Meet Judy and Scott of G.J. Gardner Homes, Mornington Peninsula.

Tell us about you! What brought you to the Mornington Peninsula?

Judy: Scott has holidayed here his entire life. With memories of school holidays, family Christmas, beach cricket and sailing, he wanted to bring up his family here too. Opening our new business in Mornington gave us the opportunity to do just that. So now we have have a blended family settled into life on the Peninsula. We spend time at the beach, visit local wineries and restaurants and support local business wherever we can.

How do you like to live?

Judy: Other than work? Our days are often started with a run or walk on the local roads and beaches watching the sun come up, a great way to start the day! But our favourite would have to be spending time with family and friends. We always look forward to bringing friends and family together for a swim at the beach and a BBQ lunch, dinner or enjoying food and wine at one of the great local wineries.

What’s the highlight of your working week?

Judy: In our small business we catch up with our teams formally once a week. Our last question for each person is ‘What has been your personal win for the week?’ With answers ranging from ‘time on the couch with my daughter’ to ‘becoming engaged!’ it’s a wonderful moment to reflect not only on the business but on our team members as people. We learn a little more about each other every week.

Describe your business in 20 words 😉, no more!

Judy: Project managing new homes from concept, through design and planning, to completing construction and handing over the keys.

What do you do on a Saturday?

Judy: Saturday has traditionally been kids sports. As they grow it’s branching out into other things. Saturday often starts with bacon and eggs, maybe pancakes. Probably a bit of work given we run our own business! It’s a time to reflect on the week that has been and prepare for the week ahead. We also love to spend some time in the kitchen with a good recipe and a glass of wine, talking together and enjoying time with our family.

What’s your favourite house or garden trend at the moment?

Judy: Just one? We love vertical gardens, bookshelves, sunken living rooms, tiered living, windows to green spaces, family kitchens, hidden doors and secret passages, timber benches and natural materials. Plush couches with a warm blanket, cuddly cat and a good book to enjoy a winters day! Trends are for magazines and TV. Stick with what makes you feel at home.

Your proudest business moment?

Judy: Opening our business on day one, and every step since then. We are proud of the achievements of each of our team members. We appreciate how they work hard to achieve the best outcomes for our clients and continue to support each other every day. We love to work with local trades and businesses, supporting our community helps us all to grow. Our goal has always been to develop our team, our trades and local business to build homes for our community.

What do you secretly wish clients knew?

Judy: ‘The Block’ is not reality. There are a million details that go into building a house. To get it right it is important to start with the big picture before the small details, and it takes time. What is your budget? What are you including in your budget? Landscaping? Curtains? New furniture? Who is living in the house? What is limiting about where you currently live? These bigger questions will set up the framework before getting to the finer details like the kitchen taps or bathroom tiles. Work from big to little and take the time to methodically work through each step. Although some may not be as interesting, they all work together to create the whole. The journey can seem to be a long one but ultimately it’s rewarding as you watch everything come together and will only be a fraction of the time you enjoy living in your new dream home.

If you were a house… which one would you be? And why?

Judy: A place to get away to in the country. Small and nestled into the local environment, perhaps partially underground. Naturally it would be a passive design that requires little or no energy to be super comfortable all year round. There would be spaces for indoor and outdoor living with just enough room for our family plus a few visitors to enjoy a lazy morning, quiet afternoon or a lively dinner with friends and family.

Thank you Judy & Scott for sharing a bit about yourself with our Building Dreams community!

If you would like to see more of G.J. Gardner Homes work, visit: www.gjgardner.com.au or https://www.instagram.com/gjgardnermornington