DAY 3
5 building mistakes that could cost you thousands
Building is a big deal with an even bigger budget. And you've got one chance to get it right.
Because one mistake isn’t just a setback. It’s an entire do over!
Most people think wrong decisions are the biggest culprit in blowing your budget, but it’s actually oversights. Like when you don’t pay attention to a faint little notation on a plan.
Here’s 5 real life examples of how we saved our clients thousands by picking up on plan oversights that could have turned into big, costly design mistakes.
Ash and jens entry light
On Jen and Ash’s electrical plan, the light switch for the entry is right next to the front door. Which makes sense, right?
Wrong. Picture this, parking your car in the garage late at night and walking in the house then having to fumble your way in the dark to find the nearest light switch – totally annoying.
Jen and Ash’s home design called for a 3-way switch:
• One next to the front door
• One next to the garage entry door and
• One at the end of the hallway
So they can turn the light on, walk through the hallway then turn it off again once they’ve reached the living areas.
If they missed this, it would have been IMPOSSIBLE for them to fix it afterwards because it is a double story home, so they would have had to live with this mistake every day for the rest of their lives. Totally annoying.
Ash and jens broom cupboard
Here’s another potential mistake on Jen and Ash’s electrical plan.
Space in their laundry was limited but they knew storage was important, so they added a broom cupboard to store things like the mop, ironing board and stick vac- smart move. But the nearest power point was for the washing machine and dryer, so every time they needed to charge the stick vac, they would have had to unplug the washing machine and leave the stick vac charging in the middle of the laundry. Instead, they followed my recommendation and added a power point inside the broom cupboard so the stick vac can be charged out of sight.
An extra power point only set them back $80 however if they forgot it and wanted to add it after construction, it would have cost them well over $2,000.
michelles garage door
Michelle and her husband love going on 4-wheel driving adventures with their Land Cruiser. They’d lifted it, added all the accessories and were looking forward to parking it in their brand spanking new garage.
That is until I pointed out, they couldn’t fit it under the garage door because the steel t-bar was going to be positioned at 24c high. Way too low for a Land Cruiser with roof racks!
If I didn’t pick up on this early, it would have cost them tens of thousands to fix. Think redoing brickwork, craning in a new steel t-bar and adjusting roof lines. It’s a massive job so they probably would have just ended up parking their pride and joy on the street.
jess and cams ensuite
Jess and Cam asked for an ensuite exactly like the display home. They loved the way the feature tile continued up behind the back of the freestanding bath and were stoked that they didn’t have to clean a glass shower screen.
Well, that was until I pointed out that the plan builder gave them was NOTHING like the display home.
There was only a small section of wall behind the bath and the other half was actually a glass shower screen.
Being a little modest, they were mortified when they realised the clear glass shower screen was opposite a huge mirror so they would always see themselves in the nuddy.
Changing this before construction started was a simple fix. However, if they had missed this, they would have had to remove the shower screen, rebuild the wall, waterproof again and redo the tiling. It would have been a massive job that would take weeks and cost roughly $5K. Not to mention, having this realisation once it was built, would have been stressful and frustrating because the salesperson didn’t deliver what they promised.
megan and rhetts raking ceiling
Megan and Rhett’s must have design feature was their gorgeous raking ceiling.
They were so focussed on it that they missed the little notations that said:
• The top of the stacking door is at 28c high
• The top of the windows are at 25c high.
• The bottom of the kitchen bulkhead is at 28c
• And the top of the hallway opening is at 27c.
What that means is that the top of the windows didn’t line up with anything else in the room. They were all at varying heights which would have looked odd.
Trying to fix this after the home was finished would have been a massive job which would cost tens of thousands. They were stoked when I pointed it out because they now have a beautiful living area that just feels right, and the ceiling is the standout feature. Lucky save!
So mistakes and oversights happen, but the good news is, they can be avoided.
It's possible.
Ash, Jen, Pauline, Jess, Cam, Rhett and Megan did it.
And you’re next.
If you want to get it right the first time and save yourself thousands in the long term, book a free clarity call to see if we can help you.
This is a 15-minute call where you can ask any of your burning questions about how our services work. I look forward to getting to know you and building your dream home together.
BOOK A CLARITY CALL
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“We are building in Perth, WA and met with Jess just after signing our PWC but before we had to make final structural changes. The feedback Jess gave us was invaluable and we cannot recommend her enough! It's obvious how much wisdom and experience she has in the building industry and we would not hesitate to recommend her services to ANYONE building. It's an absolute must and a small investment with massive rewards for your future home!” – MEGAN
Tune in tomorrow because we’ll be talking about 5 reasons your house plans need a personalised touch.
