After more than 11 years working in new home sales, Michelle Kidd knows a thing or two about what makes a house a home.
Michelle was previously at Kirkwood Homes as a Senior Sales Advisor, spending many years getting to know our customers, our homes and the team behind them. As her family grew, Michelle relocated to be closer to family, joining another housebuilder and gaining valuable experience from a different side of the industry.
So, when the opportunity came for Michelle to return to Kirkwood as Assistant Sales Manager, the decision was an easy one. Having experienced another side of the housebuilding industry, she had seen first-hand that, when it comes to quality, specification and the overall customer experience, there really is nothing quite like a Kirkwood home.
“Working elsewhere made me value Kirkwood even more.”
Having gained insight on how another housebuilder operated, Michelle says the decision to return was an easy one. It was the combination of Kirkwood’s strong team spirit, the support between colleagues and, perhaps most importantly, the genuine focus on doing the right thing for customers that stood out to her.
For Michelle, that difference goes far beyond how a home looks on handover day. Over the course of her career, her understanding of quality has evolved. Today, she sees it as the combination of excellent construction and specification, thoughtful design, energy efficiency, attention to detail and how a home actually performs for the people living in it over time.
And that's something she believes Kirkwood has always understood.
“It felt like coming back to a company that genuinely cares about both its employees and its customers,”
For Michelle, a quality home isn't simply about having all the right features on a specification sheet. It's about how those details come together to create somewhere that feels comfortable, practical and considered - a home designed around the people who will actually live there.
That customer-first approach is something Michelle noticed even more clearly after her time away. Having now returned to the Kirkwood team, she's enjoying being part of a company where quality, attention to detail and the customer experience remain at the heart of what they do.
A new chapter for Kirkwood: Fernbrae
Having returned to Kirkwood, Michelle is now working at one of the most distinctive developments in the company’s portfolio - Fernbrae - a Kirkwood Signature Development, located in the heart of the desirable West End of Dundee.
For Michelle, Fernbrae represents something completely new.
“With Fernbrae, we are offering something new and exciting to our portfolio while replicating the same quality, exceptional standard and high specification of internal finishes, synonymous with the Kirkwood brand.”
Set within the original grounds of a 1800 C-listed villa, Fernbrae brings together something rarely seen in a new-build development. The original ashlar-style façade, pillared entrance, wide steps and landscaped gardens are being painstakingly retained and this part of the building will be known as Fernbrae House, with new wings added to each side, namely Balgay and Harris. Collectively, these will house 20 beautifully appointed 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, while to the rear of the building, 5 stylish Mews houses are in the 2nd phase of construction.”
It’s this contrast between old and new that Michelle finds particularly exciting.
“Due to the love of old buildings, I love the apartments in the main house,”
“There are many redeeming features to note including the sash and case windows to really compliment the character of the original façade. The duplex 3 bedroom Juniper apartment is a particular standout for me, boasting an elevated position with fabulous views across the River Tay.
And while the setting and architecture may be unlike anything Michelle has sold at Kirkwood before, the attention to quality is instantly familiar.
Fernbrae offers contemporary, high-specification homes, with features including German kitchens, stone worktops, Siemens appliances and Porcelanosa Spanish tiling. It’s a development where the historic character of the setting meets the standards expected from a modern Kirkwood home.
For Michelle, that combination is part of what makes Fernbrae so special.
“The stunning location, the high finishes and the varying options of apartments”
These are the main features she would make sure every first-time visitor noticed.
There’s a lot to take in. From the landscaped gardens and private driveway to the secluded, luxury feel of the development, Fernbrae offers a sense of privacy that can be difficult to find in a city setting - while still being within a short walk of shops, cafés and everything the West End has to offer.
With over 60% of Fernbrae reserved, it is already taking shape as something quite different for Kirkwood - a development that steps away from the ‘traditional’ family home, but not from the quality, individuality and attention to detail that define a Kirkwood home
What does a Kirkwood home mean to Michelle?
“I am proudest of our high quality, specification and quality of build, which is second to none.”
For Michelle, that quality is also at the heart of why customers choose Kirkwood and why so many recommend the company to friends and family.
She believes Kirkwood’s reputation as a quality builder continues to resonate with customers, often bringing them back to Kirkwood as their lives and families evolve.
With more than 40 years of housebuilding behind the company, Kirkwood is proud to have welcomed generations of families through its doors, becoming part of their journeys through different chapters of their lives.
And perhaps that is the simplest way to sum up what a Kirkwood home means to Michelle.
“Quite simply… quality.”
