Six bedrooms and five bathrooms: large home becomes even more so
Having already built one Paal home, Charlie and Alice Herbert were willing to try another. This one would be bigger. Much bigger.
Now with five children, the couple needed a suitable residence for their picturesque 20-acre block in Arcadia, New South Wales. Initially, they planned to extend and renovate the existing home, but estimates proved far too costly, as it was built five metres into the flame zone.
“The whole house had to comply, not just the extensions,” Charlie said. “It worked out much cheaper to do a knockdown and re-build with Paal up the hill from the original site. We also wanted a modern country style.
“After to-ing and fro-ing with architects about designing the house, we decided to revisit Paal.”
Charlie was already a fan, having built a three-bedroom Paal home back in 2001. Once again, the company ticked the boxes for budget, size and style.
“Paal turned out to be the easiest and cheapest option for the size of home we needed.”
Charlie and Alice chose the Franklin, one of Paal’s most spacious designs with four bedrooms in its standard format. Although the Franklin offered plenty of space, the family needed even more.
Housing consultant Doug Young of Paal’s Emu Plains showroom was happy to help the couple modify the plans. The rooms are now all larger, and the workshop and study each became a bedroom with an ensuite – creating a total of six bedrooms and five bathrooms.
Instead of again tackling the build himself, Charlie called upon Andrew Lacey Constructions, a local builder and friend. “It was the first time he had done a steel-framed home, but found it straightforward.”
Alice, Charlie and the family are now over the moon with the finished result. “It’s great to be in a home where we’ve all got our own rooms. The feeling is indescribable. Everyone’s really comfortable,” Charlie said.
He had been recommending Paal to people ever since building his first home. All these years later, he is now more satisfied than ever.
“If I had to build again, I would use Paal – but this will be our forever home!”
