Country Lifestyle – Josh & Lisa’s Experience

6 March, 2025 G.J. Gardner

Designing and building your new home from scratch could be easier than you think.

Josh & Lisa had always wanted to design and build their own home, and when they had the opportunity to purchase land in Coatesville (North Auckland), an area they love and Lisa grew up in, they knew this was something they couldn’t pass up on.

“The whole pre-sales engagement was fantastic. We did see other builders, and we did start engaging with them, but none of them really took the initiative like GJ’s did in that first initial concept phase. It was it was quite exciting working with GJ, whereas we didn’t get that same feeling from the other builders that we approached” Josh explained.

Lisa explains why this section and this area means so much to her. “I grew up in Coatesville, and, we’ve always had horses out here, and I’ve always lived on land. So it’s been amazing. And it means that my daughter can grow up with horses and animals as well, and have the same kind of childhood that I had so we’re really grateful.”

Josh & Lisa also worked with GJ’s to add a minor dwelling to the end of their home. Lisa explains why they felt like it was an obvious option to go ahead with.

“We had a minor dwelling in our last property. And we always found it really easy to have tenants. We always had good tenants and good luck, and obviously the extra income was great. So, GJ’s priced up the plans with and without the minor dwelling, and it just seemed like a no brainer to us to do it.”

They chose to have the minor dwelling attached to the home, separated from the main home by the garage with it being fully contained – a great idea if you’re looking for extra income!

“We definitely wouldn’t have gone with another builder. We are so happy with our choice. And we know that there’s lots of friends of ours that are in similar situations that either need fixed price contracts or they live on a lifestyle block and they want to have a somewhat customized home. And maybe they think that GJ doesn’t do that, but we our experience was completely different. So we always want to tell people our experience.“

To see more of Josh & Lisa’s experience, click here to watch their testimonial.