The post began: “I hate it, I’ll never build again”.

Worried you’ll feel like this about your renovation or new build?

Here’s 7 things to remember so you don’t get yourself in this position when building or renovating.

Listen to the episode now.

Hello! This is Episode 269. In it, I’m going to discuss a post I recently saw on Facebook that really had me shaking my head about what people are enduring when building and renovating their homes … and I want to help you NOT go through the same thing, so we’re going to talk about it.

Now, let’s dive in!

The post began:

“I’m honestly so done with building. This is my first home and first building experience and I HATE it. I’ll never build again.”

And then, at my last check, within 2 days of the original post there were over 100 comments of people in varying levels of agreement with this. Stories of delays in site starts, price rises even though builders promised there wouldn’t be, projects taking two years or more to complete. It went on and on and on.

The author of this original post shared their own story, and I could understand why they never wanted to build again. They’d had promises made and broken, extensive time delays, issues with neighbours, and a raft of other challenges. 

I didn’t blame them at all for never wanting to build again.

I also wondered, if the construction experience had been like this, what was the quality of their home going to be like? And would their home cause them more headaches down the track as they discovered the shortcuts the builder had taken during the build.

The whole thing was just heart-breaking. And of course, at this point, they’re well into the process, so changing the situation requires a considerable amount of effort and work.

What I saw in that post and the comments that followed, were heartbreaking descriptions of many industry professionals behaving badly, taking advantage of their clients, and not running their businesses well. 

And worse than that, I saw so many homeowners clearly not being informed about the fact it didn’t have to be, and shouldn’t be like this. 

They didn’t necessarily understand what they could and should expect, how they could turn these situations around, and (most importantly) how they could have avoided them in the first place. 

I find regularly that when I comment on posts like this to offer suggestions of how to improve things, the regular responses I receive are something along the lines of:

>> I don’t want to rock the boat

AND

>> we’re almost there, I just need this builder finished, gone and out of my life

Many are scared of making an, already terrible, situation worse. 

And they’ll endure the nightmare for longer, just to get out the other side of it, whilst they tolerate being treated that way, and their home being built (or not built, is more the case) that way.

How did it come to this? 

That we will invest hundreds of thousands of dollars with a company in creating the home we’re going to raise our family in and own for a decade or more, and most likely have as our biggest asset …

And then put ourselves through an incredibly stressful situation as the team we’ve chosen take advantage of us, deliver us a dud service and a poor quality outcome.

But we’re too scared to speak up, rock the boat and just want it over with.

Even though we might deal with the consequences of the home, the situation, the quality, the experience for DECADES.

It doesn’t have to be like this.

So, here are 7 key things to remember as you dive into your journey of building and renovating your home. And I’ve chosen these 7 things because I believe they’ll help to set you up for success. 

These 7 pointers will get your head in the right place, and get you really prepared to be who you need to be to work with the steps, people and processes involved in building and renovating your home. 

Because, in all the years I’ve been helping homeowners renovate and build, I know this: your mindset really does matter.

And getting yourself into a place that supports your mindset, so you can then be around people who support and can help deliver your vision, is imperative for a great project experience.

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE NOW.

RESOURCES:

How to choose the right designer for you >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/podcast-how-to-choose-a-designer/

Remotely interviewing and selecting a designer >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/interview-designer-architect-remotely/

Architect / Building Designer / Draftsperson – What’s the difference? >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/architect-vs-draftsperson-vs-building-designer-whats-the-difference/

Bad service? Bad designer? Here’s what to do >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/how-to-leave-your-designer-or-builder/

What should be in a designer’s fee proposal >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/podcast-what-should-be-in-architect-quote/

What to know before you sign a building contract with lawyer, Despina Priala >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/podcast-building-contract-lawyer-advice-myb/

How to set your building or renovation budget >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/setting-project-budget/

How to check your construction drawings >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/podcast-how-to-check-construction-drawings/

Access the support and guidance you need to be confident and empowered when renovating and building your family home inside my flagship online program, HOME METHOD >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/courses/the-home-method/

Learn more about how to get started with your home design with the Happy Home Design mini-course >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/courses/happy-home-design

Access my free online workshop “Your Project Plan” >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/projectplan