It was the build quality of the Kurmond display homes that stood out to Jonathan and Jillian Wilde when they started to plan the build of their new home in Leppington. And the couple says that quality was backed up by great service from start to finish from the Kurmond team.
As the first home they’ve built the couple didn’t know what to expect from the entire process and were pleasantly surprised.
They initially created a list of about 25 builders and visited the display homes, and from there they narrowed it down to three builders. With those three they went through the sales process (up until the deposit is paid) to determine the best fit for them.
When the couple initially thought about building a home, they considered a smaller home that would provide a stepping stone to a larger family home, but after researching and meeting the Kurmond Homes team they decided to skip that step and go straight for a home they will live in for many years and potentially raise a family in.
“Christine from Kurmond sold us on going with them. She took the time with us and was happy to modify the design to suit our needs. We went through about eight iterations before we were ready to sign, and Christine was so accommodating. The other builders we spoke to were not as willing to change anything without incurring additional costs,” said Jonathan.
“We chose our block of land because it’s oppositive parkland, and in an area, we like, so we wanted to make the most of the outlook. Our upstairs balcony at the front of the house has a great view over the park,” said Jonathan.
As an engineer, Jonathan says he was happy with the attention to detail from Kurmond and the team’s transparency and clarity throughout the build.
“From the beginning Kurmond built our trust by being honest. They recommended we include a $10,000 slush fund into the budget to cover additional expenses that were likely to arise based on their experience of building homes in Leppington previously. This increased the price of the overall build, but it gave us confidence that the team knew what they were doing,” he added.
Once the couple signed the contract, they entered the design phase where they finalised the design, chose colours, finishes, and more, and sought council approvals. They encountered one unexpected issue with their local council, but Kurmond resolved it without fuss.
During their build process, Kurmond’s site supervisor Bryan provided Jonathan and Jillian with weekly updates. “Bryan was incredibly open and honest with us and told us about issues that arose, but more importantly how they’d been addressed. We understand that small problems will always arise, and we were building during the COVID pandemic which brought its own issues.”
Kurmond’s team were accommodating when the couple wanted to customise their chosen design which was the Mayfair 35 with Axis façade. For example, Jillian who is of Italian heritage wanted to include a bidet in the ensuite bathroom which is not a standard inclusion. Kurmond’s design team shuffled the design to fit the bidet into the bathroom.
The couple love to entertain so their new home has a large open plan area at the rear including an alfresco area. “Our friends who have visited our new home often comment on the build quality,” said Jonathan. The landscaping is yet to be complete and will be enjoyed by the couple and their puppy when complete.
“The highlight for us during the whole build process, was the Kurmond people. The level of care and attention to detail made the experience really positive. The minor problems that arose were quickly sorted out. Many of our friends who have recently built new homes haven’t had the same smooth build experience,” said Jonathan.
