by Private Property Reporter
A good Builder is key to the success of a construction project. The Builder you select can make or mar your project. They play a major role in determining the duration of the work, its quality and your satisfaction level with the final outcome. Choosing the wrong Builder would successfully frustrate your project which can lead to a delay in the completion of the project, or even its abandonment.
In selecting a builder, there are certain factors to consider and they are discussed below:
Pricing: One must be careful with the issue of pricing because embarking on a building project is a huge undertaking. Make certain that there is a consistency in the cost of labour and the cost of building materials. Carry out research on detailed explanation of prices, quality of building material and labour suitable for the project.
Don’t just delegate your duties to anyone. Try to get involved in their operations from time to time so you don’t get exploited and your hard earned money goes down the drain and into the pockets of your builders.
Communication: In a building project of any magnitude, you don’t have the luxury of making mere assumptions. You must create room for free flow of communication from the bottom to the top and vice versa. Let the builders know how you feel about their work and what they are up to. Always ask questions. Don’t hire anyone you are not comfortable with.
Some important questions you can ask before hiring them are:
Do you have any finished work I can see?
Do you guarantee a completion date?
Why should I select you over other Builders? i.e. what is your unique selling point?
Credentials: Obviously, no Builder will tell you he is not good enough, No one will say he cannot deliver your project. However, with good communication, you have a good yardstick in assessing the builder. You need facts from their credentials as concrete evidence. Go the extra mile to see jobs they have done before, find out about the builder and his previous relationship with co-workers. Ensure you are hiring a builder that works in a cordial relationship with his counterparts not the type that turns the construction site to a boxing ring.
Select your builders based on their area of specialisation: Choose someone with experience in the kind of structure you want. A builder who builds Shopping Centers is most likely not ideal for a small Terrace extension. By selecting based on area of specialisation, you get better results.
Ensure that there is a written contract: Contracts are taken for granted especially in Nigeria where we just get builders and commence construction work without signing any documents. This is the reason why most times, there’s usually strife between ‘Oga’ and the Workers.
A Contract is important to ensure that a certain level of service is maintained. You must adhere to your part and the builder must also stick to his part to avoid conflict.
Both parties must be on the same page for the building project to be a success, hence the need for clear documentation of goals, responsibilities and evidence of commitment. This is to avoid misunderstanding, disrespect, contempt, disarray, waste of money and uncompleted project.
A building project is serious business. Getting it right when selecting the Builder can save you from untold heartache and painful regret in future, on that note we wish you good success in your building project.
