Why Arden
Arden Homes: Our Story
02-09-2022
It’s true what they say about necessity being the mother of invention – great things begin when an unmet need is solved. And this is definitely the case for Arden Homes.
After co-founding one of Victoria’s largest volume builders, Arden’s Director Dean Morrison saw countless people move into new homes. He understood the speed, efficiency and buying power that volume building affords. But he also recognised a need for something different.
Dean saw that many clients wanted their homes that aligned with their unique needs, something different that would stand out from the crowd. They wanted a higher quality option at an affordable price point.
But most of all, Dean wanted to stay close to the client. “We didn’t want to build thousands of homes like other volume builders. We wanted to make homes people could be truly proud of and enjoy coming home to every day,” Dean explains.
So, Dean left the volume builder he had co-founded and created Arden Homes.
His vision was to offer architecturally influenced designs where clients have the option to tailor the floor plans to their needs, and where high-quality inclusions are the standard.
“Volume building doesn’t need to mean cookie-cutter homes – you can achieve something unique and beautiful – at an affordable price.” Dean continues.
Dean wanted clients to be able to enter a display home and see exactly what their options were – no tricks, no smoke and mirrors, no vague answers. He wanted the kind of old-fashioned service where every client feels heard, supported and clear about what’s ahead.
And that is precisely what Arden Homes delivers today.
Arden began eleven years ago in a factory in Hallam, with just three staff. But right from the beginning, the vision was clear, “We never wanted to become a huge corporate machine – we’ll always stay small enough to know everyone’s name and deliver a personalised experience for every client,” Dean says.
Even now, as the Arden team has grown to almost 100 people with six display locations, that same spirit endures. “This is a culture that’s built on genuine care and respect – we believe in our product, our team, and we believe that everyone deserves a home they’re proud of.”
When asked about the key ingredient in Arden’s success, Dean is crystal clear, “It’s the team!”
And of course, behind every great team, is a great leader. Around eight years ago, Arden welcomed another great leader in Director, Craig Fowler.
Sharing the same values as Dean, Craig is driven by a respect for clients and staff, transparency and a genuine desire to deliver an amazing product. With decades of experience in volume building, Craig was the perfect partner to look after the construction side of the business.
That passion for the Arden mission doesn’t stop with Dean and Craig. Speak to any Arden team member, and they’ll tell you the same thing, “We are a very down-to-earth company, extremely transparent and very genuine, and clients feel that straight away,” says Customer Success and Displays Manager, Donna Millington.
“And honestly, our culture and our results very much reflect the respect and commitment we have for each other and the business.”
This trust and commitment has also seen Arden build many homes for their employees, which is a huge honour and priviledge. Dean and Craig have actually both recently built Arden homes themselves!
While Arden’s customer-centric approach hasn’t changed since conception, the Arden vision continues to evolve according to changing needs of the community. Arden has always had sustainability at its core, but this year Arden became the first volume builder to offer all-electric, carbon-neutral homes at no extra cost to clients.
And looking to the future, Dean says “We have many exciting things on the horizon, including new display centres, and more innovations with our sustainability offering. But one thing will always stay the same, our commitment to our clients. Our clients can always trust what they’ll get with Arden – homes that stand out from the crowd, and service they can trust.”
If you’d like to start a conversation about your own dream build, don’t hesitate to get in touch.n