How should you communicate with your custom home builder?
It’s an exciting but potentially overwhelming time when you’ve taken the leap to design an build a custom home, or renovate your existing home.
The key to a smooth build is communication between the client and builder to ensure that expectations are managed from both sides.
The builder wants to ensure that plans are approved, timely decisions are made, and progress payments are paid on time.
The clients are focussed on timeframes being maintained, and the quality and precision of the build as it relates to the vision they had in their minds.
It’s important to establish a pattern of communication early on in the planning stages. This foundation will set you up for a positive and productive relationship with your custom home builder.
Three (3) questions to ask your home builder in relation to communication:
1 – What is the best way to contact you?
2 – When is the best time to contact you?
3 – What is the expected response time?
Your home builder’s answers to these questions are important and will let you know what to expect when the build starts. Your builder’s answers should align with your own expectations.
Many clients and builders we speak with also struggle with communication being spread across too many platforms. Plans, questions, variations, confirmations, invoices and more are communicated and sent inconsistently via phone calls, email, text message, What’s App etc.
When it comes to cross referencing information, it becomes almost impossible to find what you’re looking for. Especially when you’re also dealing with tradesmen, surveyors, legal, financial and other professionals as well.
The knowmybuild app offers a simple, easy to use, affordable solution.
The solution to having bits of information all over the place is an an app on your phone, that monitors project progress, keeps track of payment, and allows communication and file sharing between all parties. The builder, trades, contractors and the client have access to the project details with the app.
Milestones
Project milestones can be customised and set according to each home builder or renovation project. These are the different stages of the build, including things like foundation, framing and fit out. They can also be entirely custom and more specific and include driveways, bathrooms and kitchens.
Payments
Each milestone for your home build or renovation project can also be tied to a payment amount. Payments can be tracked and edited and are a great way to ensure missed payments don’t delay the build progress.
Chat feature
The chat feature within the project allows easy, immediate communication between the builder, clients and other trades if required. The ability to share the project to anyone who downloads the free app enables everyone involved to access up to date information, changes, images and conversation regarding the build.
Communication is of paramount importance with a high value, complex project such as a build. The knowmnybuild app allows home owners, builders and trades to share information, updates and requests simply and easily, on one platform. As the app is on your phone, you can send and receive photos, comments and other important project management data on the run. This ensures that communication is timely, easy to access and that everyone is equally informed.
Check out the free knowmybuild app today and see for yourself how this could save you time and stress in communicating with your build team. You can create and manage your project for free, and only pay a small fee when you’re ready to share the project with your team.
Find out more about the app here.