William and Louisa sold their house in Watsonia and began looking to build a spacious new family home.  They hadn’t decided on the home design or the land, but William did know they would do a knockdown rebuild. 

“So, you got to find a run down house or a vacant block which is hard if wanting to build close to the CBD.”  Heidelberg Heights was about as close to the Melbourne CBD as they were prepared to go, and as luck would have it, a block there with a rundown house was up for sale.Louisa, a specification rep, and William working in IT within the construction industry, were well-prepared to handle the intricacies of customising and constructing their new home.  

The couple compared multiple builders, meticulously evaluating their options. “We looked at a number of different displays and were comparing a number of different builders,” William said remembering Louisa had made trips as far as Berwick to view display homes. 

The factors influencing their choice were diverse, from the quality of the designs to the location of potential build sites. Their choice of builder and location was driven by a desire to stay within their local area, balancing affordability and accessibility. Around the time they were preparing to get started other builders were going into administration. 

Building a Family Home 

The family chose one of the most expansive home designs, the double-storey Balmoral 50, five bedrooms, each with a walk in wardrobe and ensuite. It’s the most popular home design, a home from the Dennis Family Homes Inspirations range, with four living spaces to cater for guests, entertaining, media and family time. 

The design phase, while slightly slower than expected, was marked by positive interactions and valuable guidance from their Knockdown Rebuild Specialist. William and Louisa made thoughtful modifications, such as flipping the guest bedroom to the front, the media room to the middle and the office to the back, which would better suit their working-from-home arrangements. 

In September 2022 the old house was demolished, but they kept the back shed. William felt well-informed about the progress of the new home construction, even as the site supervisor changed and December approached. 

Moving in 

Moving into their new home marked a significant milestone and lifestyle change for the family. While their new home was under construction the family stayed at Louisa’s brother’s house, taking up three of the four bedrooms. “We went from a four-bedroom house (in Watsonia) with one living to now five bedrooms with one, two, three living (areas) plus a potential fourth,” William said. 

One of the highlights he noticed was the joy their children felt having their own rooms. “Especially the three-year-old, anytime anyone comes over, ‘You want to see my bedroom?! You want to see my bed?!’ So they're enjoying that.” 

The layout of the house allowed the kids to enjoy their personal spaces while keeping common areas organised. “Toys are allowed upstairs, and they can make as much mess as they want, but at the end of each day it has to be packed up.” 

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