Customising your home

May 26, 2020

Love a kitchen but prefer the rangehood in a different spot? Want a prayer room instead of a powder room? Need the same size living room but with higher ceilings? No problem – you can work with the Builders at HomeWorld in a range of different ways to suit your needs and budgets.

Here are some common customisation questions answered.

Q: How do I budget for customisation?

A: Sitting down and having a conversation with the Builders will help you determine what level of customisation is possible with each company,

From there you can do a thorough comparison and get a clearer idea of what is included in each price and what your preferred options/changes will do to your overall costs.
Of course customisation is not a one-size-fits-all solution, it’s about making the home perfectly yours, so you will need to detail out what is important to you (and know what areas are a “must have” and what are “if we can afford it”).
Figuring out the costs for different levels of customisation will also help you with your final budgeting, and help you compare your options.
Do your research and plan, plan, plan. This will be one of your life’s largest investments so it’s important that you spend your time looking at various options – planning what you want, planning your budget and how you will spend it.   

The key thing to do, as with all new home building, is to confirm with your financial institution how much money you can borrow. It is important to understand – and stick to – your budget from the very beginning.

Q: What are the most popular ways to personalise a home?

A: Most people tend to make small, reasonable low-cost changes that really personalise their home, according to Vogue Homes General Manager Kristina Chrissimos.

“Customising colours and materials are the most popular ways, and many people look at the façade of the home and how they can differentiate their home from the streetscape. Maybe they’ll add a stack-stone wall, render or even a skillion (slanted sloping) roof line,” she says.
Changes such as adding chrome and matt black tapware are a popular choice right now, as they add some style without a huge spend.

Other popular ways to customise your home include:
∙ Glass splash backs
∙ Walk-in pantries/butlers pantry
∙ Higher ceilings
∙ Upgrading lighting fixtures
∙ Skylights.

Q: Can I change a home’s floorplan?

A: In many cases, yes, you can. The key reason that people modify a floorplan is to ensure that it works for their lifestyle, household and family needs. This can include modifying a room to change it from a cinema room to a downstairs bedroom or office, increasing the size of rooms, or flipping the design to change its orientation to suit your block of land. Another floorplan change that is growing in popularity is the inclusion of a granny flat. Some Builders can add this to the side of the home design, integrate it into the actual home or add it on the back. So if you like a design, but it’s not quite right, don’t hesitate to ask the Builder if you can make some changes.

Q: I have a modest budget – can I still customise my home?

A: Absolutely! You can make non-structural changes like upgrading the colour of your bricks, adding framed niches to the entry hallway or rendering part of your façade. These are not costly and allow you to add your own touch. You can also choose your own fixtures, benchtops, cupboards, for example.

Q: What are some trends in customising a new home build?

A: There are several interesting changes over the past five or so years, says Rawson Homes Senior Sales Manager Lester Hopman.
“Having a second master bedroom with ensuite on the ground floor, large entry foyers, adding a prayer room and grand alfresco areas are some of the customisation trends we’ve seen emerge,” he said.
The Hamptons look is another popular home trend. By adding gables to your design, changing your living, dining and kitchen into an open-plan layout with plenty of windows and making your home fully cladded are great options if this is a style you’re falling in love with.

Remember, when you’re visiting display homes at HomeWorld, there is a range of customisation options available to you. These options give you the freedom to create your very own home, just how you like it!
Ask the Builders onsite about everything you want to know.

Feature image: Tullipan Homes – Toledo MKII on display at the NEW HomeWorld Thornton