Avesta Homes: A Luxury Builder Website Built for Slow-Load Regional Users
Avesta Homes is a custom home builder whose audience skews regional — clients researching a new build from acreage properties on 4G, not fibre. Their old site was image-heavy in a way that made the mobile experience painful. We rebuilt the entire site around fast image delivery, a display-home-first browsing experience, and an enquiry flow that captures serious intent without demanding a full brief up-front.
The Results
Illustrative outcomes reported by the client following the redesign. Figures reflect first-party observations, not independently audited metrics.
The Challenge
- The old site loaded 8-10MB of hero and gallery imagery per page — brutal on regional 4G connections where most of the audience lives.
- Display homes were shown as a flat gallery with no filtering, so prospects couldn't easily match a floorplan to their block size or bedroom count.
- There was no clean 'start an enquiry' path — the only option was a generic contact form that asked for a full brief the visitor didn't yet have.
- House & land / display-home content had no LocalBusiness or Product schema, so Google wasn't giving the pages any structured-data lift.
The Approach
- Delivered every image through vite-imagetools (AVIF/WebP with fallbacks) and preloaded the LCP image on hero routes — cut initial page weight by ~70%.
- Rebuilt the display-home browser with filters for bedrooms, block size and design style so prospects can shortlist in seconds.
- Added a two-tier enquiry flow — a lightweight 'Register interest' capture on every display home, plus a longer detailed brief for prospects ready to talk numbers.
- Added LocalBusiness + Product-style schema on display homes with floor area, bedroom/bathroom counts and inclusions so listings are eligible for rich results.
What We Built
AVIF/WebP delivery
Every image goes through vite-imagetools with modern-format fallbacks. Regional 4G users finally get a fast experience.
Filterable display homes
Bedrooms, block size and style filters so prospects shortlist in seconds instead of scrolling a long gallery.
Two-tier enquiry flow
Lightweight 'Register interest' for early-stage browsers, detailed brief for prospects ready to talk numbers.
Display home schema
Structured data on floor area, bedrooms/bathrooms and inclusions for rich result eligibility.
Preloaded LCP hero
Hero image preloaded with fetchpriority=high — sub-2.5s LCP even on 4G.
Print-friendly floorplans
Every floorplan page prints cleanly to PDF so serious prospects can walk out with a spec sheet.
"Our regional clients used to complain the site was slow to load on their properties. That feedback has stopped, and enquiries are up."
Key Takeaways
- Match image delivery to your audience's connection reality, not the fibre connection at your desk.
- Two-tier enquiry forms capture more intent than one form aimed at a middle-ground visitor.
- For any catalogue with more than a handful of items, filtering beats scrolling.
- Print-friendly floorplans are a small feature that serious buyers value highly — it's a lightweight EEAT signal.
Technologies Used
React
TypeScript
Tailwind CSS
SupabaseVite ImagetoolsProduct SchemaCore Web VitalsFrequently Asked Questions
Why does image optimisation matter so much for home builder websites?+
Because the audience is often on slower connections (regional properties, tradie sites, in-car browsing). Delivering AVIF/WebP with preloaded LCP images can cut load time in half and materially lifts conversions.
How long does a luxury home builder website take to build?+
Avesta shipped in about twelve days. Timeline depends mostly on how many display homes and floorplans need photography, plans and content prepared for the site.
What schema should a home builder website use?+
LocalBusiness for the company, Product-style schema for each display home / floorplan (with floor area, bedrooms, bathrooms, inclusions), and BreadcrumbList across the site. Optional: Review schema when you have written testimonials.
Why a two-tier enquiry form?+
Because 'ready to build in 6 months' and 'browsing display homes on the weekend' are two very different intents. A single form aimed at the middle captures neither well. A lightweight 'Register interest' + a detailed brief captures both.
What tech was used?+
React with TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Supabase for enquiry data, and vite-imagetools for AVIF/WebP image delivery. Product-style schema on every display home and full LocalBusiness schema.
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