NG: Please tell us about your home design. Did you go in already knowing what you wanted?

Andrew: yeah, we wanted open-plan living.

Sarah: We had an idea of a floor plan that we liked. And when we met with Mike (New Homes Consultant), we showed him what we liked from certain floor plans, told him what we wanted, which was a 4-bedroom, theatre, study and a nice master. He suggested adding an activity room and he pretty much just put everything in that we wanted and more.

The kitchen, exceeded our expectations, having a pantry. I didn’t even think we could fit that on our block. And Mike managed to fit it in, along with a coffee bar for Andrew – that’s his part, Mike worked his magic, and did it pretty much all in one day.

NG: What features and upgrades did you select for your house?

Andrew:  Mike was actually really good when it came to that. A lot of it was already in the contract and in the working drawings, so he had a lot of it covered for us. So, come prestart it was very minimal.

Sarah: We told him what our budget was and he helped us go through what we could afford, what we could cut and what we may regret cutting, he was honest. It was nice as stereo-typically, someone in sales normally just pushes you into everything, but he was not like that, he was so good.

My favourite upgrade was the matt black overheads.  It is the Laminex absolute Matt Black, so it’s fingerprint-proof and it’s just a lot easier to clean. It is those little things, such as the bulkhead above the overhead so there’s no gap between the cupboards and the ceiling. That’s something that I really like.

NG: How did you find the pre-start meeting?

Sarah:  I was really organised about everything, which I think drives Andrew insane. We went to the suppliers and the style studio first to look around and make sure we were clear about what we wanted. And when it came to prestart itself, I wrote out questions and had a check box, and we left no questions unanswered, it was all really easy.

NG: Did you visit any of the display homes to get inspiration?

Andrew: Yes, we did look at other displays – we looked at the Mackenzie in Bennett Springs.

NG: What are some key learning you can share with us?

Sarah: The first time we built, it was fine, but we just knew that we would outgrow it pretty quickly. So that’s why with this house, we decided to set it up for the future. We knew that we wouldn’t have to move again. So, we definitely learnt how we use the space, and I wanted a bigger kitchen.

NG: What advice would you offer people building their home?

Sarah: Definitely do your research.

Andrew: Yeah. Don’t hold back and, don’t be shy to spend that little bit extra to get what you want, as it’s worth it in the end. You are going to live there and it’s not a short-term thing.

NG: Why did you decided to build with New Generation?

Andrew: The build times were quicker and the sites were cleaner. It made more sense to build with Summit.

Sarah: It was also super handy as Andrew worked on some Summit and other builder sites already, he knew what sites were clean and which were constructed well.

NG: What was the deciding factor?

Andrew: Cleanliness on site, their quality of workmanship, it’s definitely a cut above the rest.

Sarah: When you drive past the new areas like I obviously have no idea about construction, but you can tell when it’s a Summit build because it’s a lot cleaner and it’s just not messy.

NG: Was there anything that stood out in the build for you?

Andrew: Our site supervisor Steve, he was really good. He answered all my calls, anytime I’d see him on site all the time. If I had any questions or anything, he was straight onto it. Emails, calls, everything.

Sarah: If I had any emails, he would answer them straight away. Even with our PCI, Andrew works on sites and could pick things up, but Steve would come and notice other things that we didn’t pick up. Any little items that needed to be fixed, he would be able to and he has a good eye for detail.