Doing things differently

Grappling with housing unaffordability, two Sydney friends pooled their resources – and tapped into family connections – to realise their home ownership goals.

When Bec and Chontelle bought an old house together in Sydney’s inner west in 2011, they were both single and lived with flatmates. By the time they finished building two new homes in 2018, they each had partners and kids, and one had a live-in parent.

To manage the risks associated with their atypical endeavour, the lifelong friends talked through every possible scenario and permutation that might arise if their circumstances changed, and codified them in a prenuptial style agreement.

They were also lucky to have access to design input from Bec’s sister Fiona Hicks, at the time a graduate of architecture, who was able to see the potential in the site. She advised them that although the block was not zoned for subdivision when they bought it, it would be a likely candidate in the future. The project was thus grounded in a curious combination of caution and expert knowledge.

Even so, it tested their resolve and took nearly eight years from conception to completion. “The design and planning application process took longer than we expected, because life intervened – we were having babies and living overseas – so things would move ahead for a while and then pause,” Bec recalls.

The original home was built in 1930 and was in such poor shape that there wasn’t much that could be salvaged or reused. Instead, Fiona designed two new terrace-style homes for the block, each with three bedrooms, a study, two bathrooms and a private roof terrace arranged over three levels. On the ground floor, the plans are mirrored, while the upper floor plans vary slightly because Chontelle’s home to the north has a better aspect for passive solar design, and the group wanted to adapt the southern house design to manage impacts on their neighbour.

Fiona steered the plans through council approvals, but was welcoming her second child as construction commenced, so her business partner Kellie Beatty stepped in to administer the building contract.

From the outset, Chontelle and Bec were committed to sustainable design principles, and with Fiona’s help, they reduced the homes’ carbon footprints as much as possible. They achieved this by limiting the overall size, foregoing extras like ensuites, garages and substantial built-in joinery, and making careful material selections including recycled bricks, timber-framed windows and natural paints.

“We were working on the premise of ‘do it once, do it right’,” Bec explains, “so we made spending decisions that would emphasise quality and longevity with our initial budget.” Kellie supports this approach: “It’s a conversation we have with every client,” she says. “We suggest they invest their money in the shell of the building and aim for the highest possible quality and performance there, because they can add joinery and other elements later.”

The two new homes were completed on time and on budget, which Bec attributes to a combination of design expertise, good luck and careful preparation, especially during pre-construction negotiations. “We had amazing builders in Mattbuild – I can’t recommend them enough – and we didn’t hit any surprises,” Bec says. “We had finalised all the details and chosen all the fittings and fixtures to minimise the risk as much as possible. As a result of maintaining that discipline throughout the years, the build went smoothly. I actually enjoyed the construction process, and I still like everyone involved in the project!”

The worsening housing affordability crisis means it’s becoming more common for young people to purchase property together, but Bec and Chontelle weren’t aware of any precedents when they set out on their project. “I’m keen to help deliver change,” Bec says. “I’m not as keen on just talking about ideas; I want to actually do it. In our case, it required a leap of faith because we didn’t have a template or know anyone who had done what we were doing.”

Having achieved their goals, Bec offers sage advice for others who might be considering following in their footsteps. “If you want to get an outcome that’s different from the norm, you have to be prepared to do things differently,” she says. “Also, there is no cheap and easy; we ended with a reasonable price and an excellent result because we invested time and money to get it right.”

She concedes, however, that spiralling property and construction costs after Covid present a bleaker outlook for young people these days. “Looking at current housing prices, we would probably not have been able to buy and rebuild in St Peters now,” she says. “But I’m still a strong believer in people considering alternative approaches to housing that can work in such a challenging environment – things like buying an apartment or home with friends.”

This harsh reality has spurred sisters Bec and Fiona to investigate new opportunities in ‘for-purpose’ property development, to deliver quality affordable housing using novel financial approaches.

Looking back over this experiment and its handsome dividends, Bec and Chontelle realise how fortunate they are to have high-quality forever homes that they love.

“It is just a beautiful house,” Bec says of her family’s home. “I’d never lived in a space like this before – I didn’t grow up in one, I’ve never rented one. There is such quality and comfort in the space because of the high level of consideration and long-term thinking that went into it. It shows me the phenomenal impact and value of good design.”