For Lisa and Nigel Gogoll, creating their own custom home design meant seeing lifelong hopes and dreams come to fruition.
Growing up, Lisa and Nigel’s “green, green grass of home” was the picturesque Barossa Valley where grape vines peppered an evergreen landscape of rolling hills and gum trees. A sense of community and family were the foundations upon which they have now built a family home with the perfect space to hang out and have fun together, as well as relax and entertain.
Proud parents to Jayden and Isaac aged 12 and 10, Lisa and Nigel have established their careers as self-employed directors at Tupperware Australia.
Running their business while parenting two active children keen on footy and motor bike riding meant the grass was never going to grow under this family’s feet. Yet the simpler and easier path of buying a family home wasn’t their dream – the potentially arduous process of building one was.
Looking back, Lisa explains. ‘We’d renovated and lived in so many different houses, and we’d lived in Melbourne for a couple of years. The first home we bought was in Tanunda, which we renovated and sold. We loved renovating, so we knew we would enjoy building a new home and we had a good feel for what we wanted.
I think we visited every display home and every builder in Adelaide but we struggled to find a design that ticked all our boxes. So, we combined several designs to come up with our own.’
They built in Nuriootpa and years later they built again, in Lewiston. They chose Fairmont Homes both times because although other companies could do custom builds, Lisa and Nigel didn’t find them as obliging and every change came at a cost.
‘Fairmont were able to build exactly what we wanted and it felt like nothing was a hassle.’
‘For our second home we knew exactly what we wanted. We thought we should support local business so we checked out an independent builder - but the price was out of our budget and it didn’t feel like a good fit with them,’ Lisa explains.
Nigel says they took their design to Fairmont Homes because they knew they would be fine with a custom design and he could be confident in the quality of the home.
And their experience second time around was just as good as the first. ‘We met Emma at a display home and she was fantastic. We showed her what we wanted to build and she loved it – she wanted to build it for herself,’ laughs Nigel.
Lisa adds, ‘It was very personalised service. Even the ladies in the office were always willing to help. There were stressful moments but Fairmont were very understanding through those times and great to deal with.’
‘Fairmont made us feel like people – they listened to us. Compared to friends and family who have built… well, we’re very grateful for our Fairmont experience.’
What Lisa and Nigel loved about dealing with Fairmont Homes was that they didn’t over promise. ‘They are honest and they take on just enough clients to ensure they can treat everyone well.’
Quality is another thing that stood out for Lisa and Nigel. ‘They’re so fussy. Our supervisor, Tim, picked up little things even we wouldn’t have picked up. And the tradies made us feel part of the build every step of the way.’
To people who are thinking about building, Lisa and Nigel suggest:
- ‘Definitely considering the market as it is, if you have a dream keep going forward with it but make sure you give yourself a bit of wriggle room. Be patient with the current building climate.’ (Nigel)
- ‘Think about the big picture – it’s small pain for long term gain. Enjoy the process, and don’t forget about why you are doing it in the first place.’ (Lisa)
So, what do they love most about their custom-built home by Fairmont Homes?
For Nigel it’s the main living area. ‘We put two 3.5 metre commercial stacker doors in which means heaps of light and we can look out across the alfresco to two acres of land and the swimming pool.’
Lisa loves everything about it. As parents of two sporty boys, she loves her big fancy laundry, which she says makes their lives easier. ‘And I just love walking in my front door! Emma helped with that idea, that we walk in the door and look ahead through a glass window out to the pool and the yard. That first glimpse calms me every time I walk in, it doesn’t matter what’s going on. It makes me feel comfortable – I love it and I will never get sick of it.’
If you’re thinking of building a new home, Fairmont Homes’ friendly team are ready to help with an exciting selection of home designs, house and land packages and in-house custom design services. Take the first step to building your dream home and contact us today!