An Interview with Our Sales Manager:
Everything You Need to Know About the Client Experience
Alex Farmer
Sales and Estimating Manager
Alex began his career as an apprentice carpenter with an award winning New Zealand builder, constructing custom homes in remote parts of the Southern Alps. During his apprenticeship, he placed second in the South Island Apprentice of the Year competition before progressing into site management, overseeing the construction of custom homes.
Following the Christchurch earthquakes, Alex moved into project management and estimating, contributing to earthquake recovery projects and developing experience across both the construction and commercial sides of residential building.
After moving to the Mornington Peninsula, Alex held leadership roles across sales, estimating and preconstruction for local residential building companies, including as a company director of a design and build business. Today, Alex draws on this broad experience to guide Beachstone Homes clients through design, budgeting and preconstruction, with a practical understanding of how design decisions, construction methods and costs come together.
At Beachstone Homes, we know that building a home is one of the biggest investments our clients will make. To ensure a seamless experience, we guide clients through every stage, from initial inquiries to design, budgeting, and construction. We sat down with our Sales Manager, Alex Farmer, to discuss the most frequently asked questions about the client experience, quotations, the design and build process, selections, and value management advice.
Key Takeaways
- Early discussions around budget, lifestyle and project priorities help establish a realistic direction before design progresses
- An integrated Design & Build process brings design, cost planning, selections and construction knowledge together from the beginning
- Ongoing cost planning helps identify potential budget pressure while there is still flexibility to refine the design
- A structured selections process gives clients professional guidance while maintaining visibility over the impact of their choices
- Clear communication and experienced guidance throughout design, preconstruction and construction are key to a successful custom home experience
Q: What can clients expect when they first engage with Beachstone Homes?
A: From the first conversation, our focus is on understanding what the client wants to achieve, their site, budget, lifestyle and priorities. Some clients come to us with little more than a block of land and a collection of ideas, while others already have architectural plans and are looking for an experienced custom builder.
For Design & Build clients, we spend time understanding their must have features, preferred style, level of finish and overall budget before progressing too far into design. One of the most important parts of my role is helping clients understand what is realistic early, so they can move forward with greater confidence around the design, process and likely construction cost.
Q: How do you approach providing accurate and transparent cost advice?
A: Cost planning starts well before the final construction quotation. With a custom home, many of the decisions that have the greatest impact on cost are made during design, so we want to understand the client’s budget from the beginning and provide cost feedback as the design develops.
We look at the home as a complete project, including its size, structural complexity, site conditions, level of finish, glazing, materials and other major cost drivers. This allows us to identify potential budget pressure early, while there is still an opportunity to make sensible design decisions.
As the documentation becomes more detailed, our estimating team can develop the pricing further. The objective is not simply to produce the lowest initial figure. It is to provide realistic cost information so clients understand what they are committing to and can make informed decisions before construction begins.
Q: Can you explain how Beachstone Homes manages the Design & Build process?
A: Our Design & Build process is structured to bring design, budgeting, selections and construction planning together rather than treating them as completely separate stages.
- Initial Consultation & Project Brief – We start by understanding the site, lifestyle requirements, design aspirations, priorities and overall project budget.
- Concept Design – Our design team develops the initial concept around the client’s brief, site conditions and budget. This is where we establish the overall direction of the home before progressing into more detailed documentation.
- Cost Planning – We review the developing design against the project budget and provide construction input while changes can still be made efficiently.
- Planning & Detailed Design – Where required, we coordinate the planning process before progressing the home through detailed design, engineering, energy requirements and the other documentation needed for construction.
- Interior Design & Selections – Clients work through their interior and exterior selections with professional consultants, covering the finishes, fixtures, fittings, lighting, appliances, plumbing and other details that make the home their own.
- Detailed Pricing & Contract – Once the design and specification are sufficiently developed, we prepare detailed construction pricing so the client has a clear understanding of what is included before entering the building contract.
- Construction & Handover – Our construction team manages the build through to completion, with clients kept informed throughout the process and provided access to their project information through our online client portal.
The advantage of this approach is continuity. The design, estimating and construction teams are working toward the same outcome, with cost and buildability considered throughout the process rather than only once the drawings are finished.
Q: How do you help clients navigate the selections process?
A: Selections can be one of the most enjoyable parts of building a custom home, but there are also a huge number of decisions to make. Having a structured process and professional guidance makes a significant difference.
Our clients work with experienced consultants across interior design, cabinetry and finishes, lighting, appliances, plumbing and home automation. Rather than expecting clients to make hundreds of disconnected decisions themselves, the process is designed to help create a cohesive result across the entire home.
Budget is also part of that conversation. Where a client wants to upgrade or change something from the original specification or allowance, we aim to provide clear pricing so they can understand the financial impact and decide where they want to invest.
Q: What is value management, and how does it help clients stay within budget?
A: Value management is not simply about making a home cheaper. It is about understanding where the client’s money is being spent and looking for opportunities to achieve the same design intent, functionality or quality more efficiently.
Sometimes that might mean simplifying a structural system or roof form. In other cases, it could involve refining the size or layout of the home, reconsidering a material, or identifying an alternative construction method that achieves a similar result at a lower cost.
The earlier those conversations happen, the more options we generally have. It is much easier to manage cost while a home is still being designed than after the drawings, engineering and selections have all been completed.
Q: How do you ensure clear communication with clients throughout the process?
A: Communication is particularly important with a custom home because there are so many decisions being made over a long period of time. We want clients to understand where their project is at, what decisions are coming up and who they need to speak with.
Our online client portal gives clients access to important project information, including plans, specifications, selections, correspondence, photos, progress information and financial details. It creates a central location for the project rather than relying on information being spread across emails, drawings and separate documents.
Just as importantly, clients deal with experienced people throughout the design, preconstruction and construction stages. The technology helps, but good communication ultimately comes down to having the right people available when decisions need to be made.
Q: What advice do you have for clients starting their home building journey?
A: My biggest advice is to establish your priorities and budget early, and involve people with both design and construction experience before making too many major decisions.
It is easy to become focused on floor plans, finishes and inspiration images, but decisions around the site, building size, structure, orientation and overall design can have a much greater impact on the final construction cost.
I would also encourage clients to ask plenty of questions and be open about their budget. A realistic budget should not restrict good design. It gives the design and construction team the information they need to concentrate the available budget in the areas that matter most to you.
At Beachstone Homes, our focus is on guiding clients from the earliest design and budgeting conversations through planning, selections, construction and final handover. If you’re considering a custom home on the Mornington Peninsula, Bayside or Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, contact our team to discuss your project and the best way to get started.
ABOUT BEACHSTONE HOMES
Beachstone Homes is an award winning custom home builder specialising in bespoke Design & Build homes across the Mornington Peninsula, Bayside suburbs and Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
Our integrated approach combines custom design, interior design, cost planning and construction expertise under one roof to help clients move from vision to certainty with confidence.
