The rise of popular renovation TV shows has skewed many clients’ ideas about how long it actually takes to build a home. On television, an entire home can be completed in a matter of weeks, however this is not the case in reality. Industry experts agree that the average Australian house takes anywhere between four and 12 months to construct, after land has been purchased and the design has been decided.
While some builders are willing to help you construct your dream home as “quickly as possible”, this is generally a red flag. A long-term, high-quality home takes time and money to create so any builder who promises to reduce the time-frame or cost of your home should be taken with a grain of salt.
Any residential building project is a fine balance between time, cost and quality. Trying to change any one of these elements will affect the others and impact on your final product. In this blog, we’ll look at each of these moving parts in detail and explain why quality construction isn’t usually achieved through shortcuts.
Time
As mentioned above, construction of a custom home should take anywhere between 4-12 months. If your builder promises to deliver your dream home in less time than this, there is likely a good reason. Perhaps they are quoting well above average rates (have you thoroughly checked your contract for any hidden costs?) or maybe they’re planning to cut corners when it comes to finding quality materials and tradespeople.
Builders who promise to complete projects ridiculously quickly will often fail to deliver on your specifications, meaning you will have to fork out more money at the end to rectify this. In the end, this will end up costing you more time, money and stress than simply selecting a quality builder at the beginning.
Of course, some builders do have the resources to complete a custom home build in a very short amount of time. But remember that time is money, so even if your build is completed quickly and to a high standard, it’s probably because the build team have spent many hours working overtime to get it done. These labour costs add up very quickly, which leads us to the next consideration in your build: cost.
Cost
There are no two ways about it – a good-quality home costs money, particularly when you want it done quickly. To obtain a high quality home, complete with expert craftsmanship and the finest materials, you have two options – pay a ‘normal’ cost and have your home constructed at a ‘normal’ speed (these will both depend on your builder), or pay more for your home and have it completed more quickly.
Again, remember that a faster build means all hands on deck – more trades and more contractors working long hours to get this job done. Your builder may be doing you a favour by adhering to your wish for a quickly constructed home, but you alone will be financially responsible for this.
Quality
As with any rush job, it is highly likely that the quality of your new home will be compromised. Sourcing high-quality materials and tradespeople with a strong work ethic and high standards takes time. When your builder agrees to construct your home quickly, they are less likely to put time into researching the best quality options for your home and you will be the one to suffer.
Either you will end up with a poorly-constructed home that’s a nightmare to fix or you will achieve a high-quality result with a bill that comes in way over your initial budget. Striking the perfect balance between time, cost and quality is tricky and each builder will approach this differently. But it’s important to remember that high quality homes are the result of a seamless integration of time, cost and quality.
For more information on achieving the delicate balance between time, cost and quality, or to get started on your very own realistic and high-quality Gold Coast home, get in touch with the team at Cunningham Constructions today.
