Our Approach to Building Excellence

Transcription

1 Our Approach to Building Excellence

2 Welcome to the Summit Homes Group. The Summit Homes Group has been building for over 30 years and in this time, we ve built over 30,000 quality homes. We design stunning single and double storey homes to suit all lifestyles, budgets and locations. We build in Perth, South West and North West and everywhere in between. It s a lot of ground to cover, but we have an experienced team in each region, who all share the Summit Homes passion and desire to build quality homes all over WA. We re still proudly a family owned business. All four of our home building brands apply the same high standard of building practices. We utilise just the one construction department across all brands to ensure a consistent set of high quality standards. When you build with the Summit Homes Group, you re more than just a number in the system. We pride ourselves on quality, both in construction and customer service. 2

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4 Summit Homes Group 2013 Excellence in Building Practice Award Winner Excellence has its rewards. Choosing a builder is an important decision, especially when every builder is telling you the same thing, so let s see why we re different. 1. We re incredibly passionate about building quality homes, yet we re just as passionate about ensuring our clients enjoy a positive building experience. Your journey to building your dream home starts long before building has even commenced and we understand that. So we pride ourselves on being honest and transparent in all we do: from quoting on site works, to providing quality images that accurately represent the advertised price. 2. We are fiercely protective of our reputation. And the only way we can uphold our hard-earned reputation is to constantly deliver upon two core promises: Always provide an extremely high level of customer service, and Always offer exceptional building and construction standards. 3. With 30 years of local building experience, we understand the Western Australian lifestyle. This comes from listening to people just like you. So our homes not only look great, they also provide clever, functional living options the whole family can enjoy. Choose from a massive range of new home designs to suit all block requirements: narrow, large, small, rear loaded, you name it, there s a design from the Summit Homes Group to suit your needs. 4. Our exceptional attention to detail was recently recognised by an MBA 2013 Excellence in Building Practice Award. We re justifiably proud of this prestigious accolade. Rest assured, it s the same attention to detail that has applied to every facet of our business for the past 30 years. At Summit, it s all about the quality: from our spacious and liveable new home designs, to the friendly team who work with you during the building process. Everyone at the Summit Homes Group shares the same goal: to make your construction process stress free. And with our huge range of value-packed family homes, through to affordable luxury two-storey dream homes, we cater to all Western Australian lifestyles. 4

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7 Our commitment to building excellence. We re not only passionate about designing and building quality homes, we also strive to exceed our clients expectations in all that we do. We hope you ll agree that when it comes to excellence in building practice in WA, the Summit Homes Group really is ahead of the rest. In the following pages, we d like to demonstrate how we strive for building excellence every step of the way. 7

8 A proud reputation for premium quality. Our building supervisors are exceptionally well trained and undergo regular training to ensure they stay up to date with building advances. To work at the Summit Homes Group, they must abide by our company policy of high quality workmanship. Our reputation is our most valued commodity and we do whatever we can to uphold this high-quality standing in the industry. 8

9 Honesty and transparency in everything we do. We don t know any other home builders in WA that allow and encourage contact with the Construction Manager. We take great pride in this high level of service. We genuinely care about each and every home we build. When you build a home with Summit Homes Group, you re more than just a number in the system. Our Construction Supervisor and Construction Manager are always on hand to personally answer any questions or resolve any issues that our clients may have. We abide by the motto What you see is what you get. Our site works allowances are realistic and the images we use accurately represent our products. What you see really is what you get. And as you ll see, our on-site building practices are second to none. 9

10 Talented staff committed to excellence. The Summit Homes Group has over 300 employees and every single one of them is passionate about the building industry. Their experience is incorporated into every home we design and build and our staff are always accessible to pass on their experience to clients. Over 30 of our like-minded staff have been with the company for over 20 years. The Summit Homes Group Construction Team. 10

11 Staff profiles - longevity Shannon Deans Senior Construction Supervisor Starting his career with the Summit Homes Group in 2006, Shannon was initially employed as a trainee supervisor. Showing great passion and commitment, and always working exceptionally hard (for the Summit Group, the trades and our customers), his passion for construction supervision was soon apparent. Shannon s personal integrity - and his high standards of professional excellence - personify the qualities and values which are instilled in all Summit Homes Group construction staff. Juris Grinbergs Sub Floor Supervisor Juris started his career with the Summit Homes Group in A dedicated professional, he is currently our south of the river Sub Floor (Slab) Supervisor. A registered builder, Juris has been both a site supervisor and a senior site supervisor. With this experience and knowledge, Juris is an invaluable resource. Marco Palezza Construction Supervisor Marco has been with the company since 2004, initially in the hands-on role of on-site bricklayer. With his Diploma in Building and Construction, he is registered as a builder in his own right. Marco s strong sense of achievement delivers extremely high-quality homes, many winning major industry awards. Wayne Pitcher Construction Supervisor Joining the company as a fixing carpenter, Wayne has been working with the Summit Homes Group since Wayne s passion for building and immense experience brings considerable depth to our construction team. Wayne is highly regarded as a site supervisor by the trades and clients alike. 11

12 Keeping things organised every step of the way. Our Construction Supervisors take pride in ensuring that even during the construction stage, the building site is clean and well maintained. We understand that building a home is an exciting time in people s lives and when people come to view the progress of their home, we want to impress them with our cleanliness and attention to detail. At some point we need to clean our site, so why not just keep it clean and orderly all the time. Simon Hill Construction Manager Summit Homes Group 12

13 Let s compare our building sites to our competitors. A competitor's building site at the plastering stage. Next door (also at the plastering stage) a New Generation Homes site. Poor supervision results in: A picture speaks a thousand words: Lack of trade safety Lack of public safety Lack of pride and care Poor access/egress Disappointed clients Clean and orderly site Safe for both trades and the public Easy access Reflects our reputation for premium quality. 13

14 Our on-site standards are exceptionally high. We wouldn t allow a Summit Homes Group site to be left in this state. This is a competitor's site: We look at a site like this and recognise: Potential safety risks Issues with glass and the brick pier A lack of pride A lack of respect for the client's dream home 14

15 The art of supervision is to organise and implement the efficient delivery of trades and materials to site achieving a time constrained and quality controlled objective. Simon Hill Construction Manager 15

16 Our on-site standards are exceptionally high. This is a competitor's site: At this stage in the build, there should be no need for plasterers to be on the roof. By doing this they are creating potential problems like cracked roof tiles and general roof damage. 16

17 Our on-site standards are exceptionally high. Many builders often don t seem to think about the maintenance and care of the installed glass. At Summit Homes Group, we take excellent care, so when we hand over the keys our clients are 100% satisfied with the quality finishes throughout. This is a competitor's site: Our supervisors ensure plastering is complete before the glass goes in. This avoids the issue you can see in this picture. 17

18 The results speak for themselves. These are Summit Homes Group sites: Clean crisp lines Gutter and fascia placed against render Minimal damage to window frames Glass not yet fitted (until render complete) All flashings fitted. No need for return trips and trade damage! No render on the roof sheets Our number-one priority is that clients feel confident in choosing us to build their home. David Hunt General Manager - New Homes 18

19 Our standard on-site requirements are: Trades must be coordinated appropriately, thus reducing damage to client s homes and avoiding costly time delays to fix issues that should never have occurred in the first place. Site must be kept clean and safe at all times. Regular site cleans, first at slab preparation, second at plate high and third at roof cover. Plus daily interim cleans. Site maintenance ensures all materials are well maintained before using and trades on site can access materials quickly and easily. To assist in site cleanliness, wire cages are installed to prevent cement bags or anything loose flying away. When a site is well maintained, any issues resulting in time delays are minimised and clients and neighbours are kept happy. Case Study # 1 Summit Homes Group send a dedicated site labourer to the site prior to plaster starting so that we can sweep the home clean and place any rubbish out the front (for the Bobcat to remove on the same day). Case Study # 2 On the second site-clean, the day-after plaster sets and with tape still on the window frames, we send in our brick cleaner. They clean the bricks, scrape the floor, sweep the home out and place all rubbish out the front for the Bobcat to remove on the same day. This allows the doors to be delivered safely to a clean, well-prepared site. 19

20 Some of our standard building practices are: We ensure bricks are cleaned at the relevant stage, ensuring a seamless finish. Roof tie-downs are second to none. Corner roof brackets are installed with high-quality bolts (many other home builders don t attach with such sturdy measures). Steel beams are all tied down. LVL beams cleated and bolted. Stable base of supervisors, with an average employment of 8 years (some supervisors have been with us for 25 years). Very low turnover at all levels of staff. Established relationships with trusted and valued suppliers and tradespeople. We take safety seriously. The Summit Homes Group is an industry leader in safety. We have recently implemented the latest technology in wall chasing (ensuring our plumbers are using the safest methods available). We're also rolling out an Automated Safety Audit. All supervisors must complete this comprehensive Safety Audit on their supplied ipads. The audit is to be carried out when new contractors enter a Summit Homes Group site. With the latest technology and a commitment to providing the safest worksite possible, we are proactive rather than reactive to safety issues. 20

21 Excellence is the sum of the parts. Our standard practices may sound simple, but it s surprising how many builders forget the basics. Every step of the way, our attention to detail ensures an excellent finished product. 21

22 Value-added services keep clients informed. To ensure we are constantly delivering a high level of service, we have recently implemented a system called My Home. This Customer Service Portal is a way to provide clients some helpful progress updates on the building of their new home. At 5 relevant stages throughout building, clients receive an with a photo of their home and an update on the progress, thus allowing them to keep up-to-date with the stages and feel confident that the building is on track. In addition to the 5 My Home s, clients will soon be able to log into the portal at any time to see real time updates on their home. A great way to stay connected. Dear Mr and Mrs Smith, RE: LOT 123 MY HOME - SLAB DOWN Congratulations! The first important milestone of the construction of your dream home has now been completed. Prior to any bricks delivered to the site, the drainage around the perimeter of the slab will be done. You will see machinery on the site digging trenches around the slab and after this has been completed the access amount of bulking sand will be removed and the site prepared for the bricks to be delivered. At this point your home will pass from our dedicated Sub-floor Supervisor to our Construction Supervisor, with whom you will have contact throughout the entire construction of your home. Your home site is now ready for the bricklaying hardware to be delivered. This includes but is not limited to, site shed and toilet, cement, scaffold, timber and metal door frames, wall ties, meter box, PGI straps, damproofing materials etc, also the bricklayers sand will be delivered. IMPORTANT: After the first bricks are down please check the colour of the bricks, mortar and window frames. It is much easier to correct any errors at this point. Simon Hill Construction Manager My Home #1 - Slab Down 22

23 Automatically generated s keeping clients informed of key completion stages. My Home #2 - Brickwork Complete My Home #3 - Roof Cover Dear Mr and Mrs Smith, RE: LOT 123 MY HOME - BRICKWORK COMPLETE A real milestone in the construction of your home! The brickwork has now been completed. At the completion of your brickwork there is much activity taking place behind the scenes. Your Construction Supervisor will have checked your brickwork and made sure that it complies with your home plans and specifications. Depending on the design of your home the following is likely to occur: your site will be cleared in preparation for the delivery of the roofing materials. However if you have any external rendering, it is common practice (weather permitting) to have this carried out at this stage. You should be aware that damage might occur to your render installed at this stage, however it is a cost covered by us, as we believe this method results in a better finish around flashings and brickwork protruding through the roof line. Roof timber, roof steels and hardware will now be delivered to the clean home site, ready for the roof carpenter to start. Depending on the roof size and complexity, the framing will take from 3 to 10 working days. The carpenter will install all roof steel members and roof timbers along with any hardiflex products. Should you be having gyprock to your alfresco /garage areas this will generally be installed at the ceiling stage. IMPORTANT: Should you have any queries regarding your brickwork, please contact your Construction Supervisor at this stage to eliminate any future problems. Simon Hill Construction Manager Dear Mr and Mrs Smith, RE: LOT 123 MY HOME -ROOF COVER The roof cover of your home has now been installed. The plumbing tube (pipes cut into the walls) and electrical prelays have also been completed. We take pride in building your home and have the site cleaned in anticipation of your plastering sand being delivered. The plasterer will apply the float coat to your home. This process, depending on the size of your home usually takes 5 working days. Should your external rendering not have been completed by now, it will take place at this point. During this stage your ceilings will have been delivered to the site. The installation of these will see the sheets fitted first, usually with a separate team returning to flush the joins and install your cornices. If you have gyprock to an external area it will be fitted at this stage. The plasterer will return once your ceilings are installed. Itʼs quite common it will be a different person attending to your set coat as many plasterers specialize in this application only. If required, we have a brick cleaner attend your home site to scrape the floors and sweep out your home. In order to minimize any damage the external brickwork is cleaned prior to the installation of the glass. Another site clean is carried out in preparation for the delivery of the doors, mouldings and shelving the following day. Simon Hill Construction Manager My Home #4 - Lock Up My Home #5 - Final Dear Mr and Mrs Smith, RE: LOT 123 MY HOME - LOCK UP Your home has now reached the lock up stage. With your home now cleaned, the glass will be installed and the external and internal doors installed by a carpenter. Where applicable, any shelving will be fitted at this stage, along with any external trims and mouldings. You will also see the concrete floor being placed in your garage. The cabinets for your kitchen will now be delivered and fitted. Should you have stone bench tops these generally follow shortly after. Your painter will attend at this time to complete a spray consisting of ceilings being painted and door frames being prepared. The plumber will now return to install your plumbing, which includes your hot water system, tapware to all basins and your bath/spa if applicable. Contact with your supervisor is encouraged at this stage before tiling commences. At this stage the tilers will screed the wet area floors and install any hobs to showers and vanities. The Construction Supervisor will be calling for a waterproof membrane to be applied to the shower recesses. Once dry, tiling will commence. Depending on your specification, this can take between 3 and 15 days or longer if main floor areas are also being tiled. Construction Supervisor will happily keep you updated. Simon Hill Construction Manager Dear Mr and Mrs Smith, RE: LOT 123 MY HOME - FINALS At the completion of the tiling and depending on the specification of your new home, we have now reached a finals stage. You will see the electrician return to commission your home, appliances will be delivered and lights will be fitted. The plumber will again attend to install toilets and final tapware. Gas will be connected and the painter will work through to provide the finishing coats to doors, frames and walls if this is included in your specification. Any external paving will be laid and the garage door will be fitted. Your communication with your Construction Supervisor will now revolve around the handover process of your home. This is generally the time for you to voice of any concerns you may have, as we all want the end process to be smooth and problem free. Your Practical Completion Inspection (PCI) should not be confused with FINAL KEY HANDOVER, which occurs in the office when the applicable aspects of the contract have been fulfilled. The PCI is sometimes a two part inspection; one to identify any defects and the second one to check if the items identified at the first PCI have been attended to. It might be one stage inspection if items have previously been identified and completed. Should there be any additional items noted after PCI, which are not of a serious nature, they will be attended to within your 6 month defects liability period list. Simon Hill 23

24 Ongoing quality control. In addition to our My Home updates, our Construction Supervisors conduct regular, spontaneous checks of the building progress and site. Our follow-up service is complete and unrivalled. We have dedicated service personnel on staff who take pride in ensuring that all maintenance is undertaken promptly and with impeccable attention to detail. Our vans are all branded with the message: House Proud? So are we. Our Construction Manager will regularly visit homes after completion to meet with clients and listen to their feedback. This feedback is then taken on-board, so we can continually improve our service and delivery. 24

25 A home is only as good as the foundations it is built on. If the basics aren t done properly from the beginning, then the finished product won t be up to scratch. Simon Hill Construction Manager Summit Homes Group 25

26 Client testimonials Well Summit you ve done it again! This is the second time we ve built with your company and again it is everything we wanted. From our initial enquiry to handover, all has run smoothly with a house to be proud of as the end result. William and Marjorie Baldivis Easystart Homes It was very smooth service the whole way through and every person we were in contact with was helpful, patient and pleasant to deal with and very quick to respond. Steven and Keryn Success New Generation Homes 26

27 We d heard about your good quality homes and thought we d give New Generation a go. We have built 3 times before and this build is the best by far. Daniel and Benita Brookdale New Generation Homes As a second time builder with Summit Homes, I will not hesitate to build with the company for the third time. Extremely happy with the process to completion. Mark Roleystone Summit Homes We are very pleased with the build quality of Summit Homes. From their practical and modern building designs, they have some very refreshing and different designs available. We were well taken care of throughout construction. We were also very happy that the construction was completed way earlier than we expected. We would certainly build with Summit again. Chai and Arip Queens Park Summit Homes 27

28 Thank you The Summit Homes Group is extremely passionate about delivering high quality service and building practices. We genuinely strive for perfection and we hope this booklet conveys this passion, experience, excellence and skill in building practice.