GALLERY: The story behind city builder's dream home

WHEN Mark Winter was a youngster starting out in the building industry as an apprentice carpenter, he dreamed of building beautiful homes. Now his is for sale.

12 Thorley St, Middle Ridge, is for sale. Picture: Contributed

WHEN Mark Winter was a youngster starting out in the building industry, he dreamed of building beautiful homes.

Now, three decades later with a successful custom home building business to his name, his showpiece home built in 2016 has hit the market. 

Originally built as an example of what Mark Winter Constructions could achieve, 12 Thorley Ct, Middle Ridge, is Mr Winter's salute to the modernist architectural style that originated in California in the '40s and '50s. 

12 Thorley St, Middle Ridge

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The iconic Kaufmann house in Palm Springs, designed by the man considered to be one of the fathers of modernism - American architect Richard Neutra - was the main inspiration. 

"What we wanted to do was create a showpiece home to show the public and given them an example of what we could do and what the latest products on the marketplace were," Mr Winter said. 

Working in close conjunction with Sunshine Coast architects MRA Design, Mr Winter said he had wanted to bring a "contemporary take on modernism" to the Garden City. 

"There weren't many examples like that in Toowoomba four years ago," he said. 

And the home, he said, "is absolutely amazing". 

"It's beautiful. We absolutely love it. It's very energy efficient, it's been designed around the northeastern aspect with the aim of getting all that natural lighting into the living areas. And it's been designed to take in the view of the nature reserve across the road. We're living in the city but my view from my living area is 100% nature." 

"We're sad to be leaving it behind." 

The four bedroom, two bathroom home won the regional and state Master Builders award for best individual home in 2016, as well as the regional award for best residential kitchen. 

Mr Winter started out in the building industry at the age of 15 as an apprentice carpenter.

He's got 30 years' experience and has been operating Mark Winter Constructions for about half that time.

Building beautiful homes has been a lifelong dream.

"I suppose honestly it started at a young age with two loves - one of working with my hands... and then that sort of transferred into a love of good design - with anything," he said. 

"I still remember even as a kid I dreamt about building beautiful homes. It was one of my goals when I was in my late teens ... building beautiful houses for people and also for myself - and I've finally got there.

"I've built myself a Ferrari basically. And that's exactly what it is." 

12 Thorley St, Middle Ridge, is for sale. Picture: Contributed

So why sell a dream home?

"For us, we've got a larger block that we're going to move to so I can have a shed. There's nothing glamorous about it," Mr Winter laughed.

"And just because I'm a builder, I've got a lot of stuff I need to put in the shed.

"We'd love to be able to hook up the house like a caravan. We'd do that if we could." 

12 Thorley Ct is for sale via expressions of interest. EOIs close on Monday, March 16 at noon.

There is an open home on Saturday, March 14, at 11am. 

For more information contact McGrath Real Estate Toowoomba's Toby Sandell on 0408 764 931 or Grant Nissen on 0418 725 126.