One Sydney family not only found that their choice to knock down and rebuild saved them thousands of dollars, but that the entire experience was exciting and fun from start to finish.

In fact, Paul and his wife Georgi, who chose a Rawson project home, talk about their experience as a labour of love.

``From our very first encounter with the sales staff until they handed us the keys to our new home we had nothing but positive experiences,'' Paul said. Paul and Georgi bought the old house they knocked down because they liked the block and the area.

The new home, which occupies a large, flat, corner block, makes maximum use of both light and space.

Its cool colour scheme and minimalist front entrance with a water feature bring an instant sense of calm to the property.

``After looking at other builders' homes at HomeWorld, Kellyville, we decided on Rawson Homes' Newport 12,'' Paul said. ``Rawson has built many houses in our area and the staff were very flexible and accommodating to our needs as they had built many fully custom-designed homes in the past in addition to their project designs.''

When planning their new home, Paul and Georgi took into consideration their growing family. Although the children Ellie, 3, and Zac, 1, are still small, thought was put into their future needs.

``We love open-plan living so used this as a starting point,'' Paul said. ``By installing massive, eight-panel bifold doors in the living room, which lead out onto a paved alfresco terrace, we were able to open up the entire area creating a giant family living space that extends out across the level, north-facing yard. It means the house is always filled with light at any point of the day. With the ultra-modern kitchen alongside the family area it makes entertaining a dream.''