NORTHERN BEACHES LIVING
Ask the Experts: How to Find a Builder and Architect You Can Trust
Published: October 10, 2024, in Northern Beaches Living
Freshwater local dream-home architecture and home build company MILEHAM offer some vital tips on what today’s home renovators should be looking for in a builder…
The home construction industry is big at the moment – really BIG. Unfortunately, it’s also fraught with tales of tragedy and poor workmanship. For consumers it can be very hard to find the right team they can trust to help them create their dreams. Luckily in amongst the chaos there are companies like local MILEHAM, who not only aim to be beacons of quality design and construction, but also of excellent business ethics.
Alice Pilcher, Director of MILEHAM, chatted with Northern Beaches Living to give some insight and offer advice to those about to embark on their construction journey.
“I think the hardest thing for customers to realise is that it’s not just about building beautiful homes – many companies building beautiful homes on big budgets have ultimately failed,” says Alice.
“It’s really hard for a consumer to know how to assess a building company on its managerial, structural and financial merits. This is where MILEHAM is striving to be different – by focusing on the professional, financial and structural integrity of our company – not just our award-winning builds.”
“We have quarterly, annual and longer-term strategic planning and reviews set in place, taking in all aspects of our company’s financial, HR, product, sales and marketing goals. Sometimes we have to make hard decisions to ensure our sustainability, but it’s so important to us that our clients know we are all about strong and steady baseline management”.
James offers his clients the rare benefit of him being both a Registered Architect and a Licensed Builder. It may just be the winning combination for today’s builds, where time-poor consumers are increasingly seeking out holistic design / build advice and service. Coupled with over 20 years of experience, it means that James is positioned to be able to offer advice to customers across the entirety of the project.
Alice forms the backbone of the company. With over 20 years’ experience in financial services and business strategy, she combines her unique skill set to ensure that customers are receiving the most exceptional experience and service.
“Many building companies out there evolve with an individual developing a reputation as an excellent carpenter and then find themselves running a building company, but James and I came to our company differently.”
“We’ve both had 20+yrs in professional careers (Finance, Property Development, Architecture, Marketing, Construction), learning all the trappings and nuances of how to run a company,” says Alice.
“We have implemented systems and processes into MILEHAM, all with the central goal and purpose to deliver an exceptional level of customer service and experience.”
Alice and James have clearly formed an award-winning team – with MILEHAM already taking out three finalist nominations and two wins in the Master Builders Association Excellence in Housing Awards.
They also have a host of glowing testimonials from happy customers, all of which comment on MILEHAM’s exceptional customer service, professionalism and expertise.
Alice’s hot tip on one thing to really consider when planning a renovation or new build is: “Floor plan flow!”
“Think of a family home with three young kids, and a dog, all crowded in the kitchen for the witching hour dinner time – floor plan flow at this time is key to helping a family function calmly and avoid the fights brought on by crowding.”
“It’s a really undervalued component of design and something James has a particularly acute skill at.”
