Why shouldn’t I just go owner/builder on my home?

Let me start by saying NO, Never, Don’t, & Stay Clear!

We all watch those TV building & renovating shows & get blown away by how easy it looks, how cheap they do it for & how much money they ‘apparently’ make.

After years of seeing Owner/builder experiences first hand over my time in construction, the only TV show that comes close to the actual experience is the great ‘Grand Designs’.

Parental Quarrels. Arab Man And Woman Arguing In Front Of Their Chils

Every Owner/builder construction I have ever seen has never actually been completely finished.

Owners will get close to the end, lose the passion, find money has dried up & their dream has just become a nightmare.

But just like ‘Grand Designs’ if you enjoy living in a caravan with a family of five for a year, borrowing extra money from relatives or the bank that you haven’t budgeted for, divorce or a living in half completed house, maybe Owner/builder is for you.

Using a registered builder should guarantee you a finished completed project,

on time with a fixed contract price you are comfortable with, that includes all required insurances.

Here is another way to think of it.

As a builder I see how a coffee is made in a café or I see a court room drama on TV & think to myself, I could make that double shot flat white with oat milk with my man-bun like that barrister, or I could stand up in front of that judge as the lawyer & yell ‘you can’t handle the truth!’.

But without the years of experience, education & knowledge I am likely to end up with a drink that tastes like warm milk or get my defendant thrown into jail.

The same theology applies to being an owner/builder.

I find it takes a minimum of two full time people to oversee the construction of a home,

so if you think you are going to do it on the weekends & after work at night-time,

I urge you to think hard about your decision.