If you haven't, this is where it gets costly.
First builds rarely blow out on the things you planned for. The money goes on what you didn't know to check: a quote that left something out, a change agreed on site, a trade paid too early, an inspection missed. Our six-week evening course teaches you to spot these mistakes before they cost you.
- When
- Tue or Thu, 7–9 pm
- Where
- Live on Zoom
- Dates
- 12 Jan – 23 Feb
- From
- A$999
Eight costly mistakes on a first build.
The course covers every one of them. The label shows which week.
Quotes that aren't pricing the same job
One owner-builder shared three painting quotes for the same house: $37k, $65k and $93k. Quotes that far apart usually cover different work. Write the scope first, then compare like with like.
Changes agreed on site
“Move it over a bit, it'll be a bit extra.” Without a price and a time in writing, you find out what “a bit” means on the final invoice.
Paying ahead of the work
Big deposits and payments for work not yet done leave you exposed if a trade walks off the job. Pay for work that's finished and checked.
Missing an inspection
Your building surveyor must inspect at set stages, such as before footings and the slab are poured. Pour first and you may have to prove the work is right, which can mean opening it up.
Ordering too late
Windows, trusses and stairs are made to order and can take weeks. Order them late and the whole build waits, with every trade after them.
Trades in the wrong order
Plaster goes up before the electrician has finished, and the walls get cut open again. Each trade has to finish, and be checked, before the next one covers its work.
Nothing set aside for surprises
Every build meets something: rock in the footings, a price rise, a change of mind. Without a contingency in the budget, extra money mid-build is hard to find, because banks lend in set stages.
Paying in full before defects are fixed
Once a trade is paid in full, you've lost your leverage. Agree in the contract that the last payment waits until the defects list is done.
Would you spot them on site?
Eight situations every owner-builder meets. Pick what you'd do and see the answer straight away. It takes about three minutes.
You'll know what to check, before you pay for it.
- What to check at each stage of the build, from site works to handover.
- How to write a scope, compare quotes properly and contract your trades.
- How to handle changes, payments and defects in writing, so nothing is left to memory.
- The build pack with every crash course: a budget and cash-flow planner, trade scope sheets, a quote comparison sheet, a build programme template, the 100-step owner-builder checklist and a site safety pack (OHS templates and SWMS).
Learn it before your build, not during it.
Six weekly evening classes live on Zoom, in a Tuesday or Thursday group, or the same course online at your own pace. Taught by a project manager with over 10 years running Melbourne builds. Live from A$1,999, online from A$999, and every level comes with the build pack. Talk to your instructor first; there's nothing to pay until you're ready.