A few weeks ago, Jake and I met with prospective clients at their home to talk through some ideas they had for their property. We spent the next hour walking through the house, discussing what they wanted to achieve and whether a major renovation or knockdown rebuild would ultimately be the better option for their family.
As we were wrapping up, they mentioned they’d probably need to speak with a builder who specialised in custom homes as well.
Jake and I looked at each other for a second.
Because that’s exactly what we are.
It wasn’t awkward, and they certainly hadn’t said anything wrong. If anything, it caught us by surprise because we’d never stopped to think that the term custom builder might mean something different to our clients than it does to us.
On the drive home, we kept coming back to the same conversation.
It made us realise we’d probably never properly explained what the word custom means to us.
Custom Doesn’t Just Mean Custom Plans
Building a new home from a custom set of plans is part of what we do. But we’ve never believed that’s the only thing that defines a custom builder.
For us, the same approach applies whether we’re building a custom new home, undertaking a major renovation or working through a knockdown rebuild.
Long before there’s a floor plan, we’re working out what the home actually needs to achieve.
The conversations are about the way you live, your block or existing home, your budget and what you want the finished project to do for you.
Every project starts with a different goal, so every project starts with a different conversation.
That’s where the custom part begins.
Before the Plans Exist
That doesn’t mean we’re designing homes over the kitchen table.
It means we’re helping clients ask the right questions before they invest time and money heading down a particular path.
Sometimes those conversations confirm the direction a client already had in mind. Other times, they uncover another option worth exploring.
To us, that’s one of the most valuable parts of building custom.
It’s not simply about taking whatever plans arrive on our desk and pricing them. It’s about being involved early enough to understand the project and help work through the decisions that will eventually shape those plans.
That’s exactly what happened with the clients we met that day.
By the end of our conversation, we weren’t talking about room sizes or finishes. We were talking about the best outcome for their family and which pathway made the most sense for what they wanted to achieve.
It’s the Approach, Not Just the Project
We don’t define custom by the type of project we’re building.
We define it by the way we approach it.
Every site is different. Every existing home is different. Every family has different priorities, budgets and ideas about how they want to live.
For us, custom building means starting there and developing the project around those things, rather than expecting every client or property to fit the same approach.
That’s what the word custom has always meant to us.
Planning a custom home, major renovation or knockdown rebuild in Forster-Tuncurry or the surrounding area? Get in touch with our team to talk through your project and what you’re hoping to achieve.
