Grant spent 18 months researching builders and home designs, and six months exploring new communities, before deciding on the Sage masterplanned community in the growing Moreton Bay region.
During this time, he moved back in with his parents in Deception Bay to save money towards his first house after renting for years in Brisbane City and Moreton Bay.
“People suggested I buy an existing home but, for me, I know what I want and this is the way to do it right,” Grant says.
“I’m not building an investment home; I’m building something I want to stay in for a long time.
“I could buy an existing place and it might be a bit cheaper, but then I’m going to sink money into renovations and end up with something that costs the same if not more.”
Grant says he has lived with his family in the Moreton Bay area for 20 years and is familiar with Burpengary and Burpengary East.
“Burpengary East has been popular for a while, which has driven prices quite high and the bigger blocks have been snapped up, so I felt that wasn’t an option for me,” he says.
“The popularity of Burpengary has spilled into the more established western side, and I can see more people are opening up places to eat and shop.
“For me it came down to being able to buy a bigger block for much less than in Burpengary East while still being close to shops, restaurants, schools and the Coast as well as avoiding that extra time on the train if I lived at another estate around Caboolture.
Another key selling point for Grant, who is legally blind, was being close to the Burpengary Train Station which he can use to easily access the CBD.
“Because I’m legally blind I can’t get a driver’s licence, so I rely on public transport quite a lot,” he says.
“Having the station so close makes my life much easier. When I saw how close it was to the station, schools and shops, and the price I thought ‘yep’ I need to jump on this one.”
Grant says another aspect in Sage’s favour was the emphasis on the environment, with more than 30 per cent of the community reserved for a retained and rehabilitated ecological corridor.
“I love the design of the park and my home will have a nice bushland feeling, without actually being far away, which I’m really looking forward to,” he says.
Grant has engaged a builder broker for his four-bedroom house on a 540sq m block and plans on locking in a builder in the next few months.
As well as four bedrooms, the home will include a home office, a swimming pool at the rear, solar power and a design that maximises cross ventilation.
Grant says he is both excited and nervous about moving to Sage and feels like it is the start of something new.
“I feel like I’ve been waiting to establish my own life,” he says.
“I’ve rented for a long time and moved back with the parents to save up. I’ve felt like apart from my career, life has lacked some forward momentum for a while now. I realise I’ve been waiting for this, and I’m ready to get started.”