A couple's journey from knock down to custom built forever home.

When Russell and Daniel Stirling-Brown stumbled across a ‘seen-better-days’ sixties’ home for sale in Adelaide’s western suburbs, they knew their lives were about to change forever.

Meet Russell, a Kiwi who made the move from the deep south of New Zealand to sunny South Australia in 2014. Russell works in quality assurance, a role which requires an eye for detail and a passion for perfection. In his spare time Russell unleashes his inner-architect, pouring over home designs and floorplans with a gleam in his eye.

Now meet Daniel, a South Australian accountant who loves to cook, browse realestate.com.au, and visit beautiful display homes for styling tips in his spare time.

Joining the dots… you might say it was inevitable that this talented pair would build more than one stunning home together!

Their first build was with Fairmont Homes in 2018. Their second began in 2022 when they purchased a 584sqm block of land complete with a sixties’ dwelling and tenants in situ. They describe building both homes as ‘a great experience’ but say their first build was very different to the second.

“First time around we built on a vacant block so there was no knockdown element. It was much simpler. Both builds were great experiences, but very different.”

In 2023, after finalising the tenancy, obtaining planning and building consent, and hiring a demolition company, an image of their next dream home began to take shape.

Russell put pen to paper and eventually his sketched design became a custom floorplan that took form with the help of Fairmont Homes Sales Consultant, Luke Townsend. “Luke Townsend, our sales consultant, was absolutely amazing! I couldn’t fault him at all. He came up with ideas and solutions for the problems we encountered. At first, we didn’t know exactly what we wanted but we had a good idea, and Luke made it all happen,” Russell explains.

Along with their interest in real estate and home designs, Russell and Daniel’s other loves include their dachshunds, Maggie and Monty, and home entertaining. “We love entertaining and cooking. We entertain friends a lot, and we have both our families to stay whenever possible,” says Daniel.

From their enthusiasm for entertaining at home, ideas for the landscape design were cultivated. Their plan included an inground swimming pool with a sun lounge area, separated from a paved alfresco by glass fencing. The pool, fencing and retaining walls were all installed before the house was built.

In the meantime, Russell and Daniel went through the exciting selections process with their Fairmont Homes Selections Consultant, June Kern. “June was FANTASTIC,” says Daniel. “Personality-wise we clicked; she knew what we wanted to achieve. It was fun and enjoyable.”

Russell agrees. “Like with our cupboards. Without sacrificing the look, she thought about symmetry and functionality from a usage point of view.”

“June wasn’t afraid to question our ideas and give us alternatives, which was so refreshing and just what we needed.”

Now that the house is finished and they’ve had time to reflect on the home they’ve created, the guys talk about the features they love most.

For Russell, it is the built-in bar in the open plan living space. “It’s all black, with a beer fridge, a red wine fridge and backlit shelving for spirits,” he grins.

With cooking listed as one of his favourite things to do, of course Daniel’s favourite part of the home is the kitchen. Complete with a fabulous butler’s pantry, he confesses he does love the island bench which allows him to cook and entertain at the same time. “I wanted a minimalistic kitchen, which June helped with. But instead of all white, she suggested contrasting black cabinetry on the island bench to give it depth and a bit of wow factor,” he says. And it certainly does.

When they decided to build with Fairmont Homes for the second time, it was for several reasons. Russell – the quality assurance expert - says the quality and value you get from Fairmont is amazing. “All of the trades take a lot of pride in the work they are doing. The finished product in this and the last house is nicely executed.”

Daniel, the number cruncher, said they were comfortable going back to Fairmont because this was a custom build and they knew how Fairmont worked and what they could help them with.

“We knew Fairmont would work with us to get what we wanted.”

“We took comfort in the fact that they know what they are doing. This project was bigger, more expensive, and more complex than the last, but we knew Fairmont would work with us to get what we wanted,” he says.

After their experience demolishing a property and building a custom designed home, Russell and Daniel have sage advice for others thinking of doing the same thing.

Russell says to have patience, which he admits he struggles with. “Things take time, and you have to wait for one thing to be finished before the next can be started.”

Daniel believes it helps to be flexible. “We both had an image of what we wanted but we had to make some compromises along the way.”

Russell quickly agrees. “Because it takes time to knock down and rebuild, both of those things, patience and flexibility, are important. But it’s all worth it in the end,” he smiles.

In Russell and Daniel’s case, buying a tenanted property delayed the start of their building project. Delays can also be caused by things like bad weather or hold-ups with approval processes, but if you remain patient and open-minded small delays are minor bumps in the road and it is totally worth it in the end, as Russell says.

If you dream of building a custom-built home, Fairmont Homes’ friendly team are ready to help with design ideas. Ensure the quality of your custom build project and take the first step to creating your bespoke home with Fairmont Homes today!