CUSTOMER STORIES
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My first Home….but probably not my last!
I’ve always wanted to build my own home but, the minute you mention this to friends you’re regaled with stories of first home mistakes and budget over runs. It’s true, I had expensive idea’s and a limited budget and the beautiful show homes you visit lead you to believe you can have it all until you read the fine print. However, not to be put off, I bought my section. Initially I started working with a big named home builder adapting one of their plans to suit the site. It all seemed to be within my budget until we started adding the extra’s such as retaining, driveways and patio’s. Perhaps I’m naive but, aren’t retaining and a driveway a fundamental part of the house? And so on a frustrating Monday morning, by accident, I found myself in the Harwood show home. |
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Whether Robyn sensed my frustration or not I don’t know but, what I do know is that the following morning I was down on the site with Robyn and David (Harwood).
It was a great morning and David & Robyn really took the time to listen and understand what I wanted, and understand that my budget was the budget for the whole house including all of those little extra’s!! David sketched an initial design as we talked and then arranged to meet back at the show home the following day.
David’s sketched design honed by the architect immediately captured all of the elements I wanted in my house and did so at a price I could afford. It was therefore an easy decision to engage Harwoods to build my first home.
And now the hard work started. As I mentioned, I have expensive tastes, I wanted a designer kitchen based on an award winning Queenstown kitchen design, I wanted the stacker doors in the living area to open up allowing direct flow out onto the outside patio, I wanted LED Lighting for improved insulation and low energy bills and I wanted 3 bathrooms with walk in showers and underfloor heating! Ok, not everything’s energy efficient!
It was probably not surprising that the first budget draft came in over budget but, the team took on the challenge and over the next 6 weeks, everybody worked to bring the house back onto budget whilst retaining the key elements of the design. David quickly identified a key $10,000 saving in the roof design but, the rest of the savings were found by working through the detail with Robyn and the architects and during the whole process, not once did I feel under pressure to compromise my plan or extend my budget.
The end result was a house on budget but, we still needed to complete the electrical and interior home design within the PC sums allowed. Fortunately, in the Reflections Range Harwoods have generous budget for these components and Harwood’s pricing also included 20 hours with Gael their interior designer. Working with Gael was amazing and it was her strong direction and vision that created a home I truly love. Not only that, she achieved this within budget which was no mean feat. As the budget got tighter, there were times during our supplier meetings when she rolled her eyes and prayed to the heavens for help, only to come back minutes later with an absolute gem of product at a price we could afford.
And so in January we started building and it was then I realised that the friendliness of the Harwood’s team extended to all of the guys on site. Everyone introduced themselves and took the time to take me through what they’d done and what they were doing next. Any problems or queries were quickly dealt with and during the whole build, I remember only one mistake which, was rectified, so that it now actually enhances the look of the house. If you want to know how much effort the guys put in to create my dream home, take a look at the front door. To stay within budget, I opted for a basic front door only upgrading the handle for a more executive feel. It was Sam the painter who made it look a million dollars spending in total, 12 hours to paint one door, using special reflective paint to create the wonderful clean modern finish.
So now that the house is finished, am I happy….absolutely…….am I excited about moving in……definitely…….do I want to do it all again………you bet…..it was fun!
So to all the guys and girls from Harwoods that built my home…Thank You. Maybe see you again soon.
It was a great morning and David & Robyn really took the time to listen and understand what I wanted, and understand that my budget was the budget for the whole house including all of those little extra’s!! David sketched an initial design as we talked and then arranged to meet back at the show home the following day.
David’s sketched design honed by the architect immediately captured all of the elements I wanted in my house and did so at a price I could afford. It was therefore an easy decision to engage Harwoods to build my first home.
And now the hard work started. As I mentioned, I have expensive tastes, I wanted a designer kitchen based on an award winning Queenstown kitchen design, I wanted the stacker doors in the living area to open up allowing direct flow out onto the outside patio, I wanted LED Lighting for improved insulation and low energy bills and I wanted 3 bathrooms with walk in showers and underfloor heating! Ok, not everything’s energy efficient!
It was probably not surprising that the first budget draft came in over budget but, the team took on the challenge and over the next 6 weeks, everybody worked to bring the house back onto budget whilst retaining the key elements of the design. David quickly identified a key $10,000 saving in the roof design but, the rest of the savings were found by working through the detail with Robyn and the architects and during the whole process, not once did I feel under pressure to compromise my plan or extend my budget.
The end result was a house on budget but, we still needed to complete the electrical and interior home design within the PC sums allowed. Fortunately, in the Reflections Range Harwoods have generous budget for these components and Harwood’s pricing also included 20 hours with Gael their interior designer. Working with Gael was amazing and it was her strong direction and vision that created a home I truly love. Not only that, she achieved this within budget which was no mean feat. As the budget got tighter, there were times during our supplier meetings when she rolled her eyes and prayed to the heavens for help, only to come back minutes later with an absolute gem of product at a price we could afford.
And so in January we started building and it was then I realised that the friendliness of the Harwood’s team extended to all of the guys on site. Everyone introduced themselves and took the time to take me through what they’d done and what they were doing next. Any problems or queries were quickly dealt with and during the whole build, I remember only one mistake which, was rectified, so that it now actually enhances the look of the house. If you want to know how much effort the guys put in to create my dream home, take a look at the front door. To stay within budget, I opted for a basic front door only upgrading the handle for a more executive feel. It was Sam the painter who made it look a million dollars spending in total, 12 hours to paint one door, using special reflective paint to create the wonderful clean modern finish.
So now that the house is finished, am I happy….absolutely…….am I excited about moving in……definitely…….do I want to do it all again………you bet…..it was fun!
So to all the guys and girls from Harwoods that built my home…Thank You. Maybe see you again soon.