“It Was a Real ‘Pinch Me’ Moment”: How First Home Owners Steven and Jacinta Got Their Very Own Slice of South Australia

Start following the build journey of @jasthaus and you’ll quickly be drawn in by a home that’s spacious and light-filled, with breathtaking views overlooking a stretch of South Australia’s iconic coastline.

With Jacinta’s career focused around real estate and property styling, the first time builders were always pretty adamant they would purchase an established home.

That was until they stepped into a display centre, spoke to a consultant, and found out about the subdivision happening in the suburbs they were casually browsing in. Seeing blocks with incredible views at a reasonable price point in what they describe as a “ballistic market” meant they started toying with the idea of building.

In the same week, they went to have a look at one of the recommended blocks for themselves and quickly fell “head over heels” for it. Plus, with the land located smack bang in the middle between their parents’ homes, they thought it must be fate.

With their offer on the block accepted, the next step was finding a builder who could take advantage of their views.

After doing their research, looking at floor plans, visiting display homes and shopping around with a few other builders, Steven happened to connect with the Simonds Regional Sales Manager through work and they immediately hit it off.

Together, they sought his expert advice and sent through the details of their block of land. They ended up receiving draft plans and an engineering report within a few weeks, and it was all systems go from there.

In the end, it was the Como 24 floor plan that ticked all of their boxes. It suited their 18m frontage and maximised their rear outlook, which was always one of their biggest considerations right from their initial consultation.

This was done by extending their living area down to bring it in line with their dining space, in turn creating a bigger alfresco that sweeps across the back of the home.

“As a result, we can see the ocean from wherever we are in the open kitchen, living and dining as well as the front door and foyer. It’s definitely one of our favourite things about our home, there’s nothing quite like coming home from work and having the best seats in the house to enjoy the sunset,” Jacinta says.

To date, the most memorable moment in their new home came a few months ago, after the craziness of moving in had died down. Surrounded by dirt with no outdoor furniture in sight, they were perched on camping chairs with a glass of wine out on the alfresco. "It might not sound special to some, but it was for us,” Jacinta says. “It was the first time we really had the ‘this is OUR house’ feeling. We sat there with a huge grin on our faces until it was almost pitch black. It was a real ‘pinch me’ moment.”

Aside from the knockout views, both Steven and Jacinta have their favourite spots in their home after a few months of settling in.

You’ll often find Steven in the kitchen, as it’s home to his pride and joy; the skylight. Being Greek, there’s nothing more that he enjoys than a Sunday afternoon spent cooking and entertaining with family and friends.

While Jacinta’s pride and joy; the main bathroom, has come to life after spending the better part of an hour during their Gallery appointment testing out different configurations of the open plan bath and shower in order to get it just right.

“The bath and shower behind the single pane of glass makes the spaces feel so luxurious and crisp…Not to mention it’s everyone’s favourite room when they come to visit,” Jacinta says.

Their prime position on top of a hill didn’t come without its challenges.

However, they describe the only real challenge they encountered during the journey was their council regulating that they have above standard windspeed requirements that included cyclone clips to attach the frame to the roof. These needed to be organised before another inspection was to be performed by the council, which ultimately pushed their handover back by two weeks.

Steven and Jacinta point to the high level of support they received from their Customer Relationship Coordinator, Jenny, and Site Supervisor, Gabe, as a huge part of their journey. Their calls and emails were never left unanswered for longer than 24 hours and any concerns were addressed almost immediately. If anything they say, their “expectations were exceeded.”

“(Our Site Supervisor) always ensured we understood the information we were given and would call us if a decision needed to be made, regardless if it meant he was on the phone with us for 30 minutes explaining the issue to us. Not once were we made to feel uneducated or unimportant as the client,” Jacinta says.

The couple joke that with the amount they recommend Simonds, people probably think they’re paid to do so.

“We have genuinely had the most wonderful building experience in such unprecedented times in the building industry, we have been extremely lucky,” Jacinta says.

And they like to pay the support they received during their journey forward, by taking the time out of their day to offer people endless advice and guidance in the hopes that their experience is as wonderful and (almost) as stress free as theirs was.

Between landscaping, fencing, plans for a retaining wall at the rear of their block and a deck extending off the alfresco, not to mention a wedding to organise for the end of the year, Steven and Jacinta have a big couple of months ahead. But in the meantime, they’re also taking the time to enjoy the beautiful interior of their home.

And with their first build complete, would they do it all again?

“In the future we cannot wait to build with Simonds again, whether it be an investment home, our next family home or just another chapter along the way. That’s the beauty of building, there’s always something you can do better next time. A continual room for improvement or design choice that makes it uniquely your home,” they say.