Making the most of a Kilcunda view, Andrew + Valentina
Location: Kilcunda, Gippsland Victoria
Home Design: Infinity Design
Building a home can be a little nerve wracking at the best of times, let alone during a pandemic. But when you have great clients and a builder with a team that is committed to keeping the communication channels open, a great outcome, such as this one with Andrew and Valentina, can be achieved.
Read on to learn more about their Coldon building experience and take a look at the images and video for inspiration. We loved working with them to make the most of their Trestle Bridge views in Kilcunda and can imagine many days being enjoyed on that deck.
Why did you build with Coldon?
At the early stages of the pandemic, around May 2020, we realised that we may not be able to travel much as we had been for the next few years, and started looking for a holiday house around Phillip Island and the Bass Coast. We couldn’t really find anything that suited our specific needs, so decided instead to find a block of land and build something of our own. We wanted to try to capture a rural outlook and if possible an ocean view and be within walking distance to a beach. We found an ideal block in Kilcunda and we started contacting a few local builders. We found that Coldon Homes was the most responsive and took the time to consider and accommodate our specific needs, instead of just sending us random house plans with no consideration of the block aspect or layout. We visited the Coldon Homes display centre and got some ideas and found that Coldon Homes were very accomodating in changing the floorplans of their designs to suit our needs.
- How would you describe your overall Coldon experience?
We had an amazing experience with Coldon Homes. We had previously built three homes, but each was with large home builders. This was our first time building with a small local builder and the experience was completely different. Firstly in the design and consulting stage, the Coldon team were so helpful in helping us work through the different options and customisations of the floor plans through several revisions to land on the final design – big thanks to Glenn. Our colour consultant was also amazing and helped us a lot in choosing the colour palettes and customised fixtures and fittings. Then during construction, we had an excellent dialogue with Earl our building supervisor through the whole construction process. Things were difficult through the various lockdowns, particularly for us being based in metropolitan Melbourne and not being able to travel down, but Earl kept us updated, sent us through progress photos and was always available to answer questions or address any concerns along the way. Even accommodating our little changes throughout the process.
- Would you recommend Coldon Homes to others?
Absolutely. They kept us informed the entire time and their admin team was super-efficient. We always knew where we were at. Our Site Supervisor throughout the building phase, Travis, was fantastic. Nothing is ever a problem for this guy and he ensured there were no surprises – which definitely helped with our nerves.
- Was it important for you to build with a local builder?
The care factor that comes with a local builder is second to none compared to the big guys. Having now built four houses, the main differences are the immediate access to staff and their knowledge and understanding of your project.
- Would you recommend Coldon Homes to others?
Yes, we have had a wonderful experience with Coldon Homes and love our new house. We would definitely recommend Coldon Homes to others.
- What has exceeded your expectation when it came to your build?
Despite all the lockdowns and disruptions in the supply of building materials, the house was completed on time and within budget. Also, the number of design changes and customising of the design helped us to build exactly what we wanted.
- What’s your favourite part of your new home?
We love our huge wrap-around deck out the back, it really captures the view of the Trestle Bridge and provides an awesome area for entertaining and enjoying the view. We also love the window built into our kitchen splashback, I know Earl wouldn’t like me promoting that (as it was a bit of a pain to correctly position the window into the frame before the kitchen was installed) but the guys positioned the window within millimetre precision and it looks perfect.
To learn more about this home design, click here.
Photography: Andrew Harrison of Harrison Media
