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Building a home for the first time, Courtney Ehmsen and Kurt Verdonk chose to dive in and bring their dream abode to life with Smart Homes for Living.

After making adjustments to the design of the home to suit their needs and entertaining ambitions, the couple are satisfied with their new home and spoke with New Homes about their journey.

What made you decide to build your own home, and what was the initial starting process like?

Last year when COVID-19 first hit and Western Australia went into lockdown, we finally decided to set a meeting with Smart Homes for Living after months of research and planning.

From the very first meeting we were over the moon with what Smart Homes for Living had to offer and how they were able to incorporate everything that we wanted in our first home whilst sticking to our budget.

Our consultant took us to look at land in May 2020, and we were able to secure the perfect block for us in Baldivis on the very first visit.

After we purchased our land, we signed off on our floor plan and Smart Homes for Living were quick to get our building contracts underway so we could begin the build.

Our slab went down in October 2020 and we were moved in by April 2021.

What aspects of the floor plan did you change to suit your needs?

We created an open-plan area, so our kitchen, living room, dining, theatre and games room all flow.

In the original floor plan the theatre was at the front of the home, but we decided to push all the bedrooms up to the front of the house and bring the theatre to the back so it’s with our games room.

How did you decide that Smart Homes for Living was the right builder for you?

We chose to build through Smart Homes for Living because we found its floor plans and display homes the most appealing.

When we met with the team they weren’t pushy; they were accommodating to everything we wanted in our home, gave us helpful tips and advice, and just had a general understanding of the home and life that we wanted to create.

We were able to customise our floor plan to suit what we wanted – we extended all the robes in every bedroom, made each bedroom bigger and ensured that our living area was open-plan, so everything flowed nicely when we entertained.

What is your favourite part of your home?

Our favourite part of our home is the living area, games room and massive walk-in robe.

We love that our kitchen, dining and games room flow, and if we open up the doors it also flows to our outdoor entertaining area.

We love to entertain, so having a large entertaining and living area was essential.

Outside we have an alfresco area and fire pit with large sliding doors, so when we open it all up, we have a massive space to entertain.

We also love modern designs and neutral colours, which influenced our decision to stick with a black, white and grey colour scheme throughout the entire house.

What is some advice for those choosing to build their first home?

Our advice would be to not rush into anything or feel pressured. If at any time you feel pressured, you should look for another building company.

Do your research – building a house is a massive commitment and isn’t something that should be taken lightly.

It’s important to have a vision and an understanding of what you want, knowing what you want will make the process a lot easier.

CONTACT Smart Homes for Living, 9241 1300, www.smarthomesforliving.com.au