Coffs Coast
property guide
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G.J. Gardner HOMES C O F F S
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In 2006, aged in their 20s, Rick and Susan Fischer took on the opportunity to become G.J. Gardner Homes’ youngest franchisees. PASSIONATE AND DEDICATED TO THE G.J. BRAND, together they successfully ran the Clarence Valley business for six years, before taking on an opportunity to also acquire the Coffs Harbour franchise in 2012.
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espite running a busy business and raising a family with three children, these gogetters continue to reach new and greater heights and proudly hang numerous awards on their walls, including the recent award for Contract Houses under $450,000 at the 2019 Master Builders Association of NSW Excellence in Building Awards. How long have you been living in the Coffs community? Rick and Susan first lived in Coffs when they were in their early 20s. Rick was a contract carpenter to another wellknown and respected builder on the Coffs Coast, and Susan worked as a real estate salesperson for a local agency. They married, built their own first home and started their family in Coffs during this time. Just after their first baby, Hayley, was born, Rick was offered the role as Construction Manager for G.J. Gardner Homes in Grafton, so they relocated to Grafton for the G.J. role and to be closer to family while the kids
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were young. They were levels for hockey and then offered to purchase surf lifesaving, as well IN BUSINESS, THERE WILL the G.J. Grafton business, as many other school ALWAYS BE CHALLENGES making them the sports. They love the TO OVERCOME, AND OUR youngest G.J. franchisees coastal lifestyle on APPROACH IS ALWAYS TO in the G.J. family. Rick the Coffs Coast and BE OPEN, HONEST, TO and Susan owned and are often out surfing ADDRESS ISSUES QUICKLY operated G.J. Gardner before school and AND KEEP EVERYONE Homes Grafton for seven work. INFORMED OF PROJECT years, before jumping at The Fischer family STAGES AND PLANNING. the opportunity to move have been building back to the Coffs Coast homes for over 150 in 2013. years, making Rick a “We love the Coffs Coast; it is such a fifth generation builder. Rick’s first memories beautiful part of the world, with so many are digging through his father’s shed or wonderful people that live here, we are so running around a display home. grateful to live on the Coffs Coast. Every Levi could be in line as a sixth generation time we travel away for either work or our builder if he chooses to follow that path; he family sporting trips, we are so excited to be has already shown interest in being a builder home, and it makes us realise how lucky we when he grows up, but we will have to wait are to live right here on the Coffs Coast,” and see where his future takes him, as he is shared Susan. only 11 years old. Tell us about your family … Or, perhaps one of the girls will take up Rick and Susan have three children: the family business. There are plenty of Hayley, Breah and Levi, who all love their capable women in construction these days, sport and compete at state and national and Susan was recognised amongst peers as
a leader in the industry, winning the Master Builders 2018 Women in Building Award. What are some of the challenges experienced personally and in business? “There is always the challenge of work-life balance - the ability to manage a successful business while also maintaining a happy, healthy family,” shared Susan. “In business, there will always be challenges to overcome, and our approach is always to be open, honest, to address issues quickly and keep everyone informed of project stages and planning,” said Rick. What part of the business are you most proud of? “We are so proud of winning the Master Builders Contract Houses under $450,000 award and the great work that our team consistently produces. We are driven by an expectation of excellence and a desire to give personal attention to every detail of a home build. This award is a great recognition of us achieving our goals with our amazing team,” shared Rick. The G.J. Gardner Homes Coffs Coast team are proud to have received a range
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of accolades in recent years, including the Master Builders Association 2018 Women In Building Award, Chamber of Commerce Business Leader, Master Builders Awards for Excellence, HIA NSW Industry awards, G.J. Gardner Homes International Display Home of the Year, as well as recently celebrating 10 years as a G.J. Gardner Homes Franchisee. What have been the biggest changes
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IT’S SO MUCH EASIER TO UNDERSTAND AND GET A FEEL FOR A SPACE ON THE SCREEN, COMPARED TO LOOKING AT FLAT DRAWINGS OR PLANS, AND IT’S CERTAINLY MUCH QUICKER AND EASIER THAN VISITING A NUMBER OF PHYSICAL DISPLAYS ...
you have seen over the last 10 years? G.J. Gardner Homes has recognised a shift in the way customers want to experience home designs and displays and offer a range of ways to test out a home’s design and floor plan.
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“While we still have traditional display homes, we also have an incredible Virtual Display Village that allows customers to virtually walk through over 70 G.J. Gardner home designs and display homes right from our office,
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including the exclusive new Tailored Range created with Darren Palmer,” explained Rick. “It’s so much easier to understand and get a feel for a space on the screen, compared to looking at flat drawings or plans, and it’s certainly much quicker and easier than visiting a number of physical displays,” added Susan.
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The virtual home experience was created by architect Peter Mannion from Synergy Designs and takes home design planning to the next level, giving people looking to build a new home a hyper realistic understanding of how the home flows and each room works to create a great living space. “Changing a home design mid project is the number one reason for budget variations, so the fact our clients can take a virtual tour of multiple house designs and customise
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floor plans live on screen before they commit will really help minimise this frustration. “We understand the touch and feel component of choosing elements of a home will always be an important part of the process, so we combine the virtual tour with a physical walk through of our design studio, showcasing our standard inclusions and upgrade options. “We also have our own Stillwater 303 display in North Sapphire Beach for those
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that want to see our quality workmanship first-hand. However, if that particular design doesn’t suit a customer’s block of land or budget, we’ve got 70 plus more options ready to virtually walk them through with just the click of a button,” said Rick. The GJ Gardner Homes story is a familybased business. Have the original values and goals remained with growth? “The very first G.J. Gardner office was built on family values back in 1983 on the
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Sunshine Coast, and now owning and managing our own G.J. Gardner office here in Coffs Harbour, we maintain the same values that align with our own family and business ethics. “We believe in and work with integrity, kindness, community spirit and team work. We strive for excellence and support our teams, trades, and community along the journey to deliver homes that people in our community love living in,” explained Susan.
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G.J. Gardner HOMES C O F F S
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Tell us about your team and their area of expertise. Rick is a fifth generation builder with incredible industry insights, and Susan runs the accounts and marketing, with a background in design and furnishings. Together with their team of experienced building professionals, they share a common passion for anything design and construction, and their overarching goal is to deliver beautiful new homes on time, on budget and with the best quality service you can experience.
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TARA RHOADES
BILL CLARKE
CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATOR
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
Tara comes to G.J. Gardner Homes Coffs Harbour with an extensive background in client services and for the past six years has worked specifically within the residential and commercial building industries in project administration. Originally from Toronto, Tara gained valuable experience in the professional landscape and then decided to travel. She met her husband while exploring Queensland and moved to Coffs Harbour 10 years ago to raise a family.
Bill has over 40 years’ experience in the building industry, having run his own building business prior to becoming a construction supervisor. His role involves coordinating tradespeople, the delivery of building products, managing quality control during the construction of new homes, ensuring health and safety requirements are being met and liaising with clients during the building process.
Tara’s role is to guide clients through the pre-contract process, including finalising plans and colour selections, and then brings all the elements together for quick and seamless approval processing through the Council, so that building works can begin as soon as possible.
HAVING WORKED IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY FOR SUCH A LONG TIME, BILL HAS A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF ALL ASPECTS OF THE BUILD AND WHAT IS EXPECTED OF EACH TRADESPERSON.
Tara is your dedicated contact person throughout the build process, to support you with any questions you may have. She thrives on positive customer experiences and loves to see clients settled in their new homes.
Bill says the best part of his job is seeing a design concept turn into an actual home and guiding clients through that process.
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MARC ZVECZKY
SCOTT BROWN
KELLEE BUCHANAN
ESTIMATOR
NEW HOMES CONSULTANT
NEW HOMES CONSULTANT
With five years at G.J. Gardner Homes Coffs Harbour, Marc’s role involves balancing client budgets to include custom designs and specific fixture and fitting selections. He prepares work orders prior to the commencement of construction, to ensure that work is carried out within a specific budget.
Scott has been a new home consultant for almost a decade and has a trade background, having worked as a roofing installer. Scott works with clients to help them design their new homes and fit their design to their budget.
Marc has a good understanding of the building industry, having worked as a carpenter prior to becoming an estimator. He says the best part of his job is working through design plans and doing the calculations, to ensure clients receive their dream home within their budget. Marc says the building industry is constantly evolving and coming up with new products, which he is able to incorporate into his clients’ new homes.
He enjoys the fact that he can work with a variety of clients, including first home buyers, investors, retirees and families. He says it’s especially rewarding to help a young family through the building process and see them excited to move into their first home. Living in Nambucca Heads gives Scott the opportunity to work closely with clients in that area, as well as throughout the Coffs Coast region.
Kellee is a New Homes Consultant for G.J. Gardner Coffs Harbour, bringing her bright and cheerful disposition to your home planning experience, guiding you through the process to explore all your wants and needs in a new home, from finding the right block to planning the final detail. Kellee comes to G.J. Gardner with many years of experience in customer service, accounting and administration, and she’s practically a professional multitasker, always seen wearing a big smile. She’s a wonderful people person who gets great satisfaction from delighting customers and seeing them light up when they can see their dream home ideas come to life.
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What are the stand out features or the benefits of working with GJ Gardner Homes? G.J. Gardner Homes are trusted local builders backed by a strong national brand. They know the area and work closely with trusted local trades and suppliers; plus, they’ve got the buying power of the national group to deliver great cost savings and value. Their virtual tours and design showroom are a great way for customers to explore and select features of their new home and are a stand
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out feature of G.J. Gardner Homes. Beyond this and underlying all their business decisions and interactions are their strong family and business values. “We value honesty first and foremost. There is no better way of developing trust between us, our customers and our building partners than by being truthful and honest in every single customer and partner interaction,� said Rick. Rick and Susan also explained that all their achievements and positive recognition would
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WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM; EVERYONE IS VERY POSITIVE AND ENTHUSIASTIC. WE ALL WORK HARD AND ENJOY WOWING THE CUSTOMERS.
G.J. Gardner HOMES not be possible without their team. “We have a great team; everyone is very positive and enthusiastic. We all work hard and enjoy wowing the customers. Our team members take initiative when they notice something that the customer, team and company can do to succeed. The best team members are positive to be around and enjoy working with people. “We know that by having fun and enjoying what we do, our customers will enjoy their journey,” said Susan. How important is sustainability when designing a new home?
Being Coffs Harbour locals who love the beautiful climate and coastal lifestyle, the G.J. Gardner team take into consideration the environment and the natural beauty of this region when planning the build of a new home. Considering options from solar panels to shower heads, Rick and Susan can help you explore energy saving options that not only save the environment, but also save on running costs. With reporting estimates showing that an 8-star energy efficient house can potentially save 40% on heating and cooling costs, this is something to seriously consider.
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What is the process designs, or even building WORKING AS A when a new client from a client’s own STREAMLINED TEAM, walks through the plans. G.J. GARDNER COFFS door? Working as a HARBOUR IS ABLE TO Rick and Susan have streamlined team, G.J. GUIDE HOME OWNERS built over 200 homes, Gardner Coffs Harbour THROUGH A SMOOTH each one very different, is able to guide home AND ENJOYABLE BUILD but the approach to owners through a PROCESS. every client is the same smooth and enjoyable to treat them like family. build process. Being custom builders, “It begins with the G.J. Gardner Homes designer, builder and Coffs Harbour have the flexibility to cater to salesperson going to site with the client and clients’ land, lifestyle and budget needs by working through options that are suitable modifying any of the 150 plus G.J. Gardner for the specific block of land, taking into
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consideration both the financial and structural confines of the land. “This is a complimentary service that enables clients to understand their options and possibly explore ideas they never thought possible,” explained Rick. What are the top three things that people should consider when looking to build a new house or renovate an existing home? Taking design and functionality inspiration from the G.J. Gardner Homes feature designer Darren Palmer, here are the top three recommendations from Rick and Susan: Kitchen layout: the kitchen is a busy hub in any home, so it’s important to have a good
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THE KITCHEN IS A BUSY
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layout to enable a zones. Once the layout is HUB IN ANY HOME, SO functional and beautiful locked in, consider clever IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE space to be enjoyed storage solutions like A GOOD LAYOUT TO by the whole family pull-out pantries, blind ENABLE A FUNCTIONAL (even at the same corner systems, drawer AND BEAUTIFUL SPACE time). Be aware of dividers and integrated TO BE ENJOYED BY THE the Five Zone kitchen rubbish systems. WHOLE FAMILY ... layout as followed by Bathroom design: the Darren Palmer in his bathroom is the next big exclusive G.J. Gardner home value-add after the Homes designs - the kitchen. When designing two storage zones for food items and items your bathroom, think about the overall like plates and cups (which should be near aesthetic of your house, and bring those same the dishwasher), the cleaning zone (sink and colours and textures in to your bathroom rubbish area) and the cooking and preparation surfaces. Storage is critical in busy bathrooms,
so consider how you can incorporate underbench storage, face-level storage such as shaving cabinets and shelves and clever storage solutions in dead zones such as behind and above the toilet. Test out the floor plan: before choosing your home design, take a walk or virtual tour through the home to feel the flow of the rooms, to make sure the layout of the home will suit your lifestyle and needs. With the Smart TV in the G.J. Gardner Homes Coffs Harbour office, you can virtually walk through over 70 home designs, without breaking a sweat.
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Do you believe that it is important to be part of the Coffs community? “Yes, we are passionate about our local community and proudly support our local surf lifesaving club and hockey club, as well as being involved with local business groups and construction industry initiatives,” said Susan. Rick is a keen member of Sawtell SLSC and can be seen on patrol with the family during the summer months, always out updating his training and certificates to help keep our community safe on the beaches.
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He gets great satisfaction from helping in the community with the Surf Club. Rick is also currently coaching the boys Hockey NSW U18s boys state squad and recently coached the Hockey Coffs Coast Under 13s boys’ hockey team to victory at the NSW State Championships. Rick admits it was after all his years playing and coaching hockey it was his first state “Gold” medal. “It’s so satisfying when you see the massive smiles on the kids’ faces at the end of a tournament,” shared Rick. As business owners in Coffs Harbour, Rick
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LOCAL BUILDERS KNOW WHAT’S UNDER THE SOIL, THEY KNOW THE LOCAL COUNCILS, AND THEIR BUSINESSES ARE RUN BY PEOPLE WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THE IMPROVED LOCAL COMMUNITY WE CREATE.
and Susan work hard at being market leaders in the industry. They strive to instil confidence in the market and as perceived role models in the region, they hope to influence the actions of all of competitors, so that the general quality and experience for families in our community are raised to the next level within the industry. “We’re a local business with local knowledge;
we use local tradespeople and local suppliers. Yes, we build homes, but we also play a part in building the community that brings all these home owners, investors and tenants together. “Local builders know what’s under the soil, they know the local councils, and their businesses are run by people who will benefit from the improved local community we create,” said Rick.
Stoddart Group is the often unseen but everpresent backbone of the construction of a new home.
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from TRUE WATER
Household sewage management is usually an afterthought or unknown for most homeowners.
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hen building a new home, if your lot is not connected to Council's sewerage system (or town sewer), you will need to dispose of your household wastewater with an on-site sewage treatment system. True Water Australia designs home sewage treatment systems to suit the specific needs of each property. The company works closely
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with G.J. Gardner Homes Coffs Harbour to provide the highest quality customer service, ensuring each project is delivered on time, on budget and hassle free. There are special regulations that apply to home wastewater systems. Before installing a new Home Sewage Treatment Plant (HSTP), homeowners need to provide Council with a Wastewater Report and gain approval. True Water meets the clients and builder onsite to
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discuss options and provides a concept design and detailed information free of charge. Once a solution is agreed upon, True Water and the G.J. Gardner Homes team work together to complete all council and regulatory requirements, to make the application and approval process as simple as possible. True Water only installs accredited systems that are known for their high quality, longevity and excellent treatment capabilities. Our team provide safe, reliable and cost-effective sewage treatment systems, ensuring the highest level of protection to the health and safety of your household and family. Working with the G.J. Gardner Homes Coffs Harbour team is fantastic, as our businesses share a focus on quality, reliability and value for money. James Mahoney, Managing Director - True Water Australia The Fuji Clean CE1500EX is True Water’s system of choice for home wastewater treatment. It efficiently treats domestic wastewater generated in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry, as well as sewage from toilets. Tucked away below ground with treatment chambers and microbes working away quietly, these systems produce the cleanest output of any domestic wastewater system in Australia. The systems have no internal moving parts and use a highly developed bacterial diges-
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tive procedure to enhance the treatment process. This advanced process achieves safer water by removing large amounts of contaminants and nutrients. The reliable system protects your home, family and the environment, while adding value to your property. Fuji Clean’s domestic systems are small and lightweight. This guarantees easy installation and additional cost savings. The whole treatment process requires very little electricity and produces high quality treated water. With regular scheduled maintenance by a qualified service technician, each system will continue to operate for decades to come. The True Water team work closely with G.J. Gardner Homes to coordinate the installation and commissioning of each system. This ensures the homeowners have a working home wastewater system at handover that is ready to “set and forget”. True Water provide our clients with the best possible system for their home, handling the design through to installation. Their knowledge and communication with clients, regulators and our staff make them a pleasure to deal with. Rick Fischer, G.J. Gardner Homes Coffs Harbour Contact the team at True Water Australia for more information about home wastewater treatment options.