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Six months into life in their new Swanbuild home, Coral and Tim Maxwell have found a pretty simple way to describe it.
“We feel like we’re on permanent holiday.”
It’s perhaps the best review you could ask for from a couple who weren’t looking for more space, but the right space. They wanted somewhere comfortable, easy to maintain and, most importantly, close to family.
Their Carajan cottage now sits as a secondary dwelling on their family’s Victorian property, giving Coral and Tim a home of their own, with their children and five grandchildren right next door.
And while their home may be smaller by design, life inside it certainly isn’t.
When Coral and Tim first started thinking about their new home, they had originally planned to build something bigger. Then they reconsidered.
“We didn’t want a big house. We wanted somewhere where we could just relax,” Coral explains.
“We were originally going to have a bigger house, but we decided no, we were fine with a smaller one.”
Six months in, there are no regrets
Their single-module Carajan cottage gives them everything they need without the maintenance of a larger home. It also made sense for their property, where the new home would sit alongside the existing family residence.
For Tim, the flexibility of a modular home was another drawcard, while Swanbuild’s proximity, recommendations from people they knew, and the designs they’d already seen online gave them the confidence to explore their options.
Designed around the way they live
Compact doesn’t have to mean compromise. Coral and Tim loved the Carajan’s floor plan, but a few thoughtful changes helped turn the design into a home that was distinctly theirs.
A walk-in pantry was high on Tim’s list, while a two-way bathroom provides access from both the bedroom and hallway. A European laundry keeps another everyday necessity neatly contained without taking up valuable space. Then there are the additions made with family in mind.
Coral added a servery window above the kitchen sink, ready to open onto a future deck, as well as bifold doors that open the living space right up.
And then there’s the oven.
“It’s a little house with a very big oven,” Tim laughs.
With two children and five grandchildren, Coral wanted a kitchen ready for family Christmases and celebrations – proof that choosing a smaller home doesn’t mean thinking small when it comes to how you want to live in it.
High ceilings add to the sense of space as Coral explains, “because we’ve got the high ceiling at this end of the building, it’s really opened it up.”
Making the choices easier
For anyone who has built before, the sheer number of decisions involved can sometimes feel like a job in itself.
Coral and Tim found Swanbuild’s selection process refreshingly straightforward.
With everything available on site, there was no running around between different suppliers. Instead, they could see options together in one place, with pre-designed mood boards providing a starting point.
“You’re not starting from scratch,” Tim says. Coral ultimately fell in love with one of Swanbuild’s blue colour schemes, using it as the foundation for the rest of their selections.
“It made the whole process really easy. Very easy to choose.”
That same sense of ease carried through the build. When external council requirements caused delays and changes along the way, Coral and Tim say the Swanbuild team remained patient, helpful and clear about the process.
“They went over and above,” Coral says.
When delivery day finally arrived, it became an event in itself. They invited friends over to watch their new home arrive on the back of a truck and make its way through the property gates.
A home that fits this chapter
Today, Coral and Tim describe their home with one word again and again: easy. It’s easy to maintain, easy to heat on a cold Victorian day and easy to cool when the weather warms up.
“It’s just very easy to maintain and easy to live in,” Tim says. “It’s a good life.”
But perhaps the biggest benefit is just outside their door. Their grandchildren pop in regularly, and being neighbours with family means Coral and Tim can easily help with the kids, earning themselves the title of “onsite babysitters!”
For Coral, it’s a setup that works beautifully now and for the years ahead.
“It’s ideal for our stage of life because we know that we can be in this home for a very long time and have our family next door.”
The home has even attracted attention beyond the family. Passers-by regularly stopped to ask about the cottage, with some coming inside for a look – eventually prompting Coral and Tim to put a Swanbuild sign out the front.
Would they do it again?
Absolutely.
“If we were starting the process again, we would go exactly the same way,” Tim says.
They’ve already recommended Swanbuild to others and Coral is quick to point out that their experience isn’t only relevant to people considering a smaller home.
Having seen larger homes being constructed during visits to Swanbuild’s factory, she says it was the quality of the finishes, professionalism of the team and confidence they felt throughout their own build that stood out most.
“We felt confident in their ability to deliver what we’d asked for.”
For Coral and Tim, what they asked for was a smaller, easier home that kept them close to the people they love. And that’s exactly what they got!
Thinking about downsizing, adding a secondary dwelling or simply finding a home that better suits your next chapter?
Explore Swanbuild’s home designs or book a consultation with our team to start the conversation.