The Build Process
At Homes by Maxim, as well as working with clients who are new to home building, we also work with many clients who are building their second or third home. These clients have been through the design and build process before – and experienced the pitfalls of dealing with the wrong building company. That’s why we set out to make our process transparent and client-driven from day one. We pride ourselves on being amongst the most trusted Master Builders in the South Island, offering a comprehensive design and build service in Christchurch that moves our clients smoothly through the process – from vision, to design, to build completion.
FROM CONCEPT TO COMPLETION
1 Meet 2 Preliminary Design 3 Concept / Estimate 4 Fixed Price Building Contract
5 Building Consent 6 Project Management / Construction 7 Handover and Ongoing Care
1
Meet
Visit one of our show homes and meet our knowledgeable, friendly team over coffee to discuss your inspiration and ideas for your new home. We can guide you through the entire process, from site visits to shopping – we aim to make it a fun, stress-free experience from day one.
2
Preliminary Design
We offer an initial no obligation meeting with Philip Bidwell Architecture to establish your brief and budget to ensure the outcome is going to be in line with your vision – it’s a partnership! For the next stage, we request a small design fee from our clients which includes 50 hours of design time and a full estimation of cost for the project. This fee is a discounted cost of time invested in this phase of the project and is deducted from the final fixed price building contract. This investment accelerates the process and provides a direct link to the design team. Remember good architecture doesn’t cost – it adds value to your investment!
3
Concept/Estimate
Bringing together the preliminary design and developed selections makes it possible to gain a good indication of the cost of the home. It is common to see this part of the process go through a few revisions to ensure concept, selections and cost all fit together. In some cases, certain selections are identified as preliminary costs so that further information can be obtained, or substitution selections can be identified. Our estimate can be used to go directly to a fixed price contract for bank approval.
4
Fixed Price Building Contract
Our building contract documents consist of all supporting information for the home: geotechnical and structural engineering reports, developed floor plans and elevations, product selections, kitchen layouts and interior colour schemes. We use the standard Master Builders’ contract that includes a 10-year warranty. All building contracts have a fixed price and, in some cases, identify selections that have provisional sums.
5
Building Consent
We submit all applications on behalf of the client and process all the documents for council approval. This includes PIM (project information memorandum), resource consent, working drawings, and structural engineering design. Council grant final approval and then itemise the site inspection requirements. Upon completion of the home we apply for the code of compliance to be issued, which is generally in line with the home being handed over to the client.
6
Project Management/Construction
We have a dedicated team of project managers who work alongside our clients and certified building contractors to achieve the best quality and delivery for the home. We have a web-based portal, Buildertrend, which allows clients access to their project from anywhere in the world to receive updates on progress, including any contract variations that have been requested during construction. Monitoring time and quality are important to the outcome of the home. Our team of site contractors and suppliers have been with us since the start and share our strong values of high expectations.
7
Handover and Ongoing Care
We love our homes and want you to enjoy living in them. The completion of the home is a great result but it’s not the end. We continue to monitor the home through an agreed defects period (generally 12 months) and then provide ongoing support including putting a 10-year warranty on the home from the date it was completed. We are always available to help with any concerns you may have – just give us a call!