Joe and Larissa were reluctant to move out of their Mulgrave home. For almost 20 years, they had built a life there. Watched their two children grow up, learn to walk, start school and become young adults. Within those walls was a family history.

It took 10 years for the couple to finally begin building on the block they had bought in Malvern. But with their two kids now young adults and their daughter getting married, it was the perfect time to enter the next chapter of their lives, the perfect time to build a Highview Home.

“I loved our old house, I had so many fond memories there and it took us a long time to finally move. However as soon as we did move I thought that we should have done it earlier, this Highview felt like home from the moment I set foot in it,” says Larissa.

We sat down with Joe and Larissa to hear more about their Highview Home story. Here’s an insight into why Joe and Larissa chose to build a Highview Home and what their lives look like now, in the leafy streets of Malvern.

Why did you choose to build a Highview Home?

Joe

We do have builders in our family, and I have previous experience building privately, but we just loved the period style homes which Highview specialised in. We figured that for a building company to be around this long (51 years) they must be good at what they do.

Larissa

We looked at many other display homes, but we just kept coming back to the Highview Home, we loved the period style and the classic, timeless design. We also liked that the Highview Homes is a family company with a 50-year history. We knew they had the experience of building quality homes.

What are your favourite design elements of the home?

Joe

It’s reasonably modern but in keeping with the traditional federation look. We liked the flexibility of keeping a slightly modern feel to the classic design.

Larissa

I’m an old world girl. I love the old world charm and character of the home. We knew it wouldn’t date. The style suits this area (Malvern) perfectly. Many people have asked us if this is an original period style home which has been renovated. It’s is a real complement – to know that the style looks truly authentic.

What are your favourite memories in the home?

Larissa

Our daughter recently got married and we had photos taken here before the wedding. The dress looked beautiful hanging in the stained-glass window of our master bedroom. We also hosted our family Christmas this year with 30 guests. The living area is a fantastic entertaining space.

We wanted to customise the floor plan to suit our lifestyle. We put the master bedroom downstairs and reduced the size of the living room. We wanted an area for our son to hang out with his friends upstairs. Now our son can have upstairs to himself. We made changes until we got what we wanted.

Describe your home in three words

Comfortable, practical and enjoyable. This is home.

Joe and Larissa just love their place and have no intention of going anywhere. Highview homes love that Joe and Larissa have taken a house we built and turned it into a home. We thank them both for their time and for inviting them into their home.

If you have a Highview home story you would love to share or are thinking of building your dream home, please contact us on (03) 9783 9166