of sizes and shapes to suit all sorts of projects.  

When it comes to the technical considerations, we will need the help of a masonry contractor. Here are some of those things we must consider:

1. Best quality of material
2. Proper installation
3. Proper construction techniques
4. Trimming and framing details

Brick houses demand a higher market value because of their quality and efficiency. Although using bricks for your home can be a bit costly, but the advantages you can get from owning a house made from bricks would certainly outweigh this advantage.

With so many diverse and unique materials that are used in today’s modern hardwood flooring, it can be difficult to choose between all of the options that are available. Hardwoods, softwoods, engineered and substrates are all terminology that you should get familiar with before you begin selecting wood flooring. Learn these wood-flooring basics and you’re sure to make an informed decision when choosing wood flooring.

Substrates

A substrate or sub-floor is the surface on which your wood flooring rests upon. A substrate for solid wood flooring can be plywood over concrete or plywood over wood joists.

Engineered wood flooring can rest upon concrete directly, so long as it rests upon an adhesive or a foam/plastic vapor barrier.

Hardwoods

This wood flooring option is probably the most common and easily recognised of all. Blackbutt, Gum, Ironbark, Ash and Mahogany are all prime examples of hardwood floors. Prized for their beautiful grains patterns and rich colors, hardwoods are a great way to make any room charismatic and opulent.

Known for its quality, durability and strength, solid hardwood floors are the top of the line when it comes to wood flooring options. Solid hardwood flooring can be refinished multiple times, creating a durable flooring that will last for decades. Solid hardwood flooring can also be the most expensive wood flooring option. Also, solid hardwoods should not be installed in basements or other high humidity locations.

Softwoods

Pine is the most commonly used softwood flooring material and exudes a character and color all its own. It accepts stains well and easily changes from a light yellow-tan to a dark black—or any color in between.

Bamboo is technically not a softwood or a hardwood but is instead a grass. Because of its strength and durability, it is a widely used wood flooring option. Factor in that bamboo can be harvested every 4-5 years and you can see why bamboo has recently become so popular as an eco-friendly building material.

Engineered Wood

If you’re looking for the same quality material as a solid wood floor but for a cheaper price, then an engineered hardwood floor is the right choice for you. Built like a piece of plywood, an engineered hardwood floor has a thinner layer of hardwood on the surface and cheaper layers underneath with wood set perpendicular to each other to create strength. The drawback with engineered wood is you can’t refinish it multiple times like a solid hardwood floor.

Planks and Strips

Once you’ve selected a wood species and grade, you’ll need to choose a width for the planks. Planks range in size from 3” and anything bigger, giving the wood floor a more rustic feel. Strips are smaller and more common in traditional wood flooring designs and come in typical widths of 2 ¼”.

Patterns

Conventional wood flooring is set in straight strips or planks against the longest wall of a room. This is the cheapest and easiest pattern for wood flooring.
Diagonal patterns add a little more cost to the materials and labor price, but add a dramatic effect to any room. Parquet patterns resemble a checkerboard with opposing squares set perpendicular against the grain.

Herringbone is similar to parquet except squares are set into diagonal patterns. This is where pattern design becomes pricey.

Borders and mosaics are one of the most expensive patterns of all. Often seen in high-end homes, a border frames the perimeter of the room, while a pattern or mosaic medallion rests in the middle.

Nearly every new home requires some form of carpet. But what kind will you install? Berber, level loop pile, frieze, Saxony or something else? With so many carpet styles available, it can be tough to choose a style when you’re not sure what a cut and loop pile carpet is. By learning the terminology first, you can easily make an informed decision when you have new carpet installed in your home. Use this guide to carpet and you’ll be on your way to buying the right carpet to suit your homes design elements.

Cut Pile

This carpet is one of the most commonly used carpet styles and is easily recognized. As loop fibers are pulled through the back of the mat, the top loop is cut leaving an exposed bundle standing straight up. Multiple cuts create a plush look that is less resistant to crushing than many other carpet styles. Cut pile carpet can be used in just about any room. Cut pile also includes frieze, velvet, texture and Saxony styles. 

Saxony / Plush Pile

While the process for making Saxony carpet is similar to cut pile, there are some differences.  When the fibre loops are pulled through the mat, they are twisted together with two or more fibres and heatset straight. This medium durability carpet has a softer texture than typical cut pile.   The carpet has an opulent and luxurious look so this style is best suited to formal areas like dining rooms and master bedrooms, as footprints and vacuum cleaner marks show up easily in this style of carpet. 

Textured Saxony is slightly different because textures are heatset into the carpet, creating an impressed texture that changes the shades of the carpets color, helping to disguise footprints or vacuum cleaner lines. Bedrooms and living rooms are a great place for this carpet style. 

Frieze

This carpet is made just like Saxony with the exception that carpet fibers are heavily twisted and shorter fibers. Fibers curl in multiple directions, making this carpet style suitable for higher traffic areas like bedrooms and living rooms. 

Level Loop Pile

Unlike cut loop, as the carpet fibers are weaved through the mat, the yarn is pulled into level loops. Because level loop piles are tightly packed, they are extremely durable and resist crushing well. This style carpet allows for easy cleaning, as the dirt isn’t pressed down between the yarns like a cut loop carpet. Level loop carpet also comes in tall loops and multi-level loops that create a more impressive look that is used more commonly in higher end homes.  

Berber

This popular carpet style is manufactured just like level loop pile but thicker yarns are used. Typically a wool mix is used, setting the price for this carpet much higher than conventional level loop pile. Synthetic fibers can be used to bring down the price. While this carpet is resilient in higher trafficked rooms, loops can easily snag, damaging the carpet. 

Cut and Loop Pile

A combination of both cut and loop piles of yarn, this style of carpet is often used with a heatset to form patterns or textures into the fibers. A wide variety of colors are also available with standard cut and loop pile carpets, creating a gorgeous carpet fit for nearly any room in your home.