With their adult children having flown the nest, self-funded retirees Paul and Terri found their five-bedroom family home had simply outgrown them. What was once a perfect space for raising a family had become too large and increasingly difficult to maintain.
“We were rattling around,” Terri shares. “And the pool, which we used to love, had become more of a hassle than a pleasure.”
Downsizing gradually began to feel like the right decision.
“Our home was over 100 years old, and there was always something to fix,” Paul adds. “I was constantly up a ladder or working on the house. After a while, it wears you down.”
Still, they wanted to downsize without compromising the lifestyle they had built over the years.
“My parents kept active and independent for a long time, and that really inspired us,” Terri explains.
“We thought - let’s find something we can grow older in comfortably. A home that’s easy to look after, on a smaller block, and close to the shops so we can walk everywhere.” Terri
Selling their family home gave them the flexibility to look locally. They looked in the same leafy Melbourne suburb and found an older home on a smaller block that was ideally located - but far from move-in ready.
“It still had an outside toilet open to the elements,” Paul says. “The stumps were gone, it was basically resting on the ground. It wasn’t salvageable. It didn’t even have a title - we’re the first people to ever be listed on it!”
Though the house couldn’t be saved, the location was perfect - making it an ideal fit for Metricon’s KnockDown ReBuild approach. Paul and Terri purchased the block, cleared the site, and began work on a fresh start: a home tailored to their evolving needs. They selected the Metro 32 design, a two-storey, four-bedroom home with a modern Kubis façade.
“We opted to flip the master bedroom to the rear of the home for a bit more peace and quiet,” Paul explains. “The street’s a touch busier than we expected, so it just made sense.”
As for the extra bedrooms, Paul had a vision.
“One of the secrets to a happy marriage is having your own space,” he laughs. "I’ve always been into hi-fi systems and music, so I set aside a room where I can enjoy that without taking over the rest of the house,” he says. “It’s a small space, but I’m making it work with some good acoustic materials.”
Terri, meanwhile, made sure the kitchen featured a spacious butler’s pantry - ideal for entertaining and everyday cooking alike. With a background in the travel industry, she also had her eye on a home that was easy to lock up and leave.
“A low-maintenance home fits really well with the kind of life we’re moving towards.” Terri
With the slab poured and the frame up, their new home is on track for completion later this year.
“We’ve never built before, so this was a journey into the unknown,” Paul says. “But it’s been the right journey. And as Terri says - our site supervisor is fantastic. He is very customer focused and is doing everything he can to get us in as early as possible”
“He’s been incredibly attentive throughout the build - always keeping us informed, answering our questions, and making the whole experience feel far less daunting,” Terri adds.
With a more manageable layout and a fresh start on a block they love, Paul and Terri are looking forward to settling into their new home.
“Simple and easy to manage - that’s really what it’s all about now,” Terri says with a smile.
You can read more about Metricon’s happy customers sharing their dream home journey here, here and here.
