INTOUCH MAGAZINE|HUNTER HOMES Special Winter Feature 2021

S P E C I A L W i n t e r F E AT U R E

HUNTER HOMES

Showcasing the businesses behind the beautiful homes of the Hunter www.intouchmagazine.com.au | 45

HUNTER HOMES FEATURE

Surfing the

PROPERTY WAVE WORDS QUENTIN VON ESSEN As Sydney siders continue to travel northward en-masse to the Hunter Region, population numbers and property prices continue to climb to unprecedented levels.

While Australia’s major cities may have borne the brunt of the majority of COVID cases, casualties and lockdowns throughout 2020, a post-pandemic Australia suggests regional centres such as the Hunter and, in particular, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, will see the greatest longterm transformation with increasing population and demand for housing causing median prices to soar to record levels in 2021. In some cases, more than four times the pace of capital city markets.

ENJOY MORE WHEN YOU BUILD WITH

MOJO

WHEN MOJO HOMES FIRST LAUNCHED THEIR MORE SPECIFICATION IN 2019, IT WAS BORN FROM THE FRUSTRATIONS OF SO MANY BUYERS IN THE MARKET WHO JUST WANTED TO KNOW THE REAL PRICE OF THEIR NEW HOME UP FRONT. The concept of MORE extends into many areas of the MOJO business, from their standard specification to their quoting 46 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

This trend has been happening for too long to be considered a short-term phenomenon. Sydney has been losing population to regional migration for ten years and Melbourne for the past 3 to 4 years.

This demand for regional housing can be attributed to a range of factors. Many people are seeking a different lifestyle, one that’s more affordable and relaxed, away from the big expensive and congested cities. In addition, technology and the growing acceptance of commuting and work-from-home scenarios are boosting additional demand for regional centres.

The reality is that it is less about the pandemic and more about lifestyle, affordability and technology. And it’s not going away any time soon.

For example, Newcastle experienced 4.6% population growth between the 2011 and 2016 censuses, whilst Lake Macquarie saw a 4.4% increase in population over the same period. ABS data shows that COVID only accelerated that trend, with Australian capital cities experiencing a net loss of 11,200 people during July, August and September in 2020, the greatest quarterly net loss since 2001.

Interestingly, when people move out to regional areas, they still like to remain in striking distance of capital cities.

It is, therefore, no coincidence that the three regional NSW areas that performed the most strongly over the last decade, namely Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, the Southern Highlands Shoalhaven region and the Illawarra – are all within ‘commutable’ distance of Sydney.

The better lifestyle promised by regional coastal areas coupled with the ease of access to Sydney’s amenities is a winning combination and also helps explain why Newcastle and Lake Macquarie properties have seen an increase in value.

SO, WHAT IS MAKING NEWCASTLE SO ATTRACTIVE? Apart from being an attractive business and investment location, the Hunter offers residents a lifestyle that is difficult to match, and it does so at a cost of living well below that of the major metropolitan areas across Australia.

In addition, significant investments, past and present, have underpinned Newcastle’s transformation into a bustling multicultural city and a vibrant place to live with a diverse economy based around both industry and the service sector.

These include the now complete, $368 million light rail system, the Newcastle East End mixed-use development, the $66 million Newcastle Airport runway upgrade, the reimagination of the Broadmeadow sport and entertainment precinct, the John Hunter Hospital Innovation Precinct and the University of Newcastle’s increasing expansion into the CBD – amongst others.

“Lifestyle” can mean many things to many people, and for those of us lucky enough to live here, there is no better place to live or a place that offers so much diversity with pristine beaches, limited congestion, a strong sense of community - not to mention an outstanding place to raise a family with good schools, including private schools, health and sporting facilities and all the other facilities and amenities that families need to lead comfortable and fulfilling lives.

Yes, the secret is out, and the exodus to an affordable lifestyle has become the dominant trend in Australian real estate across the nation, with city slickers residing in the major capital cities now fast-forwarding their dreams of pursuing a life filled with more affordable housing, flexibility in their work-life balance and evenings winding down on a golden beach.

methodology and even their display home strategy, offering confidence to customers that they won’t encounter any nasty surprises down the track.

MORE is MOJO’s base specification, meaning everything within this range is included in the base price of every MOJO Home. A key aspect of this specification is that it contains various items that are often considered upgrades in the broader industry.

Items such as stone benchtops in both the Kitchen and Bathrooms, 900mm Kitchen appliances, ducted airconditioning and steel frames all form part of this range and give each MOJO Home a luxury feel, even when built to base level. Surprisingly, items such as flyscreens, downlights and even floor coverings are still excluded from many builders standard offerings. The MOJO team believe a home should be ready to move into from the day you get the keys, without the need to engage and coordinate with additional contractors.

“One of the things that consistently comes back to us through customer feedback is how blown away people are with the level of inclusions MOJO offers,” says MOJO’s General Manager of sales, Paul Hogan.

“A lot of people who’ve built previously or have gotten quotes from other builders are surprised by some of the things that are left out. I had a client once tell me they got their keys and went to flick on a light, only to realise there were no light globes fitted. MOJO is determined to change the industry for the better, and MORE is just one of the ways we’re doing that.”

Honesty and transparency in the building process begin right from the initial quote, and not all “Free Quotes” are

created equal. Many quotes provided within the industry are estimates at best, as until a complete site survey is conducted, it isn’t possible to know the true cost to build a home. A MOJO quote involves a site inspection of your registered land by a registered surveyor or an in-depth analysis of your contour plans if your land is unregistered.

This allows the MOJO team to calculate the actual costs associated with building on your lot, meaning they can provide a fixed price quote that gives you more certainty upfront.

“The fixed price quote is another way MOJO are combatting a lack of transparency in the industry. We also now offer a 20 month fixed price proposal, which, particularly in the current market climate, where land registration timeframes are often a year plus, offers people that extra level of security,” says Paul.

Possibly one of the most beneficial aspects of the MORE concept is the display home strategy around it. From late 2019 onwards, MOJO began displaying at least one home per display site in the MORE spec, meaning customers can enjoy a “what you see is what you get” experience when visiting a MOJO display centre.

“Our philosophy is if it’s not good enough to be on display, then it’s not good enough to be a standard inclusion,” says Paul.

“That philosophy in and of itself was one of the founding notions of MORE.” So discover MORE for yourself; visit a MOJO display home today at one of five fantastic locations across the Hunter.

O Z D E S I G N F U R N I T U R E K O TA R A & R U T H E R F O R D A U S T R A L I A N O W N E D & O P E R AT E D 48 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

G HYATT COFFEE AND SIDE TABLE

Wander IN FOR

WINTER WINNERS AT OZ DESIGN COLOUR PREFERENCES VARY AS MUCH AS PERSONALITIES – SOME PEOPLE PREFER TO BE SURROUNDED BY BURSTS OF BOLDNESS, WHILE OTHERS LONG FOR SUBTLE SERENITY OF NEUTRALS. Fill your home with hues of colour that you enjoy – choices that will resonate with your personality. Experimenting with different colours and schemes can be a wonderful way to breathe life and personality into your home. However, too much colour can make your interior appear busy and overwhelming. Creams, blush and earthy tones can help tone down the space and restore balance.

A great rule to follow when deciding on an interior colour scheme is the 60:30:10 rule. 60% is the main colour of the room. This will usually be the wall colour or large accent pieces like the Byron rug or the Salotto sofa. The idea is that the 60% colour anchors the space and also serves as a backdrop for what comes next. 30% is the secondary colour.

This could include accent chairs, cabinets and small pieces of furniture. The 30% colour supports the main colour but is different enough to set them apart and give the room interest.

10% is your accent colour, the little pops that give your room life and energy. This can be your throw pillows, décor or artwork. The 60:30:10 rule can make choosing colour simple and help achieve balance in decorating.

For this season, OZ Design embraces romantic, warm hues. Terracotta’s versatility can serve as a neutral backdrop or a statement colour in any home, with different tones of the colours spanning trends for all seasons. Terracotta is a rich, warm and tactile orange that has the power to add instant warmth to any home. It is a great accent colour to subtly introduce through cushions, throws, décor or artwork. For a space that is predominately white and looking for a pop of colour, adding terracotta tones through fabrics will add depth and personality without the brashness of a brighter shade.

Create a collection of handmade terracotta vases, like the Bindi vase from OZ Design Furniture and display them on a bookshelf, sideboard or console table, or if you’re a plant lover, rehome your favourite plants in a terracotta pot.

Although it may not seem like it, terracotta is surprisingly versatile and can be combined with a variety of colours.

Terracotta combined with dusty pink is very modern, elegant and feminine.

Styling with the different tones of terracotta is ideal for those who like to furnish playing with shades, while the results of combining terracotta and grey are very contemporary and perhaps easier to dose than others.

Terracotta matches well with light grey for a sober, elegant and luminous effect. In this case, terracotta helps to warm a cold colour like grey. Lastly, terracotta and blue is a combination that is perhaps a bit more difficult but very chic.

Just like with grey, terracotta helps to warm a cold colour like blue, which results in an interesting graphic effect that plays with contrast.

Winter is….wandering into OZ Design Furniture’s boundless collections and creating a home that you will fall in love with more and more each day!

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HUNTER HOMES FEATURE

G SOHO SOFA

HUNTER HOMES FEATURE

G RETREAT EXECUTIVE 16

G MIAMI ENCORE 16

A NEW LEVEL OF

Luxury

OPENS ITS DOORS AT CHISHOLM THE NEWEST DISPLAY HOMES TO HAVE OPENED IN THE HEART OF CHISHOLM, IN THE WATERFORD LIVING ESTATE, ARE PACKED WITH IMPECCABLE STYLE AND INSPIRING INTERIOR DESIGN.

Known for their award-winning architectural homes, McDonald Jones certainly know how to combine the latest trends in family living with all the timeless appeal of classic styling and great design with their three new homes now open at Chisholm.

Daniel King, McDonald Jones Hunter Sales Manager, says their newest display homes feature brand new floorplans never seen before across their range.

“As the leading residential builder in NSW, we are always excited to deliver new displays and new designs to the Hunter for customers to experience first. There is nothing like walking through a newly built home to inspire you on what is possible and imagine how your family could live in each of the spaces.”

All three new displays are single-storey designs but offer three distinctly different interior styles and floorplans to inspire would-be builders.

The new Retreat Executive 16 showcases the best of modern architecture with an effortless flow between the spacious living zones and private, quiet spaces, perfect for modern lifestyles.

The home includes four bedrooms, a home theatre and children’s activity, plus a stunning galley kitchen with a butler’s pantry and shopper’s entrance. The raked ceilings with skylights create an abundance of natural light across the open plan living for a seamless transition to the outdoors and alfresco cabana.

The home is beautifully finished as a coastal beach house 50 | www.intouchmagazine.com.au

with a modern twist, including wainscoting wall panelling, muted cool tones complemented by the natural timber flooring and stone benchtops and tiling throughout.

“This design really is the epitome of a ‘dream home’, and customers are falling in love with the flow of spaces, the 2.7m raked ceilings and skylights, and of course the full glass wall cabinet for the wine lovers,” Daniel says.

The new Miami Encore 16 on display was created to complement contemporary block sizes and to enhance a popular existing design with an impressive new master suite layout, central children’s activity and study in a home that seeks to maximise storage and space for busy modern families.

Styled to appeal to those who love a contemporary feel, with its cool matt black colour palette, along with white and greys that exudes effortless sophistication. The use of stone, sleek lighting features and striking black cabinetry throughout the kitchen and bathrooms deliver the ultimate in modern styling for this design.

“This Miami has always been one of our most popular designs, and this new floorplan adds to this again, more space, larger robes and bedrooms, but still keeping all the things our customers have always loved.”

The striking skillion roof of the new Seaview 16 has enviable curbside appeal and doesn’t disappoint once you step inside.

With its impressive entry and the distinct separation created between the living and sleeping zones, the yearround appeal of sun-soaked living, dining and alfresco is sure to inspire you. There are plenty of relaxing spaces in this design, such as the home theatre and children’s activity, with a study nook for the entire family to enjoy.

The home has been styled with subtle organic tones, natural raw materials and has a seamless connection to the outdoors with huge corner stacking bi-folds to bring the outdoors in. The Seaview features a breathtaking stone stacked feature wall in the dining, timber grain joinery

throughout and understated tones and textures for a completely calm and organic feeling.

“The Seaview is a classic, timeless design,” Dan says. “It’s styled to reflect that earthy, homely feel of relaxed modern living. People love the impressive 3m high foyer ceilings, the street appeal of the façade and the easy flow of this floorplan; it’s easy to see why people love the design.”

This new display centre at Waterford Living is a great opportunity to visit three unique single-storey designs to consider when looking for your dream home and to experience the feeling of what true architectural design delivers.

“Visiting a display home is not just about experiencing a potential home, it’s about being inspired how a home can reflect your own personal style, your family and way of living.”

“When it comes to pinning down the perfect new home design for you, our expert team of Building and Design Consultants are professionally trained to guide and support you in selecting the best home for your requirements. They can also help personalise your design to meet your individual needs,” he says.

“Right now, we are offering a $60,000 cash discount until the end of June across our range of homes, so customers not only fall in love with the designs, the price is more affordable than ever to start building the dream home they’ve always wanted.”

E SEAVIEW 16

You can discover the new homes now open at Waterford Living at 22 Settlers Way Chisholm or by visiting www.mcdonaldjoneshomes.com.au

An extraordinary offer for you.

Visit our displays today.

OPEN EVERY DAY 10AM – 5PM NEW Waterford Living | NEW Forster Grange | Housing World Watagan Park | The Bower HomeWorld Warnervale | Wallis Creek II | Huntlee | Lochinvar | HomeWorld Thornton

mcdonaldjoneshomes.com.au | 1300 555 382 NSW BLN: 41628. *Conditions apply. Offer ends 30th June 2021.

Image is for illustrative purposes only and may contain optional upgrades and variations not included in our standard specification or supplied by McDonald Jones Homes.

For detailed information on home pricing, visit our website or talk to one of our consultants. NSW: Newcastle Quality Constructions Pty Ltd ABN 82 003 687 232, NSW BLN: 41628, T/A McDonald Jones Homes.

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THE BANK OF MUM AND DAD WORDS SALLY DAVIES - Senior Associate, Jenkins Legal WITH PROPERTY PRICES SKYROCKETING, RECENT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT MORE AND MORE PURCHASERS (FIRST HOME BUYERS IN PARTICULAR) RELY ON “THE BANK OF MUM AND DAD” TO HELP FUND THEIR FORAY INTO THE MARKET. So much so that “Mum and Dad” are now the country’s 9th biggest lender, with Digital Finance Analytics’ statistics indicating that more than 60% of property purchasers are receiving parental assistance to fund their deposit.

Since 1784

PROBLEMS THAT CAN ARISE INCLUDE: • What is to happen upon the death of one or both of the parents? If the funds are treated as a loan, is the loan to be forgiven or is the child to repay it from their share of the estate? To ensure fairness, is there to be a “levelling up” of bequests to some children to take into account any funds loaned or gifted to other children?

• What happens if the child who received the funds dies?

Will the funds form part of the deceased child’s estate and potentially be paid to the child’s spouse? Was that the intention?

• What happens if the child goes bankrupt? For instance, if the funds are a gift, then it’s likely that the proceeds will be clawed back by the trustee in bankruptcy for payment of creditors, while if the funds are a loan, then the parents may be able to classify themselves as a creditor and recover some or all of the funds.

• What happens if the child separates from, or divorces, their spouse? If the funds are a gift rather than a loan, they may be added to the matrimonial pool and a portion lost to the ex-spouse in a property split.

In Australia, there is a legal principle called ‘the presumption of advancement or gift’, where it is presumed that the advancement of money to a child is a gift rather than a loan.

This presumption can be rebutted with evidence; however, such evidence must exist.

In short, documentation is key. If it is a gift, make sure that you have something in writing to make that clear, and consider whether any updates need to happen with estate planning documents to ensure there aren’t fights amongst other children down the track.

If the advance of funds is a loan, whilst having anything in writing to say that is a start, nothing beats having a loan agreement in place that clearly sets out the terms (for example, how long the loan is for, what the repayment terms are, what interest is to be charged, etc.). This loan would also, ideally, be secured through registration of a mortgage or caveat on the property that the funds were advanced for the purchase of.

Finally, all parties should review their estate planning documents to consider whether any changes need to be made to address the loaned funds.

Open and clear communication and documentation are key to providing help to your kids to get them into the property market while minimising the risk of there being a sting in the tail down the track.

If you need assistance concerning estate planning, property matters, or the documentation of loans, please give Jenkins Legal Services a call on 4929 2000 or email office@jenkinslegal.com.au.

This article is not legal advice, and the views and comments are of a general nature only. This article is not to be relied upon in substitution for detailed legal advice.

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HUNTER HOMES FEATURE

Whilst it’s great for families to lend a hand, and lovely to think that because it’s family all will “work out”, it is integral that the handing over of such funds is properly documented to ensure that it’s clear whether the advance is a gift or a loan and thus minimise the risk of problems down the track.

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