Building a new home is usually the largest investment you'll make, and your home should be perfect for you, your family and your block of land in every way. 

 

Sure, it must look great. But more importantly it must function well. Your new home must  respond to the needs of your family and the demands of your lifestyle now and  many years from now. It must possess the ability to accommodate the changing needs of your family and provide for those unexpected life changes we're often faced with.

 

You'd have to agree with this, I think we all do. So why do most of us live in homes that don't fit like a glove? Why do most of us live in homes that simply don't work for us & our family and are rarely the best fit for our block? The answer is simple. Most people don't buy a home, they're sold one. And it's rarely the home they actually need. The motivation of those selling us a home is money, not our genuine needs.

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| Emotional Beings

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As humans, we're emotional beings, most of our purchases are based on emotion. Marketing people are well aware of this, hence designing advertisements & packaging to appeal to us on an emotional level.

 

Display home builders are no different, they spend huge sums of money dressing up the empty shell they want to sell us. They employ interior designers to fill the home great furnishings & make it look awesome. They display lighting, cabinets & many other features  which aren't included in the price. They add outdoor kitchens to alfresco areas and often include swimming pools. In short, these builders invest a great deal of money to generate the wow-factor and they do it very well indeed.

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Let's now remove all these excluded items from the display home. Would it still have the wow-factor,  would we still be in love with the home? Not so much. We'd then be forced to focus on the actual design of the floor plan, something these Builders obviously don't want us paying too much attention to because many actually aren't so practical.

 

When building a display home product, we're not building the home we actually need and certainly not the home that's ideal for our block. Display homes are designed to appeal to the mass market, not the individual.

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| Individual Home Design

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There's absolutely zero doubt that an individually designed home is the best option available in achieving a home which better responds to our needs. However, if we don't choose the right Architect or Designer, this option can still result in home that simply doesn't work for us or our block or is lacking in some other way.

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"A friend of ours paid more than twice as much for their plans, but are more impressed with our home. They're happy with the basic design, but feel it lacks the details which makes a home special. They're impressed with what you've done for us, so I suggested they come see you."

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Over the years, I've had a number of people come to me after having a negative  experience  elsewhere. They've said things like "I just don't feel he's listening to us"  and "After several attempts, they still haven't got it right."

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Just because a person is an Architect or Designer, it doesn't necessarily mean they're  good at what they do. Additionally, it doesn't mean that the person is a good fit for you or the home you're wanting to have designed. 

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There are a great number of "Yes men/women" operating with this industry. When describing  your home to such people, they nod & smile while saying "That sounds lovely", even if they don't even believe it or understand you. They're afraid to challenge your ideas in case they offend you or, even worse, simply have no ideas to offer.

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When designing a new home, we have a blank canvas. We have an opportunity to create something amazing and should take full advantage of this every single time. Some simply don't have the creative ability to do so. 

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The very second you feel you're not being challenged or understood, just walk away.

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| The Boyd Design Difference

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When I design a home, I go to great lengths to ensure it responds perfectly, in every respect, to the needs of my clients. The budget, the needs of the family, the site and any other factor that comes out of the in depth design meeting I hold with my clients.

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I'm certainly no "Yes man". I'll challenge your ideas and asks tons of questions about whats important to you and how you function as a family. I'll ask about regular visitors, your lifestyle and about your ten-year plan. 

 

I design for growth. I plan for the mother-in-law, who may need to stay a while, and think about where the kids are going to park their cars when the time comes. I think of things like where is Dad going to park his Harley during his mid-life crisis. I design for real life.

 

If there are two Daughters, I may suggest a shared/split bathroom to avoid them fighting over it. And if the parents' en-suite bench is constantly covered with Mums' organised chaos, I may suggest a separate space for her which I call "Mess". This is like a powder room, but also part of the en-suite. You'll see a few on my plans.

 

If Mum is constantly dealing with business, school & family organizational matters, perhaps she could use a little nook off the kitchen. A place with a desk where she can keep a laptop, pin-board & filing cabinet. 

 

Storage is always an issue, so lots of storage is always a priority for me. As is a place for the kids or parents to escape to, visible computer nooks and sufficient space to store the bikes & camping gear. These seemingly minor issues are important. But if you're not asked about such things, they probably won't be considered. 

 

What about the most important family members, the dogs? Chances are, they like to have the freedom to access all areas of the garden and get very upset if they can't see past a wall or gate. So, we need to ensure they're catered for also. Let's not forget about power points & garden taps, if in doubt, add more.

 

These are only a small sample of the things I think about when designing a new home,  there's so much more involved. I go great lengths to ensure my designs respond perfectly for whom I'm designing. I also ensure the homes I design are filled with emotional value, which helps attract maximum dollars at sale time. I design stunning looking, yet practical homes that fit my clients like a glove in every respect.

 

Designing new homes isn't simply what I do - it's not even my job, it's who I am. And my toughest critic is me, I put myself through more pain than any client ever will.

 

It's my passion, dedication, talent & determination to get it right which results in my initial designs usually being adopted with minimal changes. This is due to the fact that I dig deeper with my clients to gain a sound understanding of who they are and how they function as a family.

 

This is the reason I'm able to provide meaningful, written guarantees for every aspect of the homes I design. I know I'm going to get it right, because I understand my clients very well indeed. 

 

This efficiency saves a great deal of time, money & frustration for all concerned. I truly care about my clients doing the right thing by themselves and have no problem challenging their ideas and speaking my mind. I'm certainly not a "Yes man" who simply draws up what my clients tell me they want, I challenge them to ensure we achieve the ideal home design, one which fits like a glove. 

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