After years of renovating homes, Melissa and Alex O’Shaughnessy were ready for a fresh start. A home that didn’t come with a long list of updates, repairs or compromises. They wanted a house they could walk into on day one and know it was exactly what they had envisioned.
What began as a casual viewing of a nearby property in Milldale, North Auckland, quickly turned into the beginning of their journey with Generation Homes.
Drawn to a quiet crescent, a spacious northfacing section and the opportunity to create a home that reflected everything they had learned over decades of renovating, the couple soon found themselves securing a lot that felt like the perfect fit.
An enquiry to Generation Homes set the process in motion and from the first conversation, the couple say they felt supported, understood and genuinely cared for.
With Melissa’s design background and Alex’s eye for detail, the pair arrived with a clear vision and Generation Homes embraced it.
From raw concrete floors to a custom kitchen, seamless shower glass, a dedicated media room and space for the pool they had always dreamed of, Melissa and Alex were able to bring their ideas to life with the help of a team who listened at every stage.
Today, more than a year after moving in, they describe their home as the best-designed space they’ve ever lived in – warm, light-filled, beautifully finished and entirely their own.
What started as a hope for something simpler became a deeply rewarding partnership and a home that finally feels like everything they were searching for.
MELISSA
We’d renovated our last three houses, and we were honestly just over it. Renovations never really end – there’s always something else to update, fix or rethink. This time, we wanted to move into a home where everything was new, finished and exactly how we wanted it.
When we started looking at new builds, we walked through so many homes saying, ‘That’s nice … but I’d change this and I’d change that.’ After a while, we realised the only way we’d get everything right in one go was to build.
ALEX
Yeah, every home we viewed just made us want to redesign it. Eventually we looked at each other and said, ‘Why don’t we just build so we can have all the things we’ve learned we like over the years?’
ALEX
It happened almost by accident. Our real estate agent showed us a house a couple of doors down from where we live now. We weren’t sold on the house, but we loved the street. I noticed a free lot and did some digging online. On the Milldale map, the section was listed under Generation Homes. I sent one email enquiry, heard back from Nadine straight away and everything flowed from there. We secured the section quickly and we’re glad we did, because someone else tried to buy it a week later.
MELISSA
We didn’t really ‘choose’ Generation Homes so much as everything aligned at the right time. The right section, the right price range, and the right people on the other end of the email.
ALEX
From the first meeting, the team made everything easy. Nadine (Generation Homes) was fantastic and once we moved into the planning stage with Pete and the wider team, it all felt really natural. They listened, they communicated clearly and they kept everything moving.
MELISSA
The team themselves were absolutely faultless. Nothing was too much trouble. I came in with a very specific design vision, and they were completely open to it – even when what I wanted wasn’t their usual style of build.
Their commitment and communication made all the difference.
MELISSA
Yes, absolutely. I felt valued and listened to right from the beginning. Even now, over a year after moving in, Connor is still available if we have questions. That says a lot. We never felt like just another build; we felt like a priority.
ALEX
We trusted them early on and they backed that trust up. Everything they said they’d do; they did.
MELISSA
They were amazing. Every single person we dealt with made us feel supported. It felt like a partnership, they were organised, transparent, and genuinely cared about getting things right. We always had open communication with the team, including management, and nothing was ever a hassle.
I’m not someone who would sit here and say all of this if I didn’t genuinely mean it, but I do. They were phenomenal to work with.
MELISSA
We came with our own concept. Before we met the architect, we spent weeks online looking at ideas, plans and layouts. We arrived with a very clear vision, took a baseline idea from Pinterest and worked through dimensions and placements with the architect.
Two meetings later it was done. They drew exactly what we wanted.
MELISSA
Definitely the concrete floors. We had them throughout the whole house, not glossy, just that subtle raw concrete look. I also love the shower glass without the channel – it’s a small detail, but it makes such a difference visually. The tall skirting boards, the ABI tapware and all the small design details also lift the whole house. And of course, the pool that was a must-have from the beginning.
ALEX
The media room is one of my favourites. We’ve got barn doors so we can close it off for movies or open it up so the whole living area flows together. And the north-facing sun … standing in the kitchen and watching the light move through the house all day is something I really love.
ALEX
It’s on a private crescent, which we liked straight away. The section was larger than most in the area, big enough for the pool, and perfectly positioned to be north facing. I also spent time looking at the layout of Milldale’s access its roads, and how the subdivision flows. This spot felt right.
MELISSA
It’s a fast-growing area, and this section felt intentional. It had everything we needed for the home we wanted to build.
MELISSA
Know your budget early and stick to it. Then make a list of priorities versus ‘nice to haves.’ For us, the pool and key design details were non-negotiable. Other things, like skylights, went onto the wishlist.
Price everything upfront, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to remove things you don’t need – small reductions add up and can be redirected into features that really matter.
ALEX
Work closely with the team. Generation Homes were flexible and helped us adjust the package to suit what we wanted without blowing out the budget. Communication makes all the difference.
