Gillieston Heights duplex build: Q&A with Lisa & Darren

Take us back to the start. Why the long wait between buying the block and building on it?

Lisa: The title took years to register, and COVID stretched that out even further. We weren’t in a rush, so it didn’t bother us. What changed things was the numbers. Building costs for a single house kept climbing, and a duplex started to look like the only sensible way to use the land.

“Once building supplies for a single storey house went through the roof, a duplex was certainly the way to go.”

What made a duplex the right call over a standalone house?

Darren: Two dwellings on one title just made more sense once we sat down and worked it out. The land value was already there, and splitting the build into two smaller dwellings kept the numbers workable in a way a single house didn’t.

How did you land on Valley Homes as your builder?

Lisa: We didn’t get competing quotes from anyone. We made up our minds after walking through actual houses. There were two near-complete Valley Homes duplexes at Largs, and we toured them before the new owners had even moved in. That did more to convince us than any brochure could have. Around the same time, a duplex went up on our own street, and that led us straight into the Valley Homes office in Maitland. Sales Executive Jane talked us through the whole design and construction process from there.

Every build hits a snag somewhere.
Did yours?

Darren: Our block had a stormwater drain running straight through where the garages were meant to go. Valley Homes picked that up during the site assessment and redrew the layout, moving both garages outside the building envelope before we even had to raise it. There was a smaller issue too, some missing cabinetry above the kitchens in the original plans, but that got caught and corrected before council submission.

Lisa: “It’s the simple things that get picked up on that make building a duplex with Valley Homes stress-free.”

How hands-on did you need to be once construction started?

Lisa: Honestly, it became more about watching progress than managing it. Site supervisor Shane made a string of practical calls along the way, always with our sign-off. A sliding ensuite door that would have hit the vanity got changed to a fixed panel, and the shower fittings were swapped for a style that suited our higher than standard ceilings better.

Shane, the site supervisor, put it this way: “It’s something the office can’t always catch until you’re standing on site.”

What are the finished dwellings actually like?

Darren: Ducted air conditioning throughout, soft-close cabinetry, high ceilings and a European laundry in each one. Every main bedroom has its own walk-in wardrobe and ensuite. It’s the kind of finish that works whether you’re renting it out or eventually selling.

How did handover go?

Lisa: At the practical completion inspection across both dwellings, there were only three minor defects on the list, and Shane had already fixed every one before we got there to look ourselves.

Why Gillieston Heights, specifically?

Darren: It’s close to schools and shops, right near the Hunter Expressway, and it’s a short drive to Maitland CBD and Stockland Green Hills. That kind of access is what keeps a suburb attractive to tenants long after the initial building boom settles down.

What’s the plan for the two dwellings now?

Darren: We’re leasing both for the time being. One’s earmarked for sale in a couple of years, and the second not long after that.

What would you tell someone weighing up a similar project?

Lisa: “You won’t have any dramas, you won’t lose sleep and you won’t get any headaches.”

Considering a duplex build?

For landowners weighing up what to do with a block, a duplex can create more flexibility. Both homes could be rented, one could be lived in and the other leased or the properties could form part of a longer-term sale strategy.

Whatever your investment strategy, Valley Homes can help you explore what’s possible with your block and find a duplex or dual occupancy solution that suits your site and longer-term plans for the future.

Valley Homes has been building duplex and multi-unit developments across the Hunter for over 50 years and offer a range of dual occupancy and duplex options that can be adapted to different blocks and investment plans.

Get in touch with the team at Valley Homes to find out more.

Disclaimer: information contained in this article is general in nature only and does not constitute financial advice – please consult your accountant or a professional financial adviser about your specific situation.