Building your dream home: an expert’s advice

Cameron Bird’s building journey began with an apprenticeship in his hometown of Christchurch, after a two-year OE in London gave him a taste for the building industry. Following the completion of his apprenticeship and subsequent experience running jobs for other building companies, he struck out on his own, starting Bird Built with partner Abby Ley in 2015.

When it comes to dream homes, the Bird Built team are experts. Having worked on many of these projects over the years, Abby says joining a family on the journey of building their forever home is one of her favourite parts of the job.

“We love working with those clients where you can talk and have a laugh. We’re with them on that journey, and we know they’re going to be moving into the home and making lots of memories with their family. It’s really cool to be trusted to create that dream for them.”

To help you get started on your build journey, we asked Abby and Cam to share their advice and recommendations for those looking to build their dream home.

A three bedroom contemporary home built by Bird Built stands proud on a 425m2 section in the Ravenswood subdivision.

Research

Before you get started, Abby says researching the market in the area you want to build is a great way to understand what sort of prices you’ll be looking at when it comes time to secure a site.

“Trade Me is actually a really good place to do that market research,” she notes.

Budget

Once you’ve got an idea of the area you would like to buy in, Cam and Abby say it’s important to sit down with a mortgage broker to understand the scope of your budget.

“It's good to know exactly where you sit with your budget from the beginning, so you’re not dreaming about a $3 million home to then discover that your budget is $800,000.”

This study nook was built into a family home in the Beachgrove subdivision of Kaiapoi. Situated next to the kitchen, the nook has a clear line of sight allowing the owners of this property to keep an eye on the kids while they do their homework.

Engage a builder

After you’ve purchased a site, Abby and Cam recommend getting in touch with a builder like Bird Built. Before you sign a contract you’ll be able to discuss what you’re looking for in your new home to ensure they’re the right fit for your project.

Discuss plans

Once you’ve confirmed that you’re interested in working together, you can start drawing up the plans. If you’re working with a builder, like Bird Built, who has a partnership with an architect, you will be able to sit down as a group and discuss your wants and needs for your home.

“We like to get the architect on board right from the beginning to draw up exactly what the client is after,” Abby says.

In the case that something comes up, Abby says they have an agreement in place that gives the client complete ownership of the plans.

“If something happens and they don't end up building with Bird Built, they still have those plans, and they can come back to us later. Or, if they want to go with a different builder, they can take the plans away with them.”

This contemporary kitchen features Fisher & Paykel appliances and a subway tile splashback, designed by Modern Age Kitchens & Joinery.

During the build

Working with a builder that prioritises clear, transparent communication is key. To ensure everyone is on the same page, Bird Built sets all their clients up on a project management system.

“We set them up in the system and from there they can view the build schedule. We can upload photos to the system, and the clients can upload their own photos and ask questions,” Abby says.

“We also use it to communicate with our subcontractors, so they can upload a photo saying ‘Yep, the heat pump has been installed, here’s a photo of it.’”

The client decided on a tiled shower after the foundation was poured in this ensuite bathroom, so Bird Built installed a shower hob.

A family friendly process

While building a home can be a long and sometimes difficult process, having a good builder on your side can reduce stress and make the journey enjoyable for the whole family.

“We had a client recently that had two little kids, so I told them excavation is starting next week, it’s the perfect time for your wee ones to go and have a look because there’s going to be a digger on site,” Abby says.

“We have three young kids too, so we were able to relate to them.”

Learn more about Bird Built.