What to look for when choosing your builder

Choosing your builder is one of your most critical decisions. If you pick a skilled craftsman who is properly qualified to do the job it will make the experience stress-free and exciting.

But hire an incompetent fool who doesn't know a hammer from a hamster and your housing project could be less than enjoyable.

That's why you need to do your homework. 

Create a list of builders you would consider using. Ask your friends and family for recommendations.

Ask these builders where you can see recent examples of their work and and speak to the people who employed them.  Ask questions of the people such as; was the quality of the work up to scratch? Was it completed on time? Was the builder easy to work with?

True Property Management: Frequenty Asked Questions

How long will it take to lease my property?

At True, our average time to lease your property varies throughout the year depending upon market conditions. However, we begin marketing your property as soon as we are aware of the date it will become available for rent and we are totally focused on finding you a qualified tenant in the quickest possible time.

When you find an applicant for my property, how do you qualify them?

We strive to provide you with the calibre of tenants that you want in your rental property. This includes:

• An interview with one of our highly experienced team members
• A 100 point identification check
• A detailed tenancy database search
• Verification from their current/former landlords/agents
• Verification of their employment
• Verification that they can afford the rent and all other monies payable under the tenancy agreement.

In addition to the normal financial qualifications, we always try to accommodate the housing needs of our tenants to ensure the property they rent is convenient to their work, shopping and desired school district. This will help to ensure that they will settle quickly into the area and remain longer in your rental property. Unless you instruct otherwise, all tenancy applicants, once interviewed and reference checked by us, will be presented to you for approval before any tenancy documentation is entered into.

The Hottest Spots to Buy in Australia this 2011

RP Data research shows solid growth in suburbs 10km outside capital cities, where real estate is more affordable, and middle-ring suburbs along major transport spines top its list of strong performers, indicating that buyers are rating both the price and commuting time high in their priorities.

Property analysts are also bullish on large regional towns where state governments have poured money into transport and infrastructure to try to decentralize population growth.

And while chatter about a housing bubble in 2011 has grown louder recently, experts say a property slump is over-emphasised.

Australia Property Monitors senior economist Dr Andrew Wilson forecasts activity will be restrained in most markets early on but demand and price growth should resume by mid-year.