Building & Renovating on Time & on Budget

Do you want to improve your house - but are unsure of how to employ tradespeople to do the job you want? Are you postponing overdue maintenance because of bad experiences with workers in the past?

Whether you are planning a major renovation or employing a painter, wanting to put in a pool or only a skylight, reroofing your house or the shea out the back, you can protect yourself against the pitfalls of shoddy work practices - and learn to appreciate the skills of genuine tradespeople - with Building & Renovating On Time & On Budget.

This book is written for anyone who owns a house, or intends to buy, build or renovate one. In plain language it describes what should happen during building or renovating jobs, and the best way of directing those you employ to build, maintain or improve your home.

Topics covered include:

• Choosing the right builder
• Pitfalls in building contracts
• Planning permission and regulations Preparing a house for building work
• How to control costs
• How to resolve disputes - and make complaints A step-by-step explanation of each trade's role in a building project
• Useful contacts (in each State)
• A glossary of building terms

Peter Mason is actively involved in building and renovating and is also a consultant with the Building Development Display Centre.