NEWS  

September 2004

Thinking of Moving House? Think Again

Now the housing debate has moved on from the possibility of house prices falling to whether it will be a soft landing or a crash, Bovey Construction, a finalist in the national Built In Quality Awards, advises home owners thinking of moving to a bigger house to consider enlarging their existing house rather than move on.
“Leaving aside the possibility that you will not get the price you want, there’s the high costs involved, including stamp duty, estate agent’s and legal fees plus removals,” said Bovey Construction boss, Neil Turner. “It can be cheaper to create an extra bedroom or bathroom by moving upwards into the loft or extending your property.”
For home owners who decide to improve their existing homes, he advises caution and suggests following 10 easy stages.

1. Ask friends and family for names of builders they have used which they consider – after the event – to have provided a good service.

2. Check these belong to a trade body such as the National Federation of Builders or the Federation of Master Builders and look for the Investors in People logo, which indicates the company is continually training and developing its workforce.

3. Ask each builder what proportion of their workforce are trained in trade skills to a minimum of NVQ 2 and check site managers have management qualifications ideally to Level 3 or 4.

4. Put together a short list of at least three recommended builders who meet these criteria.

5. Ask to see a copy of their current public liability and contractors’ all risks policies.

6. Provide each short-listed builder with a written description of the project and ask for a written quotation for materials and timing with proposed start and completion dates.

7. Don’t plump for the first builder who says yes or for the one offering the lowest price. Instead, weigh up all the factors before making your choice

8. Don’t use any VAT-rated company who suggests a VAT-free deal – it’s illegal and misleading, as you will be paying VAT on materials anyway.

9. When you have chosen your builder, agree a timetable for each stage of the project and don’t pay up front.

10. Using the timetable and your project description as a starting point, write it up into a contract or, better still, use the pre-printed document, HO/B Building Contract for the Home Owner / Occupier, produced by the Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) and available from bookshops or online at
[ www.ribabookshop.com ] or [ www.ricsbooks.com ]

For more information, ring Neil on 01626 821919
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