Family appreciates Paal’s design flexibility
Being able to redesign a standard Paal house plan to suit themselves was one of the best things about building with Paal Kit Homes, according to Ian and Sarah Brooks of Scone in the Upper Hunter Valley.
The couple involved the whole family in the customisation of their home and were very satisfied with the result.
A visit to friends who were building Paal’s Camden convinced Ian and Sarah of the merits of the company. “We loved the look of our friend’s house. They shared with us how easy it was to make the design changes they wanted,” Sarah said.
The Brooks family with their three young daughters eventually selected Paal’s Derwent design and modified it to suit their needs.
“We wanted to make the most of the views on our block of land, so we altered the plans to capture those views and to suit our family,” Ian said.
They added a fifth bedroom, removed the formal dining room and kept the formal lounge. The floor area was extended by 100 square metres. “We ended up with a fairly long house, which we love,” he said.
An electrician by trade, Ian was keen to project-manage and be an owner builder, in order to keep costs within the budget. He organised four months’ long service leave and employed two local builders to help achieve the projected six-month time frame.
The whole family became involved, including the girls. “The screws, nuts and washers came in different packets,” Sarah recalled. “The girls would connect the washers and nuts to the bolts, placing them in a container ready for Ian and his contractors to use. Building the house was a real family process!”
“The frame came together easily,” Ian said. “Everything is numbered and you put it together just like a big meccano set.”
There were no major hurdles in their building journey, although Ian spoke with Paal’s Operations Manager John Noye throughout the build.
“Always having someone available to assist me with any questions was very helpful,” he said.
The Brooks family are now enjoying living in their Derwent home. “Our experience with Paal was very positive. They were so easy to deal with. But the best thing for us was their flexibility. We designed our own house and they easily accommodated us,” Sarah said.
