Dollars in your pocket!!!

One of the key secrets to Long Island Homes ongoing success has been the hundreds of referrals from fanatical clients!!

One happy referrer has earned himself $8,000 in successful referrals this year alone…

That fanatic was Mr. Chan who said; “ We had been saving for a new car and by simply letting our friends know how happy we were with our builder and introducing them to Long Island Homes… well …our new car is now parked in our driveway!!.“

You too can earn yourself some extra cash like the ‘Chan’ family by telling your friends and family to visit our display homes at 16 Bell Crescent, Kingsford Estate, Point Cook.

Quite simply if the person you have referred to Long Island Homes builds a Long Island Home, you will receive $1000 which is paid directly to you when our new “fanatic” sees their concrete slab…poured it’s that simple!!!!

Please ask the person you have referred to give your details to the Long Island Homes consultant or you can simply walk them into our wonderful display homes yourself….

Were even happy to do the leg work for you ….simply email as many people as you like, who you know are wanting to build a new home and we will do the rest…it’s that easy….

So what are you waiting for!!!

Please don’t hesitate to send an email sales@longislandhomes.com.au if you have any questions or visit our website www.longislandhomes.com.au

Long Island Homes – 10 Wallace Avenue, Point Cook 3030
Call on 1800 60 40 11 or visit longislandhomes.com.au

Last week we talked about outdoor living areas and how they should complement the way you live so it’s only natural that this week we talk about the internal design of your new home!!

Furniture, Furniture Furniture!!!

While most display homes look great they don’t have YOUR furniture in them and they don’t have your children or family members visiting you in them every day… No one has an open check book to completely redecorate their new home!!

So it’s important to take a tape measure and work out do these living spaces really work for you!

Just because the Meals/ living are is huge or the main bedroom can fit a lounge and TV doesn’t mean that’s how you’re going to use the space in the same way…

Conversely some luxury items like spas seldom get used after the novelty has worn off so it’s important to work though how you will live in the house and consider  all your wants and needs carefully J

That’s particularly important, especially if you work from home or have people over on a regular basis….

Ask yourself are you comfortable with guests being able to see in all through your brand new home?

Also do you truly have separate spaces for all the family or do you like to live all in the one general living space. Do you like the dining room table close to the kitchen and would it be better if your bathroom was hidden neatly in the hallway?

So with lots of things to think about it’s important to think about the total flow of you new home so when you move in …….. it’s a joy to live in!!!

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Over the last 10 years there has been an explosion of houses constructed with outdoor living as a key part of their design. In some designs this space is referred to as “Alfresco”, as you can walk in/ walk out to a living space under cover,, in other designs it’s referred to as “Casual” or “Outdoor Living”, but all are still under roof line.

While some of these new designs are terrific, others may leave you cold… literally! A key consideration in looking at some of these new floor plans should be, does this space truly relate to how you live as a family unit?

If you have a long narrow block …are you comfortable looking at a side fence one metre away from your brand new outdoor area!!

Remember blocks are getting constructed in design both longer and narrower in type.  How your house sits on a block of land  is also so critical for many reasons, least of which is…do you want your indoor / outdoor space to be cold and dark for most of the day!!

If you’re an outdoors person, then look at connecting with the outside of your house and don’t waste your precious backyard by not having an easy flow to it from the house itself…

Also another key consideration is how does this space relate to the other internal rooms of the house. Do you just want this space connected to the kitchen and family living or would it be more appropriate to have a guest bedroom having access to this area.

Or…. Is this Casual Living area truly set up for outdoor living, does it have good wall space to set furniture too, can you easily place a barbeque without blocking window space or potentially damaging the windows themselves by placing outdoors burners to close to the windows?

These are just a few of the considerations that should be answered prior to you being satisfied with your chosen design.

Too often we hear “well we loved the display home but when we moved in it just did not feel the same”.

Don’t let this happen to you!! 

Many times I am asked by people who visit our display homes where is a great place to buy a block of land and indeed why they should chose one new estate over another. It’s a fair question.

With so many new estates so close together it can be a really tough choice. Certainly price may play a part, as do estate guidelines which may allow for either a wide variety or new home styles or focus on a particular theme.

One clue to unraveling this puzzle lies in looking at how the estate might look as we gaze through a crystal ball. With a brand new estate where we have no built homes it can be hard to gauge what the general market reaction will be. So we have to think about how this estate will look and feel once populated.

Variables such as street orientation, traffic flow, schools, parks all need to be taken into consideration. However, one key aspect to complement all of these variables could be streetscape.

The way the” greenbelt” of a new estate evolves may potentially set the “feel” of one new estate over another.

If a new estates offers front landscaping or fencing bonuses or has an estate guide line that stipulates these elements need to be completed prior to residents moving into their new dwelling, then,  this may have a positive impact on how the streetscapes may develop  and how the new estates “green belt” may mature over time.

We have all seen neighbours who have beautiful front gardens or streets where every new home has it front yard landscaped, how great does that look and what a great incentive it must by to those home owners to continue to invest and maintain their gardens.

The positive effects of great gardens may not end there, one possible further benefit could be as a flow on, better resale values for that street as it so inviting to visit and has a wow factor about it!

Every little bit helps, simply mowing the foot path, having the nature strip looking neat and clean or making sure that idle trash is removed all helps change the feel and appeal of a street, particularly in a new estates where rubbish is bound to blow around from nearby building sites no matter how careful we poor builders are!

So, in the end no matter where you chose to live you, one thing’s for sure great gardens can be the beginning of making a good street …. GREAT!!

Firstly thanks for the terrific response I had to last week’s column I’m glad my ideas helped so many of you understand the value of great streetscapes!!

So to this week’s topic…

We find that many people who walk through our door don’t have any or very little understanding of construction site costs incurred when completing a new home.

Many clients see these costs as a necessary evil or may be perceive them to be dubious in nature, quite frankly nothing could be further from the truth.  When a house is constructed the foundations must suit the soil conditions, hence why every single builder calls for a soil report, which in turn is passed on the appropriate people to design a suitable concrete slab/ base for the proposed dwelling.

It is also impossible for a builder to specify a one solution suits all design for the same reasons. Purely on the financial side it would make a lot of houses much more expensive than they should be.

Soils vary from suburb to suburb and street to street. It is also quite common for two or three blocks of land side by side to all have different building requirements.

The Footings and Foundations society is a great reference point for learning bout both the various soil types found around our city as well and the types of construction required to satisfy those conditions. Oh… and the CSIRO also has great reference material.

You have probably seen lots of news paper advertising referring to “M” class slab type as the one included in the pricing of most new homes advertised.

This is standard classification for mildly reactive soils hence the “M” class tag! This classification changes as the conditions or soil types change. You have “H” for highly reactive, “E” for extremely reactive and “P” for problem or fill sites. These are the most common soil types found in and around Melbourne.

When you construct  your new home make sure you ask your builder for a copy of the soil report for your new home and ask them to explain why the house’s foundations are being constructed the way they are.  Ask them to explain any allowances for rock excavation, additional concrete or other anomalies that you are unsure of, you’ll be surprised just how much effort goes into constructing your new home under the ground as above it!

The ground floor offers modern open plan kitchen, meals and spacious living areas which lead out to your own private undercover casual living. It’s a wonderful area to entertain your family and friends. The front lounge can easily be transformed into a theatre, games room or a large study and you’ll stay dry when you come home to your remote control double garage with internal entry.

There are four spacious bedrooms upstairs, the master with WIR and separate WC. The retreat offers space you can use for a multitude of purposes and the designer has thoughtfully separated the WC from the main bathroom.

The Maldives 290 is a double storey big on inclusions and great value for money. Enquire today and find out more!

Introducing two new stunning ranges from Long Island Homes, the “Islander” Range and “Residence” Collections.   The Islander Collection covers fresh designs from 16-25squares, ideally suited for first home buyers, empty nesters or the astute property investor.  Floor plans that offer tremendous flexibility even for smaller more affordable homes. Simply chose from three or four bedrooms, each plan incorporates well designed open plan living and adjoining outdoor casual living “alfresco type” areas, (plan specific).  Livings spaces that are ALWAYS designed with multiple purposes in mind, livings areas that can cater for home theatres, gyms, games room or whatever suits your lifestyle. The Islander Collection of homes is affordably priced, presenting excellent value for money.

The Residences Collection takes a FRESH look at what luxury is all about….

It’s not only just for the discerning new home owner either… anybody who is truly interested in innovative, well designed new home luxury, will be well pleased with our 2011 releases.  You immediately feel the difference, from the minute you walk into a Residences Collection home.

They simply feel custom designed…

Expansive corridors, 2700mm high ceilings, designer kitchens with European 900 appliances, 40mm stone bench tops, spacious rooms and architectural designed features are consistent throughout. Designer homes in which any family will be proud to entertain.  Long Island Homes Director, Craig Delany comments, “We truly want our customers to be IN LOVE with their new homes and changes to any of our floor plans to suit personal needs and lifestyle are a definite YES”!

Download our media brochures below (in pdf format)

Referral Voucher PDF

The Maldives is designed to suit most double storey purchasers and if it doesn’t we will change the design to suit.  The floorplan caters for indoor and outdoor living areas on the ground floor for resort style living and entertaining.  The sparkling gourmet kitchen and family room is adjacent to a magnificent under cover casual living, perfect for a pizza oven and lavich BBQ.  There’s a formal lounge at the front of the home which could easily be converted to a room of your choice – something to suit your livestyle.

The study just inside the front entry is most suitable for someone wishing to work from home.  Upstairs is a spacious recreation room,  4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The ensuite is open to the spacious master bedroom and large WIR.  The Maldives 350 also has a large double garage with automatic panel lift door and secure entry to the home.

However Spinner is no ordinary 11 month old Golden Retriever, he’s in training to become an Assistance Dog and will be matched to one of the long list of people confined to a wheelchair who are in need of their help.  “Spinner” is sponsored by the Shane Warne foundation and named after Shane who is one of  the world’s most successful spin bowlers.

Long Island Homes is also a proud sponsor of Assistance Dogs Australia.

Craig Delaney, Director of Long Island Homes remarked, “Assistance Dogs are trained to do so much for their carer, they enhance their independence and are a blessing to people whose only frustration is that they can only do so much when restricted to a wheelchair, we are very proud to sponsor such an awesome organization”.

Ian Goodall who is Spinners ‘Puppy Raiser’, which is the first step prior to Training School,  has intimate knowledge of the wonderful assistance the dogs are. “Ian’s wife Jennifer is in a wheelchair and has an Assistance Dog called Dudley who has been with them for 5 years.

Ian said, “I can’t praise these dogs enough for the help and  companionship they give, its the little things which we take for granted, like dropping our keys on the floor. Dudley is there to quickly pick up and return such items to Jennifer”.

Ian went on to say, “I have  become a Puppy Sitter for Assistance Dogs to give back a little of the enormous gratitude we have for such a much needed cause”.

To sponsor a puppy for $2 a day or provide a donation, visit www.assistancedogs.org.au or call 1800 688 364

Visit Long Island Homes displays at 16 and 18 Bell Crescent, Point Cook. 1800 60 40 11