Hundreds of homes later, here’s what we know
You learn a few things after building hundreds of homes, particularly about what people really need once they move in.
The things clients worry about at the beginning are not always the things that matter most in the end.
More space doesn’t necessarily make a better home, some upgrades are worth every dollar and others simply aren’t, and getting the basics right will always matter.
Exceed Homes has been building homes for more than two decades, and owners Jade McNamara and Sarah Bohm say that experience has changed the way they approach each new build.
“We’ve seen a real shift in the way people think about their homes,” Jade says. “People are much more considered about how they use space and what they actually need. We know from experience that adding square metres doesn’t automatically make a home better. A good layout is far more important.”
That means asking practical questions early. How does the family live? Where does everyone come in? How much storage? Where does the sun fall and which spaces will get used every day?
It is also about knowing where to spend the budget.
Sarah says one of the benefits of having built so many homes is being able to give clients practical advice based on what they have seen work time and again.
“We don’t want people spending money where they don’t need to. There are things we’ll absolutely recommend because we know they will make a difference, and there are other times when we’ll tell someone to save their money. We can have those conversations because we’ve seen how people live in the homes we build.”
The same experience sits behind the way Exceed builds.
Homes are constructed off-site before being transported to their final location, which means the team works with established systems and quality checks throughout the build. Those processes have been refined over many years and hundreds of homes.
“There is a lot that happens before anyone sees a home heading out the gate,” Jade says. “Every build has hundreds of decisions behind it, along with the checks that happen along the way. We’ve developed our systems over a long period of time, and we’re always looking at where we can improve them.”
While the construction process matters, Sarah says one of the biggest lessons has been understanding the experience from the client’s side.
Most people don’t build houses every day, and they shouldn’t be expected to understand the process before they begin.
“That’s our job, not theirs,” she says. “People should be able to ask questions and know what is happening with their home. We want them to enjoy the process as much as possible and feel that they can pick up the phone and talk to us when they need to.”
After more than two decades, the homes themselves have changed too. Families are using space differently, housing needs are changing and building methods continue to evolve. What hasn’t changed is the value of getting the fundamentals right.
Experience, Jade says, isn’t about assuming you know everything because you have done it before. It is about bringing what you have learned to the next build while recognising that every client and every home is different.
“We’re proud of how many homes we’ve built, but that number probably matters more to us than it does to the person building with us. They’re not thinking about the hundreds of homes that came before theirs. They’re thinking about their home, and so are we.”
With over 23 years of building experience in Southland, Exceed Homes is your offsite home building specialist.
