I'm not an expert on this, but the last time we had a house built, we hired the architectural designer first to come up with the plans, then, when we had a better idea of what we wanted, we could talk turkey with the builders. We were in a small town, so there wasn't a lot of choice, but on the other hand, word of mouth was a very good indicator of who was and was not good. We lucked out and ended up with exactly what we wanted, and only three weeks over schedule. Mind you, once the plan was set, we stuck to it so the builders could just keep on hammering those nails.

Definitely ask around for a recommendation and ask the builders to show you some projects they are currently working on and ones they have recently completed. This will show you the workmanship and also how much pride they take/ how organised they are on their job sites.

Hey kymw13, have you had a look on Houzz? Here is a link to some home builders in the Brisbane area - if you click on the stars below the pros name, you'll be able to read some reviews from people who have actually used them, as well as viewing their 'portfolio' of project on their profile! Good luck.

Check the reviews. I only trust tradies who i know others haver had a good experience with. If you dont have that, you are flying blind.

I feel your pain. I spent over a year trying to find a builder. It was an extremely stressful experience and you receive all sorts of conflicting advice from well-intentioned friends, family and professionals.

I started with the display homes. I have a narrow lot, so that meant that the options were somewhat limited. Pricing was obviously a factor. I also tried to obtain references where possible (although a builder is only going to provide positive references). And I also asked to look through current builds (i.e. non-display homes) where possible to get an idea about what a "real" build would look like. I always asked for the "upgrade" lists for the display homes to get an idea about all of the extras included in the display which were not standard. Some builders wouldn't provide this, so I immediately dismissed them.

I did look at online reviews, blogs and various forums (particularly the homeone forums), but I think the general rule is that people only get online to complain and they won't get online if they're happy, so you tend to end up with a one-sided perspective of the builders. I also trusted my gut to an extent. There were a number of builders (or at least sales people representing builders) which left me feeling very uneasy.

I am currently in the process of building in Brisbane with Kalka:

http://www.houzz.com.au/user/kalkaau

To date, the build process has been generally positive. But, I'm only half-way through the build, so I can't really provide a recommendation at this stage.

I have friends who built with a small, independent builder and it was a truly torturous and terrible experience. That builder had been recommended by one of their parents, but the parents had received a completely different build experience.

I also have friends who are "trying" to build with one of the big-name builders. I say "trying" because ever since they reached final tender stage, everything has ground to a halt and they're having trouble even communicating with the builder.

Good luck!

Use a local architect/designer/draftsman for plans that suit you and your lifestyle not a 'one design suits all'. Good design costs very little. Good designers have contact with builders that are reliable and do good work. Some good builders (and designers) don't need to advertise much either. The good ones aren't just good at building things they should also be good with you the client. If they're not easy to talk to, make you feel uncomfortable, forget them!! They're out there so keep looking and chatting and don't rush into finding the builder. The best builder maybe a very small business with a big passion for quality construction.

Thanks for all the advice. Unfortunately we don't know many of people who have built in our area & those who have wouldn't recommend their builder. I find online reviews tricky, It seems like current projects nearing completion might be the way to go. The hunt continues! Any recommendations are welcome

I'd recommend you use Builder Background Checks Victoria!

We empower consumers by providing free resources covering the key considerations for those about to embark on a residential building project.

We also offer paid Builder Background Reports to help you make an informed decision on your shortlist of builders.

A report from Builder Background Checks Victoria provides data from over twenty government agencies, regulatory and digital media sources.

We then rate the results according to Victorian industry norms. This provides consumers with a simple means to compare their shortlisted builders against each other, and relative to the overall industry.

www.builderchecks.com.au

I won't be able to help you on recommendations for Brisbane, i can however put my 2 cents in on narrowing down a good builder, especially for custom homes.

The first good thing if you're getting a custom home built is you get to pick the budget, customisation the material quality and more.

I'd say the first thing is you want a trustworthy company, so looking at their reviews and feedback is always good, plus it's something you can do yourself.

Another point to take in consideration is how they communicate, is it clear and streamlined ? you want to make sure there's no information they're hiding from you, so make sure you ask as many questions as you can so that you get the whole picture. A good reputable company will give it to you straight. They should be your only point of communication, if they're telling you to talk to their architects and all that then there's your first red flag. You're essentially paying them to do the job, you shouldn't have to do it for them. You tell the builder what you want, then they separate things into tasks, and delegate it to the right sector, so there's less room for error.

Another good sign that you're in the right hands is how many custom homes they've built. You always want to go for a well known company as they will have good connections with suppliers, which means they will most likely be able to get what you need for a discounted price as they would buy things in bulk if they build plenty of houses, which means savings for you.

A reputable custom home building company will have access to good subcontractors in your area, so there should be no messing around and time wasted on that matter, which will also help on the time management of the project.

In your case you already have a block of land but otherwise a good custom builder would also help you narrow down a location for your budget if you're unsure, and then they'd determine the good and the bad of the desired location.

Once all of that is done, they would then get all of the permits sorted to make sure it's all done legally and the whole project flows.

One other thing, a good builder knows what they have inventory-wise. they should never go on and then tell you half way through that they ran out of something or that they thought they had it.

Once the project is completed, they should give you a tour and not just hand you the keys and call it a day!

As i said, they have to be a well established company, because with that comes experience.

The above is just some of the key points, but hopefully this article will help the next person!

A suggestion.

Obtain a copy of The Mater Builders Homes/Renovation Awards Magazine.... They award in price categories.....Check them out....The best builders will not be cheap, many work on a year build per house with the builder on site daily....He could be looking at a profit margin for himself of $150,000 ...It amounts to quality is not cheap, quality materials are more expensive than minimum size .........................................................................................Many project builders have their supervisor responsible for 40 to 50 homes at any one time.......Also check builders Lice Number on your state Dept of Fair Trading website..

Get a Builder Background Check www.builderchecks.com.au