Breaking into the housing market is tough but it’s even tougher if you’re doing it on your own. That’s why the two young couples behind @12_bowline decided to build their dream home – together.
From the outside, primary school teacher Maddie and carpenter Josh, together with law student Millie, carpenter Jacob and their 10-month-old son Freddie, look like any other young friendship group.
Their unique quality? The two couples and best friends bought, built and now live together.
“The housing market is so expensive, we simply couldn’t afford to dive in on our own. We went to so many auctions in the hope we could buy established and then renovate, but they were all selling for well above what they were advertised for,” explains Milly.
“We ended up buying a block and building new, which I’m so glad we did. The boys are currently landscaping the finished product and that project alone is tough – I couldn’t imagine the stress of a renovation!”
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The money saved by splitting the costs of block and build streamlined the process and provided a brand-new home the couples can later sell for a profit. It also allowed them to buy in a nicer area and select upgrades that were otherwise unaffordable.
“I know us all living in the house together seems crazy, but it works. We are all so busy, we actually don’t see each other that often, and it’s great to have a support system to help out with Freddie when we need it,” says Millie.
“We also made sure we chose a floorplan where we could each have our own space.”
What to expect from the build journey
The two couples visited a host of display homes in and around Melbourne, but it was Boutique’s Marseille that they decided was ‘The One’.
“We knew we wanted a home that was open and spacious, and easy to adjust for the requirements of the two families,” says Millie.
“We ended up closing off the dining and lounge from the rest of the house to aid privacy and swapped the study for an additional bathroom. We also put a door between Josh and Maddie’s master bedroom and our space with Freddie.”
Millie praises Boutique’s prices, particularly in terms of upgrades and design options. The additional cost for a secondary bathroom was very reasonable, she says, and many of the premium upgrades had a secondary option that still looked luxe but were more affordable.
“When we met with Boutique, we had been to so many displays, we knew exactly what we wanted. In that initial meeting, we listed all our nice-to-haves without holding back and expected it to be upward of 10k in upgrades,” says Millie.
“It was only 2k! And we got a great deal on a Butler’s pantry that we now couldn’t live without.”
Finding the @12_bowline style
Like most other new builders, one of the couples’ favourite parts of the build journey was selecting their colours and long-term centrepieces, such as kitchen benchtops and flooring.
“Boutique’s superior quality really shone through. Many of the colours we were naturally drawn to were standard, whereas with any other builder I’m sure they would have been an additional cost,” says Millie.
Click here to be inspired by the journey of other Boutique customers who have found ‘The One.’
“We also love our flooring! The flooring we wanted initially was premium and going to cost us over $8,000, but Boutique offered us an alternative that was much more affordable and looked just as good. It’s so easy to clean, warm and soft – which is ideal for Freddie. It never looks dirty.”
When it came to styling the interiors, Millie was given full rein, producing a young, fun and happy vibe through splashes of pastel amongst the whitewash walls and greenery.
“We wanted to keep the design consistent throughout the house, so I was told to style the lot. I already had a lot of artwork and these pieces became the focal point of the home,” explains Millie.
Millie’s top tips for building your new home
- Do your research and look at as many display homes as possible – You can’t realise how something looks or understand the practicalities from a plan; you need to do a walk-through. Visiting displays helped us decide on what we wanted. Also, make good use of the Boutique Interior Designers – they are so helpful once you know what you like!
- Find a builder who will deal quickly with issues – Every build journey is going to have hiccups – we had a minor issue with a door – so make sure you find a builder who will get it sorted out, quickly. The Boutique team were very efficient.
- Look to social media for styling – Display homes are great, but we didn’t want our interiors to look too clinical or perfect. Social media – in particular image-focused Instagram – offered great inspiration. We loved Boutique customers @hausofcruze design ideas, so I’d definitely suggest checking them out.
Ready to start your journey to find ‘The One?’ See more of the Marseille home design or talk to one of our friendly New Homes Consultants. See more of Maddie and Josh & Millie and Jacob’s beautiful home on Instagram @12_bowline.
Have you found ‘The One’?
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