Sisters, Not Twins: A Brunswick East Duplex with Two Personalities

Most duplexes are identical twins. DevelopHer Monique Woolley built two sisters on Blyth Street, Brunswick East, and the market noticed.

DEVELOPHER: Monique Woolley

LOCATION: Blyth Street, Brunswick East, VIC

Walk down Blyth Street in Brunswick East and you will find two new homes standing side by side. They share a site and a footprint, but not a personality. One is the Green House. The other is the Cool House. Monique Woolley calls them sisters rather than identical twins, and that one decision shaped everything that followed.

Monique is a DevelopHer, and this was a new build from the ground up: a side-by-side duplex with three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a garage in each home. Double storey, every bedroom with its own bathroom, and the kitchen downstairs built for entertaining. The interiors take their cues from the Merri Creek and the modern retro feel of Brunswick.

It was not an easy run. She bought the site and handed over the last set of keys a little over three years later, through a build delay and a market that moved against her mid-project. Rate rise after rate rise. Sound familiar? She still sold both homes above the prices in her original feasibility.

How? Quality, a rule about comparables, and a suburb she chose on purpose. Monique shared her story with us.

What were your thoughts going into the project?

Our strategy was to build high-quality, bespoke, sustainable, energy-efficient homes with high-end finishes. We wanted unique properties that each had their own personality, more like sisters than identical twins, which is typically the case for duplex developments.

The interiors were inspired by Merri Creek and modern retro Brunswick vibes. The homes were double storey, with each of the three bedrooms having its own bathroom. The highlight of the ground floor was the kitchen, with a large island bench, integrated appliances, a bar, and a courtyard designed for entertaining.

Originally the project was planned to take two and a half years: a year for planning and eighteen months for construction and completion.

What went really well?

Bringing the design to life. The exterior facade and the use of high-quality materials such as recycled brick, Colorbond steel and Smartstone in the kitchen lifted the whole project, and we achieved a higher sale price than typical projects in the area. We secured sale prices beyond our initial feasibility expectations.

The focus on energy efficiency was very well received by the market. Both homes have a 7.2-star energy rating, solar panels, an in-ground rainwater tank, a Reclaim water heat pump, a battery and an electric car charger. We sold one of the homes off the plan, before the build was finished.

The inner-city location proved desirable too. Brunswick East sits next to some high-end suburbs, and that drew buyers across from the neighbouring areas.

What didn’t go so well?

The market conditions were very difficult during this time. Land cost was high to begin with, and then there was rate rise after rate rise across the timeline. The build was also delayed by more than six months.

How did you use data to make your decisions?

We use CoreLogic to research suburbs and sale prices, and to work out what completed projects in the area have sold for, size for size. Our offer price on a site is driven by the anticipated yield of that site and the projected profit margin.

With our feasibilities we have a rule. We want three properties that have already achieved our desired sale price before we include that price in the numbers. You can aim to break suburb records, but be realistic about the market history.

Professional valuations have been an important part of obtaining construction funding, and they give a realistic view of forecast sale prices.

We seek inner-city locations that are desirable places to live. If there are always people who want to live there, the suburb is more likely to withstand adverse market conditions. The inner north of Melbourne has gentrified and appeals to ‘hipsters’ turned professional buyers. And because we build sustainable, energy-efficient homes, we develop in areas where the buyers appreciate that kind of product.

What did you learn from the project?

One of our core values as a business, is quality. We have learned that delivering a high-quality result is about excellence at every stage of the development process, not only the final product. From the materials used to the craftsmanship in construction, quality has to be non-negotiable throughout. It is what sets a project apart and creates lasting value for both the buyer and the developer.

Equally important is the design phase, which we have come to appreciate as the most crucial step in bringing a vision to life. Think through every space and every detail. Every decision made in the design, whether it is how natural light flows into a room or how a particular finish feels to the touch, has a real impact on the final product.

What is next?

Blyth Street was the springboard. Next came Rathmines Street in Fairfield, two unique family homes, and you can read that story here on the site. Beyond that she has townhouses underway on Nicholson Street in both Brunswick East and Fitzroy North, sites in Fairfield and Thornbury, and micro-apartment housing projects in the pipeline.

Monique’s rule of three comparables is the DevelopHer way in one line: trust the data, then let the design do the work. What do the numbers say about your suburb?

Feeling inspired by Monique’s project and want to start your own, or thinking about renovating for a profit? We’d love to help you! Book a chat with us today.