New Home Buyers Blog

A perfect photo of a Taya kitchen tap, we have found Taya tapware to stand the test of time and their timeless designs are very pleasing to our clients.
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Greys are in and here is a great example of how greys can look amazing.
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A perfect use of Austral bricks San Selmo Smoked bricks in a feature fireplace with outstanding results.
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A lovely combination of stone bench top and a warming timber cabinetry selection.
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A lovely way to brighten your home is a nice bunch of flowers and Inter flora are a great start for some amazing floral arrangements.
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Yes another home invasion spree in Melbourne, so what can you legally do about it?  The best deterrent against these cowardly thugs is a dog and I don’t have a Chihuahua in mind, a medium size dog with a good bark is the perfect ticket. These pathetic pieces of filth only pick on the easy targets so if you make it potentially dangerous for them they will leave you alone.  There are many dogs I would recommend for this purpose. Blue &
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Yes another year has passed and your still stuck in that old home that is just not worth fixing. Maybe it’s time to call Mark at Berstan Homes for a free estimate to build a new home or two on your land. The best part about building two homes on your land is that the cost of your new home will probably be nothing with the sale of the second home. If you like where you live and don’t want
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Anzac Day was originally a day of commemoration of the landing of Australian and New Zealand forces on Gallipoli on the 25 April 1915, in World War 1.  Since this time serving members of the Armed Forces have served in recent conflicts which represent the nature of the ANZAC spirit.  Berstan Homes would like to respectfully thank past and present members serving in our Armed Forces for the sacrifices they have made to provide the freedom and safety we have
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A custom designed kitchen with a combination of stone and a raised timber benchtop that creates a fantastic feature.
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A perfect example of ceiling height changes, highlight windows and square setting to ceilings all combined for a brilliant result.  
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A great example of Austral bricks Smooth Jazz and Burlesque Chilling Black combinations.
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At Berstan Homes we are always looking for companies for furniture and points of difference homeware and we have found Globe West to be a great place to source items for our display homes.
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At Berstan Home we are constantly looking for ways of creating points of interest in the homes we design for our clients. The photo here shows a great example of a dividing wall with a difference.
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A Haymes mood board with warmth and character building for your room, Berstan Homes clients often use feature walls to bring walls to life.
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Bulleen is certainly changing with many knockdown rebuilds and custom built homes starting to be the norm.  Here is a perfect example of a custom built home kitchen with a minimalistic feel.
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Ivanhoe born builders Mark & Paul Bryson are building several projects in Ivanhoe and the surrounding area. With a range of sizes from 18s/q to 85s/q, all Mark & Paul's homes are custom designed and are one off unique builds. Mark & Paul have two building companies they own Berstan Homes and Bryson Homes.
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A perfect space to create a tile feature are the walls in your bath room, the picture shows a great use of a porcelain tile laid in a herringbone pattern. By using a single wall as a feature it’s not overdone and certainly makes a point of difference.
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Austral bricks have been a supply partner of Berstan Homes for many years and what a great range of products they supply. This particular photo shows a very popular Australis brick ZINC which is from the Elements range. The Elements range is a great way of adding a modern industrial edge to your build.  Austral also known as Brickworks which was formed in the 1930's has grown from humble beginnings and has now grown into one of Australia’s largest brick
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That’s a very interesting question; there are so many builders in the market place. There’s the volume builders that you see on the TV most of the time and they seem to be everywhere through their mass advertising, there are custom builders who basically build any style home and various other builders that range from budget builds to high end home builders. First question you need to ask yourself is what type of build do I want? Do I want a
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As land prices increase, gardens are getting smaller. For the busy family, that means less to do in the weekend. Many new home buyers choose to add landscaping to a new home build so ongoing maintenance is minimal. The days of huge vegetable gardens and home orchards are gone, and with good reason. Not only do vegetable gardens take up a lot of backyard in modern homes, but buying fruit and vegetables is easy and often cost effective. But some people still
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Choosing windows for your new home can be a daunting task as there are so many aspects to consider. Decisions must be made on the style, frame material, type of glass and how the windows open. Windows can show off the view – either a distant panorama or a beautiful garden. They can let light and sun flood in, offer diffused light, provide ventilation, give light but also privacy and add style and symmetry to a house design. The desire
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House prices in Melbourne seem to be heading only one way – and that’s up. The average median house price in the city has hit $800,000 and still rising. Rather than buy an existing house, many prospective homeowners are considering building a new home in an outer suburb or buying a rundown house, knocking it down and building new on the land.  Everyone is looking for ways to save money on home ownership, particularly when building new. In past years, savings could
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Choosing flooring is one of the most important decisions to make when building a new home. Today, there are many more choices available than just carpet or timber flooring and some of those choices are more cost efficient. It’s very popular in Australia to install hard flooring in the living and hall areas for easy cleaning and indoor/outdoor living. Traditionally, timber flooring has been the first choice, but modern methods of tiling, and other more sustainable materials have become more prevalent. The cheapest floor
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Do you frequently lose shoes, clothes and even small children in your overfull and disorganised wardrobe? It doesn’t have to be a battle every time you open the wardrobe door. If you are considering building a new home, ask Berstan Homes about custom wardrobes at the planning stage. Berstan Homes prefers to work with Regency Screens who have a wide selection of options for custom wardrobes. Custom wardrobes don’t have to only be walk-in to work. A regular double wardrobe that usually
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Choosing window treatments for your newly built home can be a confusing process. There is plenty of choice in the market and it often depends on your house style, location, views, family preferences and budget. Blinds are cheaper to buy and install than curtains and are much easier to maintain. But nothing beats curtains for heat retention and light block-out. They also give a room a cosy, warm feel. Roller blinds One of the most popular options for new homes across
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What is the best choice of roof for your new home – concrete tiles or Colorbond metal? There are benefits and disadvantages for both materials and often is comes down to which roof the homeowner prefers the look of. Concrete tiles have been the preferred roof material for Melbourne houses for about 75 years. Tiles come in a variety of designs and colours, offering both a traditional or more modern look. Concrete or cement tiles are most commonly used, although terracotta tiles,
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Choosing lighting for your new home can be a hit and miss process. What looks great in the lighting showroom may not suit your room once it’s installed. The size, colour or style may be all wrong, but it’s a mistake you will have to live with. Beacon Lighting has taken the guesswork out of your lighting purchases with an in-home consultation process, as well as an app which shows exactly how their lights will look in your home.Beacon Lighting
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What’s the difference between a custom-built home and a production or mass-produced home? Plenty, according to Berstan Homes Managing Director, Mark Bryson. “A custom-built home is a one-off statement of design which allows the client to have a unique build.” Mass-produced house designs are becoming more and more popular as the housing shortage worsens and new subdivisions are developed by huge building companies. Whole neighbourhoods are now looking like assembly lines with cookie cutter houses all in a row. The
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Painted feature walls may have fallen out of favour but the accent wall is still very popular. These days a feature wall is all about texture, using timber, tiles, bricks or wallpaper. A feature wall is the focal point of a room where you can highlight a bold colour or texture you wouldn’t dare use on a larger scale. Large rooms suit a feature wall to break up the expanse and add interest. Modern materials are all about natural, recycled
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Owner builder gone so wrong!   Berstan Homes are currently in the middle of a knock down rebuild in Pascoe Vale and the build is at lock up stage. Next door to the Berstan home is a neighbour who is doing an owner builder project that involves the construction of a basement on the boundary of our construction. From the pictures you can see what has gone so wrong and as time marches on will get progressively worse and is
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