Building Guides
Choosing the best home builder in Melbourne: what to check
Seven checks that take an afternoon and protect the biggest purchase you will make.
The best home builder in Melbourne for you is one that is registered, insured, uses a standard contract, takes stage payments by the book and shows you homes it has finished. Here is how to check each one before you sign, with Oakview Homes’ own answers.
1. Is the builder registered?
Every domestic builder in Victoria must be registered. Search the name on the Building and Plumbing Commission register and check the registration is current and covers new homes. Oakview Homes is registered as a Domestic Builder (Unlimited), CDB-U 102130: see our team page.
2. Will the builder take out domestic building insurance?
For work over $16,000 the builder must take out domestic building insurance before asking for any payment, and give you the certificate within seven days. It covers you if the builder dies, becomes insolvent or disappears.
3. What contract will you sign?
Ask for a standard domestic building contract, such as the HIA or Master Builders forms, and read the start and finish dates, the price, the inclusions and how variations are handled before you sign.
4. How will you pay?
In stages, as each is finished, never in advance. The deposit is capped at 5% on contracts of $20,000 or more (Consumer Affairs Victoria). Our How We Build page sets out the standard stage payments.
5. Can you see homes it has finished?
Walk through real homes, not just a display. See the homes Oakview has built in Clyde North, with photos and walkthrough videos of each.
6. Who will you deal with during the build?
Ask who runs your site and who answers the phone at frame stage. At Oakview you deal with our Lyndhurst team directly: call 03 8658 7000.
7. Does the quote list what is included?
A clear quote lists the inclusions, the exclusions and the payment schedule. Compare like with like, and use our rough cost guide as a first check. Weighing a big builder against a small one? Read volume builders vs small builders.
Got a question about building with us?
Read the answers to common questions here.