FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Who is Ninedots?

   

  Ninedots is an innovative company who provide an end to end support service for home buyers and investors looking to engage in the new home build process.

• What does the name Ninedots mean?

   

  The business name of Ninedots and the associated branding stem from the popular ‘nine dots puzzle’ which encourages people to think differently, unconventionally, from a new perspective and ‘outside the box’.   Ninedots love the lessons to be learned from this puzzle as they resonate strongly with their business philosophies.

• What do Ninedots actually do?

   

  Through active consultation, Ninedots acts as an advocate on your behalf to negotiate optimal build outcomes, covering areas such as pricing, inclusions, contract conditions, land acquisition, qualifying builders, construction management, insurance, quantity surveying, accounting, finance and property management.

• What is a build advocate?

   

  A build advocate is an individual who is an expert in the construction process, and engaged to represent buyers throughout the build.   Builder brokers work on the same philosophy as a mortgage broker – they give clients greater product knowledge for informed decisions.

• Why choose Ninedots as your build advocate?

  Ninedots are known for going above and beyond ‘industry standard’ in applying knowledge and creative strategy for successful build and investment outcomes. Ninedots save clients time, money and mistakes allowing for a seamless and successful build.

• Can you help with finance?

   

  Absolutely! We specialise in construction finance and are known to source approvals even for those who have been told they lack the current means. We ensure all clients are fitted perfectly to their choice of mortgage product allowing for the most adequate tax deductibility, risk protection and ease for future lending.

• What happens if I don’t get approved for finance?

  We pride ourselves on finding solutions. If there’s a way we’ll find it! If in the rare instance we can’t get an approval, we structure you in a way that allows for a full deposit refund. We’ll also equip you with a plan to help get your finance ready as soon as possible.

• I’ve already engaged with a builder, can Ninedots still help me?

  Many of our clients choose to build with us after discovering the complexity of the construction process.  Providing you’re not already locked into a contract you can still benefit from our independent advice. Ninedots can support with quote comparisons, contract navigation, inclusions, price negotiation, conveyancing, property management and construction finance.

• I’m located interstate or overseas can you still assist?

  Yes, Ninedots provides regular assistance to both out of state investors and families looking to relocate to Victoria. Our service provides peace of mind ensuring you have someone local, monitoring your build progress.

• How much will your service cost?

   

  We are structured in a way to minimise costs to our client. After our client discovery meeting, if you wish to engage the services of Ninedots we require an engagement fee of $550 for land and $880 for build. This is the only fee payable by our clients throughout the duration of our service.

• How do Ninedots get paid?

   

  We get paid a referral fee from the builders however this is at a fixed rate regardless of who we build though. These fees are equal to that of a sales consultant working from a display home. The only difference is we work for you, not for the builder and we’re by your side every step of the way!

• Why would builders work with Ninedots?

  Builders enjoy working with Ninedots because our clients are more educated and supported throughout the build. Having an independent third party bridging the knowledge gap between builders and buyers saves the builder significant time and unnecessary client confusion and potential dissatisfaction. Builders also have reduced marketing costs when they use our service as Ninedots don’t have marketing overheads, and with Ninedots involved in the process this effectively offers the builder a free method of quality control. We also find builders would always prefer a happier build customer, where repeat business is more likely of a customer who has enjoyed their experience dealing with them.

• I’ve been told its best to deal with a home builder directly?

  When customers deal directly with home builders, in most cases they’re actually talking to the sales people and not the actual builder.  These sales people have business bias when dealing with you, and won’t be able to provide you with the same variety in options, level of support or knowledge as Ninedots will.   Technically, the physical process is similar when you approach Ninedots but with one main exception — we work for you not for the builder and we’re by your side every step of the way in addition to coordinating additional support services such as conveyancing, insurance and property management.

• What areas (suburbs) do you operate in?

  Ninedots advises on construction throughout Victoria.

  (However stay tuned, due to high demand we are in discussions for interstate offices!)

• Why doesn’t everybody use a Build Advocate when they are building a new house?

  You don’t know what you don’t know! Build advocacy is an innovative service bought to market by Ninedots. Our client base to date has been built on referrals from developers, mortgage brokers, accountants and existing clients. 2016 is an exciting year for Ninedots, with marketing on the horizon to try and bridge that knowledge gap and let more people just how much we can help.

• Do you only use a select number of builders?

  No. We tend to engage our clients preferred builders unless we find a more suited builder based on their needs. Over the years we have referred work to all major builders as well as worked with smaller, local builders. Our recommendations vary depending on project scope, design guidelines, location and price point.

   

• Can you assist with sourcing land?

   

  We certainly can! Ninedots often have access to early land releases and ‘off market’ opportunities. Aside from negotiating the land price on your behalf we can offer initial due diligence, ensuring the land is right for your intended build. In addition we often get paid referral fees which we proudly pass on to you!!

   

• We have our own land can you still help?

  Yes we can. We simply need a copy of your build contract to enable us to assess the engineering and developer guidelines. From there we’ll be in a good position to advise on the most suitable build option tailored to your land.

   

• Can you help with colour selection?

   

  While we are happy to try and provide guidance on most areas, we find builders generally employ experienced interior designers to help you with colour selection, so we’re often not required for input at this stage.  For interstate buyers though, we can arrange colour boards and advise on current market trends for guidance. Alternatively we can connect you to well reputed Interior designers for further support.

   

• Do you look after custom builds?

   

  Absolutely!   We offer support from an initial custom design right through to successful completion of a custom build. You can appoint one of our preferred architects to complete your initial design, or we can engage with builders directly.

   

• We want to engage our own architect; can we still bring the design to you?

  Yes you can. Once you have finalised your build design independently with your architect, we then tender your project out to the most suited builders based on your design, location and budget. Getting quotes on custom builds can be time consuming and exhausting, but we find our process gets things moving faster and attracts the best possible price.