Horizon has three decades of experience in the construction industry. They have a reputation of delivering projects of the highest quality, having built homes in Sydney's most sought after suburbs.
Named Master Builder of the Year 2017 at the Master Builders’ Association NSW Excellence in Housing Awards, Horizon is no stranger to accolades. Who better to give us the top tips on becoming an award-winning builder?
David Moses of Horizon shares his top tips on how to succeed in the construction industry.
“The most important thing is clear and open communication.”
Communicating with architects, tradesmen and clients from the early stages of the design stages is key to a smooth construction process.
Good builders solve problems as they arise but great builders plan ahead to avoid problems in the first place. Involve your entire team as soon as possible in order to foresee any potential issues.
“A lot of people go to an architect, get the whole thing designed, get it approved at council, get it engineered and then start talking to builders about how much it's going to cost. The sooner in the design process you can get a builder involved, the more informed you’ll be about decisions affecting time, cost and quality.”
No man is an island. You could be the most skilled builder in the world but if you don’t collaborate with your architects, clients and tradesmen you will never get the best outcome for yourself or for your clients.
David’s advice is: “Assemble a team of experts in every single area of the building spectrum and leverage off their expertise to advise your clients and architects.”
Work as a team to achieve the best on each project.
Despite the misleading job title, builders don’t build - they manage.
“We're not window fabricators, electricians, plumbers, tilers or brick layers. Those guys build. Our job is to manage those people, plan for them, direct them and monitor their progress.
“You don’t hire someone so you can tell them how to do a job - you hire them because they can tell you how to do it. Hire good tradesmen and then trust their expertise. Your job is to coordinate, manage and direct.”
Why make life harder for yourself by giving your clients false hope or unrealistic expectations?
“The most common challenge is an unrealistic expectation of budget. I work with my subcontractors to develop a scope, budget and reasonable timeframe from a very early stage.”
Managing your client’s ideas and clearly outlining what is possible and how much it will cost early on in the process will save you time, hassle and potential arguments or delays further down the track.
