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Saturday, April 30, 2016

Colour me happy

I get that builders make their money through upgrades.

But I don't like it.

It feels like a bit of a scam to me.  And we were swept up in the upgrade frenzy last time around, so this build, there will be no $3,000 feature tiles in the powder room.  No sir-eeee.  Or stacked stone feature wall.  Or any of the craziness that dates and over-capitalises.  We spent $120,000 over the base price last build.    Yes, it DID look amazing.  But our mortgage did not.  And with downsizing that figure one of the key drivers to this move, we had to keep our emotions in check, and make smarter decisions.

One of the MANY things I've loved so far about Arden is their inclusions.  I don't feel like I'm being up-sold at every turn.  It feels transparent.  And I like it.

I was really, really hoping that our colour browse wouldn't sour that, like a particular large builder with a biiiiiiig warehouse of shiny upgrades in Port Melbourne.  (I needed a shower after that experience!).

We're allocated one hour on a Saturday to browse the Arden colour room, with a guided tour by a qualified Interior Designer.  Cool.  Felicity was so adorable, and helpful, and cheery, and made us feel welcome and at ease.  She stepped us through the showroom, and guided us with really helpful questions to eliminate options.

Brick or Hebel?  Hebel.  It was included in the promotion.
Light or dark render?  Light.
Colorbond or tiles?  Tiles.  An upgraded profile was included in the promo too.
Light or dark?  Dark.
Windows?  Black.
Garage door to match the roof or contrast?  Match.

And in less than 7 minutes, our exterior scheme was picked.

Timber or tiled floors?  Timber.  Promo.  Yahoo.
Do you have any images of kitchens or bathrooms you like?  Do I ever - ha ha.
Oh, I know what would look awesome with us...
Have you thought about...

Felicity completely understood the look we were going for, and added value in ways we would never have considered.

Before our hour was up, we literally had every element of the house selected.  It was so stress free, and for the first time, it felt like the fun that people tell me it's supposed to be.

Here's our selections;

EXTERNAL
Render, main - Dulux Limed White
Render, feature - Dulux Mt Eden
Roof tile - Monier Traditional, Barramundi
Windows - Black
Garage Door - Monument
Gutter & fascia - Monument
and if the budget allows, we'll add in this gorgeous stone to the facade columns.



INTERNAL
Walls - Dulux Natural white
Ceiling - Dulux Natural White
Trims - Dulux Natural White
Feature wall - Dulux Vanilla Quake
Carpet - Major Carpets Royal Parade, Cavalade (Cat 2 upgrade)
Timber - Trendline Oak Laminate, Golden Oak
Tiles - Beaumont, Belga Grey GL Porc 450 x 450



BATHROOMS
Benchtop - Caesarstone, Ocean Foam
Vanity - Polytec, Natural Oak
Tiles - Beaumont Belga Grey
Feature tiles - Beaumont Mosaic Penny Round, Cinder Grey (upgrade)


KITCHEN
Benchtop - Caesarstone, Ocean Foam
Cabinets - Polytec, Classic White
Overheads - Polytec, Black Wenge
Feature - Polytec, Natural Oak
Splashback - Glass, Dulux Vanilla Quake



Me being me, it's likely these will be changed, at least in my own mind, hundreds of times over until the final point of no return.  But for now, we're much pleased with ourselves and with Arden for a lovely experience.

1 comment:

  1. I came across your blog and am also building with Arden Homes with similar colour selections. Has your kitchen and bathrooms been finished yet and can you post updated photos?

    ReplyDelete