First home buyers’ dreams achieved
First home buyers Roxanne and Joshua are thrilled to settle into their brand-new Universal home, particularly with the recent arrival of their baby son. The family is relishing a home of their own together in Northcote.
However, the journey to move-in day wasn’t all smooth sailing. Timing initially looked perfect for the couple to move in ahead of their baby’s due date, with their settlement date booked. But timeframes took a turn for the worse when the August 2021 Covid-19 lockdown hit, with settlement dates required to be postponed during Level 4. This meant that homeowner’s inspections and final touches had to be postponed until Level 3 and then undertaken following strict health guidelines.
For Roxanne and Joshua, this meant more than simply the disappointment of a postponed move-in date, as their baby’s due date was fast approaching. Faced with the potential of not being able to move into their new home until well after the arrival of their baby, they reached out to the Universal team.
Prioritising settlements for our customers
As soon as the move to Level 3 began and the Universal Homes team was allowed back on site, they worked extremely hard despite Covid-19 timeline setbacks and Level 3 protocols to prioritise customers’ settlements to happen as soon as possible. Roxanne and Joshua were delighted that the Universal team could ensure they would be able to move in prior to bringing home their baby son. The couple happily settled their belongings into their new home before bringing their baby home from the hospital, which they greatly appreciated.
New home benefits
Explaining their decision to purchase a home with Universal, Roxanne and Joshua add, “We didn’t think we would be able to afford something so close to town, but when we saw these homes we knew the location was exactly what we were after. Seeing the Northcote development plan regarding local schools and community facilities, we were sold! This location means less time stuck in traffic and more time with our son.”
“We love how warm our new Universal home is! The house feels well-ventilated, warm and full of sun. It’s been the perfect environment to bring our newborn baby home to. He was in the NICU for his first two weeks so when we were finally able to bring him home we felt very reassured it was a healthy environment for him. Buying a new build has been great, with no need to worry about issues you might have with an existing home like potential unconsented work or damage/weather-tightness problems.”
Selecting a company to trust
“Buying with Universal meant we knew we were going with a reputable company whose work we could see and visit across Auckland,” state Roxanne and Joshua. “The Universal team were absolute stars who went out of their way to answer any questions we had and help us throughout the process. A new build also meant we didn’t have to worry about building reports or having to try our luck at an auction. It was so easy having a set price! There were no unknowns or disappointments due to missing out in today’s hectic housing market. We knew we would be buying a brand-new house which would be low maintenance and that would be healthy and energy/water efficient.”
On their first month in their new home, the couple enthused, “We’ve been so surprised at how quiet living in a terrace home really is! We don’t hear our neighbours from inside our home, and we are pleased to hear no one has heard our son’s newborn cries! It’s a great community here at Northcote and despite the lockdown we’ve loved meeting some of our neighbours from a distance. We’re so happy with our Universal home.”
Building a community where you can thrive
We’ve been thrilled to work with Roxanne and Joshua across our team, to help in achieving their dream of finding a new home and moving in safety just in time to bring their newborn home. Welcoming a new member into the family is such a precious time, and we’ve been more than happy to have helped pave the way on the home front.
Creating dream new homes in well-connected locations is what we do, and it’s been our passion to deliver for over three generations, for tens of thousands of content Kiwi homeowners. Our award-winning team is proud to design and build outstanding value, exceptional quality, smart and secure new homes from apartments and terraces through to standalone homes. We believe in connecting you to a community where you can thrive, with a home to make your very own!
