New Home Buyers Blog

Do you want to create a wow factor in your home? We have been experiencing plenty of enquiries from our clients lately to include a fire place as part of their new build. There is no doubt about the added feeling of warmth and the ability to combine the senses with a perfectly designed fire place. Berstan Homes have chosen Jet Master fire places because of their sensational range.  Jet Master offer balanced flue glass fronted gas fire space heaters,
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So many clients are contacting me lately with unusual land sizes and this is posing a problem with many new home designs. Most of the clients have been in contact with the major new home builders and have found them to have little to offer with regards to custom designing to suit their lots. Custom designing homes to suit lots is our speciality.
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Yes, Winter is certainly here and it’s cold! Lately we have been installing plenty of Jet master gas fire places and how effective are they. The Jet master designs are cutting edge and very easy on the eye. When designing our custom homes we always try to make the fire place a central focal point of the home. It’s amazing how the flames are so mesmerising and calming.
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What is a knock down rebuild? A very well asked question and can be simply answered, basically, the demolition of an existing house and building a new home. There are many reasons why home owners choose to knock down rebuild and this practice is really gaining momentum in Melbourne. Choosing a knock down rebuild is often the most cost effective option over renovations of an existing home. Renovating a home in lieu of a knock down rebuild has many financial traps
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Security is a major issue at the moment in Melbourne due to the latest crime surge of aggravated burglaries. Berstan Homes are offering cut price burglar alarm systems on all knock down rebuilds across Melbourne. The alarms have movement sensors that pick up any movement within the home and can also be hooked up to your mobile phone or computer. By having the alarm system hooked up to your electrical devise, it can give you piece of mind and a chance
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Investment property sales at Berstan Homes are experiencing strong growth with many clients buying Berstan properties for their SMSF. Buying an investment property is a great way of growing your wealth and managing your tax. Berstan Homes have a number of special home and land packages available for the property investor in various high growth areas around Melbourne. Buying a house and land package is a great way of saving on your stamp duty because you only pay the duty
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With so many ageing houses throughout Melbourne’s suburbs, its little wonder that knock down rebuilds is becoming the norm.  We currently have knockdown rebuilds happening in Eltham, Donvale, Templestowe, Glen Waverly, Croydon, Pascoe Vale, Moonee Ponds, Doncaster, Seaford, Blackburn, Box hill, Mitcham, Reservoir, Box Hill North, Bayswater, Eltham North, Chirnside park, Burwood, Ringwood, Chadstone, Sunshine, Ivanhoe, Heidelberg, Montmorency, Caulfield, Scoresby, Oakleigh, Bentleigh and Doncaster East.  The above knock down rebuilds are a mixture of custom designed homes with a mixture
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Another magnificent Bamboo floor has been laid at our knock down rebuild in Essendon. Bamboo is an amazing product with so many benefits. Bamboo is a renewable product being made from the sustainable growth Bamboo forests. Bamboo is very cost effective in comparison to other timber products. Bamboo is also very fast to install. 30-40% of our home builds are currently having Bamboo installed with amazing results.
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The world has again witnessed yet another horrific and pointless terrorist attack on innocent people while celebrating Bastille Day. The whole Berstan teams thoughts and prayers go out to all effected by this heinous attack.
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Globe west are certainly leaders in their field and have consistently been providing interior décor items with stunning effects.The simplicity of a lone coyote peering down a seemingly endless dirt road creates the perfect scene for the imagination to run wide.
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The 14th July 1790 was twelve months after the storming of the Bastille and was formed in French history as a celebration of the unity of the French nation.  The idea behind the celebration was not just to celebrate the unity of the French people it was to symbolise peace.
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I was talking to some clients last week about a knockdown rebuild in the Moonee Ponds area and I was amazed with the experience they had with a major Melbourne builder. Mr and Mrs A contacted a major Melbourne home builder and explained the home they were interested in. All was progressing nicely, until Mrs A explained there was a fall of 2 metres over the home site. Then everything changed rapidly with this particular builder there were no return
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Congratulations to all Britain having rid of their EU shackles!
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Last Wednesday I posted a topic on saving money on your mortgage and what an amazing result we have had! Over 20 home owners since our Facebook posting have contacted our specialised mortgage broker team and are now having their mortgage looked into for possible savings. 100s of thousands of Victorians with mortgages could also be able to make some serious savings all they need to do is contact Berstan Homes and the best bit is it’s a free service.
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The Moonee Ponds bowling club was established in 1891 and located at Queens Park and has currently got 200+ members. Moonee Ponds is certainly one of the oldest suburbs in Melbourne and is definitely a great location with easy access to Melbourne’s CBD. Most of the homes in the Moonee Ponds area are old established homes with large amount of ongoing maintenance required. Home designs have changed significantly over the years and home lifestyle expectations have also. This is probably why
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Nearly everybody is looking for something to do over the weekend and the Yarra Valley has so much to offer. We found a great place for adults and little ones the Chocolatier and Ice Creamery located at 35 Old Healesville Road Yarra Glen.  When quoting new home builds in the Yarra Valley I always try to make it a family affair and after the clients are seen too, we head off to discover more of this amazing area.
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Buying a home and land package is one of the only ways to enter the property market for the first home buyer to be able to receive the first home owners grant. Buying a vacant piece of land is just part of the excitement with the process and watching your dream home being built is an amazing experience. The best advantage to buying a home and land package with Berstan Home is we check the land for potential issues. A client came
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Choosing the right new home builder for you can be a difficult process for many clients. I have compiled the following check list: Cheapest price will get you the cheapest build with probable costly hidden extras. Are there any disputes with this builder in VCAT? Are they a DB-U Licensed Builder registration? How long have they been in business? Are you able to see a similar home on display? How many homes do they build a year? Do you get
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Buying a home and land package can seem a little daunting and that is why you need a builder with a steady and confident approach to guide you along the way. Our process at Berstan homes starts with helping you work out your budget and financing requirements using one of our financial experts. Once the budget is realised for your home and land package we then assist you choose one of our homes and any customisation to the home as
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Excitingly, Berstan homes screened on The TV show Australia's Best Houses on 7two in early June, featuring our Astoria43. This episode show cases our design difference and workmanship that set Berstan Homes apart from the rest. Berstan Homes are currently building several Astoria's in Glen Waverley, Blackburn, Wollert and Eltham with all being customised to suit our client's wishes. The Astoria 43 is just one in the Astoria range by Berstan Homes that features homes from 28sq to 54sq. It’s
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Keeping warm is not easy with the current arctic blast we have experienced in Melbourne over the last few days. If you own an older existing home it’s especially difficult with most not even having any insulation and extremely poor energy efficiency. Construction practises and energy rating requirements have certainly changed substantially over the years. The inclusion of high quality energy efficient building materials and installation methods are saving new home owners significant energy costs.  The inclusion of double glazing is a
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Had enough of paying too much for your mortgage? It’s now time to do something about it! Berstan Homes use a select group of mortgage brokers that are focused on reducing the amount our customers pay. Our specialist brokers are able to save most of our clients and existing home owners heaps of money. Some existing home owners have been saved over 1% off their current home loan interest rate. By saving 1% off an average home loan of $400k
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I cannot believe how many clients have been coming to me lately complaining about poor service provided by some volume builders. Common complaints have been about the lack of service from sales staff and their lack of knowledge about building construction.  To give an example I was talking with a couple today and the sales consultant working for the builder they were interested in building with didn't know what to do with a Lot with a 2 metre fall. The above lack
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Berstan Homes have been using many items from Globe West in their displays lately and feel everyone should know this brand.  Globe West are going to be at the Décor + Design Melbourne Expo 21-24 July 2016 at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre and this is a great opportunity to view their amazing products.
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Berstan Homes magnificent Astoria50 is well under way in Stockland’s Eucalypt Estate in Wollert. This Astoria50 has been custom designed to suit our clients specifications with a formal dining and lounge located at the front entry of the home. A grand staircase has also been added and really sets this home apart from others in the market place today.
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Berstan Homes and Stockland one of our developer partners are currently selling streets at a time in the Eucalypt Estate. In one Street we are building eight homes in a row in the Eucalypt Estate with all pre-sold with completion in 12 weeks time. Berstan Homes find by building so many homes in a row we can keep prices down for our clients and are still able to produce a quality home that our clients expect from Berstan Homes.
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Its cold outside and the perfect time to be enjoying a fire pit. Fire pits are readily available at any good garden supply centre and you can expect to pay around $550. Standing around a fire pit with your children or a friend is a great way to enjoy each other’s company. A bag of marshmallows are always good!
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Over the weekend I met up with some ladies looking around for building ideas for their development in Bellfield. When we started discussing the project their concerns were made very evident their chosen designers had not listened to their requests. I have often heard this happening and this practice seems very common with many of my clients that embark on doing their own planning works outside my company. On discussing their project further I discovered that they were not even
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We have just completed the demolition works at one of our knock down rebuilds in Glen Waverley and this site had an interesting problem. This particular site had a covenant condition on its title only allowing a single dwelling to be constructed luckily our clients were happy to build one home. Always when looking for land to develop have a keen eye for covenants on titles because if discovered after you purchase the property it's too late. Applying to change
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On Friday night Berstan Homes were featured on Best Homes Australia and for those who viewed the programme thank you. The featured home was the Astoria43 a stunning 5 bedroom home with all the extras you would expect from a high end home design.  Custom designing homes within our Astoria range are proving to be very popular at the moment and since the airing of the programme enquiry has certainly grown.
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