5 Bedroom House Plans With Room to Grow

Some families search for their dream home. Simon and Sarah built theirs.

When the couple decided to move to Cambridge, building was not the plan. But after more than a year of looking without finding anything that ticked every box, they changed tack. "It ended up being a lot more cost-effective than trying to buy and renovate," says Simon, "and we got exactly what we wanted from our home."

The Tekapo caught their eye for its size and its look, and choosing a Ready to Build plan gave them price certainty from the outset. From there, they made it their own. They opened the lounge, dining and family rooms into one flowing open-plan space, turned a bathroom off the kitchen into a study nook, and raised the upstairs ceilings to a standard 2.7 metres for extra headroom. Simon's favourite change is the striking 3.5-metre double doorway at the entrance, built with a local joinery company. "Landmark gave us freedom to alter the plan to suit us, and nothing was ever a problem. Yes, we chose their Ready to Build plan, but they allowed us to make it ours."

For first-time builders, the communication mattered most. Landmark handled the consents while the couple were still living in the South Island, and a dedicated Project Manager kept them in the loop throughout the build.

Several years on, the home does exactly what they hoped. Bi-fold doors open the living areas onto covered porticos and a heated patio, the countryside views pour in, and Sarah has the kitchen she pictured, right down to the classic English villa butler sink. Would they do it again? "Absolutely. I wouldn't hesitate to build with Landmark Homes again or recommend them."