Affordable location options

There are always opportunities if you look in the right places and consider all of your options with regard to both location and house design.

The Lake Macquarie area has great appeal with its suburbs nestled around the largest coastal saltwater lake in the southern hemisphere. There’s an abundance of outdoor activities from boating and fishing at various locations across the lake to cycling along the Fernleigh bike track or walking along the foreshore at Warners Bay. At its northern end, Speers Point is where you’ll find the best and biggest playground between the Central Coast and Newcastle.

For those with a passion for creative pursuits the Lake Macquarie Museum of Art and Culture is a unique arts and cultural destination hosting exhibitions and events. Affordable housing is a real possibility particularly when you start exploring the western side of Lake Macquarie where it’s possible to snatch up blocks of land for a great price in suburbs like Teralba, Cameron Park and further south to Cooranbong. These provide opportunities for development for investors or the residential builder making first steps into the property market.

For those more inclined to a rural setting, the Hunter Valley offers economical blocks of land in areas such as Lochinvar, Paterson, Vacy, Gillieston Heights, Farley and Chisolm, all within easy reach of Maitland, where there’s a continued demand for affordable housing. 

So too, the City of Newcastle Council’s housing strategy has a focus on infill housing in corridors stretching out to Mayfield, Broadmeadow and Adamstown and it’s a great opportunity for investors to meet the need for affordable housing in this ever growing metropolis.

At Valley Homes our end of year wrap is a chance to review what news in particular really piqued our readers’ interest. 

One of the common themes was about making wise choices in the face of a challenging economy. Throughout 2022, the rising cost of living and interest rates have been on people’s minds as they contemplate future investments and new home construction. We appreciate that people are seeking trustworthy guidance as well as affordable solutions and that’s perhaps why our top five blogs have been so popular.

In keeping with tradition here’s our countdown starting with number 5.

5. Build an Economic Family Home in NSW

Packed full of information about the various government discounts and grants Build an Economic Family Home in NSW was the blog that brought a lot of hope to first time buyers who’d been feeling overwhelmed by the gloom and doom prevailing over the housing market. It also suggested exploring new suburbs within the Maitland and Hunter Valley region as a way of securing a great deal on land. 

We explored the Urban Homes series with energy efficient designs to contribute to reducing energy bills and the cost of living. The compact design of these three and four bedroom homes reduces the build times which can also provide additional cost reductions. When it comes to new home construction every saving counts especially in a time of rising inflation. 

This blog also served to remind readers that in the search for affordable home builders it makes sense to stay local. At Valley Homes we know that our customers benefit from the knowledge we have of local councils, the relationships we have built with complimentary businesses and our reputation as the go-to Maitland builder. Which leads us seamlessly onto our fourth most popular blog …

4. Location is Key When Building a Townhouse

With councils in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley looking to increase affordable and diverse medium density housing, townhouses are a great investment for property developers. Location is Key When Building a Townhouse was a blog that raised lots of ideas and answered plenty of questions on this topic. With location being key, we encouraged investors and developers to thoroughly research the demographics, amenities, transport and demand for multi unit developments in their chosen suburb. 

Most importantly we reminded readers to ensure the feasibility of the project and factor in rising interest rates and inflation.

3. Creating a Modern Country Home

Creating a Modern Country Home was a great opportunity to celebrate the magic that comes from working with passionate people. One of our Valley Homes customers generously shared the story behind their unique house design and allowed us to showcase its many features. 

A custom home design, 36 Vista Parade exemplifies the way in which Valley Homes works closely with clients to achieve their vision with great in-house design and quality craftsmanship, all within budget. 

We’re sure that this home will inspire more readers to build their own dream homes and choose Valley Homes as their custom home builder.

2. What it Takes to Build a Duplex

In looking for secure strong returns with a relatively lower risk it’s not surprising that many new and experienced investors start with a duplex. The amount of interest in this topic placed What it Takes to Build a Duplex as our second most read. 

This blog included a thorough checklist of all the essentials to consider before embarking on building a duplex. As we’ve already stated, the right location is a big factor with particular emphasis on the shape and size of your block of land. Meeting the requirements of the local council is an aspect that often overwhelms many inexperienced home builders and that’s why we proudly recommend Valley Homes as the Hunter Valley and Maitland builder with over 50 years of knowledge and experience working with local councils. Valley Homes also has a great range of duplex plans that can be adapted to suit your budget and specific block of land.

Champagne at the ready for our most read article…

1. Factoring All Costs Building a New Home or Investment

Early in 2022 we wrote a blog that laid bare some hard facts about the state of the building industry. We wanted our customers to have a clear understanding of the challenges we were, and still are, faced with and how we move forward. Readers appreciated our honesty and advice and that’s why Factoring All Costs Building a New Home or Investment came in at number one!

Our key message was: do your research! We cautioned readers about builders tendering on jobs at a preliminary stage without factoring any known or anticipated supplier price rises. Be aware of the risks and make informed decisions. 

It’s essential that you work with a reliable and trustworthy builder who has already weathered the construction industry storms. With five decades of experience you need look no further than Hunter Valley and Maitland builder, Valley Homes.

Time for dreaming

From the Valley Homes family to yours, we wish you a Christmas full of joy and peace. We look forward to sharing more great ideas and inspiration in 2023 with all you big dreaming home builders!