July 19, 2022 • 25 mins
In this episode, I speak to Melanie Finlay Marketing Manager from leading South Coast property developer Imperial Homes.
We talk about why trust is so important in buying a new build, how to choose the right developer and the right home for you, and how to personalise your experience.
Find out more about Imperial Homes on their website www.imperialhomessouthern.co.uk or follow them on Instagram @imperialhomesltd
If you're selling your home and using any of the hints and tips from today, don’t forget to share using the hashtag #HappyHomeSale
Find out more about Natalie Evans
Follow me on social media @natalieevansuk
Or visit my websites www.natalieevansuk.com or www.littlebarndoor.uk
This podcast was produced by our friends at Emily Crosby Media
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Natalie Evans (00:03):
Welcome to the Happy Home Sale podcast with me
Natalie Evans. In this weeklypodcast, I speak to homeowners
and experts from differentindustries to share real life
stories, and inspiring advice toshow you how you can make your
home selling journey one ofbliss, happiness, joy, and
(00:23):
staggering success.
Today's podcast is all about newhomes, where to find a trusted
developer, how to choose theright home off of plan and what
buying off plan even means. I'mjoined by Melanie Finlay the
(00:45):
sales and marketing managerleading South Coast property
developer Imperial homes.Imperial homes have completed
outstanding new homedevelopments throughout the
south coast since 2013. Witheverything from urban apartment
complexes, to individual coastaland country homes, their
(01:06):
relentless attention to bothservice and product really has
secured them an exceptionalreputation, which is why we are
delighted today to be joined byMelanie, along with being full
of amazing tips to help you getthe best experience from your
new home purchase. Melanie isgenuinely one of the nicest
(01:28):
people that I have met inproperty. I can't wait to
introduce her to you all.Melanie, Hello,
Melanie Finlay (01:35):
and thank you for
Natalie Evans (01:38):
Oh, thank you so much for coming to be part of
the happy home sale podcast.Honestly, we've been kind of
back and forth connecting onemail and social media and
stalking each other on social alittle bit for quite a while.
But we only really got to meetin person over at one of your
properties in Winchester beforeit had been launched.
Melanie Finlay (02:00):
Yeah, I think you came down to have a look
around it when it was a prettynasty looking shell. And now
it's beautiful.
Natalie Evans (02:07):
Oh, I'm so glad. And you know what from I'm gonna
sound like a total like, fangirl stalker now. When we met, I
genuinely thought for someone inlike this crazy face property
world, you really have thisreally kind welcoming manner.
And you were just so engagingthat I knew that we were going
to get on like house on fire.And I knew that I needed you. I
(02:30):
knew I needed you to come on thepodcast to really help kind of
bring some of your beautifulsoul to like the new home build
buying process.
Melanie Finlay (02:39):
Oh, well, hopefully I can. And hopefully I
can make people believe it'snowhere near as bad as maybe
it's portrayed
Natalie Evans (02:45):
Oh, completely. And I think that's it is people
go into the journey of buyingand selling a property from a
real position of fear. And youmust see that because being the
sales and marketing manager, youmust come across so many
different homeowners indifferent walks of life and
different situations.
Melanie Finlay (03:03):
Yep, I think the biggest thing is it's coming
from a level of no trust. Youmaybe see us as salespeople,
which we actually don't we seeourselves more as part of the
journey. We can spend up tothree years with clients,
Natalie Evans (03:20):
three years?
Melanie Finlay (03:22):
Yeah. So if they purchase Off Plan, we could be
at least a year before they movein. And then they have their two
year warranty. So yeah, it couldbe three years. Yeah.
Natalie Evans (03:33):
So you really are as a developer, part of their
whole journey is just it's it'snot a case of them find the
house they move in. And that'sit.
Melanie Finlay (03:44):
Yeah, we we meet the family, we meet the extended
family, the dogs, the children,their parents, all sorts of
relatives, so we become part ofthe biggest purchase of their
life. And it is actually a realhonour to be part of that.
Natalie Evans (04:02):
Yeah, no, absolutely. And I think I would
love to say that that rings truefor every developer out there in
the UK and in the world. But Idon't think that's the case. I
think that sometimes there aredevelopers like yourself who are
so client centric. So I've takena bit of time before our podcast
to jump on, have a look at theImperial homes website. And you
(04:23):
make it really clear about someof the process of buying and
actually what the expectationsare for the service that you
offer. And you guys have kind ofreally high expectations of
yourselves and what you deliverto your clients. And I would
love to say that it's the samefor every developer, but there
may be times in the past wherepeople who bought properties and
not necessarily had great newbuild experience that have
(04:46):
tarnished their, their wholejourney and that's the horror
stories that you have toovercome, I guess, with your
role.
Melanie Finlay (04:53):
You do. I think it's not even necessarily down
to the developer. I think it'sdown to the staff. And I think
it's down to the management topick the right staff to manage
the right development. I thinkit's down to the project
managers or constructionmanagers to find the right site
manager. We have some great sitemanagers that will hold their
(05:15):
hands up to the fact thatthey're brilliant at building to
the roof. They like theexternals, they like all the
ground works, but they don'tenjoy the detail. So when it
gets to that stage, we'll swapsite manager. And we'll put one
in place that is great at theinternals, takes time care
attention to make sure theproperty is beautiful. And some
(05:37):
bigger developers do that. Butthey have different time
constraints to us.
Natalie Evans (05:41):
Yeah, and just that communication, because I
think the things that I get fromyou, you are, as you've said,
part of that client's journeyfrom the moment they've said, I
might be interested in aproperty and make that initial
inquiry right through to themkind of having been in that
property for years. And givingthem all of the updates and
reassurance throughout the wholeprocess, communication must be
(06:04):
just so very important.
Melanie Finlay (06:06):
I mean, it starts even before someone
realises they want a propertyfrom us, it starts right from
our social media, it starts fromour website, and then it goes
through to the staff they meetalong the journey. We have a
system in place here, wherebefore the client goes too far
in the process, they come in tosee us, we explain all of the
plans, we go through the wholeprocess, the whole buying
(06:30):
process, so they know what weexpect of them. And we can learn
about their past experiences, welearn if they bought new build
before we know to the level ofhow much we have to handhold. We
also learn a lot about the typeof person they are. And we can
change our way of dealing withthem. And to suit that you might
(06:52):
have somebody who's factorientated, that just wants me
to give them the basics. Andthat's it.
Natalie Evans (06:57):
And that's huge. And I think being able to tailor
the way that you, having thatawareness for you as a developer
of what your client needs andtheir personality and how they
want to be spoken to. And whatthey need to get the very best
out of their journey is such anamazing consideration to have.
And I think for somebody goingon the journey of looking for a
(07:18):
new property it's really key forthem to make sure that they're
finding the right developerpartner, to be able to give them
what they need. So in relationto developers, I know we briefly
talked about this the other day,but how would you recommend
people find the right kind ofdeveloper for them? So if people
aren't within the area, and theysaid, You know, I think I'd like
(07:40):
to explore getting a new build,where would they start?
Melanie Finlay (07:44):
I think the biggest thing is, it's not so
much to the developer, it's downto looking at an area, looking
at who's available, and thenvisiting the site. We don't have
salespeople on our development,but you can instantly get a feel
even just from walking past.Then it's taking time to meet
various staff members. I knowwhen I've worked for national
(08:08):
builders before, it's beenreally important for clients to
meet the site manager. I'mselling you the property, but
I'm not building it. So you haveto have a level of trust.
Natalie Evans (08:19):
Yeah, completely. If you're buying a property that
you know, is being built foryou. And I especially I'm
putting myself in thatsituation, I've got my three
young little ones. And could youimagine if we kind of said we'd
met the put on the high visjackets and a hardhat and
actually went on site to seewhere it is and the foundation's
going down and the kitchen goingin. That is such a fun part of
(08:41):
the journey. And I think
Melanie Finlay (08:43):
it really is,
Natalie Evans (08:44):
it's something that when people are buying a
new home, they're buying thatwhole experience, they're having
a property that is created forthem. And making them feel part
of that journey is so so veryimportant
Melanie Finlay (08:57):
It really is. I mean, we make sure our Imperial
that every two weeks the clientgets an update. So they have a
photograph of their property,they have a little bit of a
breakdown as to what's beengoing on on site. So they are
part of that journey, regardlessof where they live, if they're
local. If they're miles away,they get to see how things are
(09:18):
working out on site for them.
Natalie Evans (09:19):
Yeah. And that's so exciting for them to receive
that update is really helping tofeed into that journey of like
actually buying your home issuch an exciting empowering
time. Especially when, you knowhaving all of these updates,
seeing the photos and knowingthat everything that they're
putting their mind towards andtheir dream is really happening.
(09:40):
And that's amazing. That isamazing.
Melanie Finlay (09:43):
It's just making it really personal for them.
Yeah. And it's building thattrust. Yeah, definitely handing
over a lot of money for a house.You have to have a level of
trust in me and the business.
Natalie Evans (09:55):
Yeah, completely. And I think it can be very
different. kind of regardless ofwhere you work within the
property industry, there areprocesses and structures that
have to take place to be able toultimately transfer the
ownership of a property from oneperson to the next. But making
it personable making it moreapproachable, making it friendly
(10:16):
and warm. It takes away thatscare factor. One of the number
one questions that I've had onsocial media, when I've reached
out to people and asked aboutkind of their experience of
buying new homes and if they buya new home, is that they're
scared because the process isdifferent to buying a resale
property. Is it much different?
Melanie Finlay (10:34):
I've never worked in the resale industry.
But I think it's the time - youpurchase a property if it was at
foundation level, and you couldbe waiting nine months. So the
actual conveyancing processitself is not that different.
You don't have to deal with avendor. But you deal with us.
(10:56):
Maybe we make that process alittle bit easier. There's more
information readily availableabout the new property you're
buying. But it's the time, it'slearning to have a little bit of
patience. And understanding thatthere are delays on site. That's
the hardest thing.
Natalie Evans (11:16):
Yeah, but I guess that's where once they've got
trust in their developer,they've got like you as their
contact or somebody else withintheir development company. They
know they've got somebody ontheir side, who is they trust to
be giving them the rightinformation? And when they're
getting those regular updates, Isuppose it helps to buffer that
(11:36):
fear of the unknown.
Melanie Finlay (11:38):
Yeah, we think so I think it's how open we are.
The fact that we have theworking drawings for them to
look at, we'll take people onsite as much as possible. Those
regular updates, the photographsaren't the prettiest of things.
They're often all warts and all!
Natalie Evans (11:55):
yeah, but I think that's so exciting, because it
is part of the journey. They,you know, I can imagine there
are people who want to keep allof the albums or especially with
Instagram being so hot with thebefore and after and interiors
accounts, people want to see thefoundations, they want to see
the windows going in. They wantto see the plasterboard being
put on all the things that wewould have hidden before
(12:17):
everybody wants.
Melanie Finlay (12:18):
Yeah, I think it sort of takes the lid off of the
behind the scenes, doesn't it?And we have some great clients
that have got their ownInstagram's for their imperial
home.
Natalie Evans (12:26):
Oh, wow, have they?
Melanie Finlay (12:28):
They are amazing. And it's a real
pleasure to sort of see themfrom the other side of their
journey.
Natalie Evans (12:35):
Yeah, and it must be amazing for you to know, you
have played such a key role ingetting them to where they want
to be.
Melanie Finlay (12:42):
Yes, it's the best part of my job.
Natalie Evans (12:46):
No, absolutely. So with the process, then of
buying a new build property, yousay obviously, it's a longer
process. Because obviously, it'sgot to be built. Do most people
buy off of plan? Or do they buynew build properties, once they
are already built and ready togo?
Melanie Finlay (13:01):
I think it very much depends on the area. And it
depends on the buyer. A lot offirst time buyers are quite
nervous, even some second timebuyers are nervous. It's how
imaginative you are, and howgood you are at visualising a
space. Show homes help. We don'talways have that luxury. Where
(13:25):
we're a smaller developer, oursites can sometimes only be four
on a development. But we try tomake that process as easy as
possible.
Natalie Evans (13:33):
Yeah, because it is difficult. I mean, I know
from the staging side andworking with my clients to put
together the show homes orstaging properties that are
about to hit the market. Thepeople can't necessarily
visualise the use of the spacefrom just looking at the floor
plan. But also that must be 10times harder looking at a
(13:53):
development plan when you're notsure which one of the four
properties to choose.
Melanie Finlay (13:58):
Yep, there's so many factors that they have to
consider their lifestyle whichproperty is facing which
direction? And you can'tnecessarily get a feel for a
property. There's not thatinstant gut reaction when you
walk in through the door.Because there is no door.
Natalie Evans (14:15):
Yeah. So how do you support your clients through
that? So say you've got adevelopment, it's got the first
one on the development isexciting launch day. And the
buyer then walks in and theylove the they love the location.
They love the site. They want towork with you. But they've got
to choose one of five. How doyou support them to make the
right choice?
Melanie Finlay (14:35):
we break it down into a bit of a wish list. It's
a write down 20 things. Break itdown to 10. But you might have
to compromise on five.
Natalie Evans (14:46):
So what type things feature on the wish list?
Melanie Finlay (14:49):
The biggest one is always the south facing
garden. But then equally if youwent west facing you still have
as much sun and things growbetter because they're not burnt
to a crisp often. It's, it'sreally down to their lifestyle,
double bedrooms feature.Bedrooms Off Plan often looks
smaller. But it's, it's oftenwe'll even get a tape measure
(15:09):
out, and we'll measure it on thefloor. We'll measure our
boardroom. We can take people toother properties that might be
finished, that aren't a millionmiles from that development. We
have lots of photographs. It'sjust real handholding.
Natalie Evans (15:26):
Yeah, yeah, it sounds like it's done a really
reassuring way to help them tohave as much knowledge as they
can. If the house is, you know,in the time when the house isn't
necessarily ready to view or getthat feel from or make the
decision, you're helping them tokind of think outside the box,
think about what they need, whatthey can achieve from each of
(15:48):
the available units, and whichone's going to best align with
their lifestyle.
Melanie Finlay (15:52):
Most definitely. And we we've done this for such
a long time now we can pick upon the type of lifestyle, we
know the sort of questions toask to find out if they
entertain a lot, if they need abigger dining room, if they have
teenage kids that need decentsized bedrooms, because they
don't see them from Monday toFriday. So we've we've sort of
(16:12):
learned how to guide themthrough it. But at the end of
the day, it's not puttingpressure on someone.
Natalie Evans (16:19):
Absolutely. So would you then say kind of the
top five questions. So ifsomebody was about to go and
look at a new development anddecide which plot they wanted,
within the development, wouldyou say, thinking about position
of the garden or the way thegarden was facing?
Melanie Finlay (16:34):
that does have a factor. But then that also
leaves you if you had a southfacing garden with a living room
at the front of the property,you need to take into account
that that's going to be northfacing. So it's not just looking
at the garden, it's looking atthe aspect of the whole
property.
Natalie Evans (16:51):
So really taking a very big step back and
thinking through how am I goingto use each of the rooms in my
house? Who is going to be in thehouse? What space do I need? How
am I going to use the outsidespace?
Melanie Finlay (17:03):
Yeah, it's to suit them more than anything.
Because you often find that it'ssort of the nation's top five,
the double bedrooms, the doublefronted house, the double
garriage, the south facinggarden, but they might not
actually suit your lifestyle.
Natalie Evans (17:19):
No, completely. And when somebody is buying off
the plan, can they ever makekind of internal choices that
are slightly different to saysomebody who didn't want a built
in wardrobe and wanted a biggerbedroom? Can they make those
choices?
Melanie Finlay (17:34):
Yep. So it depends on the builder. Some
have a sort of checklist of whatthey won't do. And what they
will do. We're not bespoke. Butwe probably offer a little bit
more than maybe a nationaldeveloper. Certainly choosing
kitchen colours, worktopcolours, the tiles in the
(17:54):
bathroom, maybe some extralighting. If they wanted
something removed from theproperty, it's not normally an
issue. But changing thestructure. Taking walls down,
moving walls, that kind ofthings is something that it's
very, very rare for a developerto do. But certainly
(18:14):
personalising the colours.Absolutely no problem at all.
But it does have to be done by acertain build stage,
Natalie Evans (18:21):
Well it sounds like they get so many choices to
be able to really make it theirown.
Melanie Finlay (18:26):
Yep, most definitely.
Natalie Evans (18:27):
Wow, it sounds amazing. And I can imagine that
you're behind the scenes doingthe research on like, what tiles
are going to be kind of cominginto fashion and what colour
taps and door handles and thingslike that. So they're not only
able to choose, but they'reactually getting choices that
are really kind of forwardthinking
Melanie Finlay (18:46):
yes.
Natalie Evans (18:47):
And cost effective?
Melanie Finlay (18:49):
I would think so because if somebody was to
upgrade an item, they only paythe extra. So they pay the extra
over cost, which means they'renot paying the full amount for
something like a beautifulupgraded title. Or if they were
having laminate worktop in aproperty, they would only pay
(19:10):
the extra for quotes. And yeah,we try and change our choices
every six months. So we'll go tothe kitchen companies ask what
colours are selling. And we'llsort of try to keep up with the
trends the best we can
Natalie Evans (19:22):
Yeah, perfect. So it sounds amazing. And with that
in mind, then what would you sayare kind of the top wins for
somebody coming into buying anew build what are the main
benefits for somebody if they'reconsidering buying a property
and they're not sure whether togo for a new build or whether to
go for a resale property? Whatare the main benefits that
(19:45):
somebody would get from buying anew build, but also buying with
you guys?
Melanie Finlay (19:50):
I would say that the biggest thing is the
warranty. You move into a newbuild and you know that you are
looked after for two years. Ifsomething breaks you know that
will come out to fix it. That'sa definite advantage. You know
that everything in that house isnew, it's a clean slate. It's
choosing the kitchens, it'schoosing all those items, if you
(20:11):
get the opportunity to on thebuild stage, that you can
personalise your property, andthere's no outlay, once you've
moved in. I would say buyingfrom us, obviously biased. Our
site managers take a lot of careand attention to make sure that
the properties are beautiful. Weare a smaller developer, so you
(20:32):
get maybe more personalexperience. Our developments are
often smaller, we tend to buildunder 30 on a site. So you have
a little bit more maybe of acommunity feel, rather than a
sort of development of a coupleof 100 houses. And it is it's
having a little bit more choicemaybe of the finishes of the
(20:54):
property.
Natalie Evans (20:55):
Yeah. Amazing. That's great. And where can
people find out more about upand coming developments with
yourself, Melanie over atImperial Homes?
Melanie Finlay (21:05):
Yeah, I mean, we post everything on to our
website, which usually has a lotmore detail. But our Instagram
is usually slightly morereactive. So if we have a new
site coming, we instantly postedon there. So we're
@imperialhomesltd And it wouldbe great to have people
(21:25):
following us so that we can sortof keep sharing all the new bits
that we're doing.
Natalie Evans (21:29):
Oh, yeah, absolutely. And I can only
imagine like the amount or Ieven know, there's no imagining
I already follow you@imperialhomesltd. I know how
much inspiration they're goingto get from seeing the kind of
stylings that you're putting inplace in your new development
and the work on your newdevelopments. For anybody who is
(21:49):
looking for a new property ormay have that kind of in their
story at some point in thefuture. Looking at kind of your
Instagram and finding the otherkind of new build homeowners
Instagrams is gonna be reallyinspiring, given some really
good ideas, but also thereassurance that you know, what,
don't listen to the myths andthe horror stories. If you find
(22:10):
yourself the right developer towork with somebody who's going
to trust you, somebody who'sgoing to get to know you,
somebody who's really going tohelp you create this amazing
journey, buying a new buildhome, can be so inspiring, so
personalised and really help youto achieve the dream that you're
looking for.
Melanie Finlay (22:30):
Definitely, I mean, we have some of our staff
that have even gone on to buyImperial Homes. So that's
usually the the biggest signthat we're doing something
right,
Natalie Evans (22:37):
Absolutely. That's definitely a winning
sign. Any last tips that youwould give to anybody who is
looking at buying a new buildproperty today, who wants to
make sure that they just have areally happy journey from
initial interest to moving intotheir home?
Melanie Finlay (22:53):
I think the biggest thing is to just enjoy
the process. It can be reallystressful. But take all the
small wins. Enjoy, reallygetting to know your sales
negotiator, ask the questionsthat you need to don't be afraid
to answer these silly questions.There's no such thing. And just
(23:15):
build that level of trust withyour developer, it will make
life an awful lot easier.
Natalie Evans (23:20):
Perfect. No, that's an amazing tip. And, you
know, I couldn't agree more withjust ask as many questions. Find
somebody that you trust. And ifyou want to know something, ask
the questions put your nervesat, well at ease. Because a lot
of the time when you're buying aproperty when you're selling a
property, that unrest thatanxiety all comes from a place
(23:42):
where you don't know the answer.So by working with somebody who
you really trust to give you theanswer that you're looking for,
is going to help to overcomethat.
Melanie Finlay (23:52):
Definitely, I think, just ask, if we don't
know the answer, we have awealth of experts. And they'll
all be able to answer any ofthose questions.
Natalie Evans (24:02):
Yeah. Amazing. Thank you so much.
Melanie Finlay (24:04):
It's been a pleasure.
Natalie Evans (24:05):
Oh, I know that everybody is going to love to
have listened to you today.Because you just your kindness
and your best wishes for all ofyour clients really just comes
out. So please do everybodythat's listening, go across,
have a look. Follow the ImperialHomes Instagram, and just check
out all of the wonderfuldevelopments that they have on
at the moment all of theirprevious developments which are
(24:28):
just going to be so inspiring,and absolutely give them a
follow. Thank you so muchMelanie it's been an absolute
pleasure to speak to you. AndI'll see you very soon.
Thank you for listening to theHappy Home Sale podcast. I
really hope that you've enjoyedtoday's episode and that you've
got some amazing tips and adviceto take away don't forget to
(24:51):
subscribe wherever you listen toso that you can be sure not to
miss our next episode becausetrust me is going to be equally
filled with stories and jampacked with advice if you're
selling your home and using anyof the hints and tips from
(25:11):
today, please use the hashtag#happyhomesale. I love to see
how you are all getting on andall of your success stories. So
please do share. I've been yourhost Natalie Evans and you can
follow me on social media@natalieevansuk, or find out
more about my work.www.natalieevansuk.com or
(25:35):
www.littlebarndoor.uk. Thispodcast was produced by our
friends at Emily Crosby Media
Welcome to the Happy Home Sale podcast with me
Natalie Evans. In this weeklypodcast, I speak to homeowners
and experts from differentindustries to share real life
stories, and inspiring advice toshow you how you can make your
home selling journey one ofbliss, happiness, joy, and
(00:23):
staggering success.
Today's podcast is all about newhomes, where to find a trusted
developer, how to choose theright home off of plan and what
buying off plan even means. I'mjoined by Melanie Finlay the
(00:45):
sales and marketing managerleading South Coast property
developer Imperial homes.Imperial homes have completed
outstanding new homedevelopments throughout the
south coast since 2013. Witheverything from urban apartment
complexes, to individual coastaland country homes, their
(01:06):
relentless attention to bothservice and product really has
secured them an exceptionalreputation, which is why we are
delighted today to be joined byMelanie, along with being full
of amazing tips to help you getthe best experience from your
new home purchase. Melanie isgenuinely one of the nicest
(01:28):
people that I have met inproperty. I can't wait to
introduce her to you all.Melanie, Hello,
Melanie Finlay (01:35):
and thank you for
Natalie Evans (01:38):
Oh, thank you so much for coming to be part of
the happy home sale podcast.Honestly, we've been kind of
back and forth connecting onemail and social media and
stalking each other on social alittle bit for quite a while.
But we only really got to meetin person over at one of your
properties in Winchester beforeit had been launched.
Melanie Finlay (02:00):
Yeah, I think you came down to have a look
around it when it was a prettynasty looking shell. And now
it's beautiful.
Natalie Evans (02:07):
Oh, I'm so glad. And you know what from I'm gonna
sound like a total like, fangirl stalker now. When we met, I
genuinely thought for someone inlike this crazy face property
world, you really have thisreally kind welcoming manner.
And you were just so engagingthat I knew that we were going
to get on like house on fire.And I knew that I needed you. I
(02:30):
knew I needed you to come on thepodcast to really help kind of
bring some of your beautifulsoul to like the new home build
buying process.
Melanie Finlay (02:39):
Oh, well, hopefully I can. And hopefully I
can make people believe it'snowhere near as bad as maybe
it's portrayed
Natalie Evans (02:45):
Oh, completely. And I think that's it is people
go into the journey of buyingand selling a property from a
real position of fear. And youmust see that because being the
sales and marketing manager, youmust come across so many
different homeowners indifferent walks of life and
different situations.
Melanie Finlay (03:03):
Yep, I think the biggest thing is it's coming
from a level of no trust. Youmaybe see us as salespeople,
which we actually don't we seeourselves more as part of the
journey. We can spend up tothree years with clients,
Natalie Evans (03:20):
three years?
Melanie Finlay (03:22):
Yeah. So if they purchase Off Plan, we could be
at least a year before they movein. And then they have their two
year warranty. So yeah, it couldbe three years. Yeah.
Natalie Evans (03:33):
So you really are as a developer, part of their
whole journey is just it's it'snot a case of them find the
house they move in. And that'sit.
Melanie Finlay (03:44):
Yeah, we we meet the family, we meet the extended
family, the dogs, the children,their parents, all sorts of
relatives, so we become part ofthe biggest purchase of their
life. And it is actually a realhonour to be part of that.
Natalie Evans (04:02):
Yeah, no, absolutely. And I think I would
love to say that that rings truefor every developer out there in
the UK and in the world. But Idon't think that's the case. I
think that sometimes there aredevelopers like yourself who are
so client centric. So I've takena bit of time before our podcast
to jump on, have a look at theImperial homes website. And you
(04:23):
make it really clear about someof the process of buying and
actually what the expectationsare for the service that you
offer. And you guys have kind ofreally high expectations of
yourselves and what you deliverto your clients. And I would
love to say that it's the samefor every developer, but there
may be times in the past wherepeople who bought properties and
not necessarily had great newbuild experience that have
(04:46):
tarnished their, their wholejourney and that's the horror
stories that you have toovercome, I guess, with your
role.
Melanie Finlay (04:53):
You do. I think it's not even necessarily down
to the developer. I think it'sdown to the staff. And I think
it's down to the management topick the right staff to manage
the right development. I thinkit's down to the project
managers or constructionmanagers to find the right site
manager. We have some great sitemanagers that will hold their
(05:15):
hands up to the fact thatthey're brilliant at building to
the roof. They like theexternals, they like all the
ground works, but they don'tenjoy the detail. So when it
gets to that stage, we'll swapsite manager. And we'll put one
in place that is great at theinternals, takes time care
attention to make sure theproperty is beautiful. And some
(05:37):
bigger developers do that. Butthey have different time
constraints to us.
Natalie Evans (05:41):
Yeah, and just that communication, because I
think the things that I get fromyou, you are, as you've said,
part of that client's journeyfrom the moment they've said, I
might be interested in aproperty and make that initial
inquiry right through to themkind of having been in that
property for years. And givingthem all of the updates and
reassurance throughout the wholeprocess, communication must be
(06:04):
just so very important.
Melanie Finlay (06:06):
I mean, it starts even before someone
realises they want a propertyfrom us, it starts right from
our social media, it starts fromour website, and then it goes
through to the staff they meetalong the journey. We have a
system in place here, wherebefore the client goes too far
in the process, they come in tosee us, we explain all of the
plans, we go through the wholeprocess, the whole buying
(06:30):
process, so they know what weexpect of them. And we can learn
about their past experiences, welearn if they bought new build
before we know to the level ofhow much we have to handhold. We
also learn a lot about the typeof person they are. And we can
change our way of dealing withthem. And to suit that you might
(06:52):
have somebody who's factorientated, that just wants me
to give them the basics. Andthat's it.
Natalie Evans (06:57):
And that's huge. And I think being able to tailor
the way that you, having thatawareness for you as a developer
of what your client needs andtheir personality and how they
want to be spoken to. And whatthey need to get the very best
out of their journey is such anamazing consideration to have.
And I think for somebody goingon the journey of looking for a
(07:18):
new property it's really key forthem to make sure that they're
finding the right developerpartner, to be able to give them
what they need. So in relationto developers, I know we briefly
talked about this the other day,but how would you recommend
people find the right kind ofdeveloper for them? So if people
aren't within the area, and theysaid, You know, I think I'd like
(07:40):
to explore getting a new build,where would they start?
Melanie Finlay (07:44):
I think the biggest thing is, it's not so
much to the developer, it's downto looking at an area, looking
at who's available, and thenvisiting the site. We don't have
salespeople on our development,but you can instantly get a feel
even just from walking past.Then it's taking time to meet
various staff members. I knowwhen I've worked for national
(08:08):
builders before, it's beenreally important for clients to
meet the site manager. I'mselling you the property, but
I'm not building it. So you haveto have a level of trust.
Natalie Evans (08:19):
Yeah, completely. If you're buying a property that
you know, is being built foryou. And I especially I'm
putting myself in thatsituation, I've got my three
young little ones. And could youimagine if we kind of said we'd
met the put on the high visjackets and a hardhat and
actually went on site to seewhere it is and the foundation's
going down and the kitchen goingin. That is such a fun part of
(08:41):
the journey. And I think
Melanie Finlay (08:43):
it really is,
Natalie Evans (08:44):
it's something that when people are buying a
new home, they're buying thatwhole experience, they're having
a property that is created forthem. And making them feel part
of that journey is so so veryimportant
Melanie Finlay (08:57):
It really is. I mean, we make sure our Imperial
that every two weeks the clientgets an update. So they have a
photograph of their property,they have a little bit of a
breakdown as to what's beengoing on on site. So they are
part of that journey, regardlessof where they live, if they're
local. If they're miles away,they get to see how things are
(09:18):
working out on site for them.
Natalie Evans (09:19):
Yeah. And that's so exciting for them to receive
that update is really helping tofeed into that journey of like
actually buying your home issuch an exciting empowering
time. Especially when, you knowhaving all of these updates,
seeing the photos and knowingthat everything that they're
putting their mind towards andtheir dream is really happening.
(09:40):
And that's amazing. That isamazing.
Melanie Finlay (09:43):
It's just making it really personal for them.
Yeah. And it's building thattrust. Yeah, definitely handing
over a lot of money for a house.You have to have a level of
trust in me and the business.
Natalie Evans (09:55):
Yeah, completely. And I think it can be very
different. kind of regardless ofwhere you work within the
property industry, there areprocesses and structures that
have to take place to be able toultimately transfer the
ownership of a property from oneperson to the next. But making
it personable making it moreapproachable, making it friendly
(10:16):
and warm. It takes away thatscare factor. One of the number
one questions that I've had onsocial media, when I've reached
out to people and asked aboutkind of their experience of
buying new homes and if they buya new home, is that they're
scared because the process isdifferent to buying a resale
property. Is it much different?
Melanie Finlay (10:34):
I've never worked in the resale industry.
But I think it's the time - youpurchase a property if it was at
foundation level, and you couldbe waiting nine months. So the
actual conveyancing processitself is not that different.
You don't have to deal with avendor. But you deal with us.
(10:56):
Maybe we make that process alittle bit easier. There's more
information readily availableabout the new property you're
buying. But it's the time, it'slearning to have a little bit of
patience. And understanding thatthere are delays on site. That's
the hardest thing.
Natalie Evans (11:16):
Yeah, but I guess that's where once they've got
trust in their developer,they've got like you as their
contact or somebody else withintheir development company. They
know they've got somebody ontheir side, who is they trust to
be giving them the rightinformation? And when they're
getting those regular updates, Isuppose it helps to buffer that
(11:36):
fear of the unknown.
Melanie Finlay (11:38):
Yeah, we think so I think it's how open we are.
The fact that we have theworking drawings for them to
look at, we'll take people onsite as much as possible. Those
regular updates, the photographsaren't the prettiest of things.
They're often all warts and all!
Natalie Evans (11:55):
yeah, but I think that's so exciting, because it
is part of the journey. They,you know, I can imagine there
are people who want to keep allof the albums or especially with
Instagram being so hot with thebefore and after and interiors
accounts, people want to see thefoundations, they want to see
the windows going in. They wantto see the plasterboard being
put on all the things that wewould have hidden before
(12:17):
everybody wants.
Melanie Finlay (12:18):
Yeah, I think it sort of takes the lid off of the
behind the scenes, doesn't it?And we have some great clients
that have got their ownInstagram's for their imperial
home.
Natalie Evans (12:26):
Oh, wow, have they?
Melanie Finlay (12:28):
They are amazing. And it's a real
pleasure to sort of see themfrom the other side of their
journey.
Natalie Evans (12:35):
Yeah, and it must be amazing for you to know, you
have played such a key role ingetting them to where they want
to be.
Melanie Finlay (12:42):
Yes, it's the best part of my job.
Natalie Evans (12:46):
No, absolutely. So with the process, then of
buying a new build property, yousay obviously, it's a longer
process. Because obviously, it'sgot to be built. Do most people
buy off of plan? Or do they buynew build properties, once they
are already built and ready togo?
Melanie Finlay (13:01):
I think it very much depends on the area. And it
depends on the buyer. A lot offirst time buyers are quite
nervous, even some second timebuyers are nervous. It's how
imaginative you are, and howgood you are at visualising a
space. Show homes help. We don'talways have that luxury. Where
(13:25):
we're a smaller developer, oursites can sometimes only be four
on a development. But we try tomake that process as easy as
possible.
Natalie Evans (13:33):
Yeah, because it is difficult. I mean, I know
from the staging side andworking with my clients to put
together the show homes orstaging properties that are
about to hit the market. Thepeople can't necessarily
visualise the use of the spacefrom just looking at the floor
plan. But also that must be 10times harder looking at a
(13:53):
development plan when you're notsure which one of the four
properties to choose.
Melanie Finlay (13:58):
Yep, there's so many factors that they have to
consider their lifestyle whichproperty is facing which
direction? And you can'tnecessarily get a feel for a
property. There's not thatinstant gut reaction when you
walk in through the door.Because there is no door.
Natalie Evans (14:15):
Yeah. So how do you support your clients through
that? So say you've got adevelopment, it's got the first
one on the development isexciting launch day. And the
buyer then walks in and theylove the they love the location.
They love the site. They want towork with you. But they've got
to choose one of five. How doyou support them to make the
right choice?
Melanie Finlay (14:35):
we break it down into a bit of a wish list. It's
a write down 20 things. Break itdown to 10. But you might have
to compromise on five.
Natalie Evans (14:46):
So what type things feature on the wish list?
Melanie Finlay (14:49):
The biggest one is always the south facing
garden. But then equally if youwent west facing you still have
as much sun and things growbetter because they're not burnt
to a crisp often. It's, it'sreally down to their lifestyle,
double bedrooms feature.Bedrooms Off Plan often looks
smaller. But it's, it's oftenwe'll even get a tape measure
(15:09):
out, and we'll measure it on thefloor. We'll measure our
boardroom. We can take people toother properties that might be
finished, that aren't a millionmiles from that development. We
have lots of photographs. It'sjust real handholding.
Natalie Evans (15:26):
Yeah, yeah, it sounds like it's done a really
reassuring way to help them tohave as much knowledge as they
can. If the house is, you know,in the time when the house isn't
necessarily ready to view or getthat feel from or make the
decision, you're helping them tokind of think outside the box,
think about what they need, whatthey can achieve from each of
(15:48):
the available units, and whichone's going to best align with
their lifestyle.
Melanie Finlay (15:52):
Most definitely. And we we've done this for such
a long time now we can pick upon the type of lifestyle, we
know the sort of questions toask to find out if they
entertain a lot, if they need abigger dining room, if they have
teenage kids that need decentsized bedrooms, because they
don't see them from Monday toFriday. So we've we've sort of
(16:12):
learned how to guide themthrough it. But at the end of
the day, it's not puttingpressure on someone.
Natalie Evans (16:19):
Absolutely. So would you then say kind of the
top five questions. So ifsomebody was about to go and
look at a new development anddecide which plot they wanted,
within the development, wouldyou say, thinking about position
of the garden or the way thegarden was facing?
Melanie Finlay (16:34):
that does have a factor. But then that also
leaves you if you had a southfacing garden with a living room
at the front of the property,you need to take into account
that that's going to be northfacing. So it's not just looking
at the garden, it's looking atthe aspect of the whole
property.
Natalie Evans (16:51):
So really taking a very big step back and
thinking through how am I goingto use each of the rooms in my
house? Who is going to be in thehouse? What space do I need? How
am I going to use the outsidespace?
Melanie Finlay (17:03):
Yeah, it's to suit them more than anything.
Because you often find that it'ssort of the nation's top five,
the double bedrooms, the doublefronted house, the double
garriage, the south facinggarden, but they might not
actually suit your lifestyle.
Natalie Evans (17:19):
No, completely. And when somebody is buying off
the plan, can they ever makekind of internal choices that
are slightly different to saysomebody who didn't want a built
in wardrobe and wanted a biggerbedroom? Can they make those
choices?
Melanie Finlay (17:34):
Yep. So it depends on the builder. Some
have a sort of checklist of whatthey won't do. And what they
will do. We're not bespoke. Butwe probably offer a little bit
more than maybe a nationaldeveloper. Certainly choosing
kitchen colours, worktopcolours, the tiles in the
(17:54):
bathroom, maybe some extralighting. If they wanted
something removed from theproperty, it's not normally an
issue. But changing thestructure. Taking walls down,
moving walls, that kind ofthings is something that it's
very, very rare for a developerto do. But certainly
(18:14):
personalising the colours.Absolutely no problem at all.
But it does have to be done by acertain build stage,
Natalie Evans (18:21):
Well it sounds like they get so many choices to
be able to really make it theirown.
Melanie Finlay (18:26):
Yep, most definitely.
Natalie Evans (18:27):
Wow, it sounds amazing. And I can imagine that
you're behind the scenes doingthe research on like, what tiles
are going to be kind of cominginto fashion and what colour
taps and door handles and thingslike that. So they're not only
able to choose, but they'reactually getting choices that
are really kind of forwardthinking
Melanie Finlay (18:46):
yes.
Natalie Evans (18:47):
And cost effective?
Melanie Finlay (18:49):
I would think so because if somebody was to
upgrade an item, they only paythe extra. So they pay the extra
over cost, which means they'renot paying the full amount for
something like a beautifulupgraded title. Or if they were
having laminate worktop in aproperty, they would only pay
(19:10):
the extra for quotes. And yeah,we try and change our choices
every six months. So we'll go tothe kitchen companies ask what
colours are selling. And we'llsort of try to keep up with the
trends the best we can
Natalie Evans (19:22):
Yeah, perfect. So it sounds amazing. And with that
in mind, then what would you sayare kind of the top wins for
somebody coming into buying anew build what are the main
benefits for somebody if they'reconsidering buying a property
and they're not sure whether togo for a new build or whether to
go for a resale property? Whatare the main benefits that
(19:45):
somebody would get from buying anew build, but also buying with
you guys?
Melanie Finlay (19:50):
I would say that the biggest thing is the
warranty. You move into a newbuild and you know that you are
looked after for two years. Ifsomething breaks you know that
will come out to fix it. That'sa definite advantage. You know
that everything in that house isnew, it's a clean slate. It's
choosing the kitchens, it'schoosing all those items, if you
(20:11):
get the opportunity to on thebuild stage, that you can
personalise your property, andthere's no outlay, once you've
moved in. I would say buyingfrom us, obviously biased. Our
site managers take a lot of careand attention to make sure that
the properties are beautiful. Weare a smaller developer, so you
(20:32):
get maybe more personalexperience. Our developments are
often smaller, we tend to buildunder 30 on a site. So you have
a little bit more maybe of acommunity feel, rather than a
sort of development of a coupleof 100 houses. And it is it's
having a little bit more choicemaybe of the finishes of the
(20:54):
property.
Natalie Evans (20:55):
Yeah. Amazing. That's great. And where can
people find out more about upand coming developments with
yourself, Melanie over atImperial Homes?
Melanie Finlay (21:05):
Yeah, I mean, we post everything on to our
website, which usually has a lotmore detail. But our Instagram
is usually slightly morereactive. So if we have a new
site coming, we instantly postedon there. So we're
@imperialhomesltd And it wouldbe great to have people
(21:25):
following us so that we can sortof keep sharing all the new bits
that we're doing.
Natalie Evans (21:29):
Oh, yeah, absolutely. And I can only
imagine like the amount or Ieven know, there's no imagining
I already follow you@imperialhomesltd. I know how
much inspiration they're goingto get from seeing the kind of
stylings that you're putting inplace in your new development
and the work on your newdevelopments. For anybody who is
(21:49):
looking for a new property ormay have that kind of in their
story at some point in thefuture. Looking at kind of your
Instagram and finding the otherkind of new build homeowners
Instagrams is gonna be reallyinspiring, given some really
good ideas, but also thereassurance that you know, what,
don't listen to the myths andthe horror stories. If you find
(22:10):
yourself the right developer towork with somebody who's going
to trust you, somebody who'sgoing to get to know you,
somebody who's really going tohelp you create this amazing
journey, buying a new buildhome, can be so inspiring, so
personalised and really help youto achieve the dream that you're
looking for.
Melanie Finlay (22:30):
Definitely, I mean, we have some of our staff
that have even gone on to buyImperial Homes. So that's
usually the the biggest signthat we're doing something
right,
Natalie Evans (22:37):
Absolutely. That's definitely a winning
sign. Any last tips that youwould give to anybody who is
looking at buying a new buildproperty today, who wants to
make sure that they just have areally happy journey from
initial interest to moving intotheir home?
Melanie Finlay (22:53):
I think the biggest thing is to just enjoy
the process. It can be reallystressful. But take all the
small wins. Enjoy, reallygetting to know your sales
negotiator, ask the questionsthat you need to don't be afraid
to answer these silly questions.There's no such thing. And just
(23:15):
build that level of trust withyour developer, it will make
life an awful lot easier.
Natalie Evans (23:20):
Perfect. No, that's an amazing tip. And, you
know, I couldn't agree more withjust ask as many questions. Find
somebody that you trust. And ifyou want to know something, ask
the questions put your nervesat, well at ease. Because a lot
of the time when you're buying aproperty when you're selling a
property, that unrest thatanxiety all comes from a place
(23:42):
where you don't know the answer.So by working with somebody who
you really trust to give you theanswer that you're looking for,
is going to help to overcomethat.
Melanie Finlay (23:52):
Definitely, I think, just ask, if we don't
know the answer, we have awealth of experts. And they'll
all be able to answer any ofthose questions.
Natalie Evans (24:02):
Yeah. Amazing. Thank you so much.
Melanie Finlay (24:04):
It's been a pleasure.
Natalie Evans (24:05):
Oh, I know that everybody is going to love to
have listened to you today.Because you just your kindness
and your best wishes for all ofyour clients really just comes
out. So please do everybodythat's listening, go across,
have a look. Follow the ImperialHomes Instagram, and just check
out all of the wonderfuldevelopments that they have on
at the moment all of theirprevious developments which are
(24:28):
just going to be so inspiring,and absolutely give them a
follow. Thank you so muchMelanie it's been an absolute
pleasure to speak to you. AndI'll see you very soon.
Thank you for listening to theHappy Home Sale podcast. I
really hope that you've enjoyedtoday's episode and that you've
got some amazing tips and adviceto take away don't forget to
(24:51):
subscribe wherever you listen toso that you can be sure not to
miss our next episode becausetrust me is going to be equally
filled with stories and jampacked with advice if you're
selling your home and using anyof the hints and tips from
(25:11):
today, please use the hashtag#happyhomesale. I love to see
how you are all getting on andall of your success stories. So
please do share. I've been yourhost Natalie Evans and you can
follow me on social media@natalieevansuk, or find out
more about my work.www.natalieevansuk.com or
(25:35):
www.littlebarndoor.uk. Thispodcast was produced by our
friends at Emily Crosby Media
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