When it comes to his career, Matthew Thomas was destined to be building luxury homes. His father, grandfather and great grandfather were builders and in total there are 11 generations of builders in the family. Matt started his career on-site as a young adult - building homes was all he knew. Despite knowing that the industry would be a challenge, it was something he wanted to explore.
| Entrepreneur |
Matthew Thomas, Managing Director |
| Company |
Adelaide Dream Homes |
| Business type |
Prestige Custom Home Builder |
| Founded |
2014 |
| Head office |
Adelaide, South Australia |
| Contact details |
www.adelaidedreamhomes.com.au |
"Follow your bliss"
- Matthew Thomas
|
Out of school, Matt commenced his apprenticeship at 19 and his father insisted he complete six months of hard labour to test him before he agreed to include him in the family business. “He wanted me to be sure this was what I truly wanted to do”.
Throughout his apprenticeship, Matt worked with his father but also had the opportunity to work with a number of other builders. These builders provided Matt with further insight into other segments of the industry being, service station builds and commercial builds.
With a dream to design and construct iconic landmark residences and after years of planning, Matt created Adelaide Dream Homes and launched to market, servicing greater Adelaide from country to coastline.
The company’s core philosophy is simple - build the best quality homes possible for the best possible price, without scrimping on materials or design.
Having recently been awarded Certified Construction Professional of the Year 2021 by Master Builders South Australia, Matt believes that “As long as you’re focused on creating great outcomes for others you inevitably have great results”.
Purposeful building
Matt is passionate about family and people realising their dream lifestyle home. “Home is a sacred place - people place high importance on their lifestyle at home and how they can enjoy each others company as a family and have friends around and enjoy high spirited good times. I place a lot of importance on creating this for people. I help clients create environments that will have them creating memories. People tend to reflect more when they grow old. They look back and ask ‘did we have a great time together at home with the kids and our friends?’ and the answer I want my clients to have is ‘yes’. I build homes that are designed for memory making”.
Cutting edge design
One of the homes that stands out for Matt is the Arcadia. The cutting edge designer home sets itself apart with Spanish black brick triple black mortar that flows into the garage, up into the staircase and into the middle of the house like a big spine. “There was certainly a lot of ‘wow’ responses to the design and was something that you don’t see every day. We blended the bricks with a metallic look finish and incorporated the use of stone, so the combination of materials has been a standout especially because of the scale in which it was used. The key is to create features without creating obvious features”.
Getting on with it
Overcoming setbacks by treating them as challenges is Matt’s view. His recipe for success in the industry is having exceptional organisational skills, having a mentor, learning and listening to those who have been in your shoes and surrounding yourself with people who want the best for you and will cheer you on.
Dream big
Matt believes the key to success is to dream big, have a lust for life and living, and continue to have the ability to change and move to suit economic climates. “You can’t control everything so being able to pivot is key and if you can still keep to your values and morals and still work in line with your business model - you will see the opportunities”.