Advice sought: builder selection dilemma

Hello all

Seeking everyone's opinion on a builder selection matter. I found a builder within my budget, great communicator and very honest / transparent.

The only issue is while viewing his portfolio of past builds the designs appear quite bland, there is no 'wow' factor. How much emphasis should I place on the style factor of a builder, if any? His build quality overall looks decent, I take it the skill of a builder is more important than the style?

Should I engage an interior designer if I'm concerned by the end result?

 

A builder builds. A designer designs.Are you trying to avoid the middle person by drives out a builder who builds? Maybe the builder is just conservative? Perhaps ask about who does the builder's designs?

 

It can be a few things but often it’s simply their past client tastes. They may have been conservative in their choices of elevation/facade and interior finishes.

what in particular did you find bland? Is it the house floor plan design or is it the interior finishes/design.

An architectural designer can create a floor plan and elevations that stand out. An nterior designer can help choose a cohesive palette of finishes that works to your taste. Or if anyone ou are confident in your vision/taste you can choose those items yourself.

just remember that sometimes things may appear bland to keep things to budget and/or to appeal to the common denominator in a sales/rental market.

 

Personally we don’t work with builders who deliver a type of product that doesn’t fit.
There are hundreds of builders, so we try and tailor who we work with to match the product we’re trying to deliver.
If I’m building high end east, I’m not engaging the builder delivering budget cost options in outer west.
If the difference is small then can work with builder to uplift finishings.

 

Most project builders offer the same floor plan in numerous layouts and also fascades. So one design could be 20+ different plans and then still allow customisation. And they may have 30 different plans for each of 3/4/5 beds to suit land sizes that are narrow, wide etc. Duplex lots and more...Hundreds of options. Then throw in variations in bricks and colour and other materials and they are truly unique. Left or right handed etc. Steel roof, tile roof. tile profiles etc

Places like Homeworld etc may broaden your options. Depends if you want bespoke or budgetted conventional build. You shouldnt be compromised by any builder. Its your property.

Just remember the more you change something the more it costs. If you find a vanilla plan needing no mods and its perfect for you it could be the solution.