Latitude 37 Homes

We switched to L37 after initially contemplating a much larger build with Metricon. We decided to go with a more highly regarded builder for quality and peace of mind, the ability to customise and orient the layout to the block and get as much natural light as possible while minimising heat from the west. We have moved in under 2 weeks ago and although there is still much to be done and actions to complete, as a family we are already loving the home. The layout is highly functional, the house (although smaller than the volume build internal living we had planned in the first place) feels spacious particularly with the high ceilings and thoughtful, customised design, and the interior selections have many touches that give the house a wow factor. There were frustrations and difficult times, as is expected during a project of such complexity, with many contributors and variables outside people's control. Mistakes will happen. We would have liked the house to finish even faster, although it was complete ahead of the contract period and 13 months after construction commenced. The L37 team that we worked with along the way largely showed patience, attention to detail and strong communication in working through all the elements of the project from the design and documentation phase, choosing interiors, contract signing, variations and the many stages of the build itself. A special call out to: • Chris in sales design who gave us confidence to take the leap, signed us up and worked on our initial design and kept it all within budget • Paul who put it all to paper, taking on board our feedback, keeping within budget, and putting his talent to work in the various design elements • Teagan and Paulo who worked on the interior design, colours, textures, and told us when things would and wouldn’t work • The many people behind the scenes who were doing QC checks and countless other pieces invisible to us • Laura our superstar construction support manager who has so much detailed knowledge and an excellent memory, and Chris our always calm and cheerful site manager. Both Laura and Chris took countless phone calls and showed incredible grace, professionalism and forbearance when challenges came up. Coordinating a build and the surprises that come with it is not for the faint hearted and Laura and Chris stayed calm, kind and communicative through it all. An organisation runs well because of good systems and good people, and by and large, L37 has both.

We’ve been with Latitude 37 for over 3 years - from our Architect discussion with Chris, through our custom home design, and construction and post handover. Right now, we are 12 months after moving in. It’s been a long journey, through covid lockdowns, and on reflection I'm quite satisfied with result because in the end it is a group of people trying to do their jobs. Some were fantastic at their jobs and the end result wasn't what I expected but it is still a very decent product. During the design phase, L37 changed our project manager 3 times. This manager is crucial as mistakes in this part will be felt later down the track. The first two they both simply rushed the process, especially the cabinetry and electricals to get contract sign-off. In the end, I think the interior designer and cabinet makers missed details that I simply did not have knowledge to provide (e.g. who would know laminate products do not have ABS edges for substrates beyond 40mm thickness) and we missed out on small but crucial detailing that ended up costing thousands to change or not be changeable at all. L37 most likely gotten better designers/cabinet makers since but I would recommend asking for shop drawings if you have appetite to care and check the details. It is a similar story about the electrical design, modern homes have way more complexity in the media/internet/audio setup and the designers this was outsourced to simply were not able to deal with the attention to detail required and shunting design review over and over again through the PMs that just want to move you to sign is not great. Happliy I believe L37 has since moved on from L***. On contract signing, it's worth having a conversation with Doug, he's aggressive but competent so go prepared. Construction started in Feb 2022 with a 15 month completion, we completed slightly over time. Again this was coming out of covid so it was to be expected. Site managers are absolutely crucial to the quality of the end result, otherwise as the buyer, you're working overtime to fill the gap. We had 4 site managers. Some were good, one was a real let down. We had Michael+George to start with slab + framing. Michael was great guy easy to work on things, a few small mistakes but easy to resolve. Recommend getting camera recordings off the plumbers as any concrete in pipes are hard to fix later. Frames can get mouldy if left in rain, again not the end of world, but have a peak at the site will tell you where the site managers have left things sit. For cladding, roofing: L***e - was complete underwhelm - installed hvac unit in wrong area for example, made changes to hvac without contract sign off etc, good thing this person left as the mistakes were annoying to resolve later on and led to compromises. Again L37 were good to come to the table and issue by and large rectified. Joe finished off the build, he's an absolute gun and a very experienced site manager. Whilst at the time he seemed to be quite busy with concurrent other builds, he did his best to attend the details and got around to fixing a lot of the issues. Custom builds are pretty complex things and I learnt that a lot of small mistakes can cascade but as long as it's caught and discussed in time it's usually simple to fix. When it came to handover Joe kept his word but he will also stick to the word (of the contract!) so be sure to check everything is in order or is going to be on the Post Handover Undertaking. Georgia was the construct PM and really great, she was a bit in the background at the start from my perspective; she then started to get a lot more prominent as the contract changes start to flow during the build. Detailings changes to cabinetry and organising pricing - very good communicator. Towards the end and past the handover she assisted us in getting a great outcome with issues with ovens. The sort of 3 way contract bt E&S/installer/L37 and you can imagine things getting pretty messy - she was able to seek a fair outcome for her customers and really deserves a shoutout for going the extra mile but also steadfast attention to detail over the term of the project. Post handover experience has also been really great and I did not feel like just being left high and dry (mostly). Whilst I highly recommend paying very close attention to the PSU though as it is another (minor) but important contract. The maintenance crew 48degrees & Sarah have really decent trades and did some fantastic work - my balustrade issues were very complex to fix made even harder with furniture and kids to protect. As part of the package I think future buyers should enquire about the after handover service as, if it is retained, then just adds to the whole package. Thank you L37 and everyone who worked on getting us here, it is a great home. F&H

We braved all the horror stories of building for the first time and approached Latitude 37. We met Mary at their Belmore display home, and she was amazing person to deal with. She had a lot of knowledge and gave us realistic budgets for our requirements for us to consider and showed us other projects under construction that met our scope for us to have a good understanding of their finishes and budgets, this was the perfect start for us. Right from the get-go we found L37 to be a true custom builder as they nailed our brief by turning it into a design with no flaws in it. Our brief was to create individual spaces that would suit our busy lifestyle but embrace relaxation that would look beautiful and also be very functional. Chris was amazing to deal with during the design phase as he understood our needs and objectives and presented us with a design that we instantly fell in love with. He also guided us through the design phase to help minimize the costs where it was not adding value and vice versa. Latitude 37 offered us a draft design along with indicative cost of the build for just a $1000 commitment from our end, which shows the confidence they have in their work, and it was money well spent for us. Once we agreed to proceed with L37 for our build, we were handed over to a Project Manager Steph. She was just an outstanding addition to our journey. She made sure everything was looked into with minute detail and turned things around very quickly and gave us a lot of confidence all along the way and addressed each and every concern of ours. We had our moments with each other when the costs kept creeping up, but she kept her cool throughout the process and gave us alternatives to consider at all times. The documentation was thorough and had every detail specified regarding the build to ensure we get the expected product in the end. Latitude 37 also offers an interior designer to assist with all the interiors of the house. We had Janine assist us with all the detailing and I must tell you the way Janine presented the detail to L37 and the way it was executed was next to none. I cannot thank Janine enough for showcasing her amazing skillset on our home. Now comes the fun part when the build starts, I was very nervous to meet our building supervisor, as a good supervisor can make miracles happen on the ground and a bad one can ruin it all. George was the man responsible to convert our dreams into a reality. He had only been with L37 for a month, and this was one of his initial projects with them which definitely made me uneasy. In the very first meeting he made us feel very comfortable and explained his entire process and gave us a roadmap on the journey. George would by default call every Friday afternoon to advise on the things that were completed this week and the plan for next week throughout the building process. This call was so informative that we knew exactly what was happening with our project. He showed us through the house at every important phase of the project as was always open to feedback. Every time I asked him about the handover date, I still remember his quote "I am not here to build the quickest home, I am here to build the most beautiful home for you" and yes, he did. I can't thank God enough to have sent George our way to help us make our dream come true. Even now post construction he is doing everything possible to help us with little things to ensure we are completely satisfied. Latitude 37 started our project in July 2021 and handed it to us in Aug 2022 and continued to build all throughout the peak of Covid and delivered an amazing, quality product to us 2 months before their deadline and I don't think we can ask for anything more than this. The home feels like a resort and we have been enjoying every bit of it thoroughly. We sincerely thank the entire team at Latitude 37 for the wonderful workmanship, commitment and dedication they have showcased in helping us build the house of our dreams for our family of four.

We’ve been with Latitude 37 for over 3 years - from our Architect Brief discussion, through our custom home design, planning permit and construction. Right now, we are about 3 weeks from handover. It’s been a long hard journey and we are still talking and on friendly terms. Let me tell you what they had to deal with: - Small triangular block of 350sqm, neighbouring with crown land. Nothing “standard” would work. - Two huge gum trees we had to protect in the front. They needed 11m radius protection. They took almost half of our small block out of the possibility to build on. - Due to the block under 500sqm we had to go through the planning permit process with Boroondara council. If you’ve ever been through one of those, you understand the pain we were embarking on. - And the last, but not least, we lodged the planning application in February 2020 – just before Covid hit. During the design phase, L37 changed our project manager 3 times. Every time a new person introduced themselves as a new PM, we shivered – but to our surprise and amazement, they kept going as if nothing changed. Communication, professionalism and genuine interest in delivering what we really wanted never wavered. Going through a planning permit is painful enough but doing it when a worldwide pandemic struck, that takes some guts! Not only L37 guided us through the whole process, but they also even negotiated an arrangement with the council to speed things up. Construction started in April 2021 with an end date of the middle of June 2022. Our site manager Joe has been managing the construction since day one. When we first met, he insisted that if we are not sure about something, anything, or if we want to ask or discuss anything, just talk to him. It’s been 13 months into the construction, and he’s been true to his word. It’s been a pleasure to work with him. He's always been there for us to guide us through the construction with minimum stress. Again, construction continued through Covid and lockdowns, shortages of supplies and who knows what. They even had to close the construction for a couple of weeks – just to turn up again afterwards and continuing. Did anything go wrong? Sure! Somehow, the frame for the roof in the front was built completely wrong. As Joe put it – “in my 30 years in the building industry, I never built a house with so many corners!” Our house is on a small triangular block of land and only one room in the house is a rectangle. Every other space and room is all shapes and sizes, including a curved wall. Not trivial. From our end, we missed a few things. We thought we are getting one thing but got something a bit different. Things get lost in translation between initial conversations and final plans and contract. I went through the final plans maybe 10 times before I was satisfied that all the details are correct. It’s an exhausting journey – but absolutely necessary. I still missed a few things. Fortunately, nothing major. The finish date of the construction got postponed partly due to the changes we requested and partly because of the turmoil with material shortages in 2021, to the end of August 2022. Our handover date is currently scheduled for 30 May 2022 – so ahead of the original plan, and 3 months ahead of the adjusted plan. We are a few weeks away from moving into our new home. It’s been an exhausting adventure! We are very happy that we chose Latitude 37! Thanks to Latitude 37 and all the people we dealt with since the beginning more than 3 years ago we got here! We are very happy with the result. Joe made friends with many of our future neighbours walking past admiring our new home. Thank you L37 and everyone who worked on getting us here. We had a blast! We could hardly give you a more difficult task and the way you handled it deserves a standing ovation. Thank you. Vera & Garry

It has been 8 weeks since we moved into our new home designed and built by Latitude 37. In a very challenging year with COVID restrictions, building industry shut down and supply issues, Latitude 37 went above and beyond to deliver our new home on schedule before Christmas. During the build process the site manager and project manager kept us up to date with progress on site. As with all builds there were some challenges along the way, but solutions were found and implemented. Latitude 37 also found opportunities to optimise the design and add new features which enhanced the build. Our site manager was fantastic. In the brief windows of lockdown reprieve, he facilitated site visits and spent considerable time reviewing construction. In the post-handover period, we have also met some of the tradespeople who worked on our home. They have also commented on how good it was to work with the site manager. (In contrast to other builders where the site manager approach resulted in lesser quality results). In a home walkthrough the attention to detail from the site manager was incredible. Items not up to Latitude 37 standards were identified for rectification. In most cases, we had not noticed the defect. Yes, there were some minor supply issues on internal fittings. However, it was evident that Latitude 37 have great planning and relationships with suppliers which minimised impact. The only issue that presented a challenge was NBN. The pre-existing home had been demolished. During this process it appears the NBN modem had not been returned to the company. The return of the modem starts the process within NBN that signifies missing equipment from the location and the site is not NBN ready. So, at handover our telecommunications retailer and NBN believed the site was fully NBN ready. It took a month before the issue was rectified and NBN infrastructure and equipment was installed. We wholeheartedly recommend Latitude 37. They are a quality and client focussed company. Everyone we met from the company embraced this value.

The design team were transparent and, whilst they were always ready to listen to our ideas, they were also keeping it realistic. Our designer was always clear in their explanations about the rationale behind their advice, and it wasn't always just about the cost. Our project manager, site managers and construction co-ordinator were always professional, available and friendly. When the pandemic arrived, our project manager was on the ball and able to address our concerns regarding continuity of the project. Even though our site managers changed during the construction period, they were never rushed and happy to take questions and discuss variations. I cannot mention names in this review, so all I can say is that we were extremely impressed and are very grateful for the excellent management of our project by the site manager AV who took our home to completion. We have no hesitation is saying that AV is a gem of a person, both professionally and personally. We were primed adequately by Latitude37 at the beginning of the project to the fact that a custom build project is a complex undertaking. I appreciate this. Equally important and reassuring has been Latitude37's willingness to address these issues and help sort them out. We always felt we were in good hands. It was always good to have the opportunity from Latitude senior management for feedback even during the project. Our home looks beautiful, thanks to Latitude37! The comments from friends and visitors have been unanimous about the unique design and quality of finishes and attention to detail. Our site manager was VERY accomodating to our request to add custom-made pelmets to the dining and family areas and went all the way to ensure that we were able to achieve what we had visualized - and it is 100%! We were quite impressed that even after handover when the wardrobe fitter dented our beautiful timber handrail, our site manager AV was there to sort it out, going the extra mile and to get it repaired seamlessly. There were issues along the way that were picked up during site inspections both by the independent surveyors and our private surveyor (who Latitude37 were happy to have onboard). Items raised during these were clearly explained and addressed by our site manager. At handover, we did pick up a number of issues with the cabinetry, drain piping and water pressure which have been consistently followed up by Latitude37, and have been addressed by our amazing site manager. Perhaps communication during handover between the sales, design and construction teams could be better - especially with particular issues discussed with the client, so that these are highlighted in the handovers. Some surprises for us were: - tiled flooring instead of timber flooring being passed onto the design team from the sales team - omission of flyscreens on subsequent iterations of the house design - confusion and to-and-fro-ing about the integrated fridge - this was sorted out by Latitude37 We have been reassured by Latitude37 about our 90 day review where any issues that we have encountered after moving in will be looked at by their team. Our journey with Latitude37 has been one to cherish, thank you team!

Our house construction was very well managed and completed in 9 months. The timeframe was particularly impressive as it was completed during Covid restrictions and supply issues. We are very happy with the build quality. The communication during the build process was very good despite the difficulties with site visits. Our Building Supervisor was very easy to deal with and his enthusiasm for the project was evident throughout. Contract variations were under 3 percent of the price which was particularly pleasing. The main issue we had post construction was the quality of the polish concrete L37 have committed to fixing this issue at time that is convenient to us. The attention to detail and quality of all finishes is particularly impressive. From tile layout and grouting colour to joinery and paint work the attention to detail is evident. The detail and quality of the finished product exceeded our expectations and we would confidently recommend L37 to friends.

We have just finished our build with Latitude 37 and we could not be happier with the overall process and quality of the build from start to finish. The team assigned to our build went above and beyond to ensure that we got exactly what we wanted, even though it was very different from their usual builds. The upfront design process was thorough - meaning we weren’t hit with any unexpected variations along the way. Not only was the build done to an exceptional standard, the construction manager and site manager were able to deliver our build in 32 weeks from start to finish, even in these COVID times. It means we can be in our new house for Christmas, even though we only started the build in April. We were particularly impressed with our site manager as he took great pride in our project and making sure we were 100% happy with everything that was delivered. I would highly recommend Latitude 37 to anyone that asks. If you want a builder you can rely on that won’t cut corners or pass on a mountain of variations along the way for things you thought were included - go with Latitude 37 - you will NOT be disappointed!! We now have a home that we are immensely proud of and it is more than we had hoped it would be.