Coastal home conversion holds surprising twist for families

Parents in a blended family of six children have taken a bold step to ensure their kids can crack the property market.

The bank of mum and dad is a significant consideration for Margo Priestly and Beau Shaw as parents of a blended family of six children.

The couple is trading their renovated Tweed Heads home to live mortgage free in the Queensland regional town of St George, aiming to save for their kids’ future home deposits.

“Our motivation is a tree change and being mortgage free,” said Ms Priestly, who works as a high school lab technician.

“We are also hoping to be able to have $20,000 for each of the children to put towards their own home once they finish their degrees, because we know that will be the only way they can break into the property market.”

9 Blue Waters Crescent, Tweed Heads West is going under the hammer on September 27

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Their four-bedroom, three-bathroom home on a 910 sqm lot at 9 Blue Waters Cres, Tweed Heads West is marketed by Real Specialists agent, Kasey Pereira, and goes under the hammer on September 27.

The home was transformed over ten years to accommodate their growing brood.

A self-contained one-bedroom flat was designed to provide older children with a taste of living alone before they officially moved out, while unique living and entertaining spaces include a Gold Class-worthy soundproofed home cinema, pool, and firepit area.

The home has been fully renovated in a fresh, coastal style

It offers for contemporary living in comfort for large families

“This was the only property we could afford at the time that we felt could have enough space for all of the children, and the house has grown and changed through the kids’ different stages,” Ms Priestly said.

Three of the children have now moved out, leaving Amelia and Haillie, both 16, and youngest son, Paxton, 11, who is the only one with the Priestly-Shaws fulltime.

Ms Priestly said soaring housing costs were also a key factor in her older daughters, Lilly and Annabelle, both 18, deciding to attend university in Port Macquarie.

Fees for living on-campus in the regional NSW hub were one-third of living in a Sydney residential college.

A self-contained flat was added to provide teens with a first taste of independent living

Calming blue colours extend to the stylish renovated bathroom

Plenty of space to entertain, including a pool, firepit area, and large lawn

The Priestly-Shaws have purchased a four-bedroom home in St George for $310,000.

“It is a small town where everyone knows each other. When we moved to Tweed it was much smaller, and both Beau and I grew up in small regional towns, so we are looking forward to that same sense of community,” Ms Priestly said.

They have both secured employment, and found local wages were higher despite lower property prices.

PropTrack data shows house prices in Tweed Heads West were up 20.8 per cent over the past year to a median of $1.03m.

Margo Priestly at their Tweed Heads home with children, Amelia, 16, Annabelle, 18, and Paxton, 11. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Originally published as Coastal home conversion holds surprising twist for families