Custom Home Builders in Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne’s Bayside

Hi, I’m Richie Ferri, the proud owner of Buena Vista Homes.

Looking back, my interest in building probably started earlier than I realised. As a kid, I remember dad always having a project on the go — building a carport, a pergola, painting the house, or fixing something around the yard. He was pretty handy, and every weekend there was something to be done.

I loved being around it. I’d help him whenever I could (although I was probably just getting in the way most of the time). But those moments stuck with me. It wasn’t just about the jobs — it was bonding time, working side by side with Dad, and I think that’s where the spark for building began. That spark turned into a career when I started out as a carpenter, working for a great builder for 15 years. I started as an apprentice, moved into a carpenter’s role, and eventually became a leading hand.

What I loved most about that experience was that we weren’t just doing carpentry. We were involved in everything — concreting, set outs, landscaping, you name it. It gave me a rare opportunity to understand the full process of a build, from start to finish, not just one trade or one stage. Then one day, I walked into Bunnings and saw a flyer for a Certificate IV in Building and Construction. The government was subsidising the course at the time. I had no ambition to become a builder back then — seriously, absolutely none. Business ownership wasn’t even on my radar.

But something about that flyer stuck with me. I signed up. That decision turned out to be a real sliding door moment. As I worked through the course, something in me started to shift. It opened my eyes to a whole new world, and over time, that mindset only grew stronger. I began to see a future I hadn’t imagined for myself — one where I wasn’t just part of the build, but leading it.