32 Degrees Building Quality Assurance Program
32 Degrees Building cares about the quality and finish of your build. Our Quality Assurance Program ensures that throughout and at the end of the build a clear picture of the quality and completeness of the construction is achieved.
Our Quality Assurance Program includes a progress inspection and a final inspection which is undertaken by an independent building inspector. The inspections we conduct are as follows:
Progress Inspection: The building consultant will thoroughly inspect frames & trusses, cavity drainage and flashings, brickwork & thresholds at the lock-up and rough-in stage ahead of the plasterboard being installed.
Final Inspection: The building consultant will undertake a comprehensive inspection of all new internal and external areas ahead of handover and before the signoff of practical completion is reached.
These reports will highlight defects (if any) that require us to attend to and upon finalisation of the Progress Inspection and Final Inspection, a Certificate is issued confirming that all Quality Assurance requirements have been met.
The abovementioned inspections are conducted in addition to the principal certifying authority (PCA) inspections and engineering inspections and will as a whole ensure that the highest quality build has been provided to you at handover.
Why you need to move out for 2 weeks during the build
When building a Second Storey/First Floor Addition or Ground Floor Extension with 32 Degrees Building you must vacate the premises for a minimum period of two weeks.
Why do you need to vacate?
- We require you to vacate your home for the safety and comfort of your family. We want to ensure that your family are safe, comfortable and have the best possible experience during the build. With this in mind, we require that you vacate the premises for at least two weeks so that we can complete important tasks such as demolition, electrical work and preparation for the build. We want you to be able to avoid the noise, dust and disruption associated with this stage of the build.
- Another reason you are required to vacate is for the safety of our team. When building an addition or an extension we are working with an existing dwelling with existing electrical and structural aspects we need to take into consideration. With these aspects of the build to keep in mind, it is important for us to disconnect the power to the entire home for a two week period. This will minimise any safety issues or risks associated with this stage of the build and also keep our team and your family as safe and happy as possible.
We strive to make building an addition or extension a safe, seamless and as enjoyable a process as possible. With our extensive experience building additions and extensions, we know what works and what doesn’t work. With the safety and comfort of your family of the utmost importance to us, we structure our builds and our process around ensuring that you will have the best possible experience as your addition or extension is added to your home.
Take A Holiday On Us
Nobody wants to live through construction. Take a holiday while we build.
We invite you to take a holiday on us at the start of your build. Let us take over whilst you relax. Think about how amazing a couple of weeks break will be when we kick off the addition or extension of your dreams.
We want you to take some time off, kick back and enjoy some relaxation and recuperation that we know you truly deserve. Celebrate your new addition or extension with a holiday courtesy of 32 Degrees Building.
Go ahead with any addition or extension valued over $200K, and for a limited time only, we will cover the costs of your holiday, terms apply*
*Terms and Conditions: Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Upon payment of the 10% deposit towards your HIA fixed-price contract, we will provide you with a $3,000.00 Flight Centre Voucher or give you a $3,000.00 holiday cashback into a nominated bank account. A condition of our building contract is that you vacate the premises for a minimum of two weeks while power is cut to the home and the build commences. During this time we invite you to take a much-needed break and take a holiday on us. This promotion is valid for anyone who signs a preliminary agreement with us from 1 April 2022 till 30 June 2022. Building must commence within 6 months of the preliminary agreement being signed.
What we are doing to combat the state of the construction industry landscape
Alongside a house price boom, Australia is in the midst of a homebuilding boom with the Housing Industry of Australia expecting that a near-record number of new homes will be built over the next 12 months.
But for many in the residential construction sector, it’s a profitless boom – and several major players have recently gone bust, with the assumption that more will follow.
Why are construction companies folding?
A perfect storm of factors has been brewing for the better part of 2021, and now the rainy season has arrived.
Supply chain issues, with a shortage of building materials worldwide resulting from COVID-19 disruptions, coupled with natural disasters from freak storms and flooding to bushfires, have provided significant pressure on builders.
Those shortages have led to prices rising exponentially, particularly for timber and steel.
On top of that, a labour shortage is making it difficult to find tradespeople, giving workers the power to command huge wages.
So, the overall cost of construction has been pushed up significantly.
Adding to this is the lengthy delays in actually getting the materials, which has led to some homes taking more than 12 months to be built, further adding to building companies’ costs.
With the majority of builders signing fixed-price contracts with buyers, and the margin for escalating costs being inadequate, many are losing money on every single project.
It’s a big problem in exceptional circumstances like we’re seeing at the moment, said Russ Stephens, co-founder of the Association of Professional Builders.
“The average cost of a contract for a builder has gone up between 15% to 20% over the past six or seven months alone – and up to as much as 50% in some areas,” Mr Stephens said.
What we are doing to combat the state of the construction industry landscape
32 Degrees Building has been operating for over 11+ years and we know and understand how to manage our business in turbulent times.
We have been working with our team and talking directly to our suppliers to manage and understand any upcoming supply challenges and supply chain issues. We have been working with our timber suppliers closely to understand their difficulties in obtaining overseas supply and then managing, monitoring and forecasting for our current and future builds. Skills shortage for us isn’t an issue, we have worked very hard to set our business apart from the rest. Our team are employed with us and this enables us to closely manage and develop their practical skills with us over the course of their apprenticeship and retain them into tradespeople and leadership roles – we now employ over 40 team members and continue to grow. By employing our team members, we manage our labour costs.This strategic approach we have applied to our business has allowed us to manage our costs and your build providing you with the security and confidence that we are here to stay.
Our business is always looking forward and planning for the future, we forecast 6 months, 12 months and 18 months ahead to ensure we can stay one step ahead of any market issues and trends.
With the above in mind we have a strong business model and capable management team in place to ensure that the best outcomes for our clients and the business are always achieved.
What you can do to prepare your home for a severe weather event?
Australia has recently experienced some severe weather conditions including high winds and heavy rainfall. These weather events and other similar events that have occurred in recent years, can at times be so severe that they exceed the Building Code of Australia (BCA) design benchmarks for homes constructed within Australia.
In such extreme weather conditions rainwater can be forced through closed windows and sprayed up rooves in a manner which homes aren’t designed for and therefore water may enter some homes. The resulting water ingress may cause damage to your home, often this damage may only be of a minor nature, but can still cause considerable stress to you as the homeowner.
What can you do to prepare your home for a severe weather event?
As part of your ongoing home maintenance we recommend the following check measures are undertaken to avoid any water ingress to your home;
- Check all gutters and downpipes are clear of debris, leaves etc…
- Regularly check your roof for signs of slipped roof tiles, cracks and possible water ingress entry points – especially if you have recently had a contractor attend your property eg. Foxtel or solar panel installer
- Check your stormwater drains for blockages
- Check your window and door seals aren’t displaying signs of cracks and ageing
- Check for other possible entry points and seal if required
If during a severe weather event you do get water ingress – who do you call?
- If it is an emergency please call the SES for immediate assistance
- In most other cases, do what you can to stop/reduce the incoming water and then contact your home insurer as the first step to understanding what you can do
When these severe weather events happen most owners contact the builder of the home to request an inspection or even rectification of the damaged parts however if this issue hasn’t occurred until now then it is likely it is due to the severe weather event and these items will be claimable under your owner’s home insurance or alternatively are maintenance issues as the homeowner for you to attend to.
Should I Stay or Should I Go? Hot tips to help you survive your renovation
Tips for homeowners living through a renovation, extension or addition
How to Decide Whether to Move Out or Live Through a First Floor Addition, Ground Floor Extension or Renovation?
Whether you are building a First Floor Addition, Ground Floor Extension or Renovation, the one question that our clients always ask us is can they stay in the home and live through construction or should they consider temporarily moving out? This is a big decision to make — with a lot of factors to consider other than your budget when entering into significant construction works to your home.
We have outlined below some of the factors to take into account when looking to stay or move.
Factor # 1 – Scope of works
Building smart energy efficient and sustainable additions
The demand for green housing is getting bigger by the minute. The HIA GreenSmart program offers up-to-date information on practical, affordable and durable environmental solutions for residential design and construction.
Today there is more demand for builders to create sustainable homes using environmentally responsible housing design ideas, building techniques and products.
A GreenSmart house will:
✔ Improve the water and energy efficiency of the home and reduce energy bills and costs
✔ Create healthier homes for occupants
✔ Provide options to make the home more adaptable for all stages of life
✔ Reduce waste from the building process
✔ Improve site management during construction
Our Builder Alistair has completed the GreenSmart Professional training and is Accredited as a GreenSmart Professional.
Some things that we have been integrating into our first floor additions, ground floor extensions and renovations are:
✔ Improved thermal performance
✔ Passive solar design and natural ventilation
✔ Design and operational issues for water and energy efficiency
✔ Selection of water and energy-efficient appliances
✔ Lighting
✔ Sustainable building products
✔ Design
When planning your build consider asking your builder or planning team these questions:
Have you thought about the orientation of your addition?
What windows and type of glass to use in your build?
What energy efficiency and sustainable products can you use?
When you meet with our builder and work with our drafting team for your project, we will take these important things into consideration for the design and build of your addition or extension.
Contact us today to discuss how we can integrate environmentally sustainable building solutions into your build.
What comes first? Plans or Quote?
We often get asked: “What should I do first? Should I get a quote for my home extension/addition or should I get plans drawn up?”
These are our top 5 tips on why you should get a quote from a builder BEFORE getting plans for your project when building an addition or extension.
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- Obtaining a detailed written quote or proposal for your addition or extension comes with many benefits. In your quote the builder should provide you with an indication of the size of the build (how much room is going to be added to your home), the number of rooms being added and what materials and inclusions are being used so you know what is included and if you can afford what you are planning to build.
- A builder can arrange to assist you in drafting plans inhouse or have relationships with draftspeople or architects that specialise in the type of build you are after. This can make the whole process smoother and faster saving you time and money.
- When you work with your builder they can review your plans with you and the draftsperson to ensure you are staying on track with costs and may pick up on items that may be of concern from a construction viewpoint. This input is important in ensuring that you achieve what you set out for in your build while staying within your budget and avoiding issues that could arise during the build if not picked up during this critical planning stage.
- A builder can help and advise you on the true costs for different material options before you commit to plans and approvals. This can in turn ensure that you get the right materials, resulting in the right look for your build at the right cost.
- A builder can consult and guide you with on how to achieve what you want while managing what you can afford. This is best done prior to plans being drawn up due to the builders expertise in the type of build you are looking at. This can reduce the amount of plan revisions and save you time and money in the short term and long term.
If you are thinking of planning or building an addition or extension contact us on (02) 4647 2324 or fill out the form below to get things started.