I bought a house that won’t make a profit and I couldn’t be happier

Young family makes a risky purchase which is paying off in spades.

A waterhole in the SA’s outback.

Hannah Samson remembers the exact moment she told friends and family that she and her husband Jamie were going to buy a house in the remote South Australian town of Roxby Downs. The words were barely out of her mouth when the room fell silent.

“They were a bit shocked,” recalls Hannah with a laugh.

And it’s easy to see why. After all, as an employee of BHP’s Olympic Dam, the company the township was custom-built to accommodate, Jamie (and accordingly Hannah and the couple’s two children) had access to significantly subsidised housing.

Moving out of what was regarded as a perfectly reasonable and relatively inexpensive rental property to instead buy one of their own, in an area they may not wish to live in forever, made little financial sense to outsiders, and those who knew the couple were perplexed, some even a little concerned.

We’re a long way from the big smoke now, says Hannah.

When Jamie’s mining company contract came to an end would they want to sell up and move back to Perth, the city the family originated from? And if so, might they lose every cent on this house in an isolated mining town known for being little more than a dust bowl?
Hannah wasn’t sure of the answers but she did know that leaving the rental property for a house of their own was the right thing to do.

“We absolutely hated that house and we hated living in it, ” she says with a shrug.

“It looked nice enough from the outside, but it was a transportable house and built above the ground and so noisy. You could hear everyone and everything – you could even hear the dog walking. We couldn’t wait to get out of it.”

Looks perfectly fine from the outside. But ...

Hannah and Jamie understood and even empathised with their loved ones’ concerns. But they pushed on all the same, eventually buying a house on the outskirts of town for roughly $300,000. And life is good.

“We’re so much happier,” she says.

“We live happily here and we’re enjoying our time. Yes, if and when the time comes to sell, it’s possible we’ll lose money, it’s hard to say. But that’s OK...

“Property prices here are very dependent on mining so perhaps we’ll sell during a boom and make money. But we don’t mind. What matters to us is being happy in our home – and now we are.”

Their pup enjoys the fresh air.

Small Hannah, even smaller baby and one very big sky.

QUALITY OF LIFE

Numerous studies have linked poor housing quality (including overcrowding, damp and insufficient housing facilities) to increased anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia and even panic attacks. One of the better known studies, published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology in June, found a direct link between home environments and mental health with a particular link between noise, daylight and ventilation.

None of this comes as a surprise to Hannah. “Home to me is not about a place or location,” she says thoughtfully. “It’s a safe space to ground yourself from whatever else is going on in life or the world, a space that makes you feel accepted as you are.” She goes on to compare the relationship between adults and their homes to youngsters and their classrooms.

“If the classroom isn’t a safe space then kids won’t learn or thrive,” says Hannah.

“I think the same goes for our homes.”

For now though Hannah, Jamie and daughters Anais, six, and Pippa, two, are having the time of their lives in their new light-filled home with its sparkling pool out back. Hannah has some minor renovation plans but nothing major, she qualifies. She has hired renovation design company The Reno Life and has had 3D masterplans drawn up. Hannah wants to follow these plans to the letter having learned from experience.

She and Jamie renovated a property back in Perth recently and Hannah is now something of a pro.

“The last time we renovated we didn’t have a plan though,” says Hannah.

“We just did one thing after another ... and then another. It meant we spent more money than we needed to so this time round we’ll do things a bit differently. I’ve learned from my mistakes,” she adds with a laugh.

The pool view that keeps Hannah’s heart beating.

Hannah’s business is thriving — and so is she.

PUTTING DOWN ROOTS

So Hannah and Jamie have a renovation to tackle, two small children to raise and, not one to rest on her laurels, Hannah has also launched Green Amigos, an online plant marketplace. Green Amigos was born after Hannah realised how difficult it could be for those in far-flung locations (Roxby is a decent six-hour drive to Adelaide) to track down precious plants and have them delivered to their door.

The site is designed to resolve any of those issues by bringing together a swag of plant sellers from all states and territories so that you can confidently order from wherever you are. And Hannah would love it if you ordered up a bunch. Not only because it’s her business, but because she firmly believes all households would benefit from the introduction of more living things. And if you’re convinced you have a black thumb, Hannah would like you to reconsider. “Looking after plants is a journey,” she says. “Anyone can learn. So anyone can learn to look after plants too.” And on the whole, plants just aren’t that difficult to care for, adds Hannah.

“If a plant isn’t thriving, the first thing you do is observe and ask yourself why,” she advises. “Ask what’s going on? Is it water, light, soil? Then you might try moving it to another location. You don’t just leave it in the same spot to continue to decline. I relate those things to people too – you can have a plan, but there’s always an unexpected element that you need to be flexible enough to say ‘Hey, that’s not working, I’m going to try something else’.”

Which brings her back round to those who doubted her and Jamie’s decision to buy in Roxby Downs.

“They didn’t really understand why we would do it,” says Hannah.

“But we felt really good about buying it and we still do. We have a pool now and it’s wonderful. I need to be near water.

“I need to be able to see it and I also need open space and natural light, and this house has all of that. And we just love it.”

The kids love it too.

LIFE IN A REMOTE TOWN

Hannah and Jamie adore their house, their township and the community.
In fact, they cannot speak highly enough of the townsfolk they share their neighbourhood with.

“We love the fresh air and space to move but the thing I like the most about living in the country is the friendships,” explains Hannah.

“Your friends become your family and the people that you ultimately rely on.” She tells a story about her car breaking down when she and Jamie were close to five hours away from the township in which they lived. They flagged down a truck with a satellite phone and reached out to a neighbour who immediately set out to pick them up.

“They didn’t hesitate – not for a moment,” says Hannah. “I’m just not sure you find that when you live in the city.”