When Cheryl and Wayne Lewis were considering an investment property in Tauranga, they hadn’t thought of building.
But a spontaneous decision to check out a Generation Homes show home in Pyes Pā, lead to a stress-free build that the couple are now renting out.
“We have amazing tenants,” says Cheryl, “and so we want them to be really comfortable and happy, so we’re happy that it’s a really nice home for them to live in.”
Cheryl and Wayne cannot relate when they hear from other people who built houses with other companies that their experiences were stressful.
“Generation Homes are good and they’re well-known. The whole process – how streamlined it was and how well managed it was – we were just amazed at how smoothly it went,” she says.
And while they made decisions based on their investment goals, they’re very proud of the house they built – and the tenants are happy, too.
This busy couple met in Wellington and relocated to Tauranga. Wayne works in environmental monitoring, while Cheryl is employed at a government agency.
Together they developed plant-based and vegan skincare company No.3 a decade ago. The products are designed and produced in the Bay of Plenty and sold all over Aotearoa.
WAYNE
We looked at properties to buy, but nothing worked out.
CHERYL
We were initially just looking around the market in general. We looked around and there wasn’t anything that we really liked.
We were driving around the area and saw a Generation show home at Pyes Pā, Tauranga, and we just popped in.
Stephen Lim-Yock (Generation Homes Salesperson) was in there, and he was really knowledgeable about the stock that they had and the options – we were literally just looking.
Stephen wasn’t pushy, and we had a really great rapport, and we just really liked him, didn’t we? There was one lot left in the street.
We went home, and we called up the next day and just locked it in from there.
WAYNE
It was an investment property. The cost was really comparative to other things on the market that were already built, if not a little bit better. We used it as an office for 12-18 months, but it was always an investment.
CHERYL
It was so easy, so stress free, and we didn’t worry about anything. People say building a house is stressful and I really feel for people who do have issues, because it doesn’t have to be that way. It doesn’t have to be that way at all.
WAYNE
I think communication takes away a lot of that pressure, and the communication from the company was, for us, exactly what we needed. It was spot on.
CHERYL
We were given a detailed outline including each milestone and the build steps.
At each stage of the build, everything was clearly identified and they met all the milestones within a day or two of what was in the plan.
We had really good comms – we just needed to know what and we needed to know when. Sometimes, we would even forget that we’re building the house because it was so stress free.
WAYNE
Trust is a big deal, right? There’s a lot of money involved and a lot of risk. So, it’s important to have trust. We felt like we could trust Stephen and the company.
Once they consulted with us about our preferences for the fittings, that was all we needed to do.
CHERYL
We sat down, we worked out the exterior colours, the interior, the fittings, everything. It probably took us about an hour, because we don’t muck around, but it was easy.
WAYNE
The interior designer and electricians you’re working with, they knew their stuff so well. They would say, ‘have you thought about this? Have you thought that through because that may not be the right space for that.’ Such as putting multiple light switches together in the right part of the room and stuff I wouldn’t have thought about. I would have been walking around for an hour turning off lights, probably, if I hadn’t listened to them.
CHERYL
It was enjoyable and exciting! It was fun because we liked Stephen and the other people we dealt with. I guess it was surprisingly enjoyable, surprisingly easy and literally on time and to budget.
WAYNE
We’d asked for a few little changes along the way, with some kitchen stuff and door locks and so on. And it was simple.
CHERYL
We got extra insulation in the garage and extra carpet in the garage, and just a few bits and pieces, such as tiles right out from the kitchen through the dining room, instead of carpet.
WAYNE
Nothing was too difficult. We added $15,000 on to the budget in changes, but that was our choice.
CHERYL
We did nothing structural, just a few cosmetic tweaks, bits and pieces here and there. We put on a keyless entry, and we put in a nice hose tap in the kitchen.
WAYNE
Just simple, simple touches.
CHERYL
I remember in the winter walking in and it’s a warm, cozy house, even though it’s four bedrooms. I don’t even know if you need much heating. I guess that’s new houses for you. But it’s a really comfortable house and it’s got a really nice feel to it.
The master room has got a sliding door that slides out to a concrete path onto the backyard, and that’s lovely.
WAYNE
We like the kitchen – it’s nice and simple with big subway tiles.
We also made the house modern because we upgraded the bricks, but then went for a colour-matched grout in the bricks. It’s really effective and looks sharp. I think that was a recommendation from Stephen, actually.
CHERYL
One of the other things we like is the brick letter box. It’s cool – the same brick as the house.
WAYNE
It’s a new subdivision that’s literally just 800 metres from where we live now.
CHERYL
It’s a good neighbourhood, good people, close to schooling. We can get into the city by three different roads. It’s a good-sized section, nice and flat, and easy to maintain. There’s certainly more than enough section for the kids to play in and to have gardens.
CHERYL
When you’re building it’s good to have $10,000 aside for any contingencies or legal fees.
WAYNE
I would say be aware that little things can make a big difference in the look and feel of the house. For example, we upgraded the size of the bricks on the outside of the house. It’s simple but looks very effective.
