Having children is a giant leap in the journey of life. But for Isabella Spurdle and Oliver Dorofaeff, Lilywood Landings is the perfect place to become parents.
The first home buyers are among the very first purchasers at Lilywood Landings and are looking forward to getting the keys to their dream home around June next year.
“We’re renting at the moment so it’s going to be fantastic to start paying our own mortgage rather than someone else’s,” said Isabella, 25.
“Lilywood is somewhere we can settle down and grow into. We are planning to have kids one day and it looks like a lovely place to raise a family.”
The couple, who have been married for four years, and are originally from Hamilton, in New Zealand, moved to Australia for better career opportunities and a lower cost of living, as well as to be close to family.
They are currently renting a house at Bray Park, in north Brisbane, and have chosen to build a four-bedroom, two-bathroom Emerald Development home at Lilywood Landings.
HR advisor Isabella said the move wouldn’t have been possible without the State Government’s first homeowner grant, which gives eligible first-time home buyers $30,000 towards buying or building a new home in Queensland.
“Building is significantly more affordable than buying an existing property because half the deposit is required and there are amazing grants to assist with that,” she said.
“We were able to save a five per cent deposit really easily living in Brisbane compared to if we had stayed in New Zealand, because of the lower cost of living and higher paying jobs.
“We’ve found the entire process at Lilywood Landings really easy. Everything is done a step at a time, so we haven’t felt bombarded at all.
Oliver, 25, who is an electrician, is looking forward to construction of their home beginning early next year.
“We chose Lilywood because of the affordability,” he said.
“We love that there is a lot of infrastructure going in because we feel that it will be a better investment.
“The childcare services, playgrounds and recreation areas make it the perfect place to start a family.
“We can’t wait to move in and start a new chapter as homeowners.”