Meet Ivy Abesamis, a 29-year-old South West Sydney native who works as an intensive care nurse at the nearest trauma hospital. Ivy grew up in Campbelltown and, seeking to build her first home nearby, selected a house and land package in Gregory Hills.
Accessing the First Home Owner Grant, Ivy committed to building in Gregory Hills in mid-2018 and moved into her completed new home just in time for Christmas 2019. In the below Q&A interview, we chat to Ivy about choosing to build in Gregory Hills.
Gregory Hills (GH): Why did you decide to build your first home?
Ivy: I felt that it was the right time in my life when I should purchase a
property. I knew I wanted to live in it, so I wanted my first home to be
somewhere that was local to where my life is. I’ve been living in
Campbelltown for most of my life and I grew up in this area; I’m happy with
Gregory Hills’ location.
GH: What was it about Gregory Hills that appealed to you?
Ivy: Gregory Hills is a lot closer to the entrance to the Hume Highway
compared to other developments in the area. So it wasn't going to change my drive time to work too much if I chose Gregory Hills. That’s one of the reasons why I chose it. I’d hate to have to leave for work earlier in the mornings. Even five minutes is too much for me.
GH: What other new property developments did you consider?
Ivy: I was looking at Spring Farm too. My sister built in a neighbouring estate, but I chose Gregory Hills because it had the option of choosing smaller lots, which made it more affordable and meant that I would only have what I needed. I’m not planning to raise a family in this house, so I don't need a huge block of land where kids can run around. And when my nieces and nephews visit, there’s plenty of parks in Gregory Hills that I can take them to.
GH: When did you commit to buying your first home in Gregory Hills?
Ivy: I put a deposit down in June 2018 for a house and land package in
Gregory Hills with a trusted local builder. They had built houses for my
parents, so I trusted them. Also, they had a good deal, and their house design had all the things I wanted. I found this particular house and land package on the Gregory Hills website and then I visited the builder’s office. The total cost was around $580,000. The house and land package was one of the things that appealed me the most. I liked the block size. I liked the price.
GH: What can you tell us about your new home in Gregory Hills?
Ivy: The house is single storey with three bedrooms, a single garage and
sits on a 255 square metre block just about in the middle of Gregory Hills. The floor plan was what I wanted. The master bedroom wasn’t at the front, the toilets were separated; those were some of the things that I was looking for.
GH: What other features of the Gregory Hills community appealed to you
when researching where to build your first home?
Ivy: I liked the complete package that Gregory Hills offered. I don't have kids, but when I have my niece and nephews with me, I do plan to take them to the parks. It was important to know that those things were available, especially because I don't have a large backyard. So having all those things around is definitely a good thing.
GH: What are your longer-term plans for your new property in Gregory Hills?
Ivy: I plan to build again; I'll probably stay in this house for about
five years. But I don't think I will ever sell it because of the location. I
think it would be easy to rent out to singles or young families, or even
to older people. I don't think it'll be hard to get rental income from it, so I
plan to keep it as an investment in the future. But for now it's my house.
Want to follow Ivy’s lead and make your new home in Gregory Hills? Our latest land release, The Heights, was recently launched, with land
due to be registered later this year. Have a look at what’s available now, or give us a call on 02 4648 5511 to find out more about Gregory Hills.