A hard-working couple with an abundance of motivation.
When you think of an established young couple in the medical field, you wouldn’t expect them to have the spare time to build a house. But Pat and Arri were determined to create their dream home, while balancing their demanding work and study commitments. We met the duo a few months after they moved into their stunning Hamptons home.
From the moment we pulled up to the kerb we noticed their home had tremendous street appeal and a real ‘wow’ factor. Landscaping had been recently completed and the pair had added a garden bed and a statement planter to elevate the look. Personal touches like the welcome mat at the front door let’s guests know you’re in the presence of proud homeowners.
Pat was quick to answer the door and show us through the home while we waited for Arri and their puppy Charlie to join us. An enthusiastic Golden Retriever came billowing out of the bedroom with excitement shortly after we were welcomed in, followed closely by a composed Arri.
The first home owners sat down around their dining table next to a set of magnificent double French doors that opened onto a sea of greenery. They explained that their view is a sporting field that is used only for practice and not games – so their well-appointed outlook will remain relatively uninterrupted.
Building wasn’t always the plan Arri explained. “We tossed up for a long time between building, buying and renting. And we decided we didn’t want to rent because we were paying off someone else’s mortgage. We looked at buying, but we couldn’t find what we wanted. We would’ve had to have renovated and that whole process would’ve ended up being more expansive then buying land and building it from start to finish – so we went with the cheaper option but the much better option of building something that suited our lifestyle.” Arri said.
The couple explained the actual build was quite an easy process, but the planning and research took a lot of time and preparation. Juggling that with studies and big work commitments made it difficult at times, but noticeably worth it once you are in their spectacular home.
“For almost an entire year we were going through Display Homes before figuring out that we liked the Hamptons façade the best. Then we narrowed our search down to all the builders who did one and we found Coral Homes had a few of the façade styles we liked (Hamptons, East Hamptons, Coastal), and basically it all aligned from there.”
At the time Pat and Arri were looking, Coral Homes were offering a promotion that allowed them to upgrade their shower screens, their kitchen benchtop and gave them a tile and carpet allowance. The couples plan was to buy a standard home and add luxury inclusions, and this deal meant that they could comfortably achieve the overall interior design they envisioned. “I like light, bright and colourful. We tried to open the house up as much as we could with rearranging the floor plan and adding in extra windows, so it wasn’t dark.” Arri said.
The couple are still finding their daily home habits, however explained when puppy Charlie is old enough, they expect to be taking him for a walk every day to the doggy park. For the time being Pat and Arri are still settling in and know their home life will continue to evolve.
“We built a four bedroom with the expectation that we will make a family here. But for now just having the space for us is nice and to be able to have a puppy. We will eventually get a second puppy in a few years.”
The couple’s advice for first homeowners is that “you may have an idea of the costs early on, but it always ends up being more with things like post contract variations and additional upgrades. There are costs that will come up after the mortgage has settled, so you’ll be paying that out of pocket. You’ve just got to plan and know exactly what you want. Right down to the skirting boards and the grout between the tiles.” Pat said.
Arri agreed, “it takes lots of research, preparation and looking – we spent months putting ideas together from other houses. There were a few days that we went down to the Coral Homes MyChoice showroom and spent time walking around and talking before we had our appointment. Then when we did have our appointment, we had our questions that we didn’t know the answers to ready. It’s totally worth it! It’s hard work – but it’s totally worth it!”
