Aussie families are facing renovation hell, with delays so severe some could be without a home for a year – the time it takes to build a whole new house.
Sacha and Trent Mackness moved to their three-bedroom home in Hamilton with the full intent to renovate – but an uncertain timeline threw their plans out the window.
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The Mackness family, Chase, Levi, Elliana, Sacha and Trent and dog Lulu have decided to sell their home at 135 Allen St, Hamilton. Picture: Liam Kidston
“So we bought this house in Hamilton a year and a half ago,” Ms Mackness said, “and it’s really been kind of the perfect home for our young family. But we do have three kids, the youngest of which is only two, so we were posed with the idea of whether we were going to raise up and build underneath or go with something different.”
“We met with quite a few contractors, and while they were available to do the work[3], they weren’t able to commit to certain dates … [and] the period of time it was gonna take ranged from 6-12 months, because it was going to be such an extensive renovation.”
Mr Mackness had just got a job as an international pilot, and said the disruption to their lifestyle would be too much without knowing when it would end.
“That would leave Sacha home with 3 kids, managing all that extra stress while I’m away,” he said. “Anything could happen, really.”
“We might have been able to get some sort of support from family around the area to assist us,” Ms Mackness said, “but I guess the uncertainty of it made it impossible for us to take that gamble.”
The two are now looking to sell their home at 135 Allen St, Hamilton: at a time where it can cost $53,500 to sell a home, according to research by Compare the Market.
The Mackness family, aware of both sale and renovation costs, knew cost was less of a barrier than convenience, which drove them to put their property up for sale.
QLD REAL ESTATE: 135 Allen St, Hamilton
Place Ascot agent Drew Davies said while both renovating and selling had their benefits[4], he often met people who were intimidated by the prospect of a renovation’s upfront cost and build time.
“Families often meet a turning point: renovate to make the most of the home they love, or move slightly further out to get the home they want,” he said.
“It’s very common for owners who start down that [renovation] path, especially when time is a key, to end up looking for a property that suits their needs and upsize.”
However, Mr Davies said owners would often buy no matter the home size for the sake of the land, due to school catchments, accessibility and future potential – “especially within those inner suburbs”.
QLD REAL ESTATE: 135 Allen St, Hamilton
While the Mackness family are selling their home in Hamilton, the couple said they had fallen in love with the suburb, and hoped to upsize nearby for those exact benefits.
“Hamilton is such an ideal inner city suburb, close to the airport and the city,” Ms Mackness said. “We’d been looking for around 18 months to secure this home.”
“We’re just gonna have to see where the budget allows this, whether we can stay in the area or whether we’ll have to live further out … if nothing really catches our eye and there’s nothing available, we’ll have to consider whether we can rent for a time.”
“Size is the biggest non-negotiable, everyone having their own room,” Mr Mackness said. “Hopefully we can find something that ticks the boxes.”
References
- ^ www.realestate.com.au (www.realestate.com.au)
- ^ www.realestate.com.au (www.realestate.com.au)
- ^ www.realestate.com.au (www.realestate.com.au)
- ^ www.realestate.com.au (www.realestate.com.au)