Riverstone Custom Homes: Luxury Homebuilders

Established in Perth in 1995, Riverstone Custom Homes has earned a reputation as a builder of some of the most luxurious and high-end homes in the city and its surrounding areas. All its projects have an upmarket finish and each Riverstone Custom Home is individually designed and built to the specifications of the client.

Riverstone is a family owned and managed enterprise, with Tim Marshall as its Operations Director. Customer focus is at the heart of Riverstone’s operations, with each project being given special attention to ensure that it addresses the specific needs of the client.

Tim says, “Our clients are heavily involved in all aspects of the process of building their homes from the design, to making the selections for the finishes to the home. During construction we have regular site meetings and correspondence with our clients. We find that some customers visit the site every day because they enjoy seeing the progress of the construction work. Many clients enjoy being involved in the process with us.”

The budget for a Riverstone Custom Home starts at $500,000 and can go up to $4-5 million. Within this price bracket the building project can have a range of complexity. The construction itself may take place on 1000 square metre blocks or even on as little as a 200 square metre block.

Riverstone prides itself on being able to offer fixed and accurate pricing. Being a design and build company with two decades of experience, it is in a position to estimate costs with a great degree of accuracy. At the inception of each project the client is given a clear picture about the time and cost estimates and over the years Riverstone has delivered on its commitment of providing high quality homes within budget and by the targeted date.

One of the unique features that Riverstone Custom Homes offers is that clients get a complete home into which they can move immediately. The homeowner does not need to incur any further costs and the price which is settled at the inception of the project is all-inclusive.

Speaking about Riverstone’s approach to meeting and exceeding the client’s requirements, Tim Marshall says, “Being a custom builder we allow our clients to make changes both in the initial designs and also during the project if they find something they have missed or overlooked. We accommodate their request even though it can be quite difficult for us to implement. We want our clients to be very happy with their homes when we have finished.”

The company has designed a unique method, which it utilises to give each client an opportunity at every stage of the project, to participate in the design and construction process. The various stages are:

First Meeting

At this stage the client is encouraged to share ideas about every detail of the proposed home to be constructed. Discussions are held to understand the exact requirements. The Riverstone Consultant spends time to get an idea about family size and how the occupants will spend their time at home.

Every requirement of the client is taken note of and at this stage the company’s experience of two decades comes into good use. The Riverstone Consultant can also contribute by suggesting how to make the best use of the available space to design a luxury home.

Riverstone has a policy of not hurrying the process and the client is free to request additional meetings to clarify any doubts.

Site Visit

This is the essential next step as it allows the Riverstone team to get an idea about the physical layout of the block. At this stage it is possible to plan the view from the various parts of the home and decide on other matters which can be taken up only at the site.

Concept Design

In this phase the design of the home is finalised and the client will have an opportunity to view a 3D elevation of the proposed structure. This will allow the prospective homeowner to visualise what the completed project will actually look like. The budget for the project is also finalised at this juncture.

Describing this step Tim Marshall says, “When we do our drawings everything we do is modelled in 3D now and that really helps us during the construction process. Being able to model our homes in 3D before we start on site can ensure that everything works correctly and it does save a lot of headaches on site. We are currently looking into a step further than that and incorporating a 3D printer to provide our clients with real models of their homes prior to construction.”

Once the client approves the concept plan, a Preparation of Plans Agreement is entered into and at this stage a non-refundable contract package fee of 2% of the budget estimate is collected.

Documentation

Riverstone Custom Homes takes care of all the paperwork including obtaining the necessary planning approvals and building licences. The contract drawings and contract package will also be frozen and the company’s design consultant will go over all the documents with the client and suitably reply to any queries.

When the client is satisfied that everything is in order and all questions have been fully answered, the documentation will be required to be signed and 10% of the contract price would be payable.

Selections

During this phase of the project, Riverstone Custom Homes offers clients advice on making the interior and exterior selections. The company’s Interior Architect works with the customer to ensure that every part of the new home uses materials which will enhance its finish and give it an upmarket and luxurious look. This facility is not offered by most builders. Riverstone Custom Homes has seen that this service is very popular and clients benefit greatly from the professional advice.

Riverstone has the ability to design and order custom-made artwork and arrange for furniture and carpets if this is required. The company can even order bed linen and cutlery if requested.

A large number of clients visit the display homes maintained by Riverstone to get an idea about the design options available. The company regularly invests in display homes and currently has two and is in the process of building a third. Every two or three years the display homes are renewed to keep pace with changing customer preferences and tastes.

Riverstone offers its clients various “green” options to make their homes eco-friendly. Based on specific requirements, features can be incorporated to make the home energy efficient. This is a very popular option with luxury homeowners who wish to reduce their impact on the environment. The company can recommend a range of energy saving fittings and quality water systems.

Construction

This is Riverstone’s forte and the company has a reputation for excellence in its building processes. Over the years it has established strong relationships with various suppliers and sub-contractors and this enables Riverstone Custom Homes to build homes that meet clients’ specifications in every manner.

Tim Marshall says, “We rely on our suppliers and on the trade for many of our requirements. We have a lot of sub-contractor relationships where they do various parts of the building or supply different materials. We like to see ourselves as a quality builder so we certainly rely on good tradesmen and good suppliers and they are essential to our successful operations.

“Some of our suppliers have been with us from very close to when we started. We have long working relationships with many of our business partners. There is a company called Brikmakers who supply our bricks and Avanti supplies us with windows. International Cabinets has pretty much been with us from the start. We consider them as a very good partner of ours.”

Riverstone keeps clients informed about the progress being made during construction. Both the client liaison manager and site supervisor are available for discussion and any feedback that may be required. Monthly progress payments are collected as construction progresses.

At this stage of the project, changes can only be made by signing off on a written variation. Tim says, “We are a very customer focussed business so we always have to consider our customer’s viewpoint in all matters and that is a key part of what we do and very important for us. Clients have very definite views about what they want in their homes and in one sense it does make it more challenging for the builder but it also makes it more interesting.”

Practical Completion and Handover

When construction activity is completed, the client has an opportunity to carry out an inspection along with the client liaison officer. Final payment is due at this stage. Riverstone Custom Homes has established a practice of giving each new homeowner a “handover pack” at the end of the project. This includes a set of keys to the home, a guarantee letter, homeowner’s manual, a set of plans, emergency numbers and a 12-month maintenance plan.

Each Riverstone Custom Home comes with the statutory six-year warranty and the company also offers the facility of rectifying any issues that arise up to 12 months from practical completion.

Riverstone has grown steadily over the years but limits the number of homes it builds so that it can maintain its high level of quality. In the last two decades the company has earned a reputation for being a premium builder of luxury homes with the capability to execute projects flawlessly and to the complete satisfaction of the client. This has made Riverstone the most sought after high-end builder in Perth.