If you are about to spend two to five years and several million dollars on a home, the most important decision you will make is which builder runs the site. Designs can be tweaked. Materials can be swapped. A bad builder cannot be reversed.
These are the five questions I would ask if I were the client, not the builder. They cut through marketing very quickly.
1. Who will actually be on my site every day?
Some luxury builders are running 20 sites at once. You meet the founder at the sales pitch, sign the contract, and never see them again. Your day-to-day becomes a junior site supervisor learning on your build.
Ask who will run weekly site meetings. Ask how many active sites the builder is running. Ask to meet the supervisor before signing. The honest answer matters more than a glossy brochure.
2. Can I see a project you finished three years ago?
A house photographed at handover looks beautiful. A house three years later tells the truth about workmanship. Caulking lines, hinge alignment, façade weathering, floor seam separation, render cracks: this is where the quality of the build shows up.
A good builder will be proud to take you to one. A poor builder will tell you they only have recent projects to show. Believe what you see.
3. How do you cost variations?
Every luxury build has variations. The question is how transparent your builder is when they happen. Are variations costed on time and materials with margins visible, or with a flat fee you cannot see inside?
Here is where most owners get caught out: a build that came in on contract value can still come in 25 percent over total cost once variations stack up. Ask for the builder's variation policy in writing. Look for itemised pricing and clear margins.
4. What is your contingency advice?
A new build with clean documentation: 5 to 8 percent contingency. A heritage renovation: 15 to 20 percent. If a builder tells you 5 percent is enough for a heritage build, you have your answer about how often they have done one.
5. Will you walk me through a problem you had on your last project?
Every project has problems. Slab issues, supplier delays, weather, trade no-shows, council comments. A builder who tells you they have never had a problem is either inexperienced or evasive. A builder who walks you through a real one and explains how they handled it is showing you exactly how they will handle yours.
Two extra signals worth weighing
- Insurance and registration: Domestic Building Insurance for the contract value, current VBA registration in the correct class. Confirm both before signing.
- Tradespeople: are they direct employees, long-term subcontractors, or whoever was cheapest this month. Stable trades make better homes.
If you are interviewing builders for a luxury home in Melbourne and want a second opinion on what you are being told, ask us. You can also see our completed projects for reference.
This article shares general guidance from our experience as luxury home builders in Melbourne. Every project is different. For advice on yours, get in touch.
