Building a house turnkey: how to compare builders’ offers
What “turnkey” means and why you must spell it out
For some, “turnkey” is a shell with a roof; for others it is a house with utilities laid, windows, floor screed and final finishing. So the first thing to do is to name clearly the stage the builder must reach: foundation, shell, “up to the roof”, “ready for finishing” or a fully finished home.
Without this, two estimates for the same area can differ by half simply because one has no screed, plumbing or internal doors.
How a request works on BlaBlaPrice
Instead of driving round offices and collecting estimates, you describe the house once on the home page. Builders reply in chat: what exactly is included, in what timeframe, what the price is or what it depends on. Each sees where their offer stands and can improve their terms to win your request.
Contacts are hidden, so nobody will call without your decision. More on the “How it works” page.
What to put in your request
- Type of building and area — for example, a two-storey house of 1,600 sq ft.
- Wall material — AAC blocks, clay blocks, brick, frame.
- Design — ready, or it needs ordering.
- Stage of work — the state to which the building must be taken.
- Plot — terrain, soil, whether machinery can reach it.
- Utilities — electricity, water, sewage: connected or not.
- City, timing, budget.
Example: “Near Rawalpindi. A two-storey house of AAC blocks, 1,600 sq ft, design ready. The plot is level, machinery can enter, electricity and water are there. I need the shell up to the roof by the rainy season next year. Budget up to Rs 18,000,000.”
How to compare estimates
Ask builders to break down the scope of work rather than name a single sum. That makes it easier to see where prices differ. Check whether the soil investigation, site preparation, foundation, slabs, roof, windows, wall insulation and utility connections are counted. Ask separately who buys the materials and whether the contract has a fixed price.
- Whether payment is in stages against completed work, not a large advance.
- How long the warranty is and what it covers.
- Who supervises the work technically and whether the builder has similar projects.
- What happens if the deadlines slip.
Common mistakes
Most often customers pick the lowest sum and only later discover “extra work”. Another mistake is not putting changes to the design in writing. One more is not asking about the season: wet processes such as bricklaying with mortar or pouring concrete need extra care during heavy rain, and that affects price and timing.
And do not forget what will happen to the plot after the building work: removing waste, restoring the access, levelling the grounds. Clarify this in the estimate so you do not have to sort it out separately at the end.
If you need separate jobs, see construction services. You can order the design in design and planning, and finishing among finishing work.
