Best Home Builders

Based on 83,202 reviews
Location
Brand
Rating

Carlisle Homes

Carlisle Homes 🏆 2026

4.7 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Pra
  Fair Incentive Verified

We are very happy with Carlisle Homes' construction quality and overall service. We have recommended Carlisle Homes to several friends, and one of… Read more

our friends has already signed a contract and commenced construction. Based on our positive experience, we would not hesitate to recommend Carlisle Homes to others.

G.J. Gardner Homes

G.J. Gardner Homes 🏆 2026

4.9 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Saran
  Verified

Jean, Rob and the team were great at understanding what I needed to achieve and really tried very hard with council to get me the best possible outcome. Very happy and thanks you Show details

Metricon

Metricon 🏆 2026

4.5 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Mei.W
  Verified

Alex and Joel both are incredible helpful and friendly. It has been a very pleasant experience with whole process, Metricon Home team has shown… Read more

their ability to work with their clients diligently, I would definitely recommend to my friends to build their dream home with Metricon Homes, for it's high standards and excellent service.

Celebration Homes

Celebration Homes 🏆 2026

4.9 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Sanjiv M.WA
  Verified

We had a fantastic experience with Nick from Celebration Homes as first home buyers. From helping us secure our lot to signing the contract, Nick was… Read more

transparent, professional, and always available whenever we needed help. He was always one step ahead, guiding us through the process and making everything much easier and less stressful. We really appreciate his patience, honesty, and genuine support throughout our journey. Highly recommend Nick to anyone, especially first home buyers. Thank you, Nick, for making this such a positive experience!

McDonald Jones Homes

McDonald Jones Homes

4.7 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Eric and Chrissy
  Verified

Danni was fantastic. She was very thorough in her explanations and provided great advice when she noticed we weren't sure of what direction to head… Read more

in. She took the time to listen, and followed up on any queries we had promptly. It was a great experience overall and we appreciated the attention to all the small details, including the coffee service (the young woman who helped us even remembered the milk substitute!)

Brighton Homes

Brighton Homes 🏆 2026

4.9 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Tracey L
  Verified

We had the pleasure of dealing with Lara, our project coordinator, for our new build with Brighton homes. Lara has an excellent communication style… Read more

which gave us great confidence that we would be informed regularly with the progress in our build plan . She had good knowledge of the process and we were very happy that she was on board with us . Thanks Lara - Regards Michael and Tracey L

Hotondo Homes

Hotondo Homes 🏆 2026

4.9 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
LeanneTAS2 posts
  Verified

We recently moved into our brand-new home with Hotondo Homes, and we honestly couldn’t be happier with the finished result. From the very beginning… Read more

of the building process right through to moving in, the experience has been incredibly positive, and we are so proud to finally call this beautiful house our home.

A huge thank you to Sam, Vicki, Ashley and Michelle for all of their help, support and communication throughout the process. Everyone we dealt with was friendly, professional and always willing to answer our questions and help wherever they could. We really appreciated having such a great team behind us during what can be a very exciting but sometimes overwhelming experience.

The quality and attention to detail in our home has exceeded our expectations, and seeing everything come together has been such a rewarding experience. Now that we are finally settled in, we can truly appreciate all the little details that have gone into making our home exactly what we hoped for.

We are absolutely thrilled with our new home and would happily recommend Hotondo Homes to anyone looking to build. Thank you to the whole team for helping turn our vision into a reality — we couldn’t be happier!

Kindest regards, David and Leanne

Boutique Homes

Boutique Homes

4.6 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Kon KaragiorgosVIC
  Verified

Ray Saab was our consultant. He was excellent right from the start to the end. He showed a high level of professionalism, great product knowledge and went out of his way to help. Cannot recommend him more highly. Great job. Show details

Clarendon Homes

Clarendon Homes 🏆 2026

4.6 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Luke
  Verified

[Name Removed] and [Name Removed] are great people answered my question and concerns promptly and if they did not know the answer would find out and… Read more

get back to us. We had an issue with the main switchboard that needed to be moved to the property pole before the Brock’s and plaster got installed [Name Removed] managed to push this over the line and get the result we wanted. Overall great exploring a lot from the process.

Only down side was the change of site supervisors.

  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Carly2 posts
  Verified

We couldn’t recommend Ben May at the Riverfield display home in Clyde high enough! From our very first meeting, Ben was absolutely amazing to deal… Read more

with. He truly took the time to listen to our needs and delivered a house plan that made perfect sense for our family. He even included thoughtful little design touches in the floor plan that we never would have thought of ourselves, which made a huge difference. Throughout the entire process, Ben was always prompt in answering our questions and kept us informed every step of the way. Building a home can feel overwhelming, but Ben made the experience smooth and relatively stress-free. If you are looking for someone knowledgeable, attentive, and genuinely invested in your home build, Ben is your guy!

Masterton Homes

Masterton Homes

4.7 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
RyanNSW3 posts
  Verified

We recently submitted a warranty claim with Masterton. It probably took a bit longer than I hoped to get it up and running but once it did it was… Read more

completed quickly and efficiently and with excellent workmanship and communication. Mary was very helpful in organizing this along the way. Ryan

Burbank

Burbank

4.5 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Kiran
  Fair Incentive Verified

We had an incredible experience at our Burbank EDGE appointments! Marissa Lintott was our Interior Designer for the Colours and Materials… Read more

appointment—she is an absolute star! She made what could have been a tedious process look like a breeze. From the get-go, we felt comfortable and smashed through what we wanted in just a few hours. She is professional, knowledgeable, and offered very constructive suggestions without dismissing our preferences. Highly recommend!

Hayley Tupaea was our Electrical Consultant for our EDGE Electrical appointment—she is super chill! She had all the things we needed pre-selected and ready to go; all we had to do was say "yeah... nah..." and we were done in less than half an hour. Yay! She is full of amazing ideas and suggestions. Highly recommend both of these absolute legends!

  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Henzilin L.
  Verified

An awsome experience in our first home buy journey in Perth. Jaemyn had been extremely wonderful in providing all the detailed information and… Read more

guiding us through each and every step along the way. He has gone out of his way in providing the exceptional customer service to help us secure our first home in Australia. He had been very responsive even in the weekends when we could avail ourselves from the busy week days work life. He listened and answered our every little concern so far in coming to preliminary stage. My Husband and I would like to highly recommend to anyone looking to build a home Homebuyers please consider Jaemyn Toa at Homebuyers for a smooth, helpful, reliable and stressless home journey!

Mimosa Homes

Mimosa Homes

4.7 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
ShiuVIC
  Verified

Mimosa homes are one of the top builders. My house was ready in just 75days and many people told me to have a private inspector to check everything… Read more

is built accordingly and no issues. I never hired any inspector as I truly trusted them and on my final inspection everything was just so good and according to the plan. I loved the workflow and documentation app where we could see the progress. We are so happy to make the right choice to build with mimosa. I would highly recommend them to anyone who wants to build a house. Thank you mimosa homes. It was a pleasure working with you.

  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
David A.WA
  Verified

Dealing with Dale Alcock Homes has exceeded our expectations to date, very professional and has been a wonderful experience. This is our 3rd home build, our first with Dale Alcock, and we are so pleased we chose them for our final build. Thanks Show details

Coral Homes

Coral Homes

4.7 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Anthony L
  Verified

We recently received the keys to our new home, and we honestly couldn’t be happier with our experience with Coral Homes. A very special thank you… Read more

has to go to our Area Manager, Matthew Sharp. We started our building journey with Matthew as our Site Supervisor, and even after he moved into the Area Manager role, he continued to be there for us throughout the entire journey.

There were a few changes in Site Supervisors along the way, and whenever someone moved on, Matthew stepped back in and made sure everything kept moving. At times, he was effectively carrying the responsibilities of both Site Supervisor and Area Manager, which we really appreciated.

No matter how busy he was, whenever I reached out, Matthew was always friendly, patient, polite and professional. We never felt like we were bothering him or that he was too busy for us. He always took the time to listen, explain things and help wherever he could.

What impressed us most was his work ethic and willingness to get things done. Even during our final walkthrough, Matthew was on time, easy to deal with and incredibly hands-on. Despite being the Area Manager, he was still willing to get down on his knees and personally clean marks, leftover paint and dirt to make sure the house was presented properly. That really says a lot about the kind of person he is and how much pride he takes in his work.

We are now settling into our new home, and we genuinely feel very lucky to have had Matthew supporting us throughout this journey. We couldn’t have asked for more from him.

Overall, our experience building with Coral Homes has been amazing. We would happily build with Coral again in the future, especially if Matthew Sharp is still there!

Thank you again, Matthew, and everyone at Coral Homes who helped make our new home a reality.

Simonds

Simonds

4.4 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Charlie S.2 posts
  Verified

David Connell, our 3-month Maintenance Manager, was exceptional. He was extremely knowledgeable, attentive to our needs, and he had a quick response… Read more

time. Everything on our list was fixed professionally by expert trades people. I highly recommend David. Charlie Salvo.

Weeks Homes

Weeks Homes 🏆 2026

4.9 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
JessSouth Australia
  Verified

Huge thanks to Chloe for her outstanding support during our pre-construction process. She was incredibly organized, answered all our questions… Read more

promptly, and made what could have been a stressful stage completely seamless. We couldn’t have asked for a better consultant!

  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
KatyWA
  Verified

I am very happy to give Celebration Homes a 10/10 and would confidently recommend them to friends and family. The best part of my experience has… Read more

been the professionalism, commitment and genuine care shown by the people involved in my build. Building a home is a major undertaking, and inevitably there are delays, changes and challenges along the way. What has impressed me most is how the team has continued to work towards a good outcome and, ultimately, delivered a home that I am very happy with.

I would like to sincerely acknowledge and thank **Kristie, Casey, Steven, Travis, Blake, Cliff, Hayden and Brayden** for their individual contributions throughout my journey. Each of them has played a different role, but together they have made a significant contribution to getting my home to this point.

I would like to give a **very special thank you to Kristie**, who has been involved in coordinating my build since the construction phase. She has been consistently supportive, patient and professional throughout what has sometimes been a challenging journey. I particularly appreciate her patience and understanding during the more stressful periods, and the way she has continued to assist, communicate and follow things through with professionalism and dedication. Her hard work and commitment have made a real difference to my experience, and I am genuinely grateful for everything she has done.

A special thank you also goes to **Travis**, who was my Site Supervisor and carried a significant amount of responsibility during the construction of my home. Looking back now, I have a much greater appreciation of the amount of coordination, problem-solving, organisation and hard work involved in his role. His contribution has been an important part of bringing my home together.

I would also like to acknowledge **Hayden**, who was there from the earlier stages of my journey, as well as Casey, Steven, Blake, Cliff and Brayden and everyone who supported the project behind the scenes. The construction of a home involves an enormous amount of work that is not always visible to the customer, and I genuinely appreciate the effort that has gone into my build.

The New Home Presentation was a particularly rewarding experience. After everything that goes into building a house, seeing my home completed and being able to walk through it and appreciate the finished result was a wonderful moment. The independent BestWest building inspection was also very positive, with only a small number of minor items identified, which gave me further confidence in the overall quality of the work.

I also appreciate that, as with any building project, there were occasions when things did not go exactly according to plan. What matters to me is how those situations are managed, and I found that the team continued to work through the issues and towards a satisfactory outcome. Overall, the organisation, communication, coordination and time management have been very good.

Finally, I would like to give a **special thank you to Mr Dale Alcock**. I remember his words that he personally stands behind every single house built by the company. Having now reached this stage of my own build, I particularly appreciate the significance of that statement. It reflects a strong sense of responsibility and pride in what the company delivers, and I am very pleased to have experienced that commitment through my own home.

Overall, I am genuinely grateful to everyone at Celebration Homes who has played a part in making my new home a reality. I am very happy with the finished product and proud to be reaching this milestone with Celebration Homes.

**Thank you to the entire Celebration Homes team — and especially to Kristie, Casey, Steven, Travis, Blake, Cliff, Hayden and Brayden — for all your hard work, patience and commitment. I would absolutely recommend Celebration Homes to others.**

Orbit Homes

Orbit Homes

4.8 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Darly JustinQLD
  Verified

We had a great experience with Orbit Homes from start to finish. The whole team was professional, friendly and supportive throughout the building… Read more

process.

Communication was excellent, and they kept us informed at every stage. The team was always happy to answer our questions and help us whenever we needed guidance. We were also very happy with the quality of the workmanship and the final result.

Building a home can be stressful, but Orbit Homes made the process much easier and more enjoyable than we expected. We are extremely happy with our new home and grateful to everyone involved in bringing our vision to life.

We would definitely recommend Orbit Homes to anyone looking to build their dream home. Thank you to the entire Orbit Homes team for the great experience.

Domaine Homes

Domaine Homes

4.9 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Nuraj KoiralaNSW3 posts
  Verified

We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to Michael and the entire Domaine Homes team for helping us build our dream home, the Arizona 26.… Read more

Like any building journey, there were some challenges along the way from signing the contract through to completion. However, the team worked hard to guide us through the process and make the experience as smooth as possible and thank you very much to Maddy, Jasmine and Dan.

Michael, in particular, played a huge role throughout our journey. He kept us well informed about the progress of our home and clearly explained each stage of construction and what to expect next. His communication and support gave us reassurance, especially during the times when things didn’t go exactly as planned.

We are particularly grateful for his efforts during the final stage. When timing was especially important for our family, Michael went above and beyond to help bring everything together so we could finally receive the keys to our new home. Seeing our Arizona 26 completed and having those keys in our hands was a very special and emotional moment for us.

Thank you to Michael and everyone at Domaine Homes who contributed to making our dream a reality. we would highly recommend Domaine homes to anyone thinking of building a new home. We truly appreciate the hard work and support that went into our home and are incredibly happy to finally call a home. ❤️ Nuraj & Family

Wisdom Homes

Wisdom Homes

4.8 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
PhilippNSW
  Verified

Anthony managed the construction of our new home with incredible skill, care, and attention to detail. Transparent Communication: Kept us informed… Read more

at every single milestone, explaining complex construction stages in a way that was easy to understand.

Quality Control: Held all trades to the highest building standards, ensuring every finish and structural element was executed perfectly.

Rawson Homes

Rawson Homes

4.6 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
lokesh p.NSW
  Verified

Overall, building with Rawson Homes was a fantastic experience. Clare was absolute perfection from the start, taking the time to explain every… Read more

single detail clearly during initial design selection and quoting phase.

Once construction began, Jesse (our site supervisor) was exceptional. He kept us consistently updated on the progress and was always easy to reach whenever we had questions.

Before handover, we hired a private building inspector, and he confirmed that the construction quality was very high—something we could easily see for ourselves as well. A huge thank you to Jesse and the rest of the team!

Based on our experience with Clare, Jesse, and the crew, we would happily recommend Rawson Homes to anyone looking to build their home.

Home Group

Home Group

4.8 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Bishard M.
  Verified

My wife and I attended our Colours Selection Meeting where we had the exciting opportunity to select the various products, finishes and colours for… Read more

our new home. The whole experience was exciting, enjoyable and remarkably smooth. A special thank you to our consultant, Rachael, who was absolutely amazing throughout the entire process. She guided us through each stage with genuine passion, extensive knowledge and great respect for our preferences and vision. Rachael was patient, professional and incredibly helpful, making what could have been an overwhelming process feel easy and enjoyable. Her guidance gave us confidence in our selections, and we truly appreciated the time and care she invested in helping us bring our vision for our home to life. We are very excited about the next stage of our building journey with Home Group Builders and look forward to seeing our new home take shape. Thank you, Rachael, for making this important part of our journey such a wonderful experience!

Eight Homes

Eight Homes

4.4 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Stana G2 posts
  Verified

We have experienced multiple ongoing issues with our home, and unfortunately our dealings with both the office and previous supervisors were often… Read more

disappointing. Communication was poor, follow-ups were inconsistent, and at times the overall approach felt unprofessional, which added unnecessary stress and frustration to an already difficult situation.However, everything changed when Chris became involved.Chris has been, without question, the best supervisor we have dealt with at 8 Homes. From the moment Chris took ownership of our issues, communication improved, expectations were clearly set, and matters began moving forward in an organised and professional manner.Throughout what has been a challenging journey, Chris remained calm, respectful, and solution-focused. Chris took the time to listen to our concerns, kept us informed, and most importantly followed through on commitments. When our frustrations were at their highest, Chris was able to de-escalate the situation, restore confidence, and provide reassurance that our concerns were being taken seriously.Chris's organisation, attention to detail, and ability to coordinate trades and inspections are exceptional. The difference in service and outcomes when Chris became involved was immediately noticeable.As constructive feedback to 8 Homes, Chris should be given a greater leadership role within the company. Chris has the skills, professionalism, and organisational ability to manage teams, oversee quality control, and conduct inspections across multiple projects. The standards Chris demonstrates should be the benchmark for the entire business.While our overall experience with 8 Homes has been impacted by ongoing issues and inconsistent service from the office and previous supervisors, Chris has been a genuine standout. Chris is a valuable asset to the company, and without Chris's involvement, our experience would have been significantly worse.5 stars for Chris, whose professionalism, communication, and leadership turned an extremely frustrating situation into one that finally felt manageable.

Eden Brae Homes

Eden Brae Homes

4.5 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Nisa.D
  Verified

0026499 - We had the best experience building our family home with Eden Brae. All the teams involved were professional and also willing to help. Our… Read more

CSA is lovely and very supportive throughout the entire process!! Could not be happier with our building experience!

Fairhaven Homes

Fairhaven Homes

4.7 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Yasasi B.
  Verified

We’ve had a really great experience with Faraz and Will from Fairhaven. As first home buyers, there was a lot we weren’t familiar with, but Faraz has… Read more

been incredibly patient and helpful throughout. We’ve had multiple meetings with him, and he’s always taken the time to answer all our questions, explain things clearly, and work through different alterations and options to help us stay within our budget while still finding solutions that work for us.

Will has also been fantastic; he’s very prompt, a great communicator, and always keeps us updated. It’s been really great having both of them there to guide us through the process and make everything feel much easier. We’ve been very happy with our experience so far and would definitely recommend Faraz and Will to other first home buyers.

Henley

Henley

4.2 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Lillie B.VIC
  Fair Incentive Verified

We chose Henley as our builder, as we loved the quality finishes of the homes. We visited mostly all the display houses within the area. We had a… Read more

very quick and positive building experience! Jake, our supervisor kept us up to date throughout construction and was always open and honest. I would highly recommend Henley to anyone wishing to build. Thanks for a smooth first home/build experience.

B1 Homes

B1 Homes

4.9 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
AhmadWA
  Verified

B1 has got Excellent staff members.nice and friendly.specially Courtney Were who is really helpful .you can come in and check out B1 display houses… Read more

and can ask from anyone who has built their houses with them. So Amazing people .construction Manager is professional and so good. I mean all works are done on time.

Firstyle Homes

Firstyle Homes

4.8 Summary
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • Thumbnail
  • See allThumbnail
Georgia & Reece G.
  Verified

We couldn’t recommend Craig from Firstyle Homes Oran Park highly enough! From the very beginning he has been absolutely amazing to deal with and has… Read more

made the whole process feel so easy.

Craig is incredibly knowledgeable, supportive and consistently responsive. No matter how many questions we had, changes we wanted to make or little things we wanted to add, he was always more than happy to help, explain everything clearly and make sure we felt comfortable with every decision.

He has gone above and beyond throughout the entire process, and is such a funny, down to earth person.

He is a huge asset to Firstyle Homes and a big part of why our experience so far has been such a positive one.

We are so happy with the service we have received and cannot wait for our build to officially begin.

Highly recommend Craig to anyone considering building with Firstyle Homes, you will be in the best hands.

A house.

Types of home builders

Project home builders • See all

Project builders (also called volume builders) have a set catalogue of home designs which they use to construct many homes, so they’re suited to those who don’t want to design their own home. These builders usually have display homes you can visit to let you get an idea of what the end result of your home will look and feel like, including the finishes.

Pros
Typically cheaper than custom builders.
Project homes are usually quicker to build than custom built homes.
Can see display homes that show you exactly what the end result will be.
Cons
You’re usually limited to the builder’s fixed range of floorplans, materials, fixtures and finishes.
Project homes can’t always work with or around any unique features of the land you're building on.

Custom home builders • See all

Custom builders are usually smaller companies that construct homes that have been designed specifically for their client. This means they don’t construct as many homes as project builders. While they don’t have display homes, you work with the builder to design your home, choosing the materials, fixtures, plans and finishes in person.

Pros
You have more control over the design of your home, with custom builders offering more or complete flexibility in design.
A custom builder can maximise and work with any unique aspects of your land, such as hills or slopes on your property or views that you want to take advantage of.
Cons
More costly than project builders.
A custom home will take longer to design and construct than a project home.

Prefab & modular home builders • See all

Prefabricated homes is an umbrella term that refers to homes manufactured and constructed off-site and then transported and assembled later. Modular homes and kit homes are two types of prefab homes.

  • Modular homes are prefabricated homes that have been manufactured and constructed off-site and arrive at the property completely assembled.
  • Kit homes are also manufactured and constructed off-site, but arrive at the home disassembled and must be constructed on-site.

Prefab homes differ from traditional houses, which are built on-site over a longer period of time. It’s not the most common choice, but their design allows them to be relocated, even after they’re constructed. They’re particularly sought after by those wanting tiny houses and cabins on their property.

Still stuck on what to choose?

You can read our article on whether to use a project builder or a custom builder for your new home. We go into how to compare the two types of builders, discussing differences in price, flexibility, design options, the time it takes to build, the service you’ll receive and more.

What to consider when choosing a home builder

Licence and insurance

You should check that a builder is licensed, registered and insured. If they don’t have this information publicly available, or if they’re reluctant to show you their credentials, then consider that a red flag.

At the very least, your builder should have public liability insurance and home warranty insurance (known as domestic building insurance in Victoria). You should also check whether the builder is registered with the Housing Industry of Australia or the Master Builders Association of Australia.

You should be able to look at a builder’s licence through relevant overseeing bodies. For example, the NSW Fair Trading website lets you look at the licence of a builder, contractor or tradesperson as well as details of any cancellation or suspension, warnings issued to them, and results of any prosecution against them.

Services

The services a builder offers will largely depend on whether they do project or custom builds. Some builders outsource their work, for example working with independent designers, while others will have an in-house design team.

Experience

Check how long the builder has been in business. While there are many newer building companies around, they may be staffed with experienced builders and technicians who have been in the industry a long time.

You should also see whether they have experience in the type of build you want. If they’ve successfully completed similar projects to yours, particularly in the last few years, then that’s a good sign. Many builders specialise in certain home styles, so it’s worth seeking out one that is likely to understand the design you’re seeking.

Ask for references and examples of past work to get the reassurance you need.

Reputation

A builder with a good reputation can help give you confidence that your build will be completed to a high standard, with minimal hiccups and any issues that arise dealt with quickly.

A good way to gauge the reputation of a builder is to read home builder reviews. Reviewers on ProductReview.com.au have left their feedback on a number of home builders, discussing aspects like customer service, timeliness, the structural integrity of their home, and the transparency of the company they worked with.

You’ll be doing extensive work with a builder, so good communication from the get go is key. A builder that keeps you updated on the progress of the project and can address any issues you have will save you many headaches (and potentially money) in the long run.

Location

It’s a good idea to choose a builder that’s based nearby or has completed many projects in the area you’re building in and is familiar with the location. Non-local builders will likely cost you more to account for things like longer transportation times. Of course, building in a metro area is easier than in outer suburbs or a rural area because materials and labour are closeby.

You can filter home builders by location on ProductReview.com.au, to make it easier to find what you’re looking for. You can also read our article on how to make ProductReview.com.au’s home builder reviews work for you.

Time frame

If you’ve had a home built or a renovation completed, you’d know that most of the time the project takes longer than planned. That’s why it’s important to get the most accurate time frame possible from the builders you’re considering doing business with. Each delay costs you money, usually in paying rent or another mortgage elsewhere until your new home is finished.

Price and budget

Building contracts can be overwhelming. It’s a good idea to first do your research into the type of builders you want, and then get quotes from your shortlist. Review the quotes carefully, considering the scope of the job, materials, labour and other inclusions.

While it’s important to compare prices, remember that the cheapest option isn’t necessarily always the best option, particularly if that means cheaper materials are used or quality workmanship is sacrificed. Also, don’t pay a builder anything without a written contract.