How this family took their first step in the property market

The Websters have lived on Alec's parents' farm in Glenbrook for nine years and were keen to have a home of their own. Now they do and they couldn't be happier with their corner section in the new Kahawai Point community. It hasn't been long but they're already making friends in their new neighbourhood.

The brief

For their step on the property ladder, the couple needed to keep costs down. They opted for a House & Land Package consisting of a pre-designed home with Signature Homes' "fantastic specs". While they plan to move in five or so years, they still wanted a great family home.

Planning

Kimberley admits she wasn't expecting marble floors, but she still wanted a comfortable home that wouldn't just work for her family, but for future owners. Kimberley and Alec settled on the Bellbird, a pre-designed plan from the Smart Collection. Signature Homes New Home Consultant Siobhan Hughes helped the couple tweak the plan to suit their requirements for family living, while still keeping it within their budget. By modifying the standard plan, the home will comfortably accommodate the family for the foreseeable future.

Design

Some features have been customised, such as the addition of an attic for storage. "We also changed one window in the lounge to two long, vertical windows, which we believe completely transforms the look of the house for the best," says Kimberley. The plan's fourth bedroom was turned into a space for the kids by removing the wardrobe to make a study nook. With a couch, TV, and Xbox, "the kids can be out of the main lounge when they want to blob, and the adults can have the living space with music playing to unwind and converse after work".

Layout

Come through the front door, veer left and you'll be in the kids space. Turn right and the L-shaped open-plan living, dining and kitchen area unfolds. Keep going and the bedrooms and bathroom run off the hallway. The master suite has a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite.

Exterior

Brick cladding is specified as part of the pre-designed plan. Within that, the couple had multiple choices for colour and were leaning towards red as a point of difference to the surrounding black-brick clad houses. "On Christmas Eve last year, we ventured out to Beachlands in terrible weather with multiple road closures to look at red brick houses with white soffits," recalls Kimberley. Having seen that, they settled on black soffits. 'We're really rapt with it." The tiled hip roof with gable ends is also black.

Interior

"Simple, clean and focused" is how Kimberley describes her interiors philosophy. Rather than investing in architectural features, the family saw the house as a canvas and an approach that works with Kimberley's talent for styling. Impact is also created with bold artworks, many of which came from Alec's artist mother. The enormous Rob Tucker resin still-life hanging in the living space was gifted to Kimberley and Alec as a house warming gift by her uncles, who live in Devonport. "It was quite a ride getting it here over the Harbour Bridge on a really windy day on the back of a truck," recalls Kimberley.

The build

"It was an enjoyable experience and Signature looked after us well throughout. We had never built a house before so it was all new and we were uncertain about the process. With the package Signature had put together, most of the hard stuff was taken care of and we could focus on the fun stuff, like selecting colours and finishes," says Kimberley. And with Signature's fixed price, there was peace of mind. "Kimberley and Alec liked that we could offer a completely fixed price because their previous builder has not been able to do this and costs kept increasing throughout the planning process," says Siobhan.

If you think a House & Land Package might be just what you are looking for then take a look at our current packages here. If you would prefer to speak to someone you can connect with your local team here.