focusinterview.
G.J. GARDNER HOMES • W AT C H T H I S S P AC E•
BE HOUSE PROUD The team at G.J. Gardner Homes have over 170 builds under their belt; it’s only natural they have outgrown the garage they’ve been working from at their Display Home. The New Home Design Centre in Orlando Street isthe precinct’s latest development. Call in and meet the local team today ... GJ Gardner's Chris Shute with NSW State Wide Smeg Competition winner, Scott Gale of Coffs Coast.
here is your exciting new space situated? 171 Orlando Street, Coffs Harbour. The New Home Design Centre is in the old Plastic Factory site but has been completely refurbished with a fantastic new look. Why did you decide to relocate from your Display Home in Sapphire, and what does this mean for your customers? We wanted to provide our clients with a more comfortable space during the planning and building stages of their new home. The New Home Design Centre in Orlando Street is in a central location, making it easier for clients to get to. We have also allocated a massive space for an exciting "in-house display centre", where clients can view some of the many inclusions that can be selected or upgraded in their new home. But what if clients still want to touch and feel the display home, you know - to get design ideas? Our Display Home at Sapphire Beach will remain open to the public seven days a week. The hours have changed slightly to 10am 4pm. The Display Home is where you will get a true feel for the quality of our G.J. Gardner homes and gather ideas for what you would like to see in your own new home. Describe the daily operations of the business - what staff member works where? At the New Home Design Centre we have 42 coffs coast focus.
our extremely helpful New Home Consultants, Brad Bye and Chris Shute. Brad and Chris alternate weekly between the Display Home at Sapphire and the Design Centre in Orlando Street, so there is always a Consultant on hand at either location. Kim Casson is our Office Administrator and handles the dayto-day administrative needs of the business. Randy Beckington is our on-site Construction Manager and also works closely with Rick; together they inspect every single block of land prior to building and also at various stages throughout the construction of the new home. Their most important inspection would have to be the foundations of the home prior to the concrete being poured – this must be right from day one. And then we have Susan, who looks after accounts, marketing and the day-to-day business operations. Our newest member to the G.J. Coffs team is Marc Zaveczky. Marc’s role with G.J. is in estimating and he is responsible for the analysing of quotes and floor plans for accuracy and continually assessing and identifying cost improvement opportunities, which we can then pass on to our clients. In terms of managing the budget, does the team at G.J. Gardner Homes give customers an absolutely fixed and final price before contracts are signed, or are there hidden add ons along the way? By the time our clients are sitting down with us in the office to sign contracts, we have completed the selections for the entire home. Any variations the client has requested
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are included upfront prior to signing their fixed-price contract. However, people can still make changes throughout the building process – no problem at all. There is some perception in the marketplace that once you have made your selections you are not allowed to make any changes, but this is certainly not the case. What about the design process; do you allow customers to pick their own taps, sink bowls, windows and doors, or will these be charged as extras after the customer signs? Our customers have freedom to select whatever design or product they want for their home. If there is something they have seen in a magazine or on a reality TV show, we can certainly look at how we can incorporate these items into their dream home. We don’t just have a range of three items that they must choose from: after all, this is their home, and they need to feel comfortable and happy about their selections. How many homes have the team built in the region? Since starting with G.J. Gardner Homes in 2007, we have successfully built more than 170 homes in the region. As a fifth-generation builder in the region, Rick certainly takes great pride in each and every build, which is
ng reflected in the strong recommendations we receive from our past clients. Building a new home is a huge financial and emotional investment. What would you say to someone considering building with G.J. Gardner Homes? Enjoy the chance to put your thoughts on paper and get what you want, where you want it. Building takes time. We do all of our costings up front before any commitment is made, so our customers feel as comfortable as possible with their financial situation. People need to consider current rent or loan repayments, as well as the cost of the building loan repayments at the same time. It starts to become tough towards the end of the construction when so much is happening – this is where we find stress levels tend to go up, so we endeavour to make the process as smooth as possible. There is nothing more pleasurable for our team than to have clients come back in to see us after their build, asking us to call out to their new home for a coffee and see how and why they made rooms the size they did to fit their family in. G.J. Gardner Homes 171 Orlando Street, Coffs Harbour. Phone. 6691 3509