When buying a new home, it’s not unusual for people to make numerous decisions about fittings and fixtures after they move in – sometimes it’s major decisions such as the type of window furnishings, flooring, heating and cooling, while more often it’s finishing touches such as the landscaping or letterbox.
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A family company in Bendigo is helping ease this influx of decision making however, with their business, Lansell Homes.
The company creates new developments lined with what are referred to as turn-key homes. After settling on vacant residential land and planning the development, Lansell Homes design the roads, the lots and the homes. Their team of tradesmen then work with a suite of local contractors to build each house to a stage where clients can arrive at the front door, turn the key and simply move in.
Lansell Homes was founded by Graham Smith, who together with his wife Carolyn created Bendigo building company Glen Loddon Homes in the mid-1980s. After achieving all of his career goals, Graham sold the business and the couple spent a few years travelling around Australia. In 2000, Graham decided he needed another challenge.
“The challenge I came up with was to take a vacant paddock of land and turn it into a fully completed estate, where people could move into their new home with nothing more to do,” he says, the term ‘turn-key’ unfamiliar to him at this point.
“Our target market was baby boomers who were looking to trade down to a smaller home, smaller garden and low or no maintenance – what I believed was a growth market.”
Graham says turn-key homes suit those who don’t want to spend a lot of money and time before they can move into their fully completed home. Many of the three and four-bedroom house and land packages cost an average of $350,000, and houses take an average of 20 weeks to complete.
“How much better to take out a marginally higher loan and pay for the finishing work over the term of the loan,” he suggests.
Lansell Homes pride themselves on creating communities, with a range of house layouts to choose from. There are also a variety of facades, which all complement the overall streetscape.
“We build brothers and sister, not twins” is the analogy given by Chris Smith, manager of the company and Graham’s son. “The client has a full selection of fittings and fixtures to choose from.”
Of course if you like the idea of moving into a new home without the overwhelming task of decision making, but have your own block of land in mind, Lansell Homes are able to accommodate, with the same “move in with nothing to do” philosophy.