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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

How many years have you been in business? How many homes have you built?
Our business was established in October 2009. We have built many homes in the Selwyn District – Leeston, Rolleston and Lincoln.

 

Are you licensed and insured?
Yes, Ben has the following licenses/qualifications:

We have comprehensive builders insurance, and we will provide you this information in a Disclosure Statement when building with us. We also gain Contract Works Insurance for jobs and new house builds that require this.

 

Who Do I Contact?
You can contact us through phone or email. You can call Ben directly on 027 308 7211 or Bec on 027 428 1032. Our landline is 03 324 3339 or email us at office@fearnleyconstruction.co.nz. Alternatively, you can use our Contact Form.

 

What areas do you work in?
Leeston, Lincoln, Rolleston, Springston, Dunsandel, Rakaia, Tai Tapu (Selwyn District).

 

How do you compare yourself to other builders? What are the most important benefits of the homes you build?
We pride ourselves on communication and organisation. We like our clients to know what is going on and when things are going to happen. We do a great job in organising and booking in our subcontractors in order to streamline the process. We offer our clients excellent service and a quality finished product/home. See our Testimonials page to see what clients of ours have said.

 

Who will oversee the construction of my home/renovation/addition? Who should I contact with any questions I may have?
Ben Fearnley (Owner/Builder) will oversee the construction work. If you have any questions you can ask him directly or email the office. Bec works in the office and liaises with a lot of the suppliers and subcontractors, and will also do her best to answer any queries. Ben and Bec work closely together to provide our clients with a comprehensive service and high level of communication.

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New Homes


I want to be involved in the Design Process. Can I do this?
Yes, you definitely can. We work closely with our designer/architect who will take your wants and needs into consideration and design something unique for you.

 

Do you have any plans we can look at?
We sure do. View our range of Plans. These are houses we have had designed and have built, or are currently building. These plans can be reconfigured if necessary. 
 

Can I provide my own set of plans?
Yes you can. Once you have a full set of working drawings, you or your designer can supply these to us for pricing/quoting.

 

Who takes care of the consent process?
Either us or the designer/architect can.  We will discuss this process with you.

 

How and when will the final price for my home be determined?
Your home will be quoted prior to plans going in to Council. Once agreed upon, a contract will be written up and signed by both you, the client, and Fearnley Construction.

 

What about hidden/unexpected costs?
At Fearnley Construction we offer a fixed price contract. Once plans are confirmed, we will quote off the set of plans and provide you a fixed price contract. The price quoted will be the price charged (unless there is a variation which has been requested by you).

 

How and when can I make changes or upgrades before and during construction?
This can happen, and a discussion needs to occur with us. Once the job has been quoted, any changes and/or upgrades made will be regarded as a variation.

 

What is a variation?
A variation is a change to the contract (usually made by the homeowner/client). When this change has been discussed, a variation form identifying the change and price difference (if any) will be written up and signed by both Fearnley Construction and the client.

 

What happens after the building contract is signed?
We will have your build booked in and started as soon as possible. We will discuss this process with you.

 

How long will it take to build?
The consent process takes 20 working days through Council (Selwyn). A 200m² house takes around 5-6 months to build once plans are consented.

 

What is your process for hand-over of the home?
As the build progresses, we will discuss with you timeframes of when the build should be completed. Prior to handing over, we will do a final walk-through with you to make sure you are satisfied. Final inspection will be passed and a Code Compliance Certificate will be obtained. If we are selling the property to you as a House and Land Package, the settlement will occur 5 working days after the issuing of the Code Compliance Certificate. If we are building directly for you, we will hand over the house to you once Practical Completion has been achieved.

 

What if I need fences, driveways and landscaping done?
This is something we regularly do and we have a team of subcontractors that we use. We often include these services in our build contract to you.

 

What are the major energy-saving features of homes you build?
The leaps that are being made in homes that are energy efficient are constantly evolving.  As such, please chat to us so we have a better understanding of your needs, and we will work closely with you and the architect/designer to build you a healthy home.

 

What standard features do your homes include? What options and upgrades can I select?
We work with a variety of suppliers and sub-contractors. We will discuss with you and show you examples of what items we put into the home. If you want to change/upgrade the items, we can do so, and will quote accordingly.

 

Do we need to find our own subcontractors?
No, we have a team of subcontractors that we use on a regular basis.

 

What type of warranty do you offer?
As a member of New Zealand Certified Builders, we include a comprehensive HALO 10 year guarantee when building a new home. We can also offer a 10 year guarantee on additions or alterations or Labour Only contracts. We can discuss this with you in more detail. 

 

Can you give me references from prior home buyers/clients?
Yes, if you click on Testimonials, we have a number of references you can read.

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