Choosing your builder is quite possibly the most important decision you will make. They will be with you for the entire journey. They don't have to be your friend, but you do need to feel comfortable with them and you will put an enormous amount of trust in them.

Here are some questions we suggest that you ask your builder:

• Ask your builder to support or substantiate any claims they might make.
• Ask to see homes they have completed to get a sense of their track record.
• Get credit references from their supply chain and trades.
• Ask for customer references.
• Is there a team of people to help them in the background?
• Who will you contact if you're not happy?
• How long is your builder or building company going to be around for?
• Is there added value by using a well-known builder?
• Can your builder advise you on council requirements for resource consents and subdivisions?
• Can your builder design and make changes to cater for your specific needs?
• What buying power does your builder have, can they get discounts off products?
• Finally at the end of the build: Who is checking on their workmanship? And what safeguards do you have?