The home, which features a striking skillion, is located on the corner of Borpa Place and Nurtja Dve, one of seven homes in the street to have the foundations laid in the past two months.
Almost three years after purchasing a block in stage one of The Edge Estate development, successful Kyabram builder will be the first of an expected 200-plus new residents of the eastern Kyabram development.
He expects to be living in his new home by February next year, having purchased the block in the middle of the COVID pandemic in 2021.
“Originally I just wanted a bigger block, so I could have a larger shed on the property.
“But then I looked at the corner block which was facing onto the parkland and decided that was going to be my new home,” he said.
The 873-square block already has the 70sqm shed in place and the exterior of the home is almost at lock-up stage,
Mr Manks said he had looked at stage two of Sunrise Estate, but the size of The Edge blocks drew him to the Simon Eishold-developed site.
The 24-square house has two bathrooms, two living areas, an enlarged garage, a butler’s pantry, larger than usual walk-in robes and a dedicated office.
Mr Manks built his first home as part of the first stage of Sunrise Estate six years ago.
He said the embarrassment of riches that was now the Kyabram land market, with five estates popping up in the last few years, was in contrast to when he was building his first home.
“There really hasn’t been anything for last three years,” he said.
That has not been the only change in the housing market, interest rates rising from 2.5 per cent when he bought The Edge block to almost double that in the last rate rise.
“When I bought the block it was still 2 1/2 per cent. Material and labour costs have gone up 50 per cent since then,” he said.
Mr Manks, as you might expect, is building the home himself, fitting it on during his working week when he spends about half his time on other projects and the remainder on his home at The Edge.
He and apprentice Kaleb Answer have worked alongside a series of contractors from Kyabram and Echuca to get the home to the stage where it is now well advanced from the neighbouring houses.
He has shared his focus on the new home while working on home renovations, flood-damaged properties and a cabin in a caravan park at Rochester.
He has put his Sunrise Estate home on the market and worked with Kyabram architect Dale Denham to design and build his home.
"I’ve used Dale for several years and on a number of projects. He did my last house and makes a big difference to how a home flows and feels.
“The new house has thinner windows on the north side, so not as much heat comes into the house. It also features a light-coloured roof, which helps,” he said.
Mr Denham said the plan was adapted from a concept sketch, which he developed into a final floor plan with a modern facade for a property in Moama a couple of years ago.
“The floor plan for Kyabram is very similar with some small changes to accommodate the corner block,” he said
Mr Manks said he expected The Edge to be popular because of the range of blocks on the house, everything from smaller blocks of 500 squares to more than double that size.
“Part of the appeal of the estate was that it looked onto the dam and park area. I bought the block for $150,000, but it has risen in value substantially since then,” he said.
The unique brickwork features Daniel Robertson Bricks, from Tasmania, and is modelled on a Dale Denham design that he built in Moama.
Mr Manks said the work of RJD Plumbing, GV Electrical, Damien Miller Plastering, Andrew Halstead Concreting, along with a roofer and bricklayer from Echuca had contributed to the pacy construction of his new home.
"Using locals makes it a really rewarding experience,“ he said.
