Here in Melbourne, there’s no shortage of options when it comes to choosing a builder. And the choices are vast and varied. There are local custom home builders, volume builders, heritage specialists, the list goes on. So, we sat down with our General Manager, Nick, to ask him all about being a local builder and the benefits that come with it.
What areas do you build in?
At Brownhill Homes, we’ve been working in, and around, Ringwood for over 25 years. Historically, we would operate in a 10-15 km radius, but these days we consider ourselves one of Melbourne’s leading east and south-east custom home builders.
How does being local impact the homes you build?
Building locally comes with many benefits. Firstly, we have longstanding relationships with suppliers so we always know what quality of materials we’ll be receiving, and we have great rapport with local councils, so the paperwork side of a build is less likely to slow us down.
Secondly, we have invaluable local knowledge. This can really help us on new sites. If we’ve completed a custom build close by and we’ve hit rock, we know there’s a high chance we’ll hit rock on the new site too. So, we can plan accordingly and prepare ourselves before we pick up any tools.
Do you feel like there’s more of a community feel too?
Absolutely, we’ve been a boutique builder in the area for decades, and we’ve grown with the suburbs we service and the families within them. Because we’re a small team, roughly 25, our service is naturally personal too. When a new client comes down to speak with our custom home design consultant, they never leave as strangers. By the end of their custom build, it’s like we’ve gained another neighbour.
We also like to participate in community events. We’re an annual sponsor of a Rotary event held locally, and it feels really rewarding to give back to the community who supports us.
Because of this closeness, it pushes us to always deliver and exceed expectations. A lot of our projects come from referrals, so our reputation is everything. Whether we’re on-site or grabbing a morning coffee, people know us and they know our work. So we always do our best, from design to construction. And we only ever sign fixed price contracts so there will never be any costly surprises down the track. It’s just one of the ways we like to make building a new home easier for our clients.
Is it mainly new homes you build?
We actually do a lot of knockdown rebuilds. There are many houses in the area that are quite outdated, but the block itself and the neighbourhood are great. So we work with families who want to breathe new life into their homes and essentially start from scratch. This gives them an opportunity to create a home exactly as they want it, and because it’s already their land, it shaves off so much of the process. It’s also a great financial investment for them too.
If you’re looking to build your forever home in Melbourne’s east south-east, contact our friendly team today to get started.
