Frequently Asked questions.
Happy clients are our Priority
What questions should a customer ask to hire the right service professional?For larger or more complicated jobs i.e. electrical or plumbing work we rely on the experience and qualifications of other trades, and customers should too. For small jobs i.e. non-structural woodworking, gardening or painting a general handyman is usually going to be a lot more affordable - we can also arrange these services through our team. If you need a wall put up / removed, or any structural work done, a carpenter or builder is your best bet. With a combined 60 years experience building extensions, fitting out granny flats and installing anything you can think of in the area of timber and timber related products I would have to say, "give us a call".
What questions do customers commonly ask and how would you answer them?The most common question we are asked is, "can you do this...." and 99% of the time the answer is "definitely, not a problem". The other 1% of the time it is yes, but it might take some looking into. If all else fails we have two additional qualified carpenters to count on for assistance with a total of over 60 years experience between us. Basically if we can't do it, "we" can.
What makes you the most reliable and trustworthy person for the job?Being carpenters is not only our job, but what we really enjoy doing also as a hobby, (either making furniture or working around the house) in our spare time, constantly developing new techniques through research and practise. A friend recently asked the question "Max, if you could do anything and were guaranteed to be successful what would it be?" my response was "I'm doing it". I feel that enjoying my job makes me the best person for the job, as I treat every house that I work on as my own. I won't recommend anything that I wouldn't do myself (even if it means talking my way out of work). I'm not a sales person, I'm not here to sell you anything... I'm here to help.
Why should a customer hire you over another service provider?We understand that some things take time, and are not here to rush my work as others may. We take pride in our work, clean up after ourselves, and carry out each job with care as if it were our own property. Although we try to price our work reasonably (taking into account what is needed to run a business) and try to keep any costs down for clients, we firmly belive that you get what you pay for when it comes to most things, including the building industry. We are more than happy to try and negotiate our cost to remain within a budget, however we will not cut corners when it comes to quality.
What are the typical things that you need to know before you can provide a quote to a customer?A detailed description of the work that is going to be undertaken is key. An approximate time-frame that the work can be done in helps, but may not always be possible should any complications arise during the process of completing the task.
How can a customer save money before you start the work? Please give 3 tipsThe first thing we recommend to save time and therefore money would be to ensure clear access to the area that is going to be worked in. If you need a wall painted, ensure that furniture is not blocking the wall, or pathways. If a veranda/pergola needs repairs, try to clear out the work area as much as possible before we are due to start etc.
What makes your pricing competitive?It must be said up front that we are not the cheapest quote you will get, and this will usually be the case as there are a lot of cowboys out there just going for the work regardless of the quality they provide. We don't intend to just get the job done get paid and leave, we prefer to ensure that our work is up to the standard we would expect of somebody working on our own property. As such we attempt to allow for many "unforeseen" circumstances that may arise when quoting, which may seem pricey to the client, but in this industry there is more often than not something that will cause a headache, and additionally more time and money. A prime example would be changing a door; sounds simple enough, but was the door initially square, or a standard metric sizing? was the door installed correctly how ever many years ago? is it Summer or winter (depending on the moisture in the air the door could swell or reduce in size, which in its own can be problematic in the opposite season)?
How do you normally charge for your service?Generally a rate of $55-65 per man - per hour will cover almost any work we take on. This does factor in the time it takes to organise a job and travel around for materials, so if a job is simple or requires no additional materials we are more than happy to negotiate a lower rate.
Is there a particular aspect of your trade or industry that you specialise in?Detailed carpentry and joinery is the work we enjoy the most. Picket fencing and heritage restoration are among my favourite things to do.
What experience, skills, qualifications or training do you have to make you the right people for the job?Max has spent 10 years installing ducted air conditioning, and roof plumbing through which he has learned numerous skills in all aspects of building and construction and earned a Certificate III in Roof Plumbing, He have also spent the past 8 years as a carpenter in doing countless different building works including but not limited to renovations, restorations, extensions, studios, granny flats, picket fencing and decks and pergolas. Jeff has been a carpenter for over 40 years and has an unmatched knowledge base when it comes to all things carpentry and building, and can turn his hand to almost anything. Do you have a favourite customer story you would like to share?I was quoting a job for a lady who had multiple quotes, as she was looking to sell her property and wanted an inexpensive option to revive her backyard and do a few odd jobs. I managed to tidy the back yard for a fraction of the cost others had provided, and still had her amazed with the results.
What do you like most about your job?We don't just "like" any aspect of our job, we love the entire job. Waking up almost every day to do something different, somewhere different. we are continuously meeting new people and gaining new experience, in an area of work that we love to do.
Custom Projects
If we can't do it, it's new to me.
Renovations
Need a new kitchen, a wall removed to open up space, an aditional bedroom? We can do it all.
Studios and Granny-flats
We can build you a room from our range of designs or custom build something to suit your needs.
Decking and Pergolas
Need an entire new entertainment area, or just some shade over the BBQ area, we can help.