Helpful House Building Tips from @coastalhamptonstyle

When a Home Tour Presenter and Influencer decides to build a home from scratch, you know the outcome will be nothing short of amazing.

Inspired by the classic, coastal look of the Long Island coastline, Susanna Tolo from Instagram account @coastalhamptonstyle worked with Brighton to create a double storey home which boasts a Hamptons look grounded to their Sunny Coast location through modern coastal elements. 

Celebrating nearly two years since the handover of her Grayson 30, we chatted to Susanna Tolo to discuss the lessons she learned from her first home build. Having plenty of time to reflect on her experience, we spoke about the things she would do differently, where she splurged in her home vs. where she saved, and more. 

What’s your favourite thing about your new home?

I love the layout and how bright and airy it is. This is thanks to all the windows that we have, it brings lots of natural light.

Now that you’ve been in your home for nearly two years, what’s your experience living in a Brighton home?

We absolutely love our home. Every time we step through the front doors we instantly feel at ease and relaxed. It's exactly what we wanted.

What spaces do you use most as a family?

Definitely our open plan living area. I'm usually cooking away in the kitchen while the kids are on the sofa chatting away. We have also created a lovely alfresco area, so we spend most afternoons watching the sunsets.

In your home where did you save and where did you splurge?

We saved on the flooring. We went with standard flooring that Brighton included in their floor selection. There is a great range, and we found the colour that we wanted so there was no need for the upgrade. This is also with the carpets in the bedrooms.

We definitely splurged on our facade. Street appeal is extremely important.

We also splurged in the kitchen and tiles. I wanted the kitchen to have that wow factor as it's the most used space in the house and also the place where friends and family gather.

Would you build new again?

Definitely! Having always renovated it was a great experience building something from scratch. You have the opportunity to pick a floor plan that suits your family's needs and of course you get to pick the interior details.

What have you learnt from building for the first time?                
That the paperwork/preparation process, such as getting your block ready and picking your design and interior choices, is sometimes longer than the actual building process!

Do you have any tips for first time home builders?

1. Have a clear vision of what you want
2. Know what is most important to you, where you want to splurge (kitchen, bathroom....)
3. Know what you can save on, and maybe add later down the road.
4. Be prepared for the unexpected
5. Budget for landscaping (It's expensive!)
6. Enjoy the process

What would you do the same?

We upgraded our ceiling height! It makes all the difference and would do it again! I also love that we added storage underneath our staircase. We keep all our suitcases and Christmas decorations.

What would you do differently?

I would go into the MyChoice Design Studio with a plan B. For example, if a tile I wanted was out of our budget I would find something similar that would work.