Case Study: Upgrading their lifestyle with a new home build

Case Study

When Lisa and Gerald decided to sell their home of 20 years, they were ready to upgrade to something new.

Their daughter had recently built with Fortified Homes, and while they were choosing their section they stayed in her house, and loved it! When it came time to start their own build, Lisa and Gerald got in touch with the Fortified Homes team and selected a similar plan. 

Their build ran smoothly, and when a minor hiccup with Council popped up, the Fortified Homes team were able to resolve it quickly and keep the project on track. 

“Working with Mike was wonderful because every week you got a progress report, which I loved,” Lisa says. “Everything was always on time.”

Lisa kept a close eye on the financial side of things during the build and really appreciated the clear pricing structure and regular reports. “Everything was priced accordingly, so you knew where you were going,” she says. “There were no extras on top of the whole thing.” 

The subdivision where the couple chose to build had a requirement that any new home with a fireplace needed to have a chimney, not a standard metal flue. The plan that Lisa and Gerald had chosen didn’t include a chimney, and adding one would typically increase the build budget by $5,000 – $10,000. 

However, Lisa and Gerald were able to work with the Fortified Homes team to adjust their plan and include the chimney at no extra cost. The original plan included a tiled ensuite shower, which wasn’t a feature that really mattered to the couple – and it definitely wasn’t important enough to sacrifice a cosy fire! So the tiled shower went out of the plan and the chimney went in, all without impacting the total budget.

When it came to making the most of their investment, there was some debate about where to upgrade and where to save. “Because Lisa was so budget-orientated, I had to push her a couple of times to get the extras,” Gerald says. “I said, just do it!” The areas where they decided to upgrade paid off, Lisa says. “Six months down the track, you’re pleased you up-specced.”

Their choices have added value to the home if they decide to sell in the future – but for now, they’re just enjoying day-to-day living. 

“Our last home was lovely,” Gerald says, “but with [our new Fortified house], we haven’t missed the last one at all.”

Lisa and Gerald are happily settled in their new home, but they’re not ruling out another Fortified Homes build down the track. “This might be our ten-year plan,” Lisa says, “but we’d definitely go back to Mike and build our next home with him.”

We loved working with Lisa and Gerald and hope they enjoy living in their new house for many years to come. 

Real Life Business Lessons: Being brilliant on the basics is a great way to find success
Case Study When Lisa and Gerald decided to sell their home of 20 years, they were ready to upgrade to something new. Their daughter had recently built with Fortified Homes, and while they were choosing their section they stayed in her house, and loved it! When it came time to start their own build, Lisa and Gerald got in touch with the Fortified Homes team and selected a similar plan.  Their build ran smoothly, and when a minor hiccup with Council popped up, the Fortified Homes team were able to resolve it quickly and keep the project on track.  “Working with Mike was wonderful because every week you got a progress report, which I loved,” Lisa says. “Everything was always on time.” Lisa kept a close eye on the financial side of things during the build and really appreciated the clear pricing structure and regular reports. “Everything was priced accordingly, so you knew where you were going,” she says. “There were no extras on top of the whole thing.”  The subdivision where the couple chose to build had a requirement that any new home with a fireplace needed to have a chimney, not a standard metal flue. The plan that Lisa and Gerald had chosen didn’t include a chimney, and adding one would typically increase the build budget by $5,000 - $10,000.  However, Lisa and Gerald were able to work with the Fortified Homes team to adjust their plan and include the chimney at no extra cost. The original plan included a tiled ensuite shower, which wasn’t a feature that really mattered to the couple - and it definitely wasn’t important enough to sacrifice a cosy fire! So the tiled shower went out of the plan and the chimney went in, all without impacting the total budget. When it came to making the most of their investment, there was some debate about where to upgrade and where to save. “Because Lisa was so budget-orientated, I had to push her a couple of times to get the extras,” Gerald says. “I said, just do it!” The areas where they decided to upgrade paid off, Lisa says. “Six months down the track, you’re pleased you up-specced.” Their choices have added value to the home if they decide to sell in the future - but for now, they’re just enjoying day-to-day living.  “Our last home was lovely,” Gerald says, “but with [our new Fortified house], we haven’t missed the last one at all.” Lisa and Gerald are happily settled in their new home, but they’re not ruling out another Fortified Homes build down the track. “This might be our ten-year plan,” Lisa says, “but we’d definitely go back to Mike and build our next home with him.” We loved working with Lisa and Gerald and hope they enjoy living in their new house for many years to come. 
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2021 House of the Year Silver Award
Case Study When Lisa and Gerald decided to sell their home of 20 years, they were ready to upgrade to something new. Their daughter had recently built with Fortified Homes, and while they were choosing their section they stayed in her house, and loved it! When it came time to start their own build, Lisa and Gerald got in touch with the Fortified Homes team and selected a similar plan.  Their build ran smoothly, and when a minor hiccup with Council popped up, the Fortified Homes team were able to resolve it quickly and keep the project on track.  “Working with Mike was wonderful because every week you got a progress report, which I loved,” Lisa says. “Everything was always on time.” Lisa kept a close eye on the financial side of things during the build and really appreciated the clear pricing structure and regular reports. “Everything was priced accordingly, so you knew where you were going,” she says. “There were no extras on top of the whole thing.”  The subdivision where the couple chose to build had a requirement that any new home with a fireplace needed to have a chimney, not a standard metal flue. The plan that Lisa and Gerald had chosen didn’t include a chimney, and adding one would typically increase the build budget by $5,000 - $10,000.  However, Lisa and Gerald were able to work with the Fortified Homes team to adjust their plan and include the chimney at no extra cost. The original plan included a tiled ensuite shower, which wasn’t a feature that really mattered to the couple - and it definitely wasn’t important enough to sacrifice a cosy fire! So the tiled shower went out of the plan and the chimney went in, all without impacting the total budget. When it came to making the most of their investment, there was some debate about where to upgrade and where to save. “Because Lisa was so budget-orientated, I had to push her a couple of times to get the extras,” Gerald says. “I said, just do it!” The areas where they decided to upgrade paid off, Lisa says. “Six months down the track, you’re pleased you up-specced.” Their choices have added value to the home if they decide to sell in the future - but for now, they’re just enjoying day-to-day living.  “Our last home was lovely,” Gerald says, “but with [our new Fortified house], we haven’t missed the last one at all.” Lisa and Gerald are happily settled in their new home, but they’re not ruling out another Fortified Homes build down the track. “This might be our ten-year plan,” Lisa says, “but we’d definitely go back to Mike and build our next home with him.” We loved working with Lisa and Gerald and hope they enjoy living in their new house for many years to come. 
Read More
House of the Year Silver Award
Case Study When Lisa and Gerald decided to sell their home of 20 years, they were ready to upgrade to something new. Their daughter had recently built with Fortified Homes, and while they were choosing their section they stayed in her house, and loved it! When it came time to start their own build, Lisa and Gerald got in touch with the Fortified Homes team and selected a similar plan.  Their build ran smoothly, and when a minor hiccup with Council popped up, the Fortified Homes team were able to resolve it quickly and keep the project on track.  “Working with Mike was wonderful because every week you got a progress report, which I loved,” Lisa says. “Everything was always on time.” Lisa kept a close eye on the financial side of things during the build and really appreciated the clear pricing structure and regular reports. “Everything was priced accordingly, so you knew where you were going,” she says. “There were no extras on top of the whole thing.”  The subdivision where the couple chose to build had a requirement that any new home with a fireplace needed to have a chimney, not a standard metal flue. The plan that Lisa and Gerald had chosen didn’t include a chimney, and adding one would typically increase the build budget by $5,000 - $10,000.  However, Lisa and Gerald were able to work with the Fortified Homes team to adjust their plan and include the chimney at no extra cost. The original plan included a tiled ensuite shower, which wasn’t a feature that really mattered to the couple - and it definitely wasn’t important enough to sacrifice a cosy fire! So the tiled shower went out of the plan and the chimney went in, all without impacting the total budget. When it came to making the most of their investment, there was some debate about where to upgrade and where to save. “Because Lisa was so budget-orientated, I had to push her a couple of times to get the extras,” Gerald says. “I said, just do it!” The areas where they decided to upgrade paid off, Lisa says. “Six months down the track, you’re pleased you up-specced.” Their choices have added value to the home if they decide to sell in the future - but for now, they’re just enjoying day-to-day living.  “Our last home was lovely,” Gerald says, “but with [our new Fortified house], we haven’t missed the last one at all.” Lisa and Gerald are happily settled in their new home, but they’re not ruling out another Fortified Homes build down the track. “This might be our ten-year plan,” Lisa says, “but we’d definitely go back to Mike and build our next home with him.” We loved working with Lisa and Gerald and hope they enjoy living in their new house for many years to come. 
Read More