{"id":2380,"date":"2023-07-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-30T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.build.optimodesign.com.au\/westbrook\/live-local-meet-gurjit-dhillon\/"},"modified":"2024-08-21T11:10:51","modified_gmt":"2024-08-21T01:10:51","slug":"live-local-meet-gurjit-dhillon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/dev.build.optimodesign.com.au\/westbrook\/live-local-meet-gurjit-dhillon\/","title":{"rendered":"LIVE LOCAL. Meet Gurjit Dhillon"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Building your own home is one of the most exciting journeys you\u2019re ever likely to embark upon.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s one that over 3,000 Westbrook purchasers have embraced, with over 82% of all lots now sold at the 4,000-lot residential development!<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Well, we\u2019re lucky that one of them \u2013 Gurjit Dhillon, has agreed to share that journey with us.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Originally from India, Gurjit first came to Australia to study in 2006. Now a qualified chef, he has been resident of Tarneit since 2017. The second-time home buyer secured his lot at Westbrook in Stage 64 in 2021 and is looking forward to moving into his new home with his wife and two young children.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>We took this opportunity to chat with Gurjit to discover what made him choose Westbrook and find out how his new home build is progressing.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>There are so many factors to consider when purchasing land and building your own house. What made you choose Westbrook?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve now lived in Tarneit for just over 5 years, and in that time it\u2019s popularity as a place to live has just grown and grown. There are obviously plenty of other estates in the area \u2013 and we looked at quite a few of them, but we were really attracted to Westbrook for several reasons.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>One of the biggest drawcards for us is the estate\u2019s incredibly well-designed masterplan. It\u2019s pretty hard to go past all those fantastic amenities right on the doorstep. Not only do we love all the open spaces, walking trails and parks, but having so many great schools within walking distance also means Westbrook is going to be the perfect location for us to build what we hope will be our \u2018forever\u2019 family home.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Westbrook\u2019s location has been another key factor which really drove our decision to buy here. The Tarneit Train Station right in the heart of the estate puts the CBD literally less than 30 minutes away by rail. Plus, the estate is also close to the freeway \u2013 and my wife loves the fact that the Tarneit Central Shopping Centre is right next door.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/dev.build.optimodesign.com.au\/westbrook\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Westbrook20-20streetscape.jpg\" style=\"width: 200px; height: 133px;\" \/>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>How have you found the sales process?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>In terms of support, I can\u2019t recommend the Westbrook Sales Team more highly. They\u2019ve always been so helpful and willing to answer every question patiently and with care. Plus, they\u2019ve gone out of their way to make themselves available and keep us up to date every step of the way via regular emails and phone calls about things like construction and settlement timings. Even now, long after we\u2019ve purchased the land, they\u2019ve continued to offer us assistance and advice as and when we\u2019ve needed it.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>How did you decide what you want to build on your new block?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Because this is my second home, I have applied all the learnings from building the first one! I\u2019m also looking forward to incorporating a number of ideas features that we overlooked or didn&#8217;t realise we needed first time round like higher ceilings, high doors and a butler pantry. Basically we want to include all the things we missed last time!<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>In terms of what we\u2019re actually building, we wanted a design with a floorplan which would maximise our block\u2019s aspect and capture the maximum amount of daylight. The great thing about Westbrook is that it offered a number of ideally sized blocks to choose from, that allowed us to achieve this. Ultimately, we\u2019ve landed on a single-story four-bedroom home with two living spaces, which will be perfect right now, but with plenty of room to accommodate us as our needs and requirements evolve in future.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>How far along is your build?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re getting there. The slab has now been poured, which hopefully means the frame will go up soon and the house will start to take shape.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who is your builder and how did you select them?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>While I looked at several different builders, ultimately, I\u2019ve gone with Aston Homes, based on\u00a0 the floor plan; all the quality inclusions in their home designs; and price \u2013 we\u2019re getting great value for what we\u2019re paying.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Any tips for anyone thinking about building their own home?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Take the time to find a home design that really works for you, plus a builder who comes recommended by people you know and trust. It\u2019s also worth talking to friends and family who have been through the process themselves for ideas and suggestions.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>My biggest tip would be not to hold your breath. Let the builders do what they do best and learn to appreciate and enjoy each step along the way. Keep in touch with your building supervisor and don&#8217;t be afraid to ask questions \u2013 they are building your house, after all.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/dev.build.optimodesign.com.au\/westbrook\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Aston20home20design20-20example.jpg\" style=\"width: 200px; height: 134px;\" \/>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the biggest challenges that you have encountered now that building has started in earnest?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Like everyone in the midst of building a house right now, the general shortage of materials and tradies is slowing things down a little more than we\u2019d like.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>When do you expect to move into your new home?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re hoping to be in our new house by Christmas \u2013 fingers crossed.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>What are you most looking forward to about living at Westbrook?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m definitely excited about the masterplan \u2013 all those parks and open spaces will be perfect for an active family like mine. Living in such a central and convenient location so close to Tarneit Central also going to be great. But most importantly, I\u2019m looking forward to our family joining, and becoming part of, a warm, friendly, welcoming community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Would you recommend Westbrook to your friends and family?\u00a0And if yes, what would you tell them?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Definitely. For starters, I\u2019d be letting them know about all the amazing features and amenities that Westbrook has to offer including extensive parklands and open spaces, plus access good schools, supermarkets and shops, and the Tarneit Train Station close by. In fact, I\u2019d encourage anyone thinking of buying in this area to take a drive through the estate and check it out to really appreciate \u00a0its appeal and understand why it\u2019s shaping up as one of Tarneit\u2019s most popular addresses. Given how popular each land stage release has been, I\u2019d\u00a0 also encourage them to do it as quickly as possible, because from what I can see, land here is selling super-fast!<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/dev.build.optimodesign.com.au\/westbrook\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/22062820Westbrook-456.jpg\" style=\"width: 200px; height: 133px;\" \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Building your own home is one of the most exciting journeys you\u2019re ever likely to embark upon. And it\u2019s one&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2381,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-meet-your-neighbours"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/dev.build.optimodesign.com.au\/westbrook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/dev.build.optimodesign.com.au\/westbrook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/dev.build.optimodesign.com.au\/westbrook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dev.build.optimodesign.com.au\/westbrook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dev.build.optimodesign.com.au\/westbrook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2380"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/dev.build.optimodesign.com.au\/westbrook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2380\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4156,"href":"http:\/\/dev.build.optimodesign.com.au\/westbrook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2380\/revisions\/4156"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dev.build.optimodesign.com.au\/westbrook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2381"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/dev.build.optimodesign.com.au\/westbrook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dev.build.optimodesign.com.au\/westbrook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dev.build.optimodesign.com.au\/westbrook\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}