When event planner and pub manager Maddison Flannigan relocated from Chirnside Park, a north-eastern suburb of Melbourne, to the picturesque Echuca-Moama region in 2020 to escape the constraints of lockdowns, she couldn’t have imagined how much her life would change in just a few years.
It was that same year she first reached out to Metricon. “At that stage, I had no idea what I wanted. I was exploring both house and land packages and established homes, trying to figure out whether it was easier to build or buy.” Maddison recalls.
Four years later, as Maddison recently celebrated her 30th birthday, she’s marking a major milestone - her first-ever home build as Metricon’s 14,000th customer in Regional Victoria.
“It’s a bit surreal,” she laughs. “I never imagined turning 30 and building a house at the same time. But then I thought, ‘This is it. This is my year. I’ve got this!’”
Planning for your future
Maddison knew exactly what she wanted as soon as she toured Metricon’s four-bedroom Avery design late last year. “It was the first house I looked at, and I just knew,” she says. “I loved the high ceilings throughout and the open layout - it was exactly what I was looking for.”
The price was also attractive. “It was about the same as buying an existing home, but this way, I got everything I wanted,” she explains. “It’s my home, and no one else has lived there before me.”
Building her dream home felt like the logical choice. “You’re either paying a mortgage on your own home or renting and covering someone else’s mortgage,” Maddison notes. “It’s all about investing in your future.”
Despite having purchased a block of land in Melbourne that she never built on, Maddison could still access $10,000 through the First Homebuyer Grant initiative, which was an unexpected support.
Growing up in a large family and accustomed to making things happen for others through her event planning and styling business, 2 Sheilas 1 Barn, as well as her bar work at the American Hotel Echuca, Maddison has been thoroughly impressed by the flexibility of Metricon's selection process.
From the design phase to the slab pour, everything went off without a hitch. “Honestly, it was so simple,” Maddison says. “I’m quite particular and knew exactly what I wanted, so I asked the Sales and Studio M team a lot of questions, and they were all so lovely.”
Maddison personalised her Avery floorplan with additional options to reflect her personal style. “I upgraded to the largest walk-in shower for my ensuite and relocated the toilet to a separate powder room.” she explains.
Throughout the process, communication has been flawless. "You’re always up to date,” Maddison says. “It’s honestly been so cruisey.”
Taking shape
Maddison is thrilled with her decision to settle in the Echuca-Moama region. “It’s all about the lifestyle,” she says. “Melbourne is non-stop with traffic everywhere, but up here, it’s much more relaxed. Having the river literally next door is great in summer - I can jump on a boat or go for a swim whenever I like.”
The one thing that hasn’t been slow is the progress from signing on the dotted line to seeing her new home start to take shape. The frame of her Avery design has already gone up and she’s had a chance to walk through the bones of what will soon be her first home.
“The slab went down a few weeks ago, and I didn’t visit for a bit because I thought it would take a while to progress,” Maddison recalls. “Then I drove past the other day and said, ‘Oh, my God. Is that the frame up?’ It was crazy to see that. It’s one thing to see a slab; you can’t really envision the house. But once the walls are up and you can walk through it, it’s a crazy feeling.”
It’s exceeded all her expectations. “It’s going to feel so open because I chose larger windows, and I was blown away by how much bigger they look in person,” Maddison says.“I’m so excited. I can’t wait to enjoy it.”
With progress moving so swiftly, she’s hopeful the wait won’t be too long. “Seeing how quickly things are moving, it will feel like no time until I’m in there.”
You can read more about Metricon’s happy customers sharing their dream home journey here, here and here.
